Finishing up and starting again

At the start of 2012 I chose "Priorities" as my focus word.

I have to admit it was a good choice and helped me through many decisions I had to make as to use of time and talents and resources.

Those who really know me, know how I hate doing anything at the last minute. I can do "plan A","plan B", and even plans C, and D, but all need to have some end in sight.

I guess that is one of the reasons I really have no UFOs. I do have something like my blue runner waiting in the wings and I do have some ideas in my sketchbook to try out. (actually quite a few things I would like to try after seeing them on other blogs)

The Woman's Conference is the last weekend in January so the gift for the speaker is finished.

The kanji reading top to bottom, right to left, is Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. I sorted through my fabric bits to find two inch blocks that represent those seasons. The outlines of the kanji are quilted with glittery thread. (I always say, when that spool is gone, I am not getting more ... it is so hard to use)!

The lettering is quilted in light blue. Those letters are just 2cm. high and I had to split the verse to fit it all in without too much crowding.

Can you read it? I didn't want it too bright.

I will add a sleeve in case the speaker wishes to use it as a wall hanging. Since our house is short of wall space, I tend to make table runners rather than hangings.


The finished size is just over 22 x 34 inches if I count the binding.

When I took it out in the sun for a photo, I saw there is a lot of dog hair yet to be removed.

And while I am finishing up the year, I am enjoying the lovely songs of our newest family member.

"Piper" is a pied canary and was a Christmas gift from my husband.

My daughter thought it a rather poor name as the pied piper lured away the children in the tale. Well, he also lured the rats and I am a rat-year person and I probably would have followed along with the children.
Then, since I play the bagpipes, I am a piper too.

What a wonderful way to end and begin a year with song!
Warmest wishes to you all in the coming year.

Wild Geese is this weeks theme

By now you know I enjoy the weekly themed contests that Quilting Gallery holds whether or not I have something that fits the theme. It is always fun to see what other quilters do with similar blocks and patterns.

When I was sorting through my scraps, I found one baggy filled with half square triangles. Most of those are leftovers from a much earlier quilt. Long ago, a friend living in Tokyo ordered fabric from Keepsake Quilters. She had a military address so she could easily have it posted to Japan. From time to time she would receive cut square samples of fabric from which she made her choice and the rest she gave to me, rightly thinking I could use them in a quilt.

Now, I have always loved the geese blocks. Having lived several times in my life along flyways, I love to watch the migrating birds passing through. I recall the first time my daughters experienced clouds of birds overhead, coming to the yard and taking off again into the sky. "Look, Mom, it's raining birds!", my daughter exclaimed. Wild geese went on to my list of future quilts.

So when I had a good selection of fabric samples from my friend, I cut them to make flying geese, using the lighter fabrics to set the geese. At that point I began to look for a nice floral print too use between the rows of geese. I don't recall how long I looked but I just could not find anything that would work.

Finally, thinking I would never find the fabric I wanted, I sat down with a pencil and paper and made a list. The list had the names of flowers from my gardens in assorted places through the years, those that had special meaning to me alone. Then I divided them by season and drew pictures on four strips of paper, one for each season. I added some birds to represent those seasons too, the ones to be found in my garden.

I quilted the background of the panels in a lattice design and in the border are quilted all different leaves, most Japanese trees but some from the States as well. You would be surprised how many friends got involved sending me pressed leaves to use as patterns.

The name of the quilt is "To Everything there is a Season" and, although not a winner, it made a trip to Paducah. (Something I have never done)
Being selected as one of 400 out of over 900 entries was quite an honor and it returned home with the judges compliments.

This was not my only quilt with wild geese blocks but others have flown away as gifts and no digital photos exist. I entered this once before in a flowers theme but it is not a big eye-catcher. Still, it is one of my all-time favorites because of the pieces of my life it represents.

"Going Green" going to a festival

Here is a quilt worthy of any quilt festival but a good place to start is the Blogger's Quilt Festival 2010. amyscreativeside.com.

This quilt was created by a group of mothers from the American School In Japan as one of the prizes for a silent auction at the 2009 Spring Gala.

The Gala theme was "Going Green" I and two other planners pulled out a selection of green fabrics and arranged them into sections. I drew sketches of various seasonal flowers and we selected material for the aplique.

Some of the members of the group who had sewing experience helped aplique the blocks. Those who could do basic sewing joined the blocks or pieced the border.

When the top was assembled we met to quilt in the ditch. Between sessions I took the quilt home and worked the larger areas with Japanese style motifs. Our little group met somewhat weekly, with gaps for holidays, beginning in late November and finishing in early March.

Our first auction quilt was in '04 and with each year our plans have varied but we always start out with non-quilters and end up with great satisfaction and sense of comraderie. This quilt was 211.5cm x 226cm and brought a handsome sum.

If I am able to post this in the festival, it will be thanks to Liz at quilteriehttp://quilterie.blogspot.com who has coached me from afar.

To Everything there is a Season 2000