Quilt Camp - Fourth Visit

Before I  begin describing more of the work that was accomplished this past weekend at Joyful Quilter, I must apologize for my error in yesterday's entry.  That wonderful Train-themed lap quilt was made by S (I did get it correct when I showed you the very beginning of that quilt) not "B" as I said yesterday.  My apologies for shorting you your glory, S!

Now, the first work of the day is a marvel of L's quilting expertise and of dupioni.  If you look back, you will see that L made the pink baby blanket/quilt and the kimono quilt.  Today's offering is only one block not an entire quilt.  When she arrived at Quilt Camp, L had only the four smaller sections of this block sewn  and she had to sew them together to form this complete block.  Photography can't capture the way the light plays with this piece.  First you have the luster of the dupioni (which is a slubbed silk for those of you who aren't familiar with it), and second you have the three dimensionality caused by folding that silk.  And again, the silk in this block is all the same color; the apparent color changes are merely the way it reacts to light.  It's such a beauty that we are hoping that L will be willing to offer a class in its construction at some time and some place when and where we all can take it.  By such a time we might be able to afford the dupioni!

Quilter D made this wall hanging in a class on Hawaiian applique held at Joyful and brought it with her as another machine-quilting piece.  This was the only the second one she machine pieced herself (the first was the child's quilt in Monday's entry).  It's unfortunate that you can't see the quilting, but you can appreciate the design and the fabrics she selected.  I really liked her break from tradition with this piece; it's Hawaiian applique all jazzed up.

Do you remember the Dr. Seuss child's quilt I showed you?  Here is a very different take on asymmetry that works very well.  This is another of M's triumphs.  It looks very simple (and indeed, is an easier bit of sewing than is often required), but don't let that fool you.  Sometimes easy things offer different challenges. Here, for example, you have to find a way to restrain your human impulse to create patterns and instead allow the strips to fall where they may.  It's something I find very hard to do yet it is the randomness that makes this a striking piece.  That, and the unexpected direction turn of the last strip of blocks running down the left side of the quilt.

G, of Yellow Brick Road fame, showed us all the way to get some holiday gifts made in a hurry.  Here are two wine bottle bags she whipped up.  I loved the fabrics she selected, but not as much as I loved the fact that she was able to find a wine bottle to stuff in the bag so we could get the finished effect!  In the center photo below, you see the lining of the second bag just as she was getting ready to turn it right side out.  It's a clever construction complete with the ribbon. 

Then, not content to rest on her laurels, she quickly made a holiday place mat which she plans to be one of several.  This is a lady who will be truly ready for the holidays by November first!

P, who made the Dr. Seuss pieces, also had this French Braid with her.  All that needed doing was a bit binding - oh, yes, my favorite part of quilt making - not.  However, I liked this quilt when the French Braid books first came out and I still do.  But oddly enough, not only have I not made one but also I haven't even bought fabrics to stash away for one!  P's lovely version reminded me to put it on my list.  By the way, P used the Eleanor Burns method for making this quilt complete with cutting template.  And she sewed the binding on!

It wasn't only sewing over the weekend.  We did take time to appreciate the weather.  I even went out the back door to take these pictures of the eerie light and dark sky.  Lots of dark sky in the first one and great branching on the left-hand side of the tree/

This second one is a slightly better composition but has lost some of the drama through cutting off the sky.

Imagine these colors in a quilt!