Greetings all my friends!

Fall is here.  I love getting up when it's still dark outside. Stolen time for sure. You can't walk the dog, mustn't wake the neighbors or do any number of chores that could wake the house. It's dark out!  Just a perfect time for a few quiet hours of quilting. And those fall colors!!
 A photo from Bruce's recent hike into the Cascades. Mother Nature exploding with color.
 
Reds, golds, and greens carpet the mountain meadows. Thankfully not a lot of orange. I am NOT a fan of the color orange, unless it's on a pumpkin.  Orange bullies and upstages just about everything but red. Color is a topic I get to be as passionate and disagreeable about as I want to be. So bring it on. Tell me why I should ever be nice to orange.

You will be happy to know, my old, grumpy, set in my way self, gave her self a BIG push out of my comfortable creative box.
See my latest  attempt at expressing myself in a more abstract and "modern" way.

Music 40 x 47
Words often fail but Music always delivers the emotions of life.  This quilt is my visual tribute to Musical shapes, sounds, and movement.

 

The background is crazy pieced and I got to use those wonderful ice dyed fabrics. The whimsical geometric shapes in the interior conform to and fill the cello. The dancing figures were cut from light weight ultra-suede. A real boon. It doesn't ravel and you do not need to turn any edges.
Love that stuff! Gold lame for the horns. Hate that stuff! Tamed it though with Apliquick interfacing on the back. You need to run your glue along the seam allowance and then have your iron ready to get that glue to hold the edge.
A touch of blue silk also made easier to work with after being ironed to the interfacing. Interfacing acts as a wonderful stabilizer for difficult fabrics.

I took a Modern approach to the Quilting Designs.
Typical quilting designs surround or fill geometric shapes. Modern quilting designs tend to go under, over, creating secondary designs and shapes. Modern quilting uses lots of straight lines and circles. Its playful and fun.


Some of my favorite things.

Having one of your best quilting buddies win Best of Show at Fall Paducah. Congratulations!!!! to Kathy Wylie for her incredible quilt based on Time. You simply have to see it if you haven't already.  Kathy is the Canadian distributor for Apliquick and those tiny circles are made with Apliquick.  https://kathykwylie.com

Being married for 48 years. Ingredients - humor, kindness, respect, and encouraging his passions. (Our agreement is- he climbs mountains and doesn't push me to come, - I don't expect him to quilt.)

Nurturing a sense of wonder and confidence in my students. Thank you to all of my new students and friends at Fall Paducah and MQX.
On the 26th, 27 and 28th of this month (October) I will be teaching at Calla Lily Quilt shop in Greensboro, N.C. Three days of classes if you are in that area.
info@callalilyquilts.com 336-763-0528

Great tools.
Apliquick applique scissors. Love these ergonomically designed scissors with sharp tips and serrated edges. $36.00
Tweezers. The best for picking those nasty threads out of the seam you had to rip out. Perfect for picking up those tiny pieces and nudging them into position. Big scoop handle for my thumbs which doesn't have a lot of push pressure anymore. 
SALE $25 Now $19.99 for one week (ends Sunday 10/7 at Midnight).
https://www.kathymcneilquilts.com/shop/Apliquick-tools--supplies.htm


I wish you all yummy fall soups, homemade pies, and lots of eggnog.

Hugs to all
Kathy