Arsenic & Old Lace, Chocolate cake and a long arm

Arsenic & Old Lace, Chocolate cake and a long arm

 

Debby Brown has a Handi Quilter Avante in her studio, and on occasion when needed she lets me use it to baste my larger quilts. Yesterday I basted two quilts Arsenic & Old Lace pieced by Keith Dommer and Supernova in Chartreuse designed by none other than Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero. A&O L has lived in my studio for a while as life has happened. As I basted yesterday thoughts of quilting came to mind – which is such a good thing oh the thinks you think when you think quilting. Keith uses elements including hexagons, circles, and old linen, well leaving me with great blank space to work in. When he sent the quilt I looked up the color of arsenic gray, yellow, and black all come up and then there are shades of blue and acid green leaving me a lot of room for interpretation here.

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Now when I get to Supernova I don’t have a particular plan in mind however as I write decision made, whew. I need more fabric. She says, shocking no one reading this missive.

Kindness and gratitude matter. Both are a balm to wounded souls. They are a cup of cold water to someone who is in need of refreshment. A cup of coffee with and a good chat with good friend. Lemonade on a hot summer day. These things are all refreshing.

Sometimes we have challenges in life, challenges in our communities. Friends have troubles. Things are going all icky in the greater world and the events trigger awful memories. Things at work go all haywire in so many ways and we need a word of encouragement and support.  We might see all this happening and want to do something about it. We may not be able to fix it, but we can be there through our words.

While I was at Debby’s we had a facebook live with Joliene Williams. Joliene supplied me with Girl Scout Cookies. First I’ve had in a looooooooooooooong time.

Debby Brown and I are starting a project called 1000 postcards for peace.

In the next week or so I’m starting a facebook page that will be a place to offer ideas, share experiences and support those in our life who might need a little support or a little something because we can. I’ll post again here once the page is up, and directions are available.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

A posting of posts

IMG_20160807_213205_resizedWell that was a completely strange day. I started a project, started the redesign on a quilt for Lucy’s Nickles, went back to the project, had a phone meeting, went back to the project, finished the project, finished the redesign on the quilt, and made dinner.

Now understanding that I’m not a fan of cooking meals is of prime importance here. We generally have dinner later in the evening because of the current work schedule. Being the primary cook at the moment there are a few, life-long habits that making cooking challenging such as waiting a little longer than necessary to check the freezer for the tastiest morsel. I’ve taken to brining the protein to assist the thawing process. As I sit here writing I keep thinking hmmm, what’s in the freezer now? It’s almost noon, perhaps I should do something about dinner. Oh darn it, it’s 1:30, sheesh where did that 90 minutes disappear? Found something. Thawing. Gah! Will I make it in time? I would rather be baking. Seriously. Quilting, always.

???????????????????????????????For Lucy’s Nickles the next quilt has been posted. We’re not starting it for a little bit to give the quilters time to finish the current project. The new project will involve a wee bit of trapunto, layers of batting, lots of thread, miles, miles and miles.

Here are a few links:

Craft Napa workshops

Cheryl Sleboda talks about quilting success.

Jenny Lyon speaks on FriXion Pens.

Debby Brown has so many Cuties.

October is turning out to be fairly special this year…I’m still so honored to be part of the Dutchess Heritage Quilt Show.

Instagram @terilucas
Twitter @terificreations
#terilucasquilts

Have a great quilterly day.

Teri

And then she said

lily-pond-nybgThe first Lucy’s Nickles Quilting Group is coming to a close. I have one more motif for this particular quilt. The quilters who have participated have done a great job and have been game. We’re going to start the next quilt fairly soon. I know what we’re going to work on. Feel free to join us in the group: Lucy’s Nickles.

By the time you read this I’ll be chatting with a friend who has a retreat center about the logistics and possibilities. You might remember from I’ve gone and done it now that I’ve added a retreat to the possibility of available classes. The thought of working with a small group of people, for an extended period of time is really appealing. My own personal memories of retreats with a great retreat director flood my mind and heart with the good personal work we did. Quilting is much the same way, good personal work of the mind and heart. And Veronica if you’re reading this we still have work to do.

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We all have that one friend. You know the one who knows what’s inside your head even if you have the Big Idea and the words are all wibbledy wobbledy. She puts them in the right order. Well, now I won’t exactly tell you what she said as that doesn’t matter so much as what it allowed me to finish something. I’m being vague. The cool part is that I’m excited that I finished this project in short order.

There was something about Quilt Market that seemed to renew and refresh. I suspect there is more there. The cool thing about this project is that if I get it great! I’m thrilled. If not I’m happy because I put it out there in an unexpected way, with unexpected timing.

This is the life.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

This might be fun!

IMG_20170529_144837_780A few weeks ago I offered to make a quilt for Maria from Pinwheels, you see she has some new Oakshott cottons of the striped variety. Before I get there Pinwheels is now open in Hurleyville, NY. Check out this facebook video. Congratulations Maria I will get there soon and oh I have an idea!

The stripe makes me quite giddy. The tone-on-tone stripes and the texture of the Oakshott have the potential for adding so much to a quilt top, and in a way that will prove so much fun.

20170529_160044-1I started stitching Monday afternoon using a layering and free-form cutting technique that I used to make the quilt for the Cherrywood Challenge. Cutting, stitching, layering, cutting, stitching, rinse repeat. Just the beginning stitching is producing some lovely results. Layering the fabrics and cutting the curve to produce this drunkards path block…not bad at’all.
I’m using Superior’s MicroQuilter for the piecing of this project and am rather chuffed with the results. But wait! There’s more. I currently have 7 other blocks stitched together, and a few more pieces of the stripe, there will be more cutting, stitching in a curvilinear kind of way.  I can hardly wait to see how this works. It’s so lovely finding joy in quilting once again, enjoying the boundless opportunities to explore piecing, shape, and adding quilting later.

When I started writing this post, the idea for the quilt came into full-view, getting me all giddy and excited. A smile on my face, hands going a mile a minute, bringing the quilt into focus. This is the stuff of the quilting world that I love.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

Quilterly Writers Block

Quilterly Writers Block

I’m a quilter. And by that I love to free motion machine quilt. On and off I’ve had to work through the equivalent of writers block. I just. couldn’t. quilt. Those moments were tough but often led to something that would pleasantly surprise me. Whew.
Would it surprise you that, while I’ve been quilting on and off over the last few years,  I haven’t really done anything original, inspired, intentional for a long time. I’ve dabbled. Made a few small pieces. I’ve looked wistfully at the pile of quilts in need of time, attention, and breath.

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Cherrywood van Gogh Challenge

he last few years the need-to-dos have taken, necessary, priority over the gee-I-get-to-dos producing a level of fatigue not previously experienced.

I can assure you this has not been the most pleasant experience. Quilting is something akin to breathing. An exchange of oxygen, and carbon dioxide that gives life, helps clear the thoughts, work out whatever is going on in daily life. The need to do list has not changed, however the stress that built up from the need-to-do’s, has started to recede. I’m beginning to breathe deeply.

Overall quilt market was good, there’s still follow up to do. There were a few very difficult moments. Long about late Wednesday afternoon I stopped what I was doing, headed up to the sewing room and started the Cherrywood challenge. Cut, stitch. Cut, stitch. Cut, stitch. Rinse, repeat until this piece said, “I’m complete.” I’ve added a border bigger than currently needed because I have a habit of quilting densely and shrinking a quilt.2017-05-28 12.42.34

Well then this happened. A while back I had a give away on a post offering to quilt a small piece for one of the folks who commented. I knew it would take a little while and let the winner know that as finishing a quilt or two and getting ready for Market were the higher priorities. The winner said she likes red, so red Oakshott it is. Teeny tiny stitching makes me happy, so teeny tiny stitching all over this eight inch square quilt that needs trimming, facing, signing and sending.

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The back is as pretty as the front. This is making me think that trimming it up, and running a tight satin stitch along the edge might be a better plan.

As I’ve quilting a friend has repeatedly said, “the dam is broken!”, creativity has free reign. And these two pieces are evidence that the water is flowing, I’m breathing the air. My heart is full, and there are plans afoot for a couple of other projects.

I love quilting.

Teri

I’ve gone and done it now

I’ve gone and done it now

Serendipity As Well full viewI’ve added a Retreat to the list of classes. I’ve wanted to add a retreat for a very long time, now seemed as good a time as any. A three or five day retreat to explore the world of thread, batting, design, and color. Find the eclecticness of you, the freedom to explore and push the current boundaries of how quilting works every day.

In a directed retreat we’ll work on Moon Over Manhattan or Twilight in the Bronx as the base, we can also choose Serendipity letting the color and motif run amok with frivolity, and laughter.

Have you visited my RitDye Studio?
Check out Instagram because not everything that I post there, ends up here
what about facebook? oh and let’s not forget Lucy’s Nickles because exploring the boundaries of quilting never gets old.

Happy Quilting,

Teri

Beginning Again

 

20170411_131224A while back I started working on the Cherrywood Van Gogh Challenge. I thought that I’d piece diamonds, and either set them into a Starry Night type of background or applique them down. Well, something went all wonky and I set those pieced aside to use them in a different project at some other time, because who doesn’t like teeny, tiny pieces?

And yet, niggling in the back of my brain, whispering sweet nothings to me was something else entirely. I do love The Starry Night with it’s whirling, swirling stars, sweeping across the night sky, forever in motion.

I wonder what's going on here. @cherrywoodfabrics

A post shared by Teri Lucas (@terilucas) on

So I took a new rotary cutter, a 14 mm designed by Rob Appell

@mansewing new tool from the brilliant mind of Rob Appell. Applique and other uses.

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stacked two pieces of the Cherrywood on top of each other to make long, gentle curves.

I wonder what's going on here. @cherrywoodfabrics

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The fun thing about this is there is no right, or wrong. You may be wondering where that purple came from as it is not part of the Van Gogh fat quarter pack that Karla bundled together for the Challenge. We can incorporate other colors that make sense to us and that might help achieve the feel of what we’re going for.

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I’m making progress stitch by stitch, pressing by pressing. Once the top is done and I get started on the quilting ooo, I can hardly wait to get started, that’s totally my gig. No wait, there’s more than one gig.

Catch ya later,

Teri