Quilt Therapy

New Blog Address!!!

2007-01-26T00:18:00.000-05:00

I have redesigned my blog at a new address. Please change your blog address for me to http://notgrandmasquilts.blogspot.com

Thank you to everyone who has visited me here

Some of my older work

2007-01-25T13:48:00.000-05:00

These are a few of the pieces that I completed in 2006. The 1st one with the tulips was actually taken from a book on painting called, "The Sideload: Garden" by Sharyn Binam. The other two (2) I designed using the techniques in the book "Ghost Layers and Color Washes" by Katie Pasquini Masopust. Hope you all enjoy seeing them. I have the hardest time coming up with names for my quilts. Do any of you have that same problem?

My 1st 12x12x12 (Dainty Daisies)

2007-01-23T22:45:00.000-05:00

I have posted my first 12x12x12 quilt page to the Fabric Quilt Studio blog. My theme for this challenge is flowers. I kind of took the easy way out with this theme because I absolutely love flowers. This is the first time I have participated in a challenge and so far it has been very satisfying. I have been motivated to get this project completed.

I am ready to begin my next page for February. I already have some ideas floating around in my head so I am off to get started!

2007-01-19T16:26:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted during the last week because I have decided to clean and organize my studio! I have a class at QU scheduled, the first week in February, with Linda Schmidt called "Elements in Fabric". I am really looking forward to this class and have spent the better part of the week shopping for the supplies. I think I am now ready.

I have also made a decision to try (really hard) not to purchase any new fabric this year. At least, not until I use up some of the fabric I already have. I am a fabriholic! I have more fabric than I could ever use in a lifetime. I also have 100's of yards of pfd fabrics for painting and dyeing. Fabric dyes and paints in every color of the rainbow. Also I have every color of Shiva Paintstiks and Tsukineko Inks. My theory has always been that if I lost income for some reason at least I will be able to quilt! How's that for logic?

I have almost the complete collection of Quilters Newsletter Magazines and have decided that I don't need to keep them. I also have many of the Quiltmaker magazines. If anyone is interested I would be happy to send them to you for the cost of shipping. You can email me at bhaydel@bellsouth.net One of these days I will go through all of my quilting books and get rid of the ones that I know I will never need.

I have uploaded a few pictures of my small studio space which is the smallest but my favorite room in the house. I can spend up to 15 hours a day in here and never get bored.

I hope to soon get back to work on my new piece and also catch up on the challenge for Quilt Studio Web Ring 12x12x12. Until next time!!!

2007-01-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

Okay....I have finally started. This is what I have so far. At this point nothing is permanently attached. I am not sure about this background. I do love the fabric but it may not be right for this particular quilt. I knew I wanted to do something with an image of a girl but that is about as far as it goes.

I drew the girl in Corel Draw X3 (my favorite graphic drawing program) where I draw most all of my quilt designs using a wacom tablet and stylus. Also, I received a tablet pc (laptop) for Christmas that I absolutely love. This makes drawing incredibly easy because you actually draw right on the screen using a stylus. It is very cool!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T17:42:00.000-05:00

For the last couple of weeks I have been looking forward to the new year with excitement. Looking forward to having all the activities and visiting for the holidays done. I had been looking forward to getting in my studio and getting busy on a new project. I had dreamed of making a couple of portrait type quilts to start then machine quilting a whole cloth quilt with lots and lots of feathers. Well, Saturday the last of my visitors returned home. After dropping them off at the airport, I hurried home to quickly clean up the house from the holidays so that I could get in my studio guilt free and really get to work. Well, I have been sitting in front of the computer for the last three (3) days just staring at the screen. I just can't figure out where to start. Where is my Muse? What has happened to my creative juices? Why aren't they flowing? Well, tomorrow will be a new day and just maybe my muse will return.

I am going to try to post a photo of my last project for 2006. It is a wall quilt made for my SIL for a Christmas gift. I used the face from a stained glass pattern and the designed the background, bust and flowers. I machine quilted and also used Tsukineko inks and pencil colors for shading. I loved this quilt! I think I will have to make one for myself.

I have finally decided to join the blogosphere!

2006-12-13T00:06:00.000-05:00

I look forward to sharing my art quilt adventures with everyone on my new blog! I will try to post at least once a week beginning in January 2007. I have never been very good about keeping a diary or journal but I will truly make an effort.

I am absolutely obsessed with quilt making. It consumes much of my thoughts every day. I started quilting (off and on) 21 years ago. Since my boys left for college, I have converted an extra room in my home just for me and my art making supplies. I started as a traditional quiltmaker then taught myself needle turn applique. I was hooked! But now my thoughts are moving toward art quilts. I have learned so much from reading the posts to the Quilt Art list and following the links to everyones blogs with all the wonderful pictures of their work. I have purchased just about every book ever mentioned on the list and many many more. I have also bought many CD/DVD classes that are available such as Gabrielle Swain, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Sharon Schamber, Lura Schwarz Smith, Ricky Tims and Pat Blair. I continue to learn more techniques every day. I will never have enough time left on this great earth to try all of the techniques that I am learning. I will try to post photos of a few of my favorite quilts soon.