Balance

       

Here is where I left off last week, with a few pretty good ideas about the direction I would go on this quilt. I did a few more sketches on the plexiglas before I felt ready to start quilting. If you are here for the first time, I use plexiglas to audition different designs on a quilt top without having to commit to anything.  See this post and this one for my process with the plexiglas. This is not a marking tool, it is a drawing tool I use to develop a pleasing composition and it sure beats the sit and stare that I am also quite proficient at.

 I ended up quilting a combination of straight lines, swirls, mazes and in the sashing a traditional orange peel treatment and some circles. I used the fabric to dictate a lot of the quilting within the panel. Straight lines work to add texture and movement without distorting the images.

I always love adding some windy sky when I have the opportunity.

I followed the bamboo leaves with my stitching to accentuate the designs in the fabric.

 I used a series of mazes to fill in the borders and I did change thread to ivory to quilt the small sashing and the other light areas.

I love mimicking the Japanese motifs and adding straight line work to offset the designs.

Here is a close up of the different sashing and border treatments, this was quilted entirely freehand.

I think the finished quilt came out well and the quilting enhanced the quilt adding interest but not distracting from everything that is going on.

As quilters our biggest challenge is finding that balance in quilting that adds to the pieced top without overwhelming it,  quilting "enough" but not too much. 

Balance is golden.

In other exciting news, I managed to steal away some time for myself and took a class from one of my good friends and local teachers, Katie, who blogs at Sewkatiedid.

Her color, aesthetic and overall sense of design always inspire me and after my husband seemed to like her pillows better than mine when we were at their house for dinner I decided I needed to up my game in the pillow department.

 I love how Katie uses painters tape on her design wall to back into her designs 

and define the space for herself. 

These were some of her examples and step outs for the gradual curves class that I took.

Here is what I completed in the 3 hour class, which went by way too fast!

As an educator, I am finding that one of the best ways to be a better teacher is to continue taking classes as an open minded student. I have a lot of thoughts on this but can't seem to put them into words. It kind of goes back to the miracle of sharing,  it really does all come full circle. 

I played with my curves a bit more and hopefully once I get my studio cleaned I will finish this pillow!

My studio was clean for a total of 23 seconds before I decided it needed a total overhaul. I am adding two design walls and getting rid of a LOT of stuff. Right now it just looks like it threw up all over itself and no one wants to see that. Hopefully I will make some progress this week and come up with some brilliant functional work space ideas in my very cramped space.

Clearly, I have my work cut out for me.  It is good to be looking forward towards a renewed studio space that flows better. I'm excited for the prospect of having more time to focus on my own work as I wind down quilting for others. Finding the balance really is a beautiful thing. 

I hope you have a superb week ahead and find some balance in your life too.