Friday, August 10, 2012

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.

25 comments:

Lisa Shafer said...

Wow. Kelli's quilt is just stunning!

Brenda said...

Great word quilt! I agree that learning to trust your own judgement is a process and it means some trial and error along the way.

Kim said...

Fabulous blocks coming in from some of my favorite bloggers :0)...mine are still in my head but will certainly get to you before the deadline :0).

Isn't the the word quilt lovely?.....I'm amazed at how creative juices can flow when a gift is being made for someone we love and are worried about and know there is nothing we can control about the situation but to make a quilt to show our love and concern. Happy Sewing

Quiltdivajulie said...

I'll be at the GR show with my sister (who lives less than 30 minutes from the venue). SO excited - the AAQI exhibit will also be there (I can see MY quilt!).

Kelli's quilt is incredible -- thank you for sharing it with us!!!


HUGS!

Sujata Shah said...

What fun quilt and a talented quilter. Pokey's blocks are so soothing. I love those earthy tones.

Rachaeldaisy said...

Pokeys quilt is looking wonderful!! I love Kellis quilt. I love the way her creative spirit kept telling her to do an improv quilt.

Diane said...

Kelli, if you're reading this, your quilt is wonderful, and what a fantastic gift!

Love the blocks for the Pokey quilt so far. Mine is done, should get it in the mail next week!

Nifty Quilts said...

Wow! Kelli is one talented gal. Love that quilt! Looks like Pokey's quilt is going to be a big one. Big love, big quilt.

Carol E. said...

Love Kelli's quilt.
Did you know that your Tentmaker link leads back to the post about Kelli's quilt?

Carol E. said...

Oops, maybe I didn't scroll down far enough. but I got there using the link in your Tags.

Kristin said...

Kelli's quilt is fabulous! I love the Pokey blocks. I need to make some!

Kelli Fannin Quilts said...

Love Kelli's quilt! Also loving all the "Love" you've been getting in the mail! xo

joe tulips said...

I adore Kelli's quilt. I can't stop looking at it. The Pokey blocks look so warm and cozy. I love how they are looking all together. I can't stop looking at them either!

Tonya Ricucci said...

ack, keep scrolling down after you hit the link for Tentmakers. This same blog post is just the first post. if that made sense...

cauchy09 said...

wow, Kelli's quilt is spectacular! i love everything about it.

MulticoloredPieces said...

Hi, Tonya. Kelli's quilt is indeed gorgeous. What a lovely gift for someone in the hospital. I hadn't realized that you had posts about the Tentmakers so I enjoyed checking those out. Very lovely.
best, nadia

Lynda said...

I saw the tentmakers and their stunning work at The Festival of Quilts in the UK last year. I can thoroughly recommend a visit to see the work (and the technique) in person!

Ruth said...

I bought your book last year in Sisters and yesterday I started making some letters. I'm making the Hangar Talk quilt on pg. 51. I had seen it on Holly's blog a few years ago and I have 2 sons who are pilots, so I am making 2 of them. All the embroidery is finished & I have the airplane pieces all cut and am starting to put them together. I made 10 letter "i" blocks yesterday! Woo Hoo! I'm going with the easy ones first.

Judy in Michigan said...

Busy thinking about a block for Pokey - in the meantime, check out the quilt Barb made at funwithbarbandmary.blogspot.com
Lots of liberated quilting in her Olympic quilt. I really like the colors of Pokey's quilt and Kelli's quilt is gorgeous - the colors are luscious!!

Pinkadot Quilts said...

This is a very cool quilt! Love the colors.

Nina, the Wonder-Wench said...

Improv IS hard, but the results can amaze... :)
Pokey's quilt is very sweet.

Btw, being a huge fan of your quilts and your blog, I have nominated you for the ”One Lovely Blog”-award! :)

http://prettymade.blogspot.fi/
Hugs, Nina :)

Rayna said...

Hi Tonya!
Kelli is totally amazing. She's a member of the North Jersey MQG I recently started with a cohort and we saw this quilt in process and then finished. She's a dynamo!

shilsenbeck said...

Kelli's word quilt is really beautiful. Thank you (and her) for showing it.

Thought you might also like to see a very modest effort at an alphabet using word play methods.

http://susieturn.blogspot.com/2012/08/alphabet-soup-2.html

Carol E. said...

I sent you some Pokey blocks quite a while ago, but don't see them in your line-up. Hmmm... are they buried in a pile of mail, or stuck in a time warp?

Frog Quilter said...

I can't get to Kellis blog. Says permission is needed.

Help and thanks.