Gwen Marston: Quilt Goddess

Last Thursday we had the pleasure of seeing the exhibit "Gwen Marston: Contemporary Quilts" at the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City, Michigan. As I've mentioned before , Gwen is my biggest inspiration. Her 'liberated' approach to quilt design is so freeing and fun, and is how I most love to work. "Liberated Quiltmaking II" is one of my first and favorite quilt books; I re-read it often and those right brain gears just start turning.
I am amazed at how someone can be so creative, varied and prolific! Her quilt styles range from classically traditional patterns with reproduction Civil War fabrics, to the most modern, abstract designs in solids. The quilts in this exhibit were her modern ones, almost exclusively in solids.

So come see some of her quilts with me!

Liberated Log Cabin with String Border (2009, see its photo and description in Liberated Quiltmaking II. But here's a mystery: in the book, it's pictured 'upside down' from the way it was shown in the museum, yet it's hung by a hanging sleeve...so which is the right way up?)
This is my favorite of Gwen's quilts.

Small Study 37 (2010) and Abstraction (2012)
The small quilt is her fabric 'sketch' of her design for the larger quilt.

More small studies

Mexican Hat Dance (2008, Liberated Quiltmaking II)
This one makes me all kinds of happy.

Strippy II (2011)

Medallion in Solids (2007, Liberated Medallion Quilts)

Liberated Log Cabin (2007)
So much quilt love for this one. While this quilt is totally modern, she made her log cabin blocks with the traditional red centers, symbolizing the hearth of the home.

Liberated Log cabin with Applique Border (2008)
I love brights, but I really like the combination of these softer colors.

Framed Red Squares (2007)

High Desert Country III (2008)
These colors remind me of a wonderful road trip to the southwest, especially Utah.

Medallion with Sawtooth Border (2008)
Don't miss that lovely sliver of bright lavender.

Red on Red (2013)
Look at all those juicy reds...mmmm.

Red Square VI (2008)

I hope you enjoyed seeing Gwen Marston's quilts at the museum. These are only some that are on display, through April 27. Thanks for letting me share my excitement with you! I left with so many new quilt ideas, my head kind of hurt, but in a good way. You know, that headache you get when you're on creative overload.

It's is a little off-topic, but in case you haven't seen enough color, this was happening at the museum at the same time: Tibetan monks painting a sand mandala.

I could have stared at it for hours, just trying to take in all the detail and color and texture. Absolutely stunning. Wouldn't it make a gorgeous applique'd wall quilt?! You can read more about their mandala sand painting here.

Have a good week!

Gettin' Zippy Wit It

Every once in a while I go on one of those sewing sprees where I make a whole bunch of one thing...whether I need them or not. This time it was zipper pouches. I could justify making all of these by saying they're so practical to have around, which is true, but who am I kidding? I just love putting pretty fabrics together, and they're such fun to make.

I really like this red with bright turquoise.

Sock monkeys! The top two look like they're swinging from the zipper.

Cheerful flowers. (Real ones will be blooming outside soon...right??)

Bikes, scooters and little red wagons.

This one's a gift for someone who did me a big favor this winter. I hope she likes it!

Each one is made of quilting cotton and linen, and measures 8.5"x 6"x 1.75".

Oh, there's no way I could resist taking this photo. I love to make softies, but this lanky fellow was made by someone else and given to me by my mom, years ago.

Okay, I know I'm not the only one---what sewing projects do you like to make bunches of?

Have a good weekend, and thanks for reading!


Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.

Out with the Old, In with the New

I actually do have some finished things to show you! Not everything around here is a WIP (work in progress)--though there are certainly plenty of those. I recently made this charming little lunch bag.

I used Ayumi's tutorial. It may look long, but she takes it step-by-step with lots of helpful photos, so it's easy to follow. Usually I'll adapt other people's patterns here and there to make an item just the way I want it, but I made my lunch bag just like hers. (I box my corners differently, though: I cut them off before I sew them. I want to be able to see both side and bottom seams, to make sure they're lined up perfectly.)

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I haven't used it yet, though. The thing is, I don't pack many lunches...but I do sometimes, and I say that's reason enough to make something cute!
Here's my old lunch bag. I got that one in the early '90s; it's held a lot of lunches. I'm glad you can't see the stains in the photo. Truly a sad sack.

And while I was at it, making cute practical things from one of my favorite Alexander Henry fabrics, why not a couple notepad organizers? I made the larger one as a grocery list/coupon holder (below it is the worn-out specimen it replaces). I dislike grocery shopping, even under the best conditions (are there any best conditions?), so I'll do what I can to make it more pleasant.

The little one lives in my purse, for whenever inspiration might strike...which I'll scribble in a hurry and won't be able to read later. (Remember "Flaming Globes of Sigmund" from Seinfeld, when Jerry scrawls something that later he--and everyone else he asks--can't read correctly? "Salami salami baloney". Yeah, it's like that.)
Each one has a pocket on the left, a slot on the right to hold a notepad, and is held closed with elastic.

It makes me happy to take something that's usually mundane--a lunch bag, a grocery list--and turn it into something pretty and cheerful. Functional things should be beautiful; they're even more special when they're handmade.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for finish it up Friday. (Look at her latest quilt--gorgeous! Another one to add to my quilt bucket list.)

Have a great weekend!