Office Party - A Challenging Comedy of Errors

This is the block I designed for Modern Quilts Unlimited's monthly block design challenge, Everything Old is New Again.

I thought this curvy design, my interpretation of the traditional Bow Tie block was rather festive, so I called it Let's Party.

If you like my block design, I'd appreciate your vote ...  even if you don't like my block ... you might want to click over and see what others did, starting with a bow tie for inspiration.

Modern Quilts Challenge Link

You will need to log into Facebook in order to vote.

If your reaction to this combination of fabrics is one of "what was she thinking?" then keep reading as I share the comedy of errors on the path of making the block.

This monthly challenge started last summer; a friend sent me email about it because–no surprise to anyone who reads this blog–I love challenges.  Each month a traditional block is chosen and published by MQU and you have to design an original 12-inch modern block design based upon it.  But I was reticent, for a number of reasons:

• Although I very much like and am definitely influenced by Modern Quilts, I would consider myself a Modernist, though not necessarily a Modern Quilter (with a capital M and a capital Q) and I feared the kind of reaction Laura Lang describes in her recent article about the Modern Quilt Police. It wouldn't be the first time ... and frankly, I already have enough grief in my life.
• The winner of this design contest is determined by a social media popularity contest and I have such a small social media footprint that I figured that I wouldn't have a chance, so if I played along, it would be simply for that reason, to "play" with the challenges. 
• For the first traditional block announced last summer, Flying Geese ... I had nothing in terms of a new interpretation. 
• Blocks (and the sampler quilt at the end of the challenge)  had to be made ONLY from fabrics from Michael Miller.  I never choose fabrics for my projects based on who made them and because my stash is one of a scrap quilter, I don't even always know whose fabrics I'm choosing and using.  

But even if I was personally uninspired, I loved following along to see the modern interpretations of the traditional blocks so far and when the November block was announced, inspiration struck and my design idea stayed stuck in my head and insisted I make it. 

I remembered the December 10 deadline, but for some reason thought it was the date that you could START entering your block ... not the absolute, drop dead, must be posted by deadline. Yesterday morning I saw a mention of the deadline and realized my error.  I also realized that I would have to quickly make my block based on whatever fabrics in my stash I could absolutely identify as Michael Miller fabrics. It's only the busiest time of the year ... no problem. 

Note to fabric manufacturers:  Please consider printing your name and fabric information on BOTH selvages so that those of us that buy fat quarters will somehow have a clue whose fabrics we have. 

So, that's why this block is made from some old (vintage?) Michael Miller yardage, Daily Grind, that I won at a quilt retreat at least a decade ago, a fat quarter of Stitch Circle that happened to be the side that had the name on the selvage and a sparkly fat eighth of Confetti Border that was acquired for the MQG Michael Miller fabric challenge. 

Using that office cubicle print as a background for my Let's Party block led to a story (in my head, at least) of office workers waiting for the end of day and the holiday Office Party. 

I am celebrating my quickly finished entry on these lists: 

Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Quilt Shop Gal's Creative Goodness Linky Party

Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

Three Questions for My Quilting Friends

First, because it's (almost) WIP Wednesday and two of the three questions I have for you are about this piece, here's what happened with my scrap bag challenge.

To refresh your memory, some local friends and I exchanged quart-size zip lock bags filled with fabric scraps.

The challenge was to use all the fabrics we received and make a little quilt.

It's OK to add your own fabrics, but you must use everything you find in the ziplock bag.

Here's a better look at the fabrics I had to include:



And now for my three questions for you:

         Do you see what I see?

1. This was one of those projects that took on a life of it's own and ended up being something completely different that I first imagined it.  An idea took hold and I ran with it and now I wonder if I made my intent clear.  My question for you is, what do you see in this design?  



Borders?







Does it need borders?  If so,  how wide and what color?  Keep in mind that it was made primarily from someone else's scraps, with some of mine added, so I don't have any more of any of the fabrics. The pieced top currently measures 26 by 37 inches.  It will be a wall hanging, or possibly be used as a table mat.   




What three words describe your quilts? 






As I was playing with these scraps, I started thinking about how you think the challenge is to use all the fabrics, but you find that it's also about how do you make a quilt from fabrics not chosen by you, in combinations you might never choose to combine and have it turn out looking like a "you" quilt. That led me to think about what makes it feel like me and I came up with these three words that often apply to the quilts I design and make: scrappy, organic and color-saturated.  What three words do you think describe your quilting style? 

I'd love to read your answers to one, two or all of these questions in the comments.

Because it's already Wednesday in Australia, I'm linking with Ester's WOW (WIPs on Wednesday).  Be sure to click over–she has quite a WOW to share today. 

Updated Sep 29 to this improvisational effort still in progress with AHIQ.

Simply Stunning

It's easy to be wowed by a quilt with a well executed, complicated, difficult technique ... but I also love the surprise of encountering a quilt with a more approachable technique that is stunning and in no way diminished by it's simplicity.

This is Ray of Light, by Victoria Romero-Cederberg, the second place winner in the the innovative pieced and/or appliquéd quilts category at Fiber Arts Fiesta last month in Albuquerque.

This is one of the quilts in the show that were a challenge to photograph because it was blowing in the wind of the big fans that cooled the event space.

I love black & white fabrics ... and what a fun way to use them.

The quilt, Meadows by Lorraine Hollingsworth was in the same category and, for me, another of those simply stunning quilts from the show.

I loved her use of color, fun quilting designs, and that pieced binding.

At this point, it probably goes without saying, but both quilts were quite large–once again the "small" category for innovative quilts was not consistent with other "small" quilts in other categories.

Ah ha! Spiral Quilting

This is another of the continuing posts in June, sharing photos and my thoughts from Fiber Arts Fiesta, which took place in Albuquerque May 21-23.

I am a long-time fan of Kathy York's art quilts–her well defined whimsical style made her one of the first quilters whose work I immediately identified as hers.

The photo on the right of one of Kathy's art quilts was taken in Houston in 2007.

I was very happy for her when I saw that her Modern quilt, i Quilt, won best of show at QuiltCon earlier this year and ... happy for me that it was part of the Best of Quilt Con exhibit at Fiber Arts Fiesta.

The "dot" on the large i is quilted with a spiral.  I love spirals and have quilted a couple small pieces with a giant spiral.  I always find the center challenging.  Kathy's spiral held a good tip for how to handle the center ... leave it open.

Familiar Names and Faces

Each day this month I am sharing some of my photos and observations from Fiber Arts Fiesta 2015.

When I attended Fiber Fiesta two years ago, I hardly knew any New Mexico quilters and I had not yet found and joined the Northern New Mexico Quilt Guild.  This year, there were lots of familiar names from the New Mexico quilting community–some of whom I have come to know.

This quilt is Picnic, by Julee Coffman.  I met Julie last year, through the guild, and saw this quilt at our guild show last fall, just as I was finishing my Mad Mad, Mod Mod Sampler Quilt, which I think shares a similar look and feel. 

This quilt is also a good illustration of a thought that ran through my head quite a bit while walking through the show: among quite a few great modern quilts in the show, very few earned ribbons in their category.

Lynne Horpedahl quilted this quilt. While talking with Lynne about how I wanted my Mod-mod sampler quilted last year, I used it as an example of the density and style I thought would work for my quilt, too.

As always, quilt shows are a great source for quilting ideas.