Gwen's retreat: Meet Ann VanBalen

Ann was working small, lots of tiny pieces put together in amazing ways. 

Sorry I did not get close ups of all the little inserts, slices and use of color going on in these pieces.....you'll have to trust me is was gorgeous to see.

I have these 3 pictures and I am not sure who they belong to, maybe Ann

I hope one of the ladies from the retreat will claim these so I can give credit where credit is due.

Ann taught me this technique of cutting and piecing to make great curves......I thought this looked like a vase, but I was informed  by the other quilteres that it looks like a woman's bottom from the back :0).....ahhhh art!

Ann is from Bozeman, Montana and is a repeat retreater with Gwen, there were many repeaters, I bet half of them were!  Ann sat at the other end of the room and we only chatted a little bit but I certainly  admire her work.  Nice to meet you Ann, Happy Sewing, Kim

More 6 inch blocks

darting birds in red and blues

A rose after the rain in Hyde park at the Cooking Institute of American.........up here we call it the CIA.

More 6 inch blocks

I'm only a few behind on this "sow along" with Randy :0)

now done in red and blue.

Gwenny

Gwen letting us know what to expect at her retreat

Showed us some of her works in progress

Showed us some of her well loved medallion quilts

Gwen giving a demo

Gwen helping to spark ideas

Gwen's quilt left to be studied, handled and to inspire us.

Gwen's amazing hand quilting

embroidered label

more hand quilting

study the use of fabrics and their placement in a quilt

Beautiful applique

easy shapes are just as effective as intricate ones

the wicker room where the quilts are left for study

more close ups

a liberated star made by Gwen for Andi :0)

Gwen doing her trunk show

Gwen knows how to teach adults.  She tells about how she tries something, and how she learned it but knows many quilters have a different way to achieve the same goal.  She allows the student to come to her  with their questions and not teach something that they may already know.  Her style is pure fun, no perfection but liberation from the quilt police and overly accurate piecing and applique.  No cookie cutter quilts! Her love of sewing and teaching just follow her around like a bright aura drawing us all into her happy world of creating what pleases us.  Thank you Gwen, I enjoyed your retreat and have a new outlook on quilting :0)...Priceless :0).

Will it bloom or will it freeze? 10-15-2012

this rose bush was given to me by my friend Norma, it blooms so beautifully in my fenced in area of my yard where the deer can not eat it.

I wonder if this little bud all alone on the bush will bloom before it freezes?   Happy Fall  I'll let you know :0)

Design wall Monday 10-15-2012

Here are some wonky stars I learned to do at Gwen's retreat.
I am using the glorious fabrics from Cherrywood.  I'm linking up over at Judy's,
go on over and see what everyone is up too :0).

Happy Sewing, Kim

wonky stars

Gwen's Beaver Island retreat: Meet Kathy Clarke

Kathy is one of those people who's smiles light up their face making you want to smile too. Her laugh is infectious too!  Kathy was just a few tables down from me pointing out onto the vista of the ever changing lake, she work away on her medallion which she named " creatures of the world".

Look at all those  spikey strips around her focus fabric!  Each house has an animal inside, and so does each liberated star.

When her medallion quite "talking" to her Kathy took her black and white fabrics and started making dozens  of HST, half dark half light for the next border.

You can see these HST that have been chained pieced hanging down in front of her medallion.

these are bits that she cut off to square up before cutting her fabrics for the HST that she gave me

I sewed them together using Gwen's techniques and made my own study in black and white

I added the blues of the lake, then quilted it all over in a wave pattern in variegated black and white thread.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had some good laughs, learned some cool stuff together and worked out some of the problems of the world.  It was my pleasure to meet you Kathy.   Happy Sewing back in Wisconsin,  Kim

Gwen's retreat: Meet Julie

Julie came with Sharon from Indiana, they had a great time together too.
Well these two ladies were really rocking the scarves and could tie them all
these cool ways.  I got scarf lessons from them both :0).
Julie was working real tiny, she came with some portion of these tumblers already
started and was trying out different borders to make her medallion.  Julie
had the silkiest, grey, sparkling, hair you have ever seen and a wicked sense
of humor :0).  We had some good laughs and lots of fun sewing time!
A treat to meet you Julie and I am wearing scarves again :0).

I forgot to tell you Julie has a quilt in Gwen's " Liberated Medallion Quilts" book on page 88 called  "Deer in the Headlights",  it is machine quilted by Kathy Dye.  Julie really knows how to use color and design a quilt!  

Happy Sewing,  Kim

Meet Julie, those are tiny little tumblers in the center

Okay sorry that is a bad picture of Gwen but check out Julie's scarf!

Julie rocking another great scarf

Julie's medallion taking shape and yet another terrific scarf look.


 

Meet Jackie

Jackie started with the cutest paper pieced dog that looks just like her dog Gracie.
And from the center of that cute medallion she added stars and just more great details.
Have a look at her work  and her great smile......she was having fun!  Nice to meet you Jackie from Michigan.   Happy Sewing,  Kim

Jackie having her books signed

Little Gracie

little liberated stars

Jackie's progress on her medallion

Meet Nancy Johnson

I really enjoyed Nancy's delight at being with Gwen Marston at the Beaver Island retreat.  She was with her sister and the two of them had the best time, shopping, sewing, going out to eat together and just spending time sewing together.  Gwen taught us a method of doing applique design that she said was quick and easy, so Nancy gathered her fabrics and said let's do one for me :0).  True to her words this medallion center really only did take Gwen 10 minutes to design and cut out!  Nancy was thrilled and we all were amazed at how easy it truly was.  So here are some pictures of Nancy having a super time at the retreat.  It was a pleasure to meet you Nancy from Dallas, Texas, Happy sewing, Kim

Nancy's delight :0)

Nancy has all the pieces Gwen cut and has added a tiny HST red border around the medallion

Nancy soaking in Gwen's critique of her work

Nancy's work at show and tell

Catching up with 6 inch blocks

While Randy is away on retreat I've been trying to catch up on my blocks for her sow along......I'm nearly there!  Here is some progress.  Bonnie Hunter is "sowing along" with Randy too.

Slowly they are adding up

Thanks Randy for keeping up with this sow along :0)

See what everyone is up to at WIP Wednesday over at Lee's blog...