29.6.11

Summer in San Francisco

This is what I've been working on:




Sewing is taking a backseat to some much need home improvement projects.  We're in the midst of wallpaper removal... 4 layers, that is.  This is what we found under the vinyl that stripped off easily.  The birdcage print and fake grass paper are GONE!  We have no intention of living with 50's era brown leaf patterned paper, either, and since this snapshot was taken, 3/4 of the room is now cleared down to bare plaster.  The floors are next on the list ... then painting, and so goes the summer!




Another day and another layer down


extra Maple leaf 
I finished piecing the back for my Maple leaf quilt.


Maple Leaf - back

This is the front:

Maple Leaf
29 x 29


The inspiration for the back is from a quilt featured in Material Obsession 2.  I replaced the center 9-patch with an extra maple leaf block and adjusted the dimensions of the pieces to fit with the center block.


I found it very refreshing to work some of my non-trendy designer fabrics into this work.  Although I find the online quilt world, including flickr a wonderful source of inspiration, the rush to use the latest and greatest new fabric lines, is getting old (for me).  Not that I don't LOVE fabric, it just seems like sometimes people respond to the "designer used" over the quilt, the creativity and skill the sewist invests in her craft.  It can be a challenge to filter it all out and listen to my inner voice and create what I want without worrying if anyone is going to like my work because it isn't "trendy".  


Now my quandary is how to quilt an essentially two sided-quilt.  Any ideas?  I have a rough idea of quilting freeform wavy lines in a diagonal around the leaves. 


***

This is probably my last post for a few weeks.  I'm taking a short break.  I hope everyone is enjoying their summers, whether you are sewing, relaxing, traveling, etc.

My Saturday morning walk on the marina (So. SF)












No comments: