MODERN QUILTS GUILD

I like the new trend for modern quilts.  When I was growing up and was about 10 or so the Contemporary Arts Museum was opening in our town.  My parents were invited to all those kinds of openings and of course was expected to attend.  So my Dad and Mom took me with them I think because they could not find a baby sitter BUT I was taken in by all the color and movement in the art, all the different kinds of impressions and I remember thinking how it was so fabulous.  My Dad on the other hand thought it was certainly not "art" and while he smiled and made nice sounds I knew he was thinking...are you kidding me?  Art?  There was sculpture and one was of a chair...Dad turns to Mom and says, "That's a chair".  Mom says to Dad, "Well, one might think that, but it's artfully done."  Dad says to Mom, "OK, so that is an artfully done chair, but it is still just a chair."  and with that said it was time to go.  I loved the chair art and thought it was perfect, just as an artfully chair should be.  I have loved modern art since that day and could only dream of putting together color and movement in such splendor.  This is my first attempt at a modern quilt.  I like that it is simple lines and the quilting I did in hand dyed wool yarn.

I am going to join the Fort Worth Modern Quilt Guild  http://fortworthmodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/  this week and see where this takes me in this contemporary adventure.  If nothing else I will love seeing those quilts others make.

STEPHEN WEST SHAWL WORKSHOP

OH, what fun the  Stephen West workshop was.  I was so out of my league with most that were there but really that has never bothered me because I know it is just knits and purls!  Stephen jumped right in and I was holding on by the skin of my fingers.  I had no idea what he was saying and all those around me were off and running.  Then -- I just sat back, took a breath, put my yoga focus into the breath and  picked up the pattern that was on the table, read it, started again and again and again till I get it.  As I was doing my thing to get it, everyone else was sailing along and he was going a million miles an hour with it all.  I just kept breathing, stayed in my zone and worked to understand the pattern.  I know that I do not really care that others are sailing along because I will get my wind in my sails too....and I did.  Stephen then gave a lecture on the math of his pattern(s) and I was in my element and many around me were struggling to keep up.  I love the math of his designs and the creative repetition of pattern that creates genius of flow of motion to a flat surface.  I knew then that I would love to do his looks.  I have now on my needles the Boneyard Shawl that was the workshop and I can say I can now hold my own with anyone that was at the workshop.