Lament

This is how the scene plays out: the host welcomes the guest and begins making excuses for their appearance, explaining the messy room, offering reasons (justification) for decor choices, etc.

I have often played the part of the host, overly concerned with the opinion of others. Even as I write this I struggle with worrying about what a reader will think of me. So, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find just the right words, stringing them in just the right phrases, hoping nobody misunderstands and thinks badly of me. Of course, that's a "catch 22" because while one wants to be understood, understanding doesn't guarantee a favorable opinion.

This post is an exercise in opening the door to me, without excuse or justification; without attempts to influence opinion. After all, your opinion is yours.

Last year it was suggested that my sister, Susan, and I put together an art quilt exhibit to be displayed at the Greenbean Coffeehouse in Greenwood, WA. (Our pieces were up during the month of May.)

The timing couldn't have been better. Depression was taking hold of me and it was very helpful to have a goal to work towards. I was able to complete about ten pieces. Most of them were just for fun but three ended up coming together as a triptych, loaded with meaning and symbolism. I was even inspired to name them; something which I rarely do.

Let me share with you the briefest glimpse of:

Lament

A passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form.

Part 1

Subito

Suddenly, at once

The camel's back was broken; the scales tipped; the saturation point was reached.
Pick your idiom.
While these all suggest accumulation, progression or gradation, there's still that moment,
 when it feels like everything changes. 

In the blink of an eye. 

Suddenly.

Part 2

Dissonance

A tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements.

Trying to figure out how to accept the clash
of grief against hope, sorrow next to joy, fear while trusting.
The list could go on and on.

Part 3

Cadence

A harmonic progression that suggests a conclusion, if only a temporary one.

Finding a new normal.
Only a vestige remains of the old normal. Collecting the fragments into a new arrangement, attempting to create a sense of order out of chaos.

At least, for now.

So much more could be said or explained. Maybe in a future post.

The Many Moods of Squak Slough

Snow Crystal Quilt

Yes, I know it's the middle of March.

No, this post isn't about snow.

Well, not exactly.

I recently posted to FB a picture of this quilt I did several years ago. 

Someone asked about the pattern and I decided it would make a good blog post.  

So, here goes.

I love snowflakes! 

(Did you know that the ones you see falling from the sky are actually little clumps of snow crystals stuck together?  I learned a lot from this site:  http://snowflakebentley.com/) 

And I like decorating according to the seasons.

So, of course, a snow crystal quilt just made sense.

These three books provided inspiration.
Snowflakes by Paula Nadelstern is a gorgeous book. Her intricate work is amazing.
More Biblical Quilt Blocks by Rosemary Makhan gives directions for thirty two different blocks and shows various settings. I used one of these blocks as the starting point.
Kaleidoscope ABCs by Marti Michell features tools and techniques that give interesting results.

One of those tools is called Magic Mirrors. You can buy it from a store, or, if you're cheap you can make your own! All you need is two pieces of mirror with at least two straight sides each and some tape. Make sure to leave a gap at the join so there's room for it to bend.

The mirrors are placed on a picture or fabric to preview what it will look like repeated in the round. By changing the angle of the mirrors, you can get different effects.

I think auditioning the different blocks was the funnest part of the entire project. However, it also proved to be the most challenging because eventually one must make a choice. How does one decide when the possibilities are endless?

I finally decided Garden Walk would work nicely.

Here it is with the mirrors. Nice and pointy.

The next step was fabric choice. Using the mirrors again, I played around with little pieces until I got the lights and darks just right.

Looks a little strange, doesn't it?

It's going to get worse before it gets better.

I have to admit, it was kind of weird cutting into newly constructed blocks like this, but I needed 60 degree wedges, not squares.

Precision at this point is essential. Seams need to line up, and the wedge has to be the right size for the quilt to lay flat.

Let's take another look at the finished product. Can you see the wedges?

I used the same dark blue from the blocks to fill it out to a rectangle and then added borders.

The quilting was done with three different kinds of thread - regular, rayon and metallic.

Most was done free-motion, the exception being the skinny border on which I used one of my machine's decorative stitches.

I must confess, I feel proud.

I think this is as close as I've come to an original idea. 

Now, maybe I should try for a flower?

More Pics!

Raindrops on roses . . .

and berries . . .

(you thought I was going to say whiskers on kittens, didn't you?  I'll get to that)

and leaves . . .

and webs!

And now for the whiskers on kittens.