recycled quilt

Well, I made this. Yes, I did add another side with orange/yellow blocks. I am deciding I might need to make some full size quilts -- too many huge quilts. IDK if people in the city have huge beds?

I finished the quilt - I decided to keep the back after all. I just put a hot pink binding on it. Yes ... I match, today. The back will be plenty strong enough. All I was worried about was snags - and I put lots of heavy criss crossing quilting into the piece to prevent that.

This is the front of the quilt - after I added the edges. This is a view of the back -- Close up of the fabric on the back.  Well, I used up some fabric thinking it might be strong enough to be the back of a quilt. I thought a light weight quilt would be perfect .. but, Ive decided the backing isnt strong enough for constant use. So, Im going to put another back on the quilt and the current backing will become the batting. This fabric is a sort of waffle fabric that would be great as shower curtains or window curtains -- but doe snot seem strong enough for daily use.

Ive been going crazy for strip quilts - I have so much fabric here at the house. This process is a great way to use up smaller pieces and HIDE some uglies. When I first started quilting I was buying new fabrics - Im trying to get all of those used up also. I have let my collecting fabric totally take over my little house. Im feeling like its too much and I want some of my space back. Ive been feeling a little down - I am going through some stuff and the end of the summer is a sad few weeks for me. Of course, the Drag Queen Quilter has real (REAL) long man nails. I have no idea why I love long fingernails. I just do. I used to chew and eat the sides of my fingers till they would bleed and be infected. Its was gross. So, now that I quilt and have to look at my hands all the time I like to have them (sorta) nice looking. I also let them get gross and unpainted - but keep them pretty long. I signed up for classes today - I think this is the last year of working on the BA. I

I have a great friend in New Orleans - here are two quilts I gave him set up as tableclothes at his place.

Ive been working on new things.. new patterns, new free motion quilting patterns -- its hard work to try new thuings. Its moving pretty slow. I miss my dog. George and I are doing pretty good even with everything going on.

My little doggie, Red - decided he was ready to go to the next place. Red was my dog that would stay awake and sit beside me at parks looking around just like is is doing in the bottom pic. He loved to watch the world. He loved to run as fast as he could. When he was little (I adopted him when he was about a year old - and that was about three years ago) he could out run any dog at the dog park. He would get dogs to chase him and just run with his head facing backwards looking at the dog chasing him like he was sayng "ha ha ha, you cant get me!!". He was enthusiastic about everything he did.. running, watching the world and sleeping and gettng cuddled with. Ive been a mess all day. Ive never had a dog for as long as I had Red. My other doggie, George and Red were good friends .. Im sad for George today, too .. He will miss is play partner.

Well, I got some more work done - and had a bat in the house! I decided to use two browns around the edge - one of them looks dark red but - its brown. I think I like it. I really like the way the seams look. I know for sure about that part. I dont know if my piecing has ever been this good before. Im not the best cutter so that is great growth for me, too. Part of the entire learning process for me is seeing that I can create what I think are very cool art quilts that are also functional pieces --- but that creative part forces me to do things with quilting that other quilters would never really do -- like raw edge applique with a straight stitch with no fusing. When I sit down and try to do basic quilting things like line up seams and cut accurate pieces - I cant do that well at all. Im surprised at what my quilts look like when I try to do that type of accurate cutting and piecing. I like the results but, there is no doubt they are basic historic ish looking quilts. 

I decided to turn the piece on its side ... Now, its a square again .... Im not sure where to go next. I might go around the edge with stripe blocks or, but a four patch block of the stripe blocks in the corners --- IDK.

I am torn about what I want to do and made this video about my process on working it out.

I am in love with strip quilts all of a sudden! I finally got the "pebble" free motion quilting motif down! I worked on it for a long time b-4 i figured out a way for me to do it so I liked it.

Im an artist who shape shifts and has a hard time seeing who I am at some "core" level. Lots of times I feel more the surface of the moon and my surface is filled with craters. But, one thing that I love about me - is when I see how happy I make other people.

I love this style quilt - I have so much fabric in my house that needs to get sewn that Ima go nuts for this style for a bit. I already have the pieces cut for the next one. Here is a larger pic - but, taken with a flash so there is a bit of wash-out. The size of this quilt is a  generous Queen - it will have about a 10 inch drop on each side and the bottom. I had not used lots of prints in my other quilts - I need more pratice on how to use a mix of solid, print and graded colors. I really like the solid color quilts I make - but, I love prints and want to use more of them.

I made this strip quilt using the process that people are using to make the strip quilts in the jelly roll race. Except - I cut my own pieces from my stash and added solids and prints! I cut 4 inch wide strips and then slashed them into whatever length-- and then, did the end to end, to end - to end ... I LOVE the results. I have another in the works and more planned. One of the best things about this style of quilt is that I have been able to hide lots of patterns that i dont like as well that have been taking up space on my shelves! This quilt is made from recycled fabrics - with some additions from "scrap bags" that a local fabric shop sells.. I see some Amy Butler in there -- so this quilt is more 100% salvage than recycled.

When I started sewing - I got really turned on by the idea of sewing on a treadle machine and using recycled fabrics and organic sewing thread. I bought two machines - I could not get the new belts installed. It made me so mad. It should have been so easy. But, Im just no good at that kind of thing. I love the click click sound the old machines make when they sew - and the sound the machines make when you lower the presserfoot is an easy sound. One of the machines I bought did have a belt that was sorta tight enough to sew a little -- but it did not really work eniough to get anything done - just enough to play and then get frusterated. Its very late - time for Taffy to go to bed. Sweet dreams, everyone.

My little doggy - is feeling sick. I hope he feels better soon. I get so worried.

He has been sick for about two days .. I stopped by the vet. I hope get just gets better. I did up a strip quilt.