Quilt Housekeeping

More quilt housekeeping. My guild show is next month. I thought I had nothing to enter; I certainly don't have the energy to finish something now. But since our show is biennial, I checked my 2018 and 2017 Finish pages to see what might be available.

Oh, joy! Spiderweb wasn't in the last show. It was finished a month or two later.

Spiderweb quilt

And bunches of Coin quilts. Many of these have been gifted but Fifth Chinese Coins is on our bed.

Fifth Chinese Coins quilt

This week I've been cutting and sewing sleeves. As soon as the show ends, I'll take the sleeves off again and put them in a ziplock in my scrap bag so hopefully I can find them next time I need a sleeve. {Bane of my life.}

Sewing sleeves to quilts

I'm still chugging along sewing the centers of Shadow Star blocks. Kaja sent me a scrap of beautiful shot cotton that I used for one Star. It's a bit thin; shot cotton always is; so I doubled the fabric. That's an old trick to make a quilt last longer.

Doubled fabric on the compass points of
Shadow Star quilt block

Some of the blocks lend themselves to a different fabric for the center while others need a repeat instead.

Shadow Star quilt blocks.
Left: fourth fabric for the center.
Right: repeat fabric for center.

Fun playtimes deciding what fabric to use. I realize now this quilt will take a longer time to get together and I'm going to enjoy every minute.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Quilt Show Ready

As you know, there are so many little details before a quilt is truly finished: burying threads, binding, label, sleeve (if it's in a show), washing, blocking. But finally, all three quilts are ready for the SCVQA quilt show March 14-15 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.  It's not judged; simply a way to share what we've been working on the last two years. And Bay Area Modern has a section, too. If you're in the area I hope you will come.

My entries are Round Robin Improv (workshop), Curved Improv and Propellers and Planes. There's no room in my house to get a photo of the entire quilt. Hopefully I can get one at the show. And that will be my last photo of this quilt. Promise!

Propellers and Planes (118"x118"), partial view.

Now to clean up the sewing room, relax a bit and then see what I can do with those New York Beauty blocks. Don't forget Pi Day! 3.141592653... translates to March 14, 2015 at 9:26.53 AM. How are you celebrating?

Enjoy the day,

Quilt Exhibits and QR Codes

Currently, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles has two Amish-related exhibits. The display of antique Ohio Amish quilts runs into March 2015 but the Modern Amish closes January 3. That's the end of this week! Three Bay Area Modern guilds interpreted Amish for this show. I hope you see them both as they are a very interesting juxtaposition.

One of my challenges this past year was to co-chair an exhibit for CQFA (California Quilt and Fiber Artists.) Primal Green II is on display at the Wallace Stegner Environmental Center located on the 5th floor of the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library through April 25, 2015.

Sign for Primal Green II exhibit

This sign at the exhibit entrance includes detail views of works by Dolores Miller, Reva Bailey, Diane Carver, Jennifer Landau, Caroline Ogg and Virginia Schnalle. The twenty artists who participated use techniques including silk painting, weaving, felting, paper piecing, stamping, dyeing and applique to create their art.

We included QR codes with the displays. These versatile bits of code link to text, video or audio files - basically anything that can be put on the web. Smartphone apps read the QR code and send you to the referenced site. Most are used as an advertising or merchandising tool but we simply wanted to enhance viewer knowledge and interest. So we created audio files discussing how or why we made a piece.

While some companies create QR codes for a fee, freeware exists to generate your own. One of our members wrote a short program to create ours. I think the main difference is where your file is hosted. If you already have a website, it seems simpler to keep it there. Commercial companies place it on their site.

Despite being incredibly enthused, each of us was hesitant to actually record. What would we say? How long could/should it be? Why didn't some famous actress come sweeping in to do the recordings? And a scriptwriter! Ok, the last two are pipe dreams but we were extremely self-conscious about our own abilities. It took several attempts to record without hesitation. Writing a script definitely trumps ad lib.

QR Code for A Daisy a Day.
It links to an audio file explaining
my inspiration for this quilt.

This QR code links to my audio file for A Daisy a Day, the first quilt on this blog. I posted the code here to encourage other quilters and quilt shows to use this technology. It takes bravery to start a blog. What unique things do you have to show or say? Would anyone take the time to read it? However, it takes a whole new level of courage to publish your voice. If we can do this, so can you!

The are many inventive ways to use QR codes. Upload a bedtime story and print the QR code on the quilt label for your grandchildren to hear every evening. Relate family history, reminisce about a special event or make a prediction about the future. What would you share with your family and friends?

Enjoy the day, Ann