The Talented Kelli

I want to share a marvelous quilt with you made by the very talented Kelli P:

Isn't it fabulous?  Kelli says

We've never met but I am a HUGE fan of your work.  For many years, I followed your adventures without yet having the "nerve" to try your techniques.  Finally, several years ago, I worked up the nerve to improv a project and it was a epic failure - except that I learned two things.  I learned that I was way more dependent on someone else's patterns than I had previously thought and that improv was a lot harder than it looked.

Fast forward to earlier this year when a good friend of mine was injured and I yearned to make her a quilt.  I had purchased your book Word Play and decided to use it to make her something.  I have attached a picture.  It is my first improv project and I love it.  The wordless borders are extra long so that she can use the quilt on her hospital bed and still read all of the words.  I call it "For Adina: Do Something".

The finished dimensions are roughly 120"x 89. Kelli won 2 first place ribbons at the NJ State Fair.  Well deserved. Woohoo! You can find Kelli blogging at HobbyWhore - Too Many Hobbies, Not Enough Time.

The thing about doing an improvisational quilt is that you have to be prepared for some failures. You never know how something is going to turn out until you do it. I've certainly made my fair share of dogs.

I've been getting envelopes and packages in the mail. Makes me so happy. These are blocks for Pokey's quilt from Nifty Quilts:

Joe Tulips Quilts,:

And Debra B:

Debra also included wonderful gifts for the kitties. Bibi getting that catnip high:

Look at how well Pokey's quilt is coming together:

The colors are wonderful, a great balance. I really do want to just put this together kind of randomly so it's not love love love in your face. Thank you so much guys.

The deadline for getting me Pokey blocks is Columbus Day, 'bout the first week of October. I can't believe how soon that is coming up.

On a completely different topic, are ya'all aware of the upcoming AQS quilt show in Grand Rapids, Michigan? Well worth going to. There are two special exhibits that I would love to see: quilts from Gwen Marston's Liberated Medallion book by Gwen and her students (woohoo!) and Stitch Like an Egyptian. The latter is tentmaker applique pieces that are truly stunning. Two of the tentmakers will be there in person. These are some photos I've taken of Tentmaker work.

Time to get back to work in the coalmines. Later.