BATIKS

This week I'm finishing up a custom quilt order.  It has been quite an adventure and, once again, I have learned so many new things!

My client moved into a high rise apartment with an ocean view.  She is decorating, incorporating the work of some of the artisans at Crafted.  I agreed to make a whole cloth custom quilt for her master bedroom.  Another artist is hand painting an abstract coral reef wall mural over the bed, so we started there...

We began with aqua and coral colored fabrics.  I sourced some of my favorite fabric stores and selected a range of solid samples.  My favorites were the shot cottons.  The aqua had a green cross weave and I paired it with a coral shot cotton for the backing.  I loved them but they didn't speak to my client.  She suggested batiks, which completely threw me for a loop.  Batiks!!!

I sourced some of the batiks she had suggested and added a few that I thought might work.  We reviewed them at her office and chose two.  Both by the same manufacturer, so off I skipped (yes, I been known to skip) to place the order.  Oh, I forgot to mention that this quilt measures 116" wide by 136" long!  I needed 12 continuous yards of each fabric.  To make a long story short, the top fabric choice had been retired and the most that I could find anywhere was 9 yards.  I searched everywhere (physical and online) and 12 yards of the top fabric could not be found.  So back to square one...

Finally, we met on a Saturday morning at one of my favorite fabric warehouses.  My plan was not to leave without nailing the fabric choices down.  We did!  Found a beautiful sand washed grey-blue batik and it coordinated perfectly with a print batik from a different manufacturer.  They are the two on the right in the above photo.  I am now a batik expert and have a new found love and respect for them.  Amazing fabric!

How do you free motion quilt a 116" by 136" quilt on a home machine?  Reminds me of the riddle: How do two porcupines mate?  Answer: Very carefully.  So, I quilted it carefully using a pattern that reminds me of coral reef and ocean waves.

Beautiful.  I'll show you more later - after it's been delivered.  It took four large spools of thread to quilt it and it's ready for the binding. 

Look how nicely my new pillowcases work with it - gorgeous!

Also, I'm looking for sponsors.  There were many fabric stores, manufactures, and wholesalers involved in this project, so if you would like to be linked in future projects - sponsor me!

What project have you taken on lately that stretched you way, way, way outside of your comfort zone? 

AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTERS

I have quilting memories.

Memories of black women making quilts by hand from old clothing scraps.  Of sleeping under handmade quilts and quilt tops made by friends and relatives.  Of always having a quilt on my bed.  Memories... 

I quilt almost everyday - it's my obsession (I can think of worst!).  I am pleasantly surprised at the impact African American quilters have on this industry.  Everyday I learn more and more about quilters like Anna Williams, Rosie Lee Tompkins, Gees Bend, and so many others who contribute to this American art form.

Read an interesting book with a chapter entitled, "Creative DNA".  It sparked something and I ran upstairs to my studio and grabbed my scrap container, needle and thread.  Here is what I hand stitched:

My mama taught me to sew by hand when I was around 6 years old.  Hand stitching comforts me.  Before I was allowed to use her sewing machine, I hand sewed everything.  Made doll clothes and even a pink outfit for me with my first paper pattern - all hand stitched.  I'm pretty good at it!

Here is the completed top.  No plan, just random scraps of fabric.  The squares are extras from past quilt blocks, the strips from leftover binding, etc.  "You use what you got; waste not want not".  Memories... 

Initially, I started hand quilting the top but this piece wanted to be machine quilted.  I resisted and just stared at it for a few days.  Too many starts and stops.  "What you resist, persists" - so the piece won out and I machine quilted it.

Isn't that piece of shot cotton amazing?  It's grey and glows orange. 

 



 

Wanted to retain the puffiness of the small squares and couldn't bear to quilt them into submission.   Echoed their stitching on the larger center squares.  Here is the completed quilt.  It is entitled: "Creative DNA". 

I am an African American quilter with a long, proud ancestry.  I grew up surrounded by this rich, joyful quilting history and even though I was not directly taught to quilt, it is in my DNA.  I quilt because I can't help myself - and I love it!  

P.S. Here is a picture of it on my design wall with my Joni Mitchell quilt.  They play well together.

Thanks for stopping by,
-p

DEAR STELLA AND TIMELESS TREASURES

Saw this Dear Stella fabric and had to have it.  It brought back so many memories from my travels.  I've seen this pattern all over the world.  It is so well executed in blues and greys. After purchasing it, decided to make a quilt comprised of global patterns so I picked up the following:

Dear Stella and Timeless Treasure fabric lines are so adventurous and remind me of many parts of the world that I love.  If my budget allowed, I would fill my stash with so much more from these lines.  They are premium quality cottons, and have a great hand.

So many color values - what to do?  Decided to just go for it, mix them up, and let them take care of themselves.  Added some Kona solids that I had in my stash to break up the variety of patterns.  Also added a few neutral fat quarters from the stash to balance out the blues.

This is a simple block.  You just cut the fabric into squares. Make a stack using one of each print and solid.  Cut the stack at an angle.  Rotate the order of one side.  Sew them back together and repeat the process.

The backing is a vintage sheet that a dear friend gave me - lovely.

The completed quilt.  I believe in making quilts that can stand up to a lot of love.  There were many seams, so I stipple quilted it all over to keep it strong.  It is so different from my usual use of hot color - so relaxing...  When I washed it, it crinkled up beautifully. 

It is a full/queen size at 68" by 75" and is available in my new Etsy shop.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/patsyjohnsonquilts?ref=search_shop_redirect

What fabric line(s) inspires you?

JONI MITCHELL AND MXPX

One of the most frequent custom order requests I get is for Tshirt quilts.  I have seen them online but never really considered making one.  A wonderful family stopped by my Crafted booth one weekend and I couldn't say no.  The daughter had a collection of tshirts from a punk rock group called MXPX.  Had no clue who they were, but the shirts were really cool.  She wanted a black quilt, mom and dad wanted color.  She wanted a grey back, mom and dad wanted color.  I love black, grey and color.  I also love a challenge.

So - I googled MXPX and listened to some of their music for inspiration.  Good stuff.  Pulled out the bag of tshirts and got started:

Here is the compromise:

See the slivers of color inserted into the seams (that's for you mom and dad!).

I think it turned out pretty cool.  My favorite tshirt is the one that says "vegans taste like chicken" - cracks me up!  What's even funnier (to me) is that the daughter is a vegetarian - lol.   Had one tshirt leftover, so I place it on the back (ignore the piece of thread).  It's a queen size and I quilted it on my home machine.  Used black thread in an all over stipple which stabilized the stretchiness of the tshirts.

While working on this quilt, I remembered that I had an old tshirt that I couldn't toss out.  It was from a Joni Mitchell concert that I attended in 1983.  I am such a Joni Mitchell dork - I love her!  Anyway, I carefully cut it up and played.  Here is the finished product:

I will post it for sale in the next couple of days in my new Etsy store.