The "Fire of Genius" and Beautiful Art

“...Nature, in her most irrational mood, has traced in invisible ink on the walls of the mind a premonition which these great artists confirm; a sketch which only needs to be held to the fire of genius to become visible.  When one so exposes it and sees it come to life one exclaims in rapture, But this is what I have always felt and known and desired!  And one boils over with excitement, and, shutting the book even with a kind of reverence as if it were something very precious, a stand-by to return to as long as one lives…”

A Room of One’s Own

      Virginia Woolf

Hello!

I hope you have had a brilliant week, and are staying safe!  I have been asked to add a hanging sleeve to a beautiful quilt, so I researched the fabric because I want the sleeve to match the backing fabric.  I found out the fabric is called Bloomsbury---a fabric line inspired by the Bloomsbury group...Virginia Woolf’s group of lively painters, writers, and artists, hence the Virgina Woolf quotation this week!

I have had a lovely week finishing up two large custom quilts with lots of pieces (over 150 between the two!), and working on a lovely heart quilt.  I have also prepped for a new project, and I have been hand sewing Dresden plates, too.  I’d love to hear what you have been busy with this week...leave me a comment below!

I promised you last time to show you the custom quilt I had just finished, and I am so excited!  I had so much fun designing this quilt.  It is a custom quilt with a regular custom layout, but the owner wanted a more crazy quilt look, and she had so many fun pieces in her clothing that I could use.  So I appliqued pieces to the regular custom layout for the beautiful quilt below!

Crazy Quilt inspired Custom T-Shirt/Clothing quilt!

I love all of the details!

I’m so pleased the quilt is loved!

As you can see, butterflies roam all over the quilt, a bear is tromping across a seam, and in one block a vintage girl is riding her bicycle right off of the quilt.  I love to create custom layouts, and cutting and placing the appliqued pieces on this quilt was pure, creative fun!  The owner contacted me after she had the quilt for a little while, and she said, “Just to let you know, I’m loving my blanket and all the little aspects that I find new everyday. Thank You sooooooooooo much.”  She really made my day by letting me know how much she loves the quilt!  

I love the simple black binding, too!

The reproduction quilt made its way to its owner this week, too, and I asked him to send me pictures of it in action during a reenactment!  I will keep you posted on that!

Sending Quilting Love,

Ginger

Coming Next Week:  Studio highlights and quilting information

I am Reading: Cræft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts by Alexander Langlands, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (though I am kind of stalled there...I was led away by the lure of another text!). I am reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow; a friend gave it to me...it is the book upon which the musical Hamilton is based.  I am also reading The Yellow House by Martin Gayford. (I’m still contemplating Willa Cather, and I may reread Measure for Measure...Shakespeare in Spring and my oldest is reading it for a class. I love that play!) Let me know what you are reading!

March Updates and Stars...as Promised!

“‘What shall I do with all my books,’ was the question; and the answer, ‘Read them;’ sobered the questioner.  But if you cannot read them, at any rate handle them, and, as it were, fondle them. Peer into them. Let them fall open where they will. Read on from the first sentence that arrests the eye.  Then turn to another.  Make a voyage of discovery, taking soundings of uncharted seas.  Set them back on their shelves with your own hands.  Arrange them on your own plan, so that if you do not know what is in them, you at least know where they are.  If they cannot be your friends, let them at any rate be your aquaintances.  If they cannot enter the circle of your life, do not deny them at least a nod of recognition.” [Winston Churchill]

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

               Allison Hoover Bartlett

Hello! 

Can one really have too many books...as you may know, I range to the side of probably not!   I hope you are well and keeping yourself safe.

February was a busy, wonderful month in the studio.  I finished the Commissary Reproduction quilt, and I am super pleased with how it came out.  I hope I can photograph it in a special place before it has to go to its new home.

Reproduction quilt of a Civil War Union Commissary Commission Quilt!

I also designed and ordered new labels from Spoonflower, and I love them!  I will create my own labels every time now.  The colors are great, and I think they are much prettier than the last labels.  I have about ten of those labels left, and I will use those for bears, but I am already plotting a smaller bear/pillow label from Spoonflower, too! 

New Labels from Spoonflower; I love the colors!

I also managed to finish piecing the Anniversary Quilt top!  Yay!  I know...you were concerned I  would never finish...but I did, and I am now deciding on how to quilt it.  I have a couple of other quilts ahead of it to quilt, so I have time to think about it.  Any ideas would be appreciated!

Anniversary Quilt Ready for quilting…I have decided to put cherries on the back of it!

I promised you last time that I would tell you about Star Quilts...I have a customer who wanted a star quilt made from clothes...some of it was knit clothing, and she had already finished the interfacing and sewing of some of the pieces.  I needed a pattern that would allow me to use those pieces and a pattern that was a little more friendly to knit fabric than some of the Lone Star patterns are.  So I set about to make a pattern with bigger pieces, and I made a “mock up” along the way.  I had this beautiful rainbow fabric left from another order, and so I decided to try different techniques with it.  For instance, I wasn’t sure if Y seams would be a good idea with what I had to use, so I made them both ways in the mock up to see if there was a difference.  I created a sweet little pattern that was a great help in piecing the star quilt for my customer, and I decided I liked the mock up so much that I will finish it, too!  It is in line to be quilted soon!

Customer Star Quilt…I think four generations of clothing are represented in this quilt!

My Star “Mock Up” that I decided is pretty enough to be finished! Just waiting to be quilted!

Currently, I am elbows deep in a huge custom project, and I just finished another custom quilt for a customer.  She sent me the nicest email days after she received it.  I will share that one soon!  I am also designing a beautiful heart memory quilt and doing some hand applique...Can you tell I’m having fun!

Have I gotten you all caught up now with what is happening in the studio?  I think so!

I hope you stay safe and well!

Sending Quilting Love,

Ginger

Coming Next Week:  That special Custom quilt (which features applique!)

I am Reading: Cræft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts by Alexander Langlands, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (though I am kind of stalled there...I was led away by the lure of another text!). I started Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow; a friend gave it to me...it is the book upon which the musical Hamilton is based. I just really love a good biography sometimes!  I am also reading The Yellow House by Martin Gayford. (My brain may be pining for some Willa Cather, so don’t be surprised if she shows up soon, too! I know I seem fickle, but really I am just insatiable!) Let me know what you are reading!

Historical Reproduction Project

“Mr. Hargrave entered the drawing-room a little before the others, and challenged me to a game of chess.  He did it without any of the sad but proud humility he usually assumes in addressing me, unless he is excited with wine.  I looked at his face to see if that was the case now.  His eyes met mine keenly but steadily, there was something about him I did not understand, but he seemed sober enough.  Not choosing to engage with him, I referred him to Milicinet.

‘She plays badly, ‘ said he; ‘I want to match my skill with yours.  Come now!--you can’t pretend you are reluctant to lay down your work--I know you never take it up except to pass an idle hour, when there is nothing better you can do.’”

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Anne Bronte

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are well, and that the first month of the year has been productive and kind! I don’t know where the month has gone!  To be honest, I have been trying to plod along in this odd time, and I feel like I have been very productive.  Time seems to have lost much of its substance, though.  

I love the above quotation because it points to the pursuits of embroidery or sewing as a “pastime” for upper class ladies in the evening.  I think it is funny that Helen doesn’t seem to be much of a sewing lover; though she is an avid painter in the book.  Though Mr. Hargrave is not really a good judge of women either, so his opinion of Helen’s love of sewing or not probably cannot be trusted.

I promised you in the last blog a sneak peak of current projects, and I decided to make the historical reproduction quilt I am working on the star of this particular blog!  I am making a Sanitary Commission Quilt for a client who participates in Civil War reenactments.  The Sanitary Commission Quilts were Union quilts created by a lot of volunteers and sent to soldiers in battle. My client ordered the kit, but he needed someone to piece and finish it for him, and I am thoroughly enjoying the process of putting this quilt together.  

Chain piecing was so much fun with this project!

I have the top almost finished, but I started with the nine patch squares.  They came precut into the two inch squares, and I had so much fun chain piecing them.  (I really did, and I think I am going to use some more scraps to make a nine patch quilt!---of course when I have time!).  I have finished all of the nine patches, sewn on the sashing pieces and am now working on the vertical rows.  I may be able to quilt it this week!

I have also been working on a super special star quilt this week, and I spent a lot of time working out the pattern for it...I should share that next time!

Don’t forget, if you would like a graduation quilt finished by May or June, then you will want to get your order in to me by early March!

Happy New Year and Sending Quilting Love,

Ginger

Coming Next Week:  Star Quilt(s)

I am Reading: Cræft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts by Alexander Langlands. I finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte, and I did start Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte---I just love the stark beauty of this novel.  I am nearly finished with Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman, and I should get it back to the library.  I am also reading The Yellow House by Martin Gayford.