Saturday, June 2, 2012

Back to Reality

It has taken a few days for me to get back into any sort of routine, both at work and at home.  As much as I'd love to keep playing with my triangles, I have to get my head down and work on customer quilts and projects with deadlines.  I'm so close to having these liberated stars all sewn up, and when the last few blocks are pieced, I can get one top together as it needs to get to a fund raiser. Just a few more to go.

I am still facilitating the JT2 project, and yet, I haven't been keeping up.  I promised myself I'd have one more block made for our Sat meeting, and fortunately, this block was almost finished.  Now it is. If you were at the show, you will understand the cheddar, I just couldn't resist.
I've also got bags of these and I've been determined to learn how to string piece without paper or foundation. Thanks to Gwen, I'm off and running.  I had to make a few test pieces when I got home so here is the start of String Stars.  I will take my time with this and it will be a project that will probably take several years to complete.  I'm totally ok with that, I'm trying to enjoy the process rather than push through the project.
It's a start.
Here are a few of Gwen's pieces that really sung to me.  I've seen them in her books, but to see them up close, to touch them and run your fingertips over her hand quilting, well, they are truly works of art.

Look at her amazing sense of color, the stitching compliments the piecing,
simply wonderful. 
I only hope mine turns out half as good as hers.
Now to find some time to enjoy the process on this piece.

I hope you all have time to stitch this weekend.
Sharon

7 comments:

antique quilter said...

thanks for sharing the pictures of Gwens quilt I agree I just love seeing them even if they are in books!
lucky you seeing them in person. her color sense is wonderful and whimsical in mho.
I love the hint of cheddar in your block .
ok I have a few bags of scraps like that too have been wanting to make a few string quilts to donate...
maybe I should just start by making a few blocks here and there.
Kathie

Karen said...

The feathered star is wonderful with the little bit of cheddar thrown in with the red and white. Love it!

Pat said...

Love that touch of cheddar! And those string pieced diamonds - makes the mind whirl with possibilities...

Janet O. said...

I absolutely love the cheddar in the feathered star!
String piecing without foundations? I might be tempted! : )

Barb said...

love seeing gwens quilts again.
Your feather star with the cheddar is wonderful!!
the string diamonds looks like fun!

Sharon said...

Oh, I like the cheddar in your star!

And your plaid wonky stars are so much fun!

Gwen's quilts are so wonderful to see and touch. She is a Master, for sure. I agree, it's hard to come back to Real Life after a class with Gwen. My head is still full of ideas for quilts, and I just want to play with the fabrics! Good luck with all you need to do.

KarenQuilt said...

Gwen Marston and Jean Wells!! I LOVE the freedom their processes offer! My first class with Gwen three years ago here on Lopez Island is why I started quilting again after such a long hiatus. I want to try string piecing, too!! One more thing to add to my TO DO list of 25 items I just jotted down a few minutes ago. Unfortunately, most on my current list have nothing to do with quilt making although a couple do have to do with quilt research. http://enchantedquiltersoflopezisland.blogspot.com/2009/09/gwen-marston-visits-lopez.html