Sandra Leichner's New Book, and Oliver Bites Back

Oliver fell asleep admiring the beautiful quilt on the cover of Sandra Leichner's new book, just released from AQS, Hand Applique with Embroidery.  He gave his "paw of approval" but was so tired from torpedo-ing around the house today that he fell asleep before a photo could capture the actual reading process.  Believe me, he is smart enough to enjoy a good book!

Sandi just received the Fairfield Master Award for Contemporary Artistry, a $5000 prize at the International Quilt Festival, Houston, for her cover quilt, Tea With Miss D. 

If you are lucky enough to have seen it at Houston Market or Festival or when it was in the juried AQS show at Paducah in April you will know the incredible artistry and skill it took to create such a quilt.  Yet, it is delightful, makes you smile, and somehow her technical expertise looks effortless.  It doesn't get in the way of the quilt's beauty, but makes it all happen.  

Go to http://www.quilts.com/ and click on the winners' list to see her quilt, or to her website http://www.sandraleichner.com/ 

Although I will never be an appliquer, I did enjoy this book.  If you want to refine your techniques or learn applique and embroidery, find out how to get the perfection Sandi achieves,  how she embroiders all that detail, picks the fabrics, layers them for the best overall effect, then you need this book. 

I liked the charts with organized information about threads, needles, anything technical.  You don't have to search through text to find what you want to know.

The photos are great, the colors stunning, and you will drool over her quilts throughout the book.  Yes, there are patterns, and there are projects.  You will learn to do this and have small, complete-able projects when finished with various techniques she explains, step by step. 

I love the little bit in the book for each area called "Why is this important?"  It's great to have the respect of an author who tells you the why of it, really a good addition to the book's format. 

All her applique and embroidery is by hand, and it is exquisitely done.  Quilting?  Done on a home machine (Bernina 730), free motion, original marked designs and lovely freehand fills.  The combination of well executed artistic quilting and hand applique is a true winner.

Which quilt of Sandi's do I like the best?  I have seen Sandi's quilts from her first one entered at Houston in 2001, and through the years since then.  Their richness and detail, their art, will stay with you always.   Tea With Miss D will always have a special place in my heart though.

I like that she respects the art of machine quilting enough to use it to complete her hand artistry. 

Meanwhile, browsing the internet looking for info on Houston and wishing I were there, my computer suddenly died again.  Oh no! 

Two days earlier my husband's new laptop had a power cord failure and he had to get a new cord.  I had him check it for teeth marks.  Yes, there were teeth marks.  Mine too had teeth marks. 

Oliver strikes again!  We are so relieved he didn't get hurt but have to find ways to hide the cords from him.  He likes the thin cable from the computer to the adapter part, the kind my sewing machine has to the foot control, but that he hasn't yet discovered.

I used a light rubbing of Tabasco sauce on the tv cable that comes out of the wall, and one bite of that stopped him in his tracks.  His expression was hilarious.

I got a new generic power cord for my laptop, no waiting for Mr. Sony to send me one this time, and will get a new battery this week too.  I plan on using it on battery in waking hours, charging it overnight with the new cord in a closed room.  We have a mixing bowl over husband's cord on the kitchen island.  So far it is working, Oliver can't move it.  It's heavy English pottery.

Below, the photo of what I did to protect the cord.  They do have cord covers available to buy that are infused with citrus, but the reviews said they had a horrible insecticide odor, so I crossed those off my list.

Instead, I got drinking straws that were a special thank you gift from Ami Simms (don't ask why), cut them in half lengthwise, and slipped them over the cable, taped them together and closed.  Then I wrapped a twill tape around the whole thing and turned it into the Mummy Cord.  It is working!  He isn't even interested!  I do put it away when I am not around or am sleeping, and eventually with the new battery can keep the cord out of his life completely.

Hope you are enjoying fall, no snow yet in Wisconsin.  Cold, yes.  I am washing and sorting some lovely Moda fabrics received from Hancock's of Paducah for the new Pilgrim/Roy Challenge, "Twenty Great Quilts for Twenty Great Years," to celebrate the upcoming 20th Anniversary of the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY.    I get to add two fabrics of my own, and am busy designing a small wall quilt using all of them, and plan on trying out some of my new quilting techniques.  I have learned to do a deadline project right away.....just in case.  These quilts will be auctioned live at the AQS show in '12, and will tour in '11 so you can see them.

Keep quilting, your work gets better every day.

Diane

My Paducah Trip

Shirley Kelly - "Remembering Kelly" (I have permission from Shirley to post this photo)

Home from Quilt City USA, and back to catching up on home things. I had a good trip, fabulous weather, great food, and it was wonderful to see so many at the National Quilt Museum Monday night for Hollis Chatelain's tour of her Imagine Hope exhibit.  Also saw many familiar faces and old friends at Sneak Preview and the opening day of the show.

Shirley Kelly, above, won two first place awards for her fabulous work, hand applique and home machine quilting.  Anyone who sees her work will remember it, and this one was especially poignant with the mementos and memories of a great horse's life.

My treat of the show was to finally see Sandra Leichner's quilt, "Tea with Miss D." below, permission to add this photo to my blog granted by Sandra, and these are her photos.

Sandra Leichner ~ "Tea With Miss D."

It was more than I could have imagined, a treasure to see and take in.  The handwork and details were amazing, the machine quilting designs and execution the very best.  I am afraid my mouth might have been hanging open as I gazed at this delicious concoction, discovering detail after detail, and I know from the many comments of quilters that so many enjoyed it tremendously.  To see it and many detail shots, go to Sandra's blog, and be sure and check out the fabulous quilting too.  Below, the center tea cup surrounded by little strawberry shortcakes.  Oh my.

We had perfect weather early in the week, but rain arrived later, after I had left for home.  Crowds were not as big as in the past, parking was at a premium so lots of trekking was needed, and those who went in the new Pavilion for vendor shopping liked it.  They reported it was airy, bright, with lots of room and much easier to shop than in the old vendor locations in years past.

Now I am home, I am going to try and trace some of my new digitized designs for home embroidery machines and quilt up a sample, of course, free motion, and gasp, I have to follow lines so the designs will resemble those on the CD.  Not easy now that I am so used to quilting with minimal marking.  I like the designs but know I will do a bit of fudging as I quilt to make them even better looking.  I'll post a photo  when the project is finished.

Oliver was ecstatic to see me when I arrived home.  The gymnastics, the run, run, run, squeak, squeak, squeak....all off the charts of feline happiness.  He is now thinking maybe I am home for good, of course until the bags come out to pack for the next trip.  Below, his special place on his "special" chair in the living room window so he can watch the birds in the bushes outside.  And chirp.  He is a great little chirper, and I swear he grew and gained weight while I was away!  His fur is getting thicker and prettier every day too. 

Yesterday he discovered rotary cutting.  Oh my, time to close the door to the sewing room and work alone or risk paw amputation!

Hope you all enjoyed the AQS Show in Paducah, and.....keep quilting!  Your work gets better every day.

Diane

Marking quilting designs

It’s so much fun to quilt freehand, but many times, even in a folk art, informal, or pictorial style quilt, it’s nice to be able to plan ahead, plot out your special design, and mark it on the top. You have the control to see where it looks best, move it, change it, be the designer who steps back and looks at the result before stitches go in.

I love to do freehand work, but I do also like to control where designs will end up on my quilt top and how they will look. Often as a counterpoint to freehand designs I definitely like to mark some repetitive, symmetrical design and quilt on the lines rather than “winging it” when the quilt is under the needle.

When I first began quilting I marked everything, absolutely everything. I was way too afraid to try to quilt with no lines. Now I love to do that, and if I draw my own designs many times change them as I quilt them, when I see they would be smoother, better, easier if I make a quick modification. But, those lines are still guiding me, giving me the basis of the design.

You can choose from purchased standard stencils, newer designer stencils, basic traced quilting designs from books or magazines that you must do with a light box, or tracing around moveable motifs.

I really like to draw out a design on freezer paper, cut it out, and place it on the quilt and trace around it. The motif can be pressed with an iron for easier tracing, but be careful not to press any previous blue washout markings when you do this.

For me, with years of experience, I only trace major elements—the outside border, crucial interior lines—and do much of the interior work freehand. Designs will look alike at first glance, but will have variety of detail because of the freehand work.

You can also choose to change out some of the interiors for more interest. Fill one flower center with clamshells, and others with tiny leaves, rocks, or bananas. It also keeps work interesting for you.

Sandra Leichner’s blog shows you how she does freezer paper stencils for her original designs: http://sandraleichner.com/wordpress The entry is titled Freezer Paper “Stencils.”

Try marking a few designs. It’s easier than you think, can be your original work or something standard, and it is SO nice to quilt when the lines are there for you to follow.

Keep quilting, your work gets better every day.
Diane