Friday, August 1, 2008

A Day In The Life of a Quilter

Today, I have set myself a task. To the Longarm! I want to finish the Quilting on a piece I have pinned in.
I like the dense work of my favorite Quilt Artists. I think there must be some magic that they practice to achieve such beautiful work. In trying to emulate them, I've put myself in a difficult situation. I forget, as I start the machine, how long and arduous such a feat is.
I want to please myself with what I see as the needle enters the fabric. I love the effect of different colors of threads and I don't like to see open space. I looks as though (to my eyes) I forgot to put something there. That's great if your piece is 18" by 24". However; that is not the size of my piece. Something like 73" by 80" is more like it.
Why can't I just do a big, overall ramble that takes no thought and simply covers the Quilt? I have no answer. I just can't. When the piece is finished and taken out of the machine, I love to stare at it and be amazed at what I've achieved. It's just the 'getting there' that is so hard.
I may have mentioned in an earlier Blog, that the Quilt that is in the Longarm may be one of my favorite pieces. I don't know why I like it so much, but it really pleases me. I took a very simple block idea and put lop-sided boarders on it. A lot of boarders, so many that it is hard to tell that they are the boarders. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed making the Quilt. It's just the Quilting of it that is stumping me.
So, today is the "Day"! To the Machine! I can and will figure out 'What goes next', and get this Baby out. I want to see it! In the Machine, all I can see is the section where I am sewing. I want it unfurled and on the bed, all squared up and waiting on me to decide what the Binding will be.
There's another bridge to cross. But I'll cross it when I get to it.
Wish me well,
Carol Ann, Quilter

1 comment:

Pat said...

Carol Ann, Glad to see you are back to blogging again. As for your quilt.....having seen your work all these years, I know that THIS quilt will be wonderful too. So, just enjoy the process every minute, every hour. Pat