Chinese Whispers

[Renata]

Wow, I really missed out on a lot here... :shock: Rosemary, I hope your husband will be home soon and am so glad he is recovering--I can't even imagine how you must have felt so far and helpless! Love your label for Chinese Whispers and the Blackadder font is so perfect for the label. Rita, sorry you were down and out last weekend but glad you are doing better and hope you are back to enjoying quilting! Lois, your interpretation of the bird is adorable--love your creativity! Sorry I could not play along for that one but hope to be able to again. Maureen, Kim Phillips' work is amazing and I don't even want to speculate about the photo you are interpreting right now, but I can't wait for my turn to come (which is really quite a while away...).

[loise98]

I thought I replied to this thread since Renata returned but I must have forgotten to hit "submit". ops: The old brain must be starting to go! LOL! Anyway, welcome back Renata. I think things have been kind of quiet while you were away. Did not get a chance to play with this weeks design, but the day is not over yet. Hope I remember to look at it again. :lol: My new quilting friend and I went to a workshop on Improv String Piecing. It was held in the workroom of a very lovely quilt shop call "Smile Spinners" in Marysville, PA. It was fun sitting in a room with lots of sewing machines humming. It the first workshop of a newly forming Modern Quilter's group from in an around our state capitol, Harrisburg, PA. Four of the seven women participating were bantering about babysitters, preschools, and carpools. It was great to have women in their 30's showing lots of enthusiasm for quilting. I wish I had taken pictures.

[rehak]

I started a little quilt for this week's "Batik Beauty" challenge and thought I'd share it. The quilt blocks reminded me of flowers, so I thought I would make a flower applique quilt in the same colors. Initially, I was planning on a quilt that was taller than it was wide and was thinking 3 or 5 flowers with stems and leaves, with the stems coming from under the border on the bottom and some of the flowers overlapping the upper borders. But once I got started, I decided that I wanted the quilt to be wider than it was tall and that it would just have the flowers scattered all around, including some overlapping the borders. This is how far I got:



I'll finish this quilt some time after Christmas and it will be my first Alzheimer's quilt for next year. But I think it gives a good idea of what I would have done if this was the challenge quilt I received.

Nancy

[Renata]

That is lovely, Nancy--what you did with the colors and textures is what speaks to me in a big way! I may have to sit this turn out and wait for the next surprise gallery photo to play with. Nancy, can you tell me what the "Batik Beauty" challenge is? I somehow missed it unless you are referring to the gallery quilt with the bird... Lois, I am so glad you had the chance to hang out with a crowd of contemporary quilters--I've been looking at a lot of contemporary quilts lately and would just love to start one. I have a few ideas inspired by Yoshiko Jinzenji's book, Quilt Artistry and did collect some Radiance squares in various colors to incorporate into this quilt I kind of have in mind. Not something I have time to get to quite yet, but it does not keep me from dreaming about it...

[rehak]

Hi Renata -

"Batik Beauty" was the name of the random quilt gallery quilt we chose for this week's sample run. It's quilt number 1000522. Thanks for your kind comments!!

Nancy

[loise98]

I didn't get back to thinking about how #1000522 inspired me. Nancy I was interested to see that you were thinking flowers and so was I, but I got no farther than that. My brother called and invited me to go on a drive to see the Fall color in the Susquehanna Valley. And so this is what inspired me today. It was a beautiful day.

[rehak]

What beautiful pictures, Lois! I can see why you chose that form of inspiration!

Nancy

[idaho]

Cute little flowers Lois and what a beautiful fall day you had there ! We may be skipping most of fall here...
We have SNOW !! Can't say as I happy about it :evil: ...but the skiers are dancin' in the streets !!

[rehak]

Is the snow putting out the fires? We're still waiting for some good precip to put out the fire that's been going for a couple of weeks now in Rocky Mountain National Park. Like your fires, it's in a really rugged area that's hard for the firefighters to get into.

Nancy

[idaho]

Nancy...I'm sure that this is just what NIFC has been waiting for !! Precip. will go a long way toward
ending the current fires !

[twiglet]

It's a bit surreal hearing you talking of fires and snow in the same sentence. I'm really not ready for winter yet!

I had forgotten about the batik challenge quilt and I'm sorry to say that I will struggle to use that quilt as inspiration. It is beautiful and the blocks are interesting but it doesn't lead me elsewhere except to want to try out the pattern. Your interpretation Nancy is absolutely beautiful and will make a lovely quilt.

Lois how I would love to go for a drive in that valley today instead of to work! Fog and murk forcast here!

Hope the fires eventually go out soon

[Reetzbobeetz]

Pretty little quilt Nancy. I am sure you will finish it beautifully. I love the 3D effect. Lois your photos are beautiful - sometimes a drive is just what the doctor ordered. As for the weather, Wendy, get ready, they were talking about an arctic front on it's way straight down towards us next week. Just in time for mid-term break and Halloween. :roll: Sorry to hear the show has hit so early Marilyn. Wrap up warm.

As for Batik beauty: I didn't get a chance to do anything with it except have a good look at it. And it reminded me of windmills, lots of windmills and fans. I thought it would be fun to turn it into a landscape with lots of those wind turbines on them. We have quite a few of those here on the mountains and they look so alien because they are soooo big.

[Reetzbobeetz]

I'm sure that I had some ideas, including the fact that I bought a ruler that makes making those sort of triangles in squares at Harrogate this year :wink: . But after this last weekend any ideas have completely decamped and left me :roll:

[Reetzbobeetz]

Completely understandable Rosemary. Just take care of yourself, Isabeau and I hope your DH is recovering well.

[loise98]

Rosemary, Take it easy. I am sure you must be a bit worn out. Rest when and if you can.

Everybody, I was thinking about another challenge for us. Looking at Kim's pictures lead me to another idea for a design challenge. I am remembering all the lovely photos Lotti and Rita have placed on their blogs from time to time. Wouldn't it be great if they'd pick a photo for us to think about and get our creative juices flowing?