Quilting a Big One

June 5, 2007

latedate_bernina.jpg

It’s always exciting to take a design off the wall and start to quilt, and sometimes a relief. A relief after days (or sometimes months) of looking at, struggling with the composition, colors and patterns and finally committing.

latedate_bernina2.jpg

Usually I start in the center, or with PaMdora’s face, which is this case is both and makes it kind of tough since there’s a lot of fabric to handle on each side. I start with the blacks to warm up and get my groove back, especially necessary after a long sabbatical from quilting.

Quilting is a meditative process, and I like to think of the stitched line as a thread of thought wandering over the surface of the entire quilt. As I sew, I imagine things to guide my hands and needle—images of grass, wind, water, leaves, kneecaps, noses….

latedate_thighs.jpg

Unfortunately during the thigh-stage, I couldn’t get cellulite out of my mind. On to a happier topic — check out my threads! They look organized, but I never slow down to wind the ends back onto the spools after I use them, so everything ends up a gnarly mess. I just give the whole rack a haircut when I’m done.

studio_thread.jpg
to be continued…

Filed Under process, studio 


Comments

11 Comments so far

  1. Felicia on June 5, 2007 7:36 am

    Yes, your threads are looking brilliant! Life is too short to worry about cellulite :)

  2. Quilting Fitzy on June 5, 2007 8:38 am

    I couldn’t have resisted a few cottage cheese curdles…*snerk*

    Thank you for your pictures!

  3. Gerrie on June 5, 2007 9:55 am

    I am always amused at the compulisve quilters who look for ways to wrap and store their thread so that it does not unravel. I subscribe to the cut off the snarl when it gets in the way!! this is a very interesting looking quilt!

  4. Lisa on June 5, 2007 1:08 pm

    You look very serious in this photo - is this your “i’m thinking about cellulite” face?

  5. Katie on June 5, 2007 1:58 pm

    I’m having Thread Envy. :D

  6. Betty Siu on June 5, 2007 6:50 pm

    Pam, it was so nice to see your face again. I am so impressed with your work. It is fabulous. Go, Girl!

  7. Sarah on June 6, 2007 11:52 am

    Amazing, girl! You are workin’ that big quilt on that machine - I was holding out for a longarm, but you’ve given me hope. I’ll keep pluggin’ away with my standard. :) Thanks for the inspiration!

  8. Kim on June 6, 2007 2:41 pm

    This is awesome! I loved “watching” you work and seeing the inside of your studio again. :)

    Great work and very inspiring!

    Kim (Twisted Thicket)
    Formerly Artful Visions

  9. Susie Monday on June 6, 2007 3:14 pm

    So good to see these pictures of you at work and in action — after a computer break of almost a month, its great fun to catch up online. Susie

  10. Melly on June 10, 2007 8:14 pm

    I love your organizational skillz. Damn. I have about 15 spools of 5500 yard, rayon thread and I make do with color. I would love to buy more and start competing with you.

  11. filambulle on October 30, 2007 5:33 am

    This is very interesting. Thank you for sharing. I have a crush for the last photo, with all those nicely coloured thread spools in the background and you at work in the front. Do you always coordinate your clothes and watch to your wip?
    ;-)
    I have discovered your site through whipup, and I am enjoying myself here a lot!
    What intrigues me is that black line around all the surfaces in your quilts. I am going back all your blogposts to see if I can discover how you make this.
    And I love the humor and colours everywhere.
    xo from Switzerland

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