Saturday, April 10, 2010

Quilts from RMcDowell Asilomar class 04-09-10

I have been too busy being sick to do any sewing, but several of my classmates from Ruth's class have been working hard on their projects. Such talented ladies they are.
"LIttle Squirt" Debbie Van Fossen 2010
What a lovely choice of fabrics Debbie has used for the background. Bright pastels and all those happy bubbles add a lot of joie de vivre to this little guy with his cocky white tail and wonderfully intelligent eyes. A loving portrait of a charming family member.

Debbie has done very fine machine quilting in the background the make Little Squirt stand out.

"Indian Pipes" Bonnie Keller 2010
After she got home Bonnie made some changes to her project. "I came home and sewed on this like a woman possessed! I changed out some fabrics and then before I added the applique, I sliced off three inches all the way around the edge and shifted it all counter clockwise and sewed it back on. I wanted to make it feel like it was hidden down in the undergrowth so that is why I added the ferns and salal. The bug is an Alder Borer that my husband photographed. It is thread painted on. There are also critters hidden in the quilting: a moth, a snail and a bee. That is my "signature" to have critters on my quilts, and I love doing it. "
Notice that the whites are not all white - lovely shading and shadows - and she has used fabrics with uneven light spots in the background. Something that Ruth always points out to her students are those light splaces in every photograph. Cutting and shifting the out edge has created the impression of Ruth's signature "integrated border". Great quilt.
"Hibiscus" Gail Sheirbon 2010
When Gail returned home from Asilomar she sewed all of her Hibiscus together, but then had to leave on a long business trip. When she gets home and resettled she will layer and quilt it. She hasn't decided if she will use French Knots or beads on the end of the stigma. Whatever she decides I think it will be a lovely quilt.

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