Back to the Studio

Lately, most of my studio time has been in dealing with the overwhelming stash issue. But, fear not, I have had a bit of time to sew. I've forced the issue a bit by signing up for some on-line classes, which are always fun.

My first class, from Quilt University, is on-going and is called "More Machine Quilting" with Carol Miller. Along with countless exercise pieces, I have done these three pillows:


The first one is free-form seashells with very tiny stippling in between the shells. The stitching was done with Superior Threads Rainbows in a pale pastel combo.


The second is four free-form leaves with close stitching on two of the quadrangles. The thread in this one is a taupe variegation.



The free-form tulips and leaves of the third one just looked too blah without some color, so I added some color with Shiva art sticks. The thread for this one is Superior Threads Masterpiece in an olive green. I must confess that I found free motion stitching all those straight lines really diffifult! There is a lot of wobbling going on there....


I'm partway through another Quilt University class, "Bargello Seasons" with Ruth Blanchet. As you can see, I really enjoy taking classes from QuiltU! Over the course of the class, we will make four small bargello quilts, each one more complex than the one before it. I've turned my first effort into a pillow:




My DGS will be entering college this fall, majoring in Professional Photography. He'll be living in a dorm, so I've pieced a quilt for him in his favorite color: orange. As soon as the rain stops, I'll get a photo of that up and on the blog. As rainy as it has been lately, I may actually have it quilted and bound before the weather clears!