IT'S ABOUT TIME-JANUARY 2015

The old mixes with the new.  Reconnections with old friends is a welcome development in my new year.  A long time ago, there were 3 roommates almost inseparable way back when.  Time marches on and change is ever present.  2015 dawns with renewed friendships and that's something to celebrate.

I called mom and got the answering machine. Blah, blah, blah "have a nice day because it is later than you think!"  Really, what?  When I reached mom she said her morning routine was interrupted by a phone call and the salesman wanted to talk to her about funeral planning.  The experience prompted her to revise her message.  Thanks for the humor mom, and here's to good times in 2015.

Two new quilts are in the works.  Breaking Trail 26" x 27" has just been removed from the floor frame.  I hand quilt without marking the quilt surface, and the design takes shape as I work.  Here is a partial view.  This quilt already has a gig which will be revealed when the time is right.  I will say, I'm not working alone.  

detail of quilting-Breaking Trail

The next quilt is still in pieces on the design wall, and it may seem presumptuous to call it a quilt at this stage.  Having faith in the process, I will call it a quilt.  It was August 2014 when I began imagining this quilt.  I purchased vintage Kimono silk at the AQS Quiltweek in Grand Rapids, MI and I was smitten.

I had previously purchased vintage Yukata cotton when I visited the La Conner Quilt Museum in La Conner Washington.  The vintage cloth is the starting point for this quilt.

Fascination with simple shapes and lines is being expressed in the piecing, perhaps inspired by amusement with Wayne's Interactive Desk Sculptures.  Hand crafted, old technology, building blocks for adults.  Playing with blocks is a good way to spend time.

Some time ago I enjoyed a nonrepresentational drawing class with Richard Kooyman where we explored the beauty of shape and line, mark making, and immediacy in the work.  I continue to be influenced by the exploration that took place in this class.

I can lose time piecing shapes and quilting lines and texture. In time, I'll share more about "Breaking Trail" and "in pieces on the design wall".  In the meantime, I'm off to the sewing room. pjb

for more about Richard and Wayne:
richardkooyman.com
www.overthefencedesignsgallery.blogspot.com