Work Tables

The Grad quilt is basted and the hand quilting on it has begun! It is a time for quiet spaces, lots of reflection and watching my own magick unfold. Sometimes I think my life, at this stage, is not enough. It has become so much more contemplative than how it was so active in the past.

This quilt measures 85"x85" so far, and that meant it hung over the two tables I usually push together to baste. Secured with Duct Tape, I was able to pin baste most of it flat and just over the edge, leaving one row of blocks and the borders. It worked.

One of the estate quilting accessories from Lee was a frame her husband made. Its a rectangle and almost the size of a card table. I can work on two blocks at a time before needing to shift the quilt and re-do the fastening frame.

The act of contemplation is about centering one's mind and perhaps focusing on a word that is repeated over and over. This IS what happens to me when I do the hand sewing of the up and down motion of needle & thread into the fabric. The 'word' is the name of the recipient of the quilt. When it works, my mind is cleared of all other thoughts and my focus is on the recipient. Eventually, as the quilt project evolves, the energy is not only of me doing the magick or praying for the person, but it brings their life to me as well.

It becomes mystical and is not related to truth or fact. Energy that flows goes where it will during this time while I work.

This grad quilt was another one of those mystery quilts. So much about the set-up in gathering fabrics appealed to me from using FQ's I had in my closet to knowing it would be a sampler. Fabric suggestions give many options, so that everyone's quilt looks unique. While I like how it turned out, I see NOW that it would look quite different if I had used a hot pink for the sashing rather than the lime green. That 'shoulda-woulda-coulda' hindsight. It is lovely the way it is and I do like the contrast.

Some women were choosing mono-chromatic colorways and at the time, I thought that was going to be a boring look. I go for flare and splash, dramatic colors and looks. It has always been my style, and now, during these contemplative moments, I wonder if I am changing.

Having the quilting frame will make hand quilting go easily. This is the second time I have used it. It folds up tight and stores in the shed without taking up much room. Any quilting serves to keep the sandwich of the top, batting, and backing together. What happens after the first simple joining becomes decorative. My first round of hand quilting is the simple joining, and then it becomes 'a lets see how much time is left' as to whether or not more will be done on it.