Hi there! I'm Karen and blog at CapitolaQuilter . I've been participating since the beginning of Finish-A-Long and am honored to have joined in as one of the International Hosts this year. It's hard to believe we are already wrapping up 2017.
Pre-QCon Selfie 2017 |
Have you enjoyed reading the FAL Meet the Host monthly guest blogger posts? Well, now it's my turn to to be featured in the series! Here goes a picture filled post starting with most importantly, my beautiful family.
Family
Summer 2016 |
Look how cute and little they were!!! My oversized glasses and shoulder pads date our family portrait and the "Big Hair-Skinny Tie" picture was the perfect share for my first ever swap called I heart the 80's a Flickr group. I wish I still had that hand-dyed silk dress although in reality, we prefer jeans and a t-shirt. This summer marks our 35th anniversary.
Flashback Family Photos |
Capitola Quilter
BeeSewcial "Reflections" Capitola Photoshoot |
Santa Cruz quilt photoshoot by Anne Sullivan |
The Early Years - Quilts from Patterns
Among the first quilts I made was a gift for my mother-in-law that included a picture of her seven grandkids. It is sweet with coordinating prints, fussy cornerstones, sashing and a border. Image transfer was high-tech at the time but peeling their faces off to iron down was totally creepy. Thank goodness Spoonflower came along!1998-1999 one of my first quilts |
My Birthday Quilt-themed party Quilt |
Old Italian Block 2012 and Split Nine-Patch 2011 |
Opening Reception |
a rare "Guy" quilt |
More than Quilts
Original Designs and Influences
Goats Askew pushed a lot of technical boundaries. I loved being one of the Score for Bias Strip Petals testers and part of Sherri Lynn Wood's gallery here even though it was not published in her book. I've taken two workshops with her and got to show and tell in person at the last one.
I didn't make an All-Solids quilt until 2014 which seems crazy since that is the majority of what I work in now. Capitola Crossing was directly inspired by an antique quilt, details blogged here. It was displayed at Amish: the Modern Muse, a juried exhibit representing three Modern Guilds in the FiberSpace section of the San Jose Museum of Quilt and Textiles.
Perspective, Dare to Fly, Goats Askew and Capitola Crossing |
My style has expanded to include Improvisation with Meaning in the Make since joining BeeSewcial. The Graphic and Minimalistic focus also comes from Quilt Design A Day, QDAD a Facebook group that I am admin for. Both encourage exploration and push me beyond boundaries more than I'd ever imagined.
The transformation of a design mock up to a finished quilt is a process I highly recommend trying. Here are four samples: Two challenges for our local show, "Resonate" for the AGF Heartland Tour Blog Hop, and Castle in The Sand a collaborative quilt with valued mentor Pam Rocco. As you can see I've deviated from he original design but have captured the essence which is more my goal.
Left: Me & my Quilts, Right: BeeSewcial at QuiltCon |
QDADers being silly |
Reflections BeeSewcial Quilt |
2012 Flickr Group Bee Blocks |
Quilting with friends is really special to me. Fortunately this happens on a regular basis with a small local group and annually with our guild. I've also managed to crash a couple of sister guild retreats too! My wish is to have a larger Multi-Chapter or Regional sewing meet up, a casual no frills opportunity to hang out with nearby peeps that I "know" from social media someday.
Local Friends, Sew and Stroll |
Sewing Sisters |
Looking Back and Moving Forward
Being part of our MQG guild chapter South Bay Area MQG from the beginning, serving as VP and chairing committees has made a huge impact. Learning from one another and being part of something bigger holds a special place in my heart.QuiltCon Charity blocks 2013 |
This summer I had the pleasure of teaching my first workshop, a technique and design rather than project based class. Students did great playing with parts and possibilities and their enthusiasm made for a fun time. I hope to have more opportunities in the future and am developing a spin off class that I'm excited about.
Last but not least, My Workspace
Sewing in the Living Room |