Friday Favorites

Other than being sick this week I have had a great week--very productive!  That is what happens after a week-long quilting workshop and a Saturday Play Date.  Last Saturday Beth introduced me to a new book she bought, "Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts" by Rayna Gillman.  I have read it from front to back twice already--something I almost never do.  And now I have my very own book so I can hug it and kiss it and sleep with it under my pillow.  It is a great book!  First, it is the type of quilting that I do but it helps me to do it in a much more organized way.  Here are two strip sets I have already made after reading the book.

Second, I was feeling sad about not getting to take a Nancy Crow workshop this year and the exercises in the book will be a wonderful substitute.  Of course, the book will only be a substitute for the exercises that Nancy gives us in her workshops.  It will not be a substitute for the blunt criticism that Nancy gives.  I will have to depend on my play group, FIVE, and on you for that.  That is a serious responsibility for  you!  Can I depend on you?

Friday Favorites

Fancy machine quilting scares me to death. But Lynn at Nebraska Views offers lots of help. I was going to link you to three posts but then I checked out her older posts.  Even more good ideas there.  Just visit her and cruise.

I have discovered another artist this week, JJ at  Sketchbook, Quilts, Paintings and Everyday Matters.  There appears to be little actual quilting but I fell in love with her thread drawings.  I linked you to one particular post but she has multiple pictures showing them.  I did not find one with specific instructions about her process but she does give some information like size and mounting.  I just played with some transperse dyes so wouldn't it be great to make a drawing that I could tranfer multiple times and then use as a template to thread sketch?  What an awesome art quilt!

And here is another new-to-me artist, Tinke in Germany at Many Many Stitches.  Don't you love her colour and texture in stitch in her post?  Here is a picture of my current hand-stitching project.  Only a peek because it is not done yet.