Bears in the Wild

Arcadia, Maine: 2011

Inspired after my efforts with the New York Quilt (it was quite the feverish high!), I quickly took up another stack of memento fabrics I’d purchased in Bar Harbor ME whilst on a trip through the Arcadia National Park (7/9/10).  This trip has special memories.  I was on walking sticks having landed heavily on (and badly twisted) my ankle a few days prior.  We’d also just ducked out of the way of Hurricane Earl and rather more pleasurably, eaten lots of freshly cooked lobsters. 

Despite being walking (just) wounded, I was determined, like a moth to a flame, to get into Fabricate if only to buy myself some quilting magazines.  To aid recovery, I assured Cap'n Doubtful.  In this lovely shop, I discovered some delightful fabrics that shouted “Maine” and I knew they would make up into a wonderful travel memento. 

Back home, I set about selecting a pattern of squares.  Based on my previous success with Kaffe Fassett’s designs, I found an energetic pattern made up of 6 squares.  (Jewel Squares, Kaffe Fasset “Patchwork”, 1997 p.138).  I fussy cut the squares to showcase the best of each design and then pinned them the next day at my regular Randwick meeting.  From there, it didn’t take too long to sew them up into a nice small-ish wall hanging.

Quilting design of waves, wind & mist

Back pieced to use up left-overs

I never did see any bears or even get moose-d but sought solace at Fabricate, 52 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor ME.  It all worked out for the best. The Cap’n would never have shared his cabin well with a bear for a guest… 

(Please note again, this is not an exact replica of Jewel Squares, I simply used the pattern piece sizes to construct my own arrangement of squares.)


And one for the photo album too.
Northeast Harbor, Maine

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 114 x 168cm
Block Sizes: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12 inch
Cut in: 15 Apr 2011
Pieced & Basted: 2011
Quilted: Machine 2011
Quilt Type: Modern
Quilt Finished: 2011
Exhibited: Australia Day, 2013
Collection: Home#0 54
Pattern Name: Jewel Squares p138
Pattern Source: Kaffe Fassett, “Patchwork”, 1997
Fabrics Purchased: Fabricate, Bar Harbor ME
Fabric Design: Local Animals & Fall Foliage
Fabric Style: Travel Memento
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants
. 

Beep! Beep! It’s New York City

East River Hot House: 2012  (Started: 2011)

On display, Australia Day 2013

I purchased some memento fabrics whilst on a shopping trip with Annette in NYC’s Textile District (30/9/10).  We hadn’t seen each other since our Delhi days and it was a fun catch up & craft trip in one.  Aside from rummaging through heaps of button & bead shops, we discovered two quilting fabric sources, City Quilter & Purl Soho. We were Shopping...in New....New York.  Yaaaaaay!

This quilt then is all about the fabrics.  I needed a design that showcased their lively character so, chopping them up into tiny bits seemed almost sacrilegious.  Those special NY themed fabrics!!   It was back to the books for a bit of inspiration, and who better than Kaffe Fassett.  I settled on squares from his Morning Garden Quilt.  (Kaffe Fassett “Kaleidoscope of Quilts” 2006 p60.) 

Back View

Built on a base of 3 squares, the largest being a big 9”; medium 6” and the smallest 3” (finished), this quilt cut up quickly and sewed even faster.  Perfect!  Then it was on to quilting.  I chose to design my own loose pattern of ginkgo leaves, a favourite street tree though out New York.  I imagined crusty brown leaves blowing in autumn winds through romantic Central Park .  Ah, dreaming again!  So after a regimen of 4 bobbins a day for 2 solid days quilting (and that was just a ¼ of the quilt), it was finally done and ready to hang.

(Please note, this is not an exact replica of Morning Garden Quilt, I simply used the pattern piece sizes to construct my own arrangement of squares.  Does that make it a copy?  Good question and one to consider in another post – on another day…)

Quilting Design

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 156 x 230cm
Block Sizes: 9, 6 & 3 inch
Cut in: 18/19Mar 2011
Pieced & Basted: 2011 & 12
Quilted: Machine Feb 2012
Quilt Type: Modern
Quilt Finished: 2012
Exhibited: Australia Day, 2013
Collection: Home# 053
Pattern Name: Morning Garden Quilt
Pattern Source: Kaffe Fassett “Kaleidoscope of Quilts” 2006 p60.
Fabrics Purchased: City Quilter & Purl Soho, New York
Fabric Design: City & USA designs
Fabric Style: Modern Memento
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants

If you’re looking for quilting supplies in NYC then

• City Quilter is located at 133 West 25^th Street; and
• Purl Soho can be found at 459 Broome Street.
• (City Quilter even had these lovely printed fabric postcards that I couldn't help but use as my quilt label.) 

Shaping Up 2011

First, start a blog....

So begins the epic kitchen reno...bring on that BBQ!

January 2011 marked the beginnings of this, my OTS blog…now a big 4 years… and my early efforts to shape an unruly quilt list into an on-line album!  It also heralded yet another Australia Day Exhibition (2011) so the midnight oil was burning to have MORE quilts to hang.  Well, we couldn’t hang too many of the same ones could we?  And the best result...more finished quilts.  Yahooee!!

Visitors came to help us celebrate Australia Day 2011

We had lots to look at and talk about!

We also celebrated that year with a couple of shopping trips; one in the metro area and one to the Blue Mountains.  Great days if not a tad long but a few little extras to add to the “cut-and-come-again” stash!  (Anyone who has read Norman Lindsay’s “The Magic Pudding” (1819), a famous Australian children's book will understand what I mean.)

Ribbons & Rainbows at Blackheath - now sadly closed

Finally time came to start something new – a chance to celebrate after being such a goodie two-shoes - so I began to make up a couple of “Travel Stories” with those bits & pieces I had collected during my travels.  I was in part inspired by an article I had read in Quilters Newsletter Magazine (June 2003, issue #353) some years ago by the esteemed Helen Kelley.  In the article, she describes the quilted postcards she had made to celebrate her travels.  “Hmmm, nice idea I thought” but picture quilts weren’t exactly my cup of tea, so I let the idea percolate for a while.  It wasn’t until later that I realised “Bush Picnic” with those lovely Aboriginal fabrics I’d been collecting was a kind of homage to my Perth, WA trip (2002).  Inspiration at last!  So began some serious work and I polished off two more small quilts fairly quickly and also started to play with something a bit flashy; a rather nice collection of purples & acid greens from The Purple Patch.  (This must have meant I visited the store before it closed down, but memory escapes me when that was exactly.)