Start From Where You Are

Green - in the chaos of our lives. I think this started simmering unconsciously when I commented to Carol at our Rosalie Dace workshop that It's Not All Black and White (something Rosalie was saying) might make a good quilt name. I like my B & W stash. As I wrote down thoughts about green and then tossed my original ideas for the challenge, as usual, I noted that I see green as signifying newness, a beginning. I have also been recently reading a number of life guidance books about personal change and growth, especially when facing choices. Thus my title.These are all commercial fabrics, some "artier" than others. I got to practice making a thin line insert and an even thinner one, both vertical black, and I did 2 couched lines of green yarn. I also did my first faced finish. Yea! The weakest point is most of the green quilting lines don't show strongly unless you are very close. And it was the cool, neon green Mexican thread I bought from a well-known quilt instructor that was the problem, not my machine. I will use it only in hand-sewing from now on. And the piece looks great in my studio/former bedroom's black & white bathroom. Happy Daz! I'm trying to post this early as a draft.
I do have a word for our next challenge - transformation.

Reincarnation

Sounds like we all have been having a couple of busy months.  I almost forgot about the challenge, and then, when it finally appeared on my radar, planned for a while to make a monochromatic quilt, but I got to thinking about the meaning of "green" as in "good for the earth." Instead of creating an image that symbolized this, I finally settled on actually being green and reusing fabric.

Years ago I had bought pieces of old Japanese kimonos, mostly sleeves, carefully unstitched them, and put them away--somewhere. After a frantic search, I was actually able to find these pieces.  I had forgotten that one of them contained carefully handpainted leaves that were on the lining of a sleeve, a bit of beauty that only the wearer would know about. That fabric was, by fortunate coincidence, green--a multi-shaded green with embedded dots that show up in certain lights and tiny light green dashes that must have been applied after the painted leaves (not much of this shows up in a photograph).

To keep with the green theme, I used no fusible interfacing with all its chemicals, my preferred method of dealing with silk, and did all the piecing and quilting by hand, although I did cheat and attach the facing by machine.  And here is the "Reincarnation" of those kimono silks:

And now that mine is finished and posted, I can enjoy what all the rest of you have created this time. Good theme word, Penny!

Madalene

If I am leaving Aruba for home today it must be November 30th and time to post November's GREEN work.   Luckily I did it as soon as it was announced so as not to worry that it wouldn't get done....have to admit I'm just like that!   I was reading Stupendous Stitching by Carol Ann Waugh and experimenting with my machine and realized that my work was on GREEN fabric.....so that became my challenge piece.   I had alot of fun doing it by machine along with some hand stitching and used yard to couch, etc.   I plan to do more of this.......it was not stressful and I could do some interesting things with all the stitching.   I was happy to take a class with Rosalie Dace and Sher Beller was in the class.   Rosalie stresses STITCHING so that worked also.   I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's pieces and hope I can find my in iPhoto this morning with all that hundreds of pictures from Aruba! Wonderful holiday season to all!   

The picture doesn't look as GREEN as the REAL piece but trust me.....it's pretty GREEN!   Have a red and GREEN holiday coming up............

Hi Again, Everybody!

Alas, I never got that 1/2 day I mentioned a few days ago...My piece won't be finished tomorrow :( 
I hope to finish by Saturday, but it might not be done until Sunday. I will post asap. I won't be checking our blog until my piece is done...I don't want to be influenced by others' work! Feel free to post the new word, Sher, even if I haven't finished. Will have something to share asap!

Messed up ...

Hi everyone,

I thought I had a REALLY good idea for GREEN ... and I so messed up ;-(( Right now I'm thinking how I could still make it work - but maybe I'll be a day or two late. Sorry ... (and I'll share what the problem was - so maybe at least you won't need to make the same mistake I did ...)

Hi from Massachusetts!

It was good to hear from you, Sher and Madalene! Hope all of you in the U.S. had a happy Thanksgiving!

I've been busy around here...not working on the challenge, however! (Except what I've been silently mulling.) In addition to my 30-hour+ work week and one hour round trip daily commute, I've taken on two private clients and I'm in the midst of ongoing teacher training with my yoga teacher. Part of the yoga has included teaching some classes, which of course, requires practice and preparation!

Now, I have one half-day and two uncommitted evenings before November 30! I've had to scrap a few ideas in the interest of time. We'll see what I come up with. I plan to relax and just do what I can. The good news is that I love GREEN!!

Looking forward to seeing all of your work...and...will enjoy mulling Sher's new word! 

Have a great week!
Deborah

Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  Sher, I hope you resolved your sewing machine problems. Just made the hour+ trip down to my closest Bernina repair service two days in a row to drop my machine off and pick it up.

But I am also saying a special thank you to this group.  At the end of October just as our dining room was being ripped down to the studs to be redone, I got a request from an art gallery in Corning, NY, to see some of my work online. They ultimately wanted me to bring in any small pieces I might have for a show they were putting together for mid November.  They took thirteen of the pieces I brought up--including three of the Art 1016 challenges I had done!  I was quite excited--and thanks to this group, I had a reasonable amount of small pieces to show them.

Now that I actually have something I am working on for "Green," I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has done at the end of November, a deadline that is fast approaching.

Grrrrr

Machine problems. Bernina 1016, which I have loved. Have pieced my top and begun machine quilting, but my thread keeps breaking. I can tell where it's rubbing, up at top. Am using a new thread I've never tried, so will try to match the color in another brand. Will also try using the simple machine I bought for my daughter when she was pre-teen. My Bernina repairman is not close, so hope I don't have o go there until this piece is finished. It's always something. But, we have great weather that makes living in TX  far better than in summer.
Looking forward to seeing everyone's Green. Happy Thanksgiving.
Sher

Sandy

I am now fully powered after Sandy - the electricity came back on in my condominium complex last night around 7.  Its great to be warm again.  Today I'm going to bake a cake and work on "GREEN."

Penny