I know, I know, I know

that I have totally neglected this blogspot.  I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
I'm back into making some of, or should I say most of my clothes again.  I never thought after spending so many years making and designing quilts I would ever venture into the fashion world again.
I had even lost some interest in fashion all together and had resolved to wearing the same old thing every day.  My husband would make little comments like" I'm going to have to get you another skirt".  I guess he hadn't looked in my closets (2) to see all of the skirts hanging there along with all of the sweaters, blouses, suits, scarves, and just a lot of clothes.  I informed him that I did not need another skirt, but that I just liked wearing the same ones over and over again because they were my favorites.
But, with" Project Runway" and the latest" Fashion Stars" and "24 Hour Cat Walk"  shows I have been watching over the years motivated me to sew clothing again.  I don't want to forget two of the fashion blogs I have been following also, especially, http://www.ericabunker.com/, and http://www.sewingfantaticdiary.blogspot.com/. 
Now, getting to what this blogspot is supposed to be about here is one of my" DAYG" "Design- As- You- Go"quilts that I use to share when I teach a DAYG class.

I will try and get to this blog more often, to share what the blog is suppose to be about, and that is "art quilts". 

In the Studio 2011

                                                                                     

The top picture is my main fabric storage area.  The long table is raised with bed risers to accomodate my 5 feet 9 inch frame, and to keep from me breaking my back when I'm doing something that requires a lot of standing.  I have added a drop down side on the front of the table that has been padded and covered with flannel.  I use this as a small design wall and flannel board to critique some of my small pieces. 

 On the shelves in the corner are my magazines.  The Quilting Arts magazines I have cataloged in note books in the order of their edition.

The bottom photo depicts my recently made design wall.  I did not know if I were going to put this wall up or not until one day I needed to photograph a large piece.  I'm really glad I did put it up now.  The long cabinet next to it is where I store paints, brushes, clay, fabric marking pens and the like.

I'm currently working on finishing some large utility quilts that have been around for a while.  I just finished the quilt that my guild members gave me blocks for years ago.  I'm now finding borders and backing for a two and one half inch light and dark square quilt.  I have about five or six large quilts that I plan to finish by the grace of God.  Well, I must be getting back to work and away from this computer.

HAPPY QUILTING

This blogspot

was intended to do just what the title says, and that is to let you know how my life is in my studio.  I want to share my thoughts, some of my processes, my general life in the room in my home where I spend most of my time, excluding the bedroom.
My life as a professional seamstress started in 1971.  I was fortunate enough to take a nine month course that taught the  Bishop Method sewing process.  This process was the going thing at the time.  I remember my instructor, she was a very particular and quaint elderly lady that knew her stuff.  I remember making straight A's in her class.  I completed 971 hours of sewing and instruction which qualified me to be a certified seamstress.
My first space for sewing was established about the year 1969, which was a table under a window in my kitchen.  I used the skills learned in Junior High and High School to make a few things for myself and my apartment.  The breakfast table was my cutting station.  As my supplies increased I decided that I needed more space, so I moved into my  walk-in pantry.  There were shelves on the walls that held my canned goods, staples and the like.  It was kind of dark in there, but I rigged an extra light and sewed in there for I don't know how long.  I think I got kind of clostrophobic and moved back into the kitchen.
Years later when I moved there was still not a space for sewing, so I used the dining room as I had used the kitchen and pantry in my last apartment.
I made clothing for my two boys and myself.  There was also the occasionally making of clothing for others. I made  usher uniforms and special occasion attire for extra money to make ends meet.  I remember sewing most of my next door neighbors Sunday outfits.  She was a sharp dresser, and I was proud the help her look like she had just stepped out of the bandbox on Sunday mornings.
I moved to California in 1992 and gradually set up my sewing space again.  I can remember the day when my new husband came home and I had stripped all of the carpet from the back bedroom.  He did  not say anything, but if you could have seen the look on his face.  I told him that it was very dangerous sewing in a room with 1969 shag carpet and that it need to go.  The floor was an old tile that I scrubbed to remove the carpet pad remnants and shined it up.  It looked pretty good to me.  I was now on my way to doing a lot of sewing  and I had a whole  room to fill up with all of my sewing goodie.  I remember building my first table from an old wooden bar that was out on the patio.  It was already pretty high so I only had to add about 5 inches to the top and a four feet by six feet board that I padded and covered for ironing and whatever.  This room lasted for years.  I loved having my own space so I did not have to start projects and take it all down and put it away until the next time I mustered up enough strength to pull it out again.  I built shelves around the walls when the lower space ran out.  I even had the doors removed from the one closet that was in the room, and used it for storage .  I also used my serger in this closet by putting a desk in it. I had bolts of fabric lined up on shelves just like JoAnn's. LOL  The fabric buying never seemed to cease.  There was fabric in those large plastic bins and in the hall closets.  I kept this room until somewhere around 2006 when we decided to move back to Virginia.  I packed this room first because I had to make sure when we arrived I knew exactly where every spool of thread and button was.  I cataloged everything and had a ledger with the number on each box that would identify just what was in that box.  During the process of putting our home on the market, the housing market took a plunge, and the possibility of selling at the price we wanted was  not going to happen at this time so we decided  not to sell.  And guess what?  I had all of that stuff to unpack and try and start all over again setting up my sewing space.  Well I started setting everything back and we had some water damage in the kitchen that led to having to replace several floors, so my setting up was put on hold.  While the repairs were being done I decided to sew in the family room so I could be close by when the contractors had questions during the repairs. 

Years ago my husband suggested that I take this room for my studio since I had started making patterns and quilts, but I knew that was where he was most of the time watching sports on the big screen. After using this room while the floors were being put in I decided that that this was really a great place to work, especially with three windows and so much space.  And so, this double wide room has become my Studio, and I'm loving it.  Next time I will bring you into my studio and I'll tell you about some of the things that goes on in here.  This picture depicts the north wall and the center of my studio.  This is where I display some of my pieces.

Today is Thanksgiving

Yes, I know yesterday was Thanksgiving, but everyday is Thanksgiving to me.  Today I'm thankful for a myriad of things.  One is that I'm finally finished my last batch of journal covers for this year.  These are all one of a kind.  I only make one of whatever I decide to make, but will consider some duplicates if requested.  These were really fun to make.  I start with collaged and stitched fabric or a piece of whole cloth fabric that is adhered to a heavy weight interfacing.  The flaps and outside of the journal is then cut and sewn together with the book mark sewn in at the very top.  I photograph the outside of the journal and use the paper copy of the fabric to cover the writing that is on the inside of the composition notebook for a more uniformed appearance.  This is one of several ways I design and make journal covers.

Mary of Bethany

is almost done.   She is the sister of Martha and Lazarus, the man that Jesus raised from the dead after he had been dead for four days. She poured the expensive oil from her alabaster box onto Jesus' feet and washed them.
 I must hem the binding that I added and maybe some beading and continue the hand quilting on the front. The woman in this quilt was hand painted, cut out and adhered to the background fabric.

Jezebel and Queen Esther

are soon to be finsihed quilts.  I've been working on these two ladies for a while.  Jezebel is hand painted on fabric that has a fine print.  I used luminere paints and hand drew the brick wall and did a faux finish on it.  She is looking out of the palace window just before she is thrown to her death and eaten by dogs as the prophet Elijah prophesied.  She was a very wicked lady.

Queen Esther on the other hand was just the opposite of Jezebel even though they both were queens.She is still in the design stage.  This quilt will depict her just as she goes to her husband, King Ahaseurus to plead for the lives of her people. The fabric for her skin will be run through the printer to copy her face and the parts of her body that will be showing onto it.  Her clothing will be hand painted, then the quilt will have borders added and sandwiched with cotton  batting, quilted and who knows what else. 



Queen Esther



Mary of Bethany is not shown here, but she is almost done except for the hand embroidery and maybe some beading. I will show Mary in my next post.  I inadvertantly cropped her out of the picture.  Will update you on my next post.