new beginnings

Summer has ended.

A new school year has begun.

It is time to return to a scheduled routine .... but before I can do that, a quick reflection on completed tasks and goals met during the lazy pace that comes with summer.

As well as progress made on outstanding - unfinished - projects  .... or maybe I'll go read a good book instead!

2009 Breaking Traditions ....

With this year's theme of Home, proceeds benefiting A Place to Bark, my earliest idea for this exhibit was of my cat Tabitha. She was a wonderful calico kitten -- a birthday gift many moons ago when my family first moved to Texas in the middle of my sixth grade year. Growing up military, I was accustomed to moving and perpetually being the new student in school, but this was the first time we moved during the school year, and we moved just before my birthday. My frequent request for a kitten was finally granted that year. Tabitha brightened my childhood, living to a ripe old age of nearly 15.

However my quilt for this year's Breaking Tradition show is not of a cat. In fact here is an early photo ....


Instead of memorializing my beloved pet (and also honoring the beneficiaries of this year's show), I began creating a yellow brick house. The bricks are made of hand-torn handmade yellow paper. This was taken while auditioning backgrounds .... needless to say, this batik did not survive the cut.

To personalize my little home, I added photos of my dearest ones in the windows -- and yours truly is about to walk through the front door.


Inspired by two Beyond the Border's friends Connie Fahrion (with her thread trash technique and article in Quilting Arts) and Mary Ann Littlejohn (with her free-motion embroidery tree postcard), I created a tree for the sideyard of my quilt.

I was surprised at the fun I had playing and creating with loose threads and yarns. Thank you Connie & Mary Ann for the inspiration!

Also, thank you Lynn Krawczyk for changing the orginal 'must receive by' date to a 'must postmark by' date, as this enabled me time to finish and mail my entry in time for this year's show!

To see a full view of my finished quilt, stay tuned for the opening of the 2009 Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit later in September at the American Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan.

I get by ...

I get by with a little help from my friends

Hannah Mallon, organizer of the recent QGGH quilt show, made this quilt for the theme challenge, Houston Undercover. (Where did she find the time?) The show was a wonderful success. I am guessing that Hannah will down play her hard work and give all the credit to the help received from her friends, as many stepped up to assist with the multitude of tasks that come with putting on a quilt show. Congrats again to Hannah and all her friends for an excellent show!

I love the memories her quilt conjures up, not only with the title but also with the familiar Pink Panther lounging on the park bench.

The BTB forest

Beyond the Branches

Here is our finished piece from my Beyond the Borders (BTB) challenge to make a "Tree" quilt with these two restrictions:

1) The color green may not be used.
2) The size must by 20" long and 6" - 12" wide.

It is quite fun to see everyone's tree together our funky forest!
I am still confirming which tree belongs to which friend but believe this may be correct:

Trees on the top row, left to right:
Ann Schafer, Susan King (Monarchs in the Pine Boughs), Rex Watson, Susan Byrne, Susan Carter

Middle row:
Ann Schafer, Bethany Carter, Elaine Connelly, who?, Janice Daniel McKeehan

Lowest row:
Cheryl Johnson, Jo Sweet, Cathy Winter (Solitude), Connie Fahrion and Sara Sissenwein Norris



Congrats to the group -- We have won our Second Honorable Mention ribbon (the first was for our Pizza quilt at the last QGGH show).