Recently in Collaboration Category

Thank you to those of you who came by and said 'hi' at Art By the Bay last weekend. I always enjoy meeting you, and showing off our quilted pieces and talking about our
work. It was a good show in spite of the cool and wet weather.

Roger and I are getting ready for the show and sale in our home in just 8 days. If you are in the area I hope you will come by and see our beautiful quilted wall hangings and quilts displayed throughout the house. My studio will be open where you can see not only projects in progress on the design walls but a glimpse of my fabric stash.

This is one of Roger's latest series. It was recently featured in an art show at Creative Arts where he was the featured artist. His other works will be displayed as well. If you are a collector of his pieces, you will enjoy seeing his latest work.

The dates for our Quilt Art and Clay Show are July 22, 23, and 24 from 10 am. to 5 pm. Directions to our house are on Roger's website, www.camanoisland pottery.com

I finished two of our quilts within days. That is hard to believe, even for me. There is a show coming soon, next week in fact. And then another show two weeks after that. So these are done just in time. I'll post more information about the shows for those of you who are in the Seattle area.

Starburst is the first quilt shown above. It started as a challenge between us. Each of us made a center piece and passed it over to be added to. This one was started by Amy.

This challenge quilt was started at the same time. Ths is Little Star. Both of these quilted pieces are wall hanging sized.

Late last night I took the last stitch to finish "Wheels." I love to use metallic thread to quilt, and this one was very challenging. I love the overall 'feel' of this quilt. It is playful with lots of movement. I can think of other colorways I'd like to try - one with black and golds with an Asian influence is what I might do next. There is a pattern coming soon as well, the next in our line of quilt patterns, available at Etsy.

This is the back of the quilt I'm quilting now. Starburst is a collaborative challenge we worked on in a round robin between us. I will post the finished quilt in a few days.

Another stunning collaboration! I have finished quilting the center squares and frames, and now I'm ready to do the star points. Then there is a border of pieced 3" blocks...some are tiny pieced stars, some are floating squares...it will be a beautiful wall hanging when finished, and just in time for the home studio show and sale in a few weeks.

Our latest collaboration and next pattern is under the machine being quilted, as new ideas are swirling for the next project. This one gave me moments of grief when I switched to metallic thread in the outside border...I broke 5 needles in 15 inches of stitching...and eventually figured out that if I slowed down to a snail's pace and took the curves of the loops slowly, the machine (and I) was happier.

Amy's Twelve2 2010 Quilt

Opal's Twelve2 2010 Quilt

Our first year long collaborative project is finished. We made these quilts, month by month, in 2010. Beginning in January of 2010, we agreed to each make two strips of a certain size each month... One to keep and one to send, using fabrics from our stashes in orange, pink, and black and white fabrics. We decided to work mostly freeform but to have two elements that we would incorporate into each monthly strip.

At the end of the year, we each had two sets of twelve strips to assemble into a quilt to keep.

In January each of us put our columns together. Then, Amy sent her quilt top to me to be quilted...I laid both of them out on the floor, side by side, and I was just speechless...they are absolutely amazing! At first glance, they seem very similar and alike, but looking closely, you can see the differences, the nuances of color and line that make these unique to each of us.

I backed each with rose pink and orange Minkee...and began the quilting, doing one little pieced area at a time on my Juki sewing machine. If you look at the photos, you will see 11 columns on Amy's..and 12 on mine. Amy wanted hers more rectangular, so one column is nestled on the back with the Minkee.

Here are some details of each of our quilts.

My trip to the Umbrian region of Italy happened almost a year ago. And so, it took some time, but here it is...the last stitch just taken on the binding. Amy designed the blocks with that trip in mind...and I framed it with borders and quilted it. I can't help remembering the food and colors and sounds of Italy when I look at this...

I'm working my way through the colorful stack of UFQ's...all of them at different stages of being complete...and all of them needing to be quilted. The next one will be a familiar colorway for our work...and a photo of it under the needle will be forthcoming...

Ahhh.....the weather has changed, and the rain and fog has kept me inside. Finally I have the time to work on several H2T quilts waiting to be quilted. This one is breathtaking.

This is our latest collaborative piece....it was made for the "Innovation/Renovation" challenge from the LaConner Quilt Museum in LaConner, Washington to raise funds for their building campaign. It will be on display at QuiltFest in October 1, 2, and 3. 24" x 36"

As we did the first time we ever worked together in person, we found time to celebrate a birthday with tea at Lovejoy's in San Francisco last week. The owner was nice enough to offer to take a photo before we started in our our sandwiches.

It reminds me of the photo our server took the first time we went for tea. But I can see the changes that mark the passage of time.

When in the Bay Area, do tea!