Tag: Teri Lucas Quilts

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

QuiltCon

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Linzi Upton, Claudia Scheja, and Monika Huelsebuch

I often forget to take pictures of the people I get to meet. Often thinking that time will allow for picture taking later. Oddly enough it doesn’t happen. So that I have these is something of a miracle. Linzi is a blogger (The Quilt Quine) I’ve been following for years, and a BERNINA Ambassador.

Linzi made Tartan Tattoo…good golly this is pretty.

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This picture doesn’t do this beauty justice. Linzi had a small piece of tartan (plaid) that she designed the quilt from. Holy wow! The quilting is stunning.

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Having lunch with Debby Brown, a highlight of my weekend. Actually getting to sit and chat in person is a treat for both of us.

20170224_184022I managed to meet up with Luana Rubin at the cocktail hour that equilter sponsored. I love chatting with Luana for oh, so many reasons. Her insight into the world of quilting simply blow me away. That and her photography.

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The lighting in convention centers…ugh. But the people…are amazing. Mary Abreu, witty, talented, and Fluevog wearing. Mary wrote Hack That Tote! Love that book!

Working in the booth I got to talk to so very many quilters. And it just reminds me ever so deeply that the quilting world is my home. I love the quilters, I love the buzz on the show floor. I love piecing, free-motion machine quilting, and so much more.

Happy Quilting,

Teri

 

QuiltCon East

This morning I’m going to share three facebook live vids.

First up ScissorMan Brint Fanizza with a twenty minute tour of QuiltCon. His joy and exuberance, and his love for people shine through.

Famore Cutlery is giving away Scissors through Generation Q Magazine’s e-newsletter Stashed! The big news is the truly left-handed scissors. Oh my goodness. I’m right dominant, as a teacher I’ve worked hard to learn how to use my rotary cutter and rulers left handed just well enough to show my left-handed students. These scissors will make a huge difference, the cutting action is finally correct for lefties! Lefty or righty you can enter to win the scissors that will work for you.

Next up from the show floor BERNINA Ambassador Linzi Upton and I chatted about her quilt Tartan Tattoo. The quilt, made from Oakshott Cotton, is as beautiful on the back as it is from the front. While shooting the video feed cut and I finished in a second live vid. Darn thing.

Finally I got to chat with Stephanie Bradenburg of Frond Design Studios.Stephanie, Melissa, Anna and I went out for drinks after the show and had the best conversation.

Anna is the daughter of Maria Tamaoka, Pinwheels. Anna and I have Oakshott Cotton in the booth, 1016. I’ve enjoyed spending these few days with her.

If you’re at QuiltCon in Savannah please stop by the booth for a visit.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

and then there’s another character builder

Jury Duty Summons arrived in the mail today for service in mid-March. It’s hard to make a good decision at the moment as I have a couple of deadlines, and am looking for work.

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Click on the link (photo above) to Stashed! in a few days we’ll be hosting a giveaway with Famore Cutlery. Details will be in the newsletter when it goes out.

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I’m heading to QuiltCon later today working in the Pinwheels booth. I’m going to try and blog from there and maybe do some walking around on Monday. I haven’t been to Savannah in years!

Happy Quilting,

Teri

Trees are perfect: character grows

tree in the morning

Way back when my dear mother-in-love lived in South Jersey she planted two Dogwood trees.One afternoon as we worked on cleaning up the property I pulled one of them up. It looked like a twig. The baby tree was replanted and thrived. The dogwood still lives in my front yard now, in spite of my efforts to hasten it’s demise. Its limbs a safe haven for the mocking birds that hatch in our arbor. Well, actually, they’re after the birds the berries on the branches, but that’s a story for another day.

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The branches of trees add interest to their overall shape. Visually the twisting and turning, this way and that, growing.

Parrots in treeTrees do bend. Though straight and tall.

Trees grow, and change. Branches strengthen and new branches grow from them. Each adds character. The branches strengthen in the wind, and rain, and snow. These forces in their lives help build the trees.

Nature provides us with interesting things to look at. I’ve never criticized her for sunsets, tree shapes, flower shapes, leaves, bees. When I look at wrought iron, which is a passion of mine, I see character rather than flaws. This is about unique rather than an idealized perfection.

Happy Quilting,

Teri

Puddle Jumping

img_20170124_163916Every now and again in front of my machine I sit and stitch. That’s it. There’s no plan or purpose other than reconnecting with the machine and the rhythm of stitching. The stitching leads to thinking, that’s sometimes a good thing, and sometimes not so much. Either way the level of enjoyment is increased with each stitch. That is, after all, the purpose of quilting, enjoyment.
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As one fat quarter filled and the next begun the weather influenced the choice of motif a bit. Thoughts of puddle jumping filled the space between. I can do puddle jump with the best of them, and have fond memories of doing so while dating my sweetie. The center circle is where the rain drop lands causing ripples. There is something calming and meditative with rain drops landing on water, each ripple just a little different, influenced by the effect of the other drops and ripples. When I started quilting the intent was one full spiral, about the fifth round out it became apparent that wasn’t happening. Uh-uh. Nope. Because the reminder of rain drops is simply beautiful.

img_20170125_173408-1And going with the rain drops seemed the only way to continue. At first overlapping and connecting. Then going a little rogue not necessarily connecting them, or having them overlap more than one other rain drop.

Puddles are glorious. Puddles give happiness for such a short time. Puddles are there for jumping, and rain drops, and worms, and inspiration. Puddles are delightful. Like rain drops sliding down a window, wandering hither and yon until they reach the intended destination. Rainy days in the summer beckon me outside, rainy days in the winter drive me to the studio with all the lights on. *The fabric used for the project is Sumi-é by Frond Design Studios.

Once all the quilting is complete the two pieces are destined for greatness! Yes, dear ones, they will be made into a new bag and wallets for me.I’m going to remove the hardware and strap from another bag that has completely fulfilled it’s obligation and use it for the strap on this one. What a great way to repurpose a well loved bag. There will be cork involved in some detail work, how I’m not entirely certain at the moment but a plan is forming in my head that will come together at the right moment. This one is just for happiness as I work on a few other things. One I have to get a mosey on and finish this weekend. I’ll be posting that “need to finish and write about it” on the Gen Q blog. It’s something different and kind of fun.

In a few days I’ll reveal the quilt design for the Lucy’s Nickles – Creating Confident Quilters one Stitch at a Time group. After some serious contemplation we’re going to work on a piece based on a couple of quilts and tease out the stitching and design from there. The thing that makes drawing out the design easier for everyone, that is the great hope anyway. You’re welcome to join the group and play along for as long as you’d like.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

 

An invitation

cropped-live-your-brightest-life-11-e14726550775461.jpgTeaching free motion machine quilting is one of the greatest pleasures in my life. When a quilter relaxes into quilting, the breathing changes, the focus changes, the rest of the group fades from the room. There is a very distinct memory of a quilter doing just this, in the middle of a very busy shop, what a beautiful moment. The over-thinking part of us, in that moment, becomes quiet as the stitching takes place. Being in that moment is so amazing. I’ve been there, in the middle of a busy place, simply enjoying the restorative, creative energy.

20161127_074359A few years ago I started a group on facebook called Lucy’s Nickles to work with a few quilters answering questions and helping them grow. The name is from the Peanuts character Lucy, who sets up a lemonade type stand and gives advice for five cents. A few years ago I mentored a quilter for a quite a while, his quilting changed over this time. So much so that his partner asked him what happened, “it’s like the lights are on now” (this is the gist of what he said.) Often through this process I asked more questions, than gave advice.

One of the gals in the group recently asked for a directed project. I’m game, so on Friday February 3, 2017 we’re starting a whole cloth project, which I’m currently in the process of designing. Once I have the bones designed I’ll post a pdf on the site, and part two of the discussion will start. We’re going to work fat quarter size as we all have fat quarters, and it’s a nice size for something of a piece of art.

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You are welcome to join us on the facebook group. Click on the link above, I’ll approve membership. Please introduce you, tell us a little about your quilting. And let’s have some fun. Along the way I’ll ask questions, offer some suggestions, and give permission for you to use your seam ripper as you choose.

Happy New Year,

Teri