I’ve finished several unfinished blocks that are now ready to be incorporated into new quilts. I was fortunate to find an online group devoted to hand piecing who generously gave me some New York Beauty patterns to do up. I’ve always wanted to do this in scraps and they are great for using up tiny bits of fabric. Here are the four I’ve completed for my Red Sampler.
Someone on this hand piecing list who has great skill with the vector drawing facility in the Electric Quilt program, redrew the Cottage Tulips block for me as the two patterns I had were not at all accurate. I am currently sewing it by hand on my sun porch and expect to finish it in a couple of days. I have wanted to sew this for years and I’ll do at least one more in a different colourway once this is done. (Update to show it finished!)
I took the plunge and ordered one of Keith Smith’s excellent books on bookbinding. I don’t have the money, but I have a project in mind for my Dad’s 90th birthday gift: I wanted to do some fancy sewing on the spine, and Volume II of Keith’s series covers the sort of patterns I am looking for. Now I just have to find some leather or suede in a thrift shop and I can start designing.
Aren’t these marvelous? This image is modified from Keith’s web site–I hope it’s okay to post it here as I have no other way of showing the technique.
annainpdx said,
July 2, 2009 @ 8:42 pm
Hi Joyce,
How beautiful! I am also very interested in your Rumi work. You might be interested in a Yahoogroups mailing list called “Sunlight” which sends you a daily Rumi poem by e-mail. Some of the list owners are real Rumi scholars and they often send two or three different translations or versions of the same Rumi poem or excerpt.
To subscribe send a blank e-mail to sunlight-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
There is also a companion list for people to discuss the Rumi poetry, called “Ruminations.” It’s not all that active right now but it sometimes has very good Sufi discussions by regular lovers of Sufi poetry as well as actual practicing Sufis.
To subscribe send a blank e-mail to ruminations-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Have you finished Ulysses?
JJ ColourArt said,
July 2, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
Hi Anna,
(My name’s Judith actually ) and no I haven’t finished Ulysses. I haven’t given up though, just got too busy. I will finish it, I’ll get back to my 10 or 20 pages a day next week. Funny thing, it keeps drifting through my mind, and I actually want to finish the darn thing.
Thanks so much for the Rumi information. I LOVE comparing translations of poems–did a bit of that with Baudelaire and Rimbaud and my rudimentary French. I also like to putter with Italian translations myself. I will definitely sign up for that Rumi list, both of them actually, so I can learn new things.
Thanks for your comments on my work. I haven’t done any hand piecing for years and it seemed important because it’s not something I want to lose. I am having so much fun.
annainpdx said,
July 6, 2009 @ 8:52 pm
Duh, of course your name is Judith. It’s a brain blip – I’m associating you with the guy who wrote Ulysses.
JJ ColourArt said,
July 7, 2009 @ 10:10 am
“I’m associating you with the guy who wrote Ulysses.”
OH NO, not that. . . . . Hahahaha.