More Looking Back 11-05-11

Looking at "Last Walk in Autumn" and thinking about when and how it was made jogged my memory about a previous quilt.  This was one I made for the first round of Journal Quilts, a project started by Karey Bresenhan via Quilt Art list.  For me the project was a 'shot in the arm' or a 'kick in the pants', depending on the angle!  Being forced (by my own commitment) to do a little 8.5" X 11" quilt each month made me focus and spend some time in my sewing room.  I had been in a 'dry' spot (as I am now) and unable to concentrate on any one project.  This was truly my first effort at printing on fabric and I wasted half a dozen attempts before this one seemed to work.  One thing I discovered was that over printing was closer to my vision than printing on solid fabrics.  In a similar way I had previously discovered that marbling on color rather than white gave me more usable fabric.  I don't think this imagery is quite successful as the three shapes should be lighter as they recede in the distance.  I worked on that with the images of Floyd in the 2007 piece.  When I looked more closely at this piece I noticed that I quilted the background with hand stitching.  I don't have a clear memory of why I did that, but I suspect that I felt it needed some quilting but machine stitching, which makes a harsher line, was too much.  I haven't done much hand quilting in the last ten years because of arthritis, but I think I will make a note to use it for a softer line. 

 
"Remembering Constance"  Del Thomas 2002  8.5"W x 11"L

This little Journal Quilt is in memory of my friend Constance Howard of Chiswick, London, England,  who died in July 2000.  She was such a treasure to everyone who knew her and a joy on a road trip.  On one trip we spent a night in a tent cabin at White Wolf Lodge in Yosemite and took a long walk in the woods - as any English woman I have ever met she was a great walker.  She always wore a little self made cap and had designed this great black jacket that she practically lived in.  She was a writer and a great teacher - witty and wise - and told hysterical tales about her travels around the world.