My Quip - Evolution and Lucy Quilts All Return Home

Good Day,

Our Evolution and the Lucys, I Really Love Lucy and Who Did Desi Adore? arrived home to Tampa...

Quite a trip - Providence, Rhode Island; New Hampshire; and Portland, Oregon. And quite a year's experience at MQX East and West.

Thank you Janet-Lee Santeusanio and Mary Schilke and everyone associated with MQX.

It was a great learning and quilt-world education.

Thank you all.

And now we have to make room for all these quilts in the house.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy.

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My Quip – EssbeeCon – A New and Original Quilt – In Progress

Good day,

Progress is underway on our new and original quilt – EssbeeCon. (Check out my first introduction on My Quip on October 12.)

All pieces have been cut from the 11 Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton solid fabrics.

Our original block is a segmented foundation pieced block. “Foundation piecing is the technique of sewing fabric to a foundation in order to achieve very precise results.” (Quiltbug.com) One can use either fabric or paper. We are using paper to create our foundation piecing. In this manner we can reproduce our block pattern and repeat exact copies. Each completed block is a 8 ½” square, including a ¼” seam allowance. For EssbeeCon we are creating 100 pieced blocks.

After trial and error, we have discovered that a technique to construct each individual pieced block is to create three major pieced parts, or segments, and then connect or piece the three segments together. Hence our construction of segmented piecing. We used a similar technique in the construction of the blocks for our recent and original quilt, I Really Love Lucy.

Above are some images of some completed blocks.

The complete design for our EssbeeCon has been designed and a draft has been accomplished. I used CorelDRAW X6 to create the block and our original design.

Stay tuned for our updates and progress.

Enjoy,

Jim

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My Quip - MQX West Winds Down - The Eagle Has Landed

Good Day,

Andy and I are all packed and Evolution and our Lucys are now on their way home to Tampa. I am thoroughly impressed at the strength of the organization and the committed work and due efficiency of all those concerned with the MQX leadership, staff, and volunteers. Next stop, New Hampshire, MQX East 2013.

Weather forecast for close to Portland, Oregon is possible snow, 6 to 10 inches, and cold rain and storms from Alaska. Andy and I are certainly glad that we're headed home to our warmth and sunshine. Thank you Portland.

One of the spectacular entries, a Large Pictorial Wallhanging Quilt, is the amazing art piece Standing Tall by Joanne Baeth, of Bonanza, Oregon.

As described by Joanne "The area where I live has a large population of wintering eagles. The sky and mountains were painted specifically for this quilt. The needles on the branches were thread painted using several colors of green to give dimension. The many feathers on the eagles were constructed individually, highlighted and shaded with inks, and attached by raw edge applique. To soften and blend the colors, this piece was quilted very heavily with a filler typle stitch that enhances the natural scene. The quilting is entirely hand-guided."

Here are a couple more of my images, but all-things-being-equal my photos cannot do true justice to the actual wallhanging.

I am not a quilt judge, but I see what I like. A beautiful work, Joanne.

Enjoy,

Jim

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My Quip - Guess What? - Quilt Award

Good Day,

Our I Really Love Lucy is awarded MQX West 2012 Judge's Choice Award by Scott Murkin, sponsored by IntelliQuilter.

Thank you Scott Murkin. Thank you IntelliQuilter. Thank you MQX.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip - We're Here with our Quilts at MQX West in Portland

Good Day,

The Oregon Convention Center is huge... and MQX (Machine Quilters Exhibition) West 2012 is amazingly Brobdingnagian. I definitely feel as Gulliver encompassed in a world of displayed quilts, fabrics, threads, and machines. I am thoroughly impressed by the organization of Janet Lee, Mary, and their staff.

And there are a number of a couple of other major meetings and events at the Center. I had to re-direct Andy when he kept trying to register our quilts at the neighboring Future of Our Salmon Convention. I didn't even know that he liked salmon!!!

Our featured Evolution exhibit is ready to be set-up...

Evolution will take up a complete aisle.

Found both of our Who Did Desi Adore? and I Really Love Lucy. Each is set up in awesome displays of quilts of similar categories. The styles and techniques of some of the quilt artists are just fantastic. We have so much to learn.

Tonight is the Awards Ceremony. Will keep you informed and updated.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip - New Quilt - EssbeeCon

Good Day,

Well we're at it again. We've begun another new quilt, and this one is our original design. And therefore the new quilt has the name EssbeeCon. Our translation, as I have been asked a number of times how I come up with the names for our quilts, "Essbee" is our two initials "S" and "B", Smith and Brunhammer... "Con" can stand for "construction".

Here is our first block of EssbeeCon.

This block is composed of 11 Robert Kaufman Kona cotton solid fabrics. It is the same constructed block that we created and used in our original design and quilt I Really Love Lucy. We have developed a better template to create two pieces that are then joined to create the block. The block is paper-pieced.

The overall design of EssbeeCon is a secret, so you will have to stay tuned to our progress.

And thank you to all who answered my call for additional ideas of quilts.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip - Our Lucys

Good Day,

Andy and I thought that you may like to see our two latest Lucys, Who Did Desi Adore? and I Really Love Lucy side-by-side... or at least together.

And a few more...

But of course, ours' pale as compared to the real...


We certainly enjoyed creating and working these two quilt and wall hanging creations.

Stay-tuned for for what's coming next.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy.

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Q106 – I Really Love Lucy – Quilt

Good Day,

What can Andy and I say? I, we, Really Love Lucy.

The inspiration for our original design is/was Harry Warnecke’s 1944 portrait. Early last spring I stumbled upon, online, a magnificent portrait of Lucille Ball. It was Harry Warnecke’s 1944 portrait; belonging in a collection in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Lucille Ball, along with a collection of Warnecke’s portraits will be on exhibit at the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida this coming October through January.

Apart from the subject, Lucille Ball, I was enticed by the colors of the complete composition. My first thought was that Andy and I should create a quilt that would highlight the colors from the portrait. I was able to breakdown and extract a number of the colors. The following is my first attempt at pixelating the colors of the composition of the Warnecke portrait.

The dimensions of our quilt, I Really Love Lucy are: Width – 96” (244 cm) and Length – 64” (163 cm), approximately the size of a twin quilt. The starting point of I Really Love Lucy was the creation of a geometric quilt block, sewn would be 8” square. 96 blocks 8” blocks, each block is composed of nine Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton solid colors.

The block construction is paper-pieced in three parts. Then the three parts were pieced together to create each individual block. Each block, including the drafting of the paper-piecing copy, took approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. And yes that is 120 hours, just to sew and create the blocks.

Our next challenge was to commit to freeform quilting the constructed top, the batting, and the back on our Longarm. A picture of Lucille Ball wearing a strand of pearls became fixed in my mind. Check out the quilted pearl strands. Andy created an amazing configuration. Also we wanted to keep the lacy-like appearance of the mesh of Lucy’s veiled hat. I believe we succeeded in the wave quilt lines in the blocks.

Here are additional images and close ups of our I Really Love Lucy.

Our I Really Love Lucy has been accepted as a finalist entry at MQX West 2012 in Portland, Oregon the coming October.

Make sure you check out our Who Did Desi Adore? (See Q105.)

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – I Really Love Lucy and Who Did Desi Adore?

Good Day,

Just a quick blurb, or should I write quick blog, Andy’s and my two quilts “I Really Love Lucy” and “Who Did Desi Adore?” have both been accepted as Finalists at the Machine Quilters Exposition – MQX West 2012 juried quilt competition in Portland, Oregon this coming October.

Here are two images of the two in stages of progress.

Stay-tuned for a complete update shortly.

Our special exhibit, Evolution, 26 of our quilts and wall hangings will be also a featured display at the MQX West Show.


Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip - Quilts Shipped - A Splash of Color

Good Day,

Two of our Quilts SB quilts will be on display at the 2012 Splash of Color in North Carolina. A Splash of Color Fiber Art & Quilt Show 2012 is sponsored by the Cabarrus Quilters Guild.

Splash of Color will be held October 5 & 6, and so you have ample time to mark your calendars for the event.

The location of the Splash of Color Show will be at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, 4751 NC Hwy 49 North, Concord, North Carolina. Check it out.

Our two quilts have been packaged and boxed, and shipped. Simultaneously, our special display Evolution, 26 of our quilts, are now enroute to MQX West 2012 in Portland, Oregon.

The finishing touches are being done to Blue Chambray...

The next two on our docket, I Really Love Lucy and Who Did Desi Adore? have moved up our list of quilts and wall-hangings in progress.

Stay tuned for news, updates, and progress.

Enjoy,

Andy and Jim

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My Quip – Who Did Desi Adore? and I Really Love Lucy

Good Day,

We thought that you may have an interest in checking out our original quilt and wall hanging currently in progress: Who Did Desi Adore? and I Really Love Lucy.

 

Who Did Desi Adore? should be a finished wall hanging with the dimensions of 24” (61 cms) wide and 36” (91 cms) in length. I Really Love Lucy may approximate 64” (163 cms) wide and 96” (244 cms) length.

And this is the 1944 portrait by Harry Warnecke, the source of our inspiration.

Who Did Desi Adore? and I Really Love Lucy are two of our 22 quilts and wall hangings currently in our queue.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – I Really Love Lucy – Progress Update - 96 Blocks

Good Day,

Well 96 - 8 ½” blocks for our original I Really Love Lucy quilt design have been completed. Each block is composed of nine Robert Kaufman Kona solid colors.

The block construction is paper-pieced in three parts. Then the three parts are pieced together to create each individual block. Each block, including the drafting of the paper-piecing copy, took approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to complete. And yes that is 120 hours, just to sew and create the blocks.

The next stage is the composition of each set of four blocks.

Just a quick update…

Enjoy,

Andy and Jim

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My Quip – I Really Love Lucy – The Construction Begins

Good Day,

The construction of the blocks for I Really Love Lucy is in progress. We did take a break to welcome CK’s remarkable and stupendous arrival. And he and parents are doing extremely fine and glowing. 12072012, a new number to remember.

The following is my draft design of the original configuration of the key block for our new I Really Love Lucy quilt.

The colors have been coordinated with our original piece and abstract mosaic, Who Did Desi Adore? All fabrics are of Robert Kaufman’s line of Kona Cotton solid colors. Each block is to be assembled using paper-pieced and segmented piecing.

Here is Andy’s completed 8 ½” square, unsewn.

The composition of I Really Love Lucy will be a configured design of 96 blocks.

Stay-tuned for our progress and updates.

Enjoy,

Andy and Jim

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My Quip – I Really Love Lucy – More Prep Work

Good Day,

1,632 pieces of cut fabrics… Take one down and sew all around…

Robert Kaufman’s line of Kona Cotton solid colors. 96 templates 8-inch blocks. Segmented and paper piecing. Squares, rectangles, irregular quadrilaterals, polygons, trapezoids, equilateral and obtuse triangles. I Really Love Lucy.

And yes, I do know that these fabric pieces all look like squares and rectangles. This is the before picture. Stay tuned for the after one.

Approximate top dimensions, without border or binding: Width – 64” (162.6 cms); Length – 96” (243.8 cms). Our I Really Love Lucy quilt size, at this Post equates to somewhere between a long twin and a double.

And now for the Quilts SB business part…

If you are interested, and would like some more information regarding commissioning your quilt and of our available quilts, regarding costs, shipping, and insurance, please check our Quilts SB Etsy shop.

Keep up-to-date of all Quilts SB news. I have added a “Follow By Email” capability at the bottom right of each posting under The Grid. You can also become a Follower of Quilts SB. Click on the “Join this site” to follow Quilts SB. I’ve added another means to follow the images of our quilt creations via Pinterest.

Check out my alternative format of Quilts SB, Quilts SB Test. Certainly would appreciate your feedback.

To see previously posted quilts, there is a visual Grid presentation at the bottom of the Quilts SB page. Move your cursor over any mini-picture found there and click to see an enlargement. Move your cursor to the "Q#" link to see the quilt's details. If the quilt’s title is highlighted in yellow or in red, it has found a home in a collection and is no longer available.

If you have any questions and/or comments please feel free to get in touch with me via email.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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