Fun For Friday - I'm LEAVING!!

Just for the weekend.....
This weekend is our annual Shawnee Retreat!  Hooray!! I'm Saved!

But first a little Frida love.  I bought 3 yards of this fabulous fabric at the Lancaster Quilt Show.  Won't this make a wonderful backing?

This is my favorite art book of her work.  She was a talented and fascinating woman.

Little Day of the Dead figures of Frida and Diego keep company with my thread.

Today I'm also sharing a fun note and photos I received from Gwen Marston (my mentor, idol and friend.)  It was such a fun surprise for me.

Here is a photo from 1995, my first Beaver Island  retreat with my dear friend, Mary B.  The theme was log cabin quilts and  I made 1 small quilt a day.

Gwen in on the far left, I don't know who is in the brown pants, then me looking totally dorky in a denim dress and sweatshirt (nice hair, lol) and my Mary.

Here is the log cabin quilt that Mary made.  I loved it then; I love it now.

Here is what I'll be working on at the Retreat:

The Flying Geese project:

And my king sized bed nine-patch quilt (not worked on since the retreat 2 years ago - ooops.)  I even added some more of those chinzy looking brown florals.  Oh yea, I have a backing already.  Now I just need to SEW!

I hope you are doing something really fun this Weekend and Happy Spring!

So Old It's New Again

Gwen gave this lecture at our guild meeting on friday.

Gwen shared some of the many observations she has made by  studying old quilts and how she employs them in her own quilts.  Many of the innovative ways that quilters in the mid-1800s solved design problems or fabric shortages are great ideas for us to use in our quilting to add interest, movement and a little whimsy.

Gwen created this quilt using ideas from an old quilt.  I love the "make do" blocks and all the little bits of filler in this wonderful quilt.

Old quilts are an endless supply of creative ideas for us quilters today.

She shared with us these quilts using solids and various piecing techniques and styles.

Half Square Triangles

String piecing

Liberated Log Cabin construction

I really love the soft yet bold pallet of this quilt.  The black binding is the perfect frame.

Love the sticks on the outside borders here.

Black add spark and life to this soft quilt.

Rail fence piecing

Coins or strippy piecing

While these quilts look fresh and modern, they are created using age old piecing styles.  We can do this!

At lunch before the meeting, my wonderful Cupcake friends, Jill and Susan, gave me a special gift to celebrate my win at the recent Lancaster quilt show.  It's a lovely, one of a kind, potholder from a Lancaster quilt shop.

They looked through a hundred to find just the right one -

Gwen is coveting it!

Joke's on me!  Thanks girls you are the best!

Back soon with a report on the Liberated Basket workshop I took on Saturday.   We learned how to make baskets like this:

Happy Monday!

Gwenny!

Reunited after 7 years!

What fun~  Gwen is here on the east coast for the first time since I move here 9 years ago.  She is visiting both of my guilds in addition to 3 others.  We are all thrilled to see her.

We started the day by looking at some of the quilts that Gwen brought with her.  The workshop we were taking was the Nineteenth Century Folk Art Appliqué class.

I never tire of looking at  and studying these quilts based on motifs and styles from the 19 century.  The quilting is lovely and lively.

This one was machine quilted by Sue Nickels - beautiful.

I was happy to see this one again.  I'd like to try the liberated sawtooth border one day.

Peek-a-boo

This quilt is one of the collaborative quilts made with Freddie Moran.

A good backing if ever there was one.

Gwen demonstrated simple sketching techniques to use as a road map for small projects.

Paper cutting flower and star shapes -

Let me pause here just to say that after being a student of Gwen's for almost 20 years I am even more impressed by how fresh and fun her approach is.  I am so grateful that she gives quilters "permission" to make their own designs.  To use what works for them as quilters and not demand it be "her way".

I can not fully express how invaluable these lessons have been to me over the years and often I employ them in my work.  I would not be on the quilt journey I am without the 5 years of Gwen's Fall Retreat and her influence.  

Here are some of my friends pieces at the workshop.

Susan H's pineapple

Ann's vase of flowers

Susan Mc'Ds Flowers

Jill's spring basket - how cute are those pussy willows?

I decided to make a quilt about my puppy; coco.  She doesn't fetch, but loves to "pick" flowers in the yard and chase the bunny.

After admiring all the fun flower pieces,  I composed this.

When Gwen wanted to demonstrate an appliqué sawtooth border, naturally I volunteered my piece.  hey, I'm no dummy.

Friday she'll be lecturing at my guild The Brownstone Quilters.  Saturday I'll be taking her liberated basket workshop.  

After joking with Gwen about sitting at the heels of "the master" and also that the "sheep had returned to the shepherd",  Betsy took this photo of us cracking up.  

News Bulletin - News Bulletin - News Bulletin - New Bulletin

Gwen gave me permission to share her big news.  Gwen told me they have a saying in the Auto Industry in Michigan; 30 and out.

Next year (2013) will be Gwen's 30th Annual Quilt Retreat and she will passing on the torch.  Retreaters will be relieved to learn that Sue Nickels and Pat Holly will be taking over the reigns.  These sisters have been attendees and friends with Gwen for years.  She reassured me that the  retreat will be in good hands and will continue in the tradition of inspiration, information, friendships and fun!

See you soon for another report on Gwen's East Coast Tour.

Women's Lib

Thanks, Karen Griska, for such a nice post featuring my "Whooville" quilt on your blog; The Selvage Blog. You have been such an inspiration for me and my application of selvages in creative quilt making.

Yesterday I received my copy of Liberated Quiltmaking II, by Gwen Marston. Gwen has a great website that you can check out here.


Karen has a really wonderful quilt on page 43.
Tonya, of Lazy Gal Quilting, has a quilt on page 123 featuring her innovative liberated alphabet.

When I lived in Illinois, I had the great pleasure of attending Gwen's retreat 1994-1999. Gwen has informed my quilting in many, many ways. Her influence still speaks to me in the sewing room. She has given me permission to make quilts "my way". She offers this great gift to all you have been fortunate to be her student.

Here is a quilt that I made using Gwen's liberated house technique and Tonya's letters. Thanks to Kathy, Sheila and Mary who sent me blocks! This quilt includes an out-house, a puppy store, bird house and many other surprises.


A block I made for an exchange for St. Patrick's Day. So simple, yet so satisfying.


And this quilt is one of my favorites. I swapped blocks with my dear friend, Mary Pat, shortly after moving to NJ. I just love that it incorporates our individual styles. It was so much fun, I may have to do this again!


So in conclusion, I say up with Women's Lib - liberated quilt making, that is :)