Some Unexpected Colour Therapy

A spontaneous trip to Seattle led us to some unexpected but much needed colour therapy. Yesterday morning we took the Clipper from Victoria and headed off to Seattle.

The glass work by Dale Chihuly had us truly mesmerized!!!

Viewing Seattle from the top of the Space Needle is absolutely breathtaking.

Drinking in beauty does something for one's well being. 

Back to the snow.....sigh

It's always hard to leave beautiful Victoria....but my other life is calling me home. I sometimes feel like I live in two different realities. But hey, quilting is a big part of both worlds!!!!

One last evening walk along the water.....

A little more playing with my leftovers....which I will leave behind until next time. 

Well, back to packing up.....three of my little grandchildren have birthdays within the next three weeks. I'm thinking that is a pretty good reason to go back to the snow.

Taste of Spring

A long awaited taste of Spring......we are back at the coast, after a long, cold winter.

 

First things first.....a walk in the sunshine!!!

 

 Then, it didn't take me long to be up to my eyeballs, in fabric.....the project I can't blog about is due this month and I'm having so much fun except I miss sharing it with you.

 

On Sunday, The Victoria Modern Quilt Guild had it's first Sew Day....what a lovely day!!!!



Sigh.....

A last walk along the shore, as we get ready to go back home. Even though it was fairly windy I couldn't  resist taking some quilty photos. 

 

 

 

 

I'm always a little sad to leave to leave my beloved west coast but look forward to seeing my precious little grand kids back home.

Leaving projects behind midway is usually a little difficult as well, but I have plenty of projects to return to, in Alberta and try to resist carting projects back and forth. I'll be excited to return to this one soon. 

An almost Finish

I think I can I think I can, aw...I can't. I'm sewing as I pack and thought just maybe I could finish but not quite.

 All sewn together

Since it's going to be a wall hanging....I need a quick way to cover all those seams. 

That works 

Now to do a facing type binding....I didn't want a regular binding on this piece. 

 A little pressing

 A little stay stitching....just like when sewing facings in dress making.

 

Time to go to the airport.

  

Look at all the leftovers...just what can I do with those???

First Finish For 2013

My Not so Negative Quilt came out of the wash in lovely riot of wrinkles, I wish I thought of my own wrinkles that way.

 

 Since my shocking discovery, of only one finished quilt in 2012, I'm determined to complete some of my many, many works in progress. Having started this quilt in November 2010....I was almost giddy pulling it out of the dryer this morning.

I used some of the blocks in several of my QAYG tutorials so it might look a little familiar to some of you.

I just couldn't resist photographing it beside my tulips (an all time fovourite flower of mine) .

 

Quilt Back 

Feeling in a mellow mood, I actually did the binding by hand....giving it that last little bit of loving. But in all honesty, I'm so slow it will be back to machine binding after this.

My Not So Negative Use of Space

Almost every definition of modern quilting that I've read uses the term Negative Space as a strong characteristic of modern quilting......I keep failing on a regular basis. I just can't help myself.

A lovely fellow quilter/blogger once said to me "I'll keep talking until somebody shuts me up." She'll probably recognize herself, but hey I'm not naming any names or passing judgement.....I'm not exactly known for being a woman of few words myself.  I'm the same way in the quilting world. I love negative space but I just keep adding more colours and fabrics....perhaps somebody should stop me.

 

 I love silence but maybe I love words more.....I love negative space but maybe I love filling it more.

I spent my week working on my Not So Negative Quilt......hmm, does that make it a positive? Is it still modern with it's lack of negative space? Lets not put modern quilting in a box....whoops maybe we already have.

 

 I had plans for negative space midway through this project, last year (note, this Work in Progress is a few years old).

 

 but look at what one walk in the park did for that idea....inspiration struck and more colours and fabrics had to be added.
 

 

 

Now, back to joining those rows together.....

Back on the West Coast

Alberta is just a little cold at the moment......so off I ran for warmer weather. And would you believe it, instead of starting something new, I'm finishing a Work In Progress!!!!!

It took me a few days to get going.....
I'm here with a fellow quilter and the sound of her machine humming everyday got me motivated. 

 

 

 Seeing heather in bloom in January is a sight for sore eyes to an Albertan.

 

 

 

We even found a tree starting to blossom.....oh, the wonder of that in January.

Walking, quilting and laughing......oh and even a bit of knitting, what a lovely way to spend January.

One Last Ocean Wander

One last ocean wander....before heading back to the prairies.

With my studio arranged to my satisfaction ( I hope) and my scraps all sorted, a walk along the ocean was the order of the day. 

I just might be up for some serious quilting next week....I really am all sorted out.