Saturday, April 1, 2017

Gwen Marston - It's a Wrap

Photo heavy, word light.  Here are the shots of some work in progress pieces and some finished results from our workshop.  With 20 people creating in one room, there was a bit of sensory overload for me.  I kept focused on my piece and soaked up so much from those around me.

Matt - Seattle Modern Guild.  You should stalk him on IG  @odditease  Everyone tries to pull their hands out of the shot.  I happen to like them in the photo, after all, these are the hands that created the piece that we are enjoying.


Finished? not quite.............

Matt finished and if you check out his IG, you will see the hand quilting he has going on.
Making parts....

Auditioning background colors.  Vera worked her pieces from lots of yellow/green on the right to lots of pink/turq on the left.
Finished the abstract piecing and onto making Liberated Stars


Sally and Mary came up from Seattle to say hello, and lucky for us, Sally brought her corduroy quilt.

LeeAnn and Merry.  Square in a square by Merry, cherrywood fabrics.  Still in process, as a fabulous border showed up a bit later.

Leah M&M for size reference.

She rocked the small piecing and created some wonderful patchwork.

Finished composition. Such lovely work!

Paula with her Mexican Hat center and liberated rounds, medallion style.

Cheryl - we realized we have taken 3 different Gwen workshops together. She has good taste in teachers *vbg* Don't you just love this? She did the patchwork, then cut her big square in 4 to make the outside triangles. Her sewing buddy had some great advise. Stay stitch just beside the cutting lines "before" you cut on the bias. Still more to happen, but not enough fabric or time to have a finish.


Justine rocked the hour glass block with brights all around.  This piece is so lively. 


Fern, as in IG @fern_royce, or www.fernroycequilting.com came up from Berkley to partake in Gwens last blast class.
Fabulous work.  She teaches and lectures.  Check her out!


Ferns sewing buddy, who's small 4 patches took my breath away.  I just had to go make a block for reference.  I love the partial seam technique she used to surround the center. 


Elizabeth continued on a current project she had.  Such good colors in this piece.



Mary green lib log cabins

Gwen shared so many techniques and here is a collage of processes.  Marilyn now has the best note / sketch book to take home.



Merry shared a wool quilt she finished.  I love a good churn dash.


LeeAnn aka NiftyQuilts working on the floor.

Nifty had the floor with her wool strippy.  Is is recycled? or upcycled now?  I just know its a great quilt and someone will be lucky to get this.




Norma also pulled out the hourglass medallion theme.  Love the curves added in the first round.  There's more to come on this piece, but again, time got the best of us.  Norma and I have also been in several of Gwen's workshops in the last few years.


As Gwen continued to show techniques, the work became more complex.  I see Maui when I look at the piece on the right.  Such great colors.


I call this one Vision Accomplished.  I had an idea in mind; sea glass  I came with a stack of fabrics that worked with my newly painted condo and I managed to see it through to fruition.  Strings on the right were from the strip ends.  They have made their way into another piece already.  When the iron's hot, right?


Gwen and I, our last hurrah............

And like the fields of Snow Geese that I saw while leaving LaConner,  Gwen drove away.  It was a bittersweet workshop, knowing that she has truly retired. 
I asked her if she considered taking up quilting in her retirement, she replied, "I've thought about it"

Gwen, thank you for empowering so many of us to find our voice, to be confident in our decisions, and to defend our work.  You are a true gem in this industry and in this world.

Thank you
Sharon

12 comments:

Quiltdivajulie said...

She is indeed. And thank you for sharing this picture-heavy post full of goodness.

Karen said...

How fun! Something I could do with a bunch of solids I have in stash. Thank you for sharing so much inspiration.

Nifty Quilts said...

Thank you for this great wrap-up! I will come back to this post for the memories. It was lovely to spend the weekend with you and so many talented makers. And it was very special to launch Gwen into her retirement. She's given us all so much, and we will keep continue making with her encouragement in our hearts.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I love seeing all of the variety in a workshop. Thanks for the show.

Mimi said...

All that loveliness makes me want to pull out my fabrics that I used at my Gwen retreat and start creating. Thank you for sharing. Everything was very inspiring and beautiful.

Silverthimble said...

Awesome post! This was a fabulous weekend. A bit bittersweet knowing we were Gwen's last class. You were an awesome workshop neighbour. I really enjoyed watching your piece come together. The inspiration and energy in that room was really something to be a part of!

Lori said...

Looks like a creative class! I'm still falling on the traditional side of the fence.

Janet O. said...

This stuff fascinates me--not what I would ever make, but I love color and love to see this very creative application of it in more of a freeform than that to which I am accustomed.

Barb said...

thank you Sharon for such a wonder and inspiring post! Loved seeing all the photos and the great work.
The World is better for having Gwen teaching and sharing with us. She will be missed more than she knows.
how wonderful that you had this last workshop

Mcm said...

Thanks for posting all the pics and a recap of such a fantastic weekend.

Quilteuse Forever said...

So much creativity here! Of course, you were Gwen's fans, here is the reason. I would have loved to meet Gwen once and take adantage of her precious advice.
Now you all have to share Gwen's spirit to the quilting world!
A special hug to LeeAnn, my friend!

Katell, France

cathy d said...

Thanks for your post and photos. I had the privilege of taking 3 classes from Gwen in Michigan. I wish I had known her sooner. She changed my approach to quilting and I am forever grateful.