I've been cranking on customer quilts which has left me.....cranky! Big exam in school tomorrow, should be studying. I have been binding on a couple things, and I did get the baby quilt sent off to my sister Mary, who's baby is due any day now. Sometimes I have so many things going on at once I feel like I'm just bailing out a leaky boat...not making much progress as it keeps filling back up again!
I did take some time to do a search for other quilt blogs. I seem to have missed the blog-trend by about 2 years according to the inactivity on most of them. And.....there weren't many that caught my eye. There seems to be a TON of knitting blogs, and quite a few art quilt blogs....but they just aren't me. So who am I? As a quilter?
Oh here we go, let's get deep! I feel a great connection to antique quilts and the women's hands who created them in the past. I look at the fabrics, trace the hand stitches....and wonder what their lives were like 150 years or so ago. I bet they never thought their quilt would travel this far this long into my hands.
I love making traditional quilts, but they have to have a ZINGER to get me to stay with them. I think that is why I like scrap quilts so much, lots of options to keep me from getting bored. I quilted a quilt for a customer that was 110X110 and contained only 3 fabrics. It was beautiful, but it looked preprinted it was so organized, know what I mean? Repeat, repeat, repeat...It was so HARD to force myself to keep quilting on it. It's GORGEOUS....but lifeless.
I like things a bit wonky, a bit crazy, a bit primitive, a bit outside the lines, and a bit maverick! But still recognizable as a QUILT and that is why I don't fall into the art quilt category. So out here in the midlands between traditional quilt making and art quilts....can be a lonely place to be...not quite a square peg, and not quite a round hole.
Are you this kind of quilter..if so, let me know I'm not alone out here! If you have a blog, invite me to come over. I'd love to see what else is out there!
Bonnie
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
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Hi Bonnie! I just wanted to tell you that I share your view on quilts and quilting, but just am not as prolific as you... I LOVE antique quilts, and am currently 75 blocks and 23 tris into a Dear Jane quilt using CW repros... also love scrap quilts... I am a member of Stashbusters and know your work through your posting there...
ReplyDeleteI have a blog with links to my DJ quilt, but not a quilty blog... oneillsinireland.blogspot.com - it is mostly news for my family and friends about our family, so might not be that interesting...
Just wanted to let you know that there are definitely more folks out there that like the things about quilting that you do. To me if it is too matchy matchy it is boring!! The antique quilts I have bought have been wild mismatched ones, I love em!
Cathi, transplanted Yank in Ireland!
Wow! someone actually read my blog! :cD Thanks so much for the comments! I'd love to visit ireland someday...it is on my list of things of "must do in my lifetime" I'm so glad to know you and good luck on your DJ! You are over the 1/2 way hump if you have come this far...I'd love to see you finish it!
ReplyDeleteBonnie
Cathi, no one is as prolific as Bonnie...
ReplyDeleteLOL, Tonya, I believe you are right, I think she's finished about 1086 quilts in the time I've finished 3!! I have a lot of specific gift quilts I want to get finished, a bit more matchy matchy than I would do for myself, but look forward to starting to make scrap quilts from now on!!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I checked your blog and love your word quilts and all the quilts that Bonnies done using them, will be trying that myself in the future!
I looked for quilting blogs a few months back and found one more which you might know of... quiltette.blogspot.com I think she's even used patterns off your website, Bonnie!
Cathi
What is this? y'all been talking behind my back and I didn't even know it! I log in and there are FIVE comments on my blog page! next time you come to hang out here, invite me too will ya? :c)
ReplyDeleteBonnie
Hi Bonnie, wanted to tell you that I have been a fan of your quilts all the way back to the first ones you posted. I was so excited to see you scappy bargello, and had to make on immediately !
ReplyDeleteAll the things you've done since are wonderful ! I especially like your "wonky" ones. It's amazing how many people aren't "ok" enough to get their minds around that "not perfect on purpose" idea.
I've made several using your "crumb" idea..saw it in a magazine, which called it "mile a minute" quilts. I work with 6.5" blocks and have put 180 of them into a twin size for my only granddaughter. Then I pieced her name and put that across the top..she loved it.
I haven't put quilt pictures on my blogspot as yet, but please do feel free to visit and read abit about my approach to life.http://finnleah.blogspot.com
I have some traditional type quilt pictures at Webshots, and the addy is in the blog. I'm trying to get brave enough to post my "orphan block" quilts..LOL...people just shake their heads when they see them.
Hi Bonnie!
ReplyDeleteI, too, enjoy your website www.quiltville.com and your prolific-ness as a quilter. Also impressive is your beautiful machine quilting!
I just got a sewing machine in January and have been dilligently pumping out a couple of quilts a month and you can see a few of them on http://cauchycomplete.blogspot.com , which is desperately in need of updating. The problem is that I machine piece the tops and then hand quilt them, so it takes a long time to reach the finished products...
My present projects are three DJs (plaids, indigos, and CWs) and a string pieced in all Amish tones inspired by seeing all of yours.
Thanks for sparking the creativity of a community of quilters!
You rock!
~Chawne
Hi Bonnie - just wanna say thank you for the Leaders/Enders page... my thread supply thanks you and my vacuum thanks you. :)
ReplyDeleteI had to create a Blogger account to comment to you, but my actual site is http://leahsgarden.tripod.com/writings
I have a handful of my quilts up there. I also keep tabs of my fitness progress (or lack of it?) on my blog.
I would love to someday own a long arm machine, but currently money and room prevent that from happening. But now is the time to save up for the machine! :)
Hey, what might be nice is if you tell us more about your long arm. Like where you got it, maybe some pictures of setting it up, what kind you have, the pros and cons of it. I haven't been able to find too much in-depth regarding long arms. Maybe you can be the first! :)
Leah
Mary C, I hope you can come back here and find my reply because you didn't leave an email address for me to reach you! If you go to http://quiltville.com/sunshine.shtml and scroll down to crumb quilts, you will see examples. Basically, you just sew odd random pieces together until the block is big enough for you to trim to the size you want them. 6" is a good size to shoot for, or they get too unweildy if you go bigger. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteBonnie