Addressing and Dressing the Artist

 

What a week! I have been playing telephone tag and email tag with Camille Gavin, who writes for the Bakersfield Californian, our local newspaper. She wants to interview me for an article in the “Arts Alive” section that comes out on Thursdays. Of course, I can barely be reached by phone because I am working so darn much. Finally the interview morphed into a series of emails and attachments, which was better for me. I really like to think before I answer questions.

As far as interviews go, I have to say that I was impressed with Camille’s questions. She delved more into my artistic process rather than asking questions like, “How many quilts have you made?” and “What is your favorite color”. I will be interested to see how she puts it all together in her article.

Meanwhile, I have been scrambling around here, wondering what I am going to wear to the quilt show. I need two outfits—one for each day.

I picked up a couple scarves today since they have become so popular. My assistant at work has offered to teach me how to tie them.

I really don’t know what I would do without that sweet girl.

Just got another email from Camille. Looks like Yogini is going to be in the newspaper. Funny cat!

Squaring Up a Small Wall Hanging

 

Yippee!!! I am finally ready to square this little quilt up and put some facings on it. I still have a few threads to bury and some embellishments to ponder, but I am basically finished.

When I am trimming and squaring a wall hanging that is on the smaller side, I always yearn to take a trip down to the glass shop and have them cut me a perfectly squared piece of plexiglass that is the exact size I need to square my project. That way I could just drop that piece of plexiglass over my untrimmed wall hanging and pare away the excess around the edges with a rotary cutter.

Only in my dreams. Those pieces of heavy plastic are REALLY expensive.

So I set that little problem on the back burner of my thoughts and let it simmer for awhile. Hopefully, necessity would inspire a solution.

Several weeks later, I went down to Beverly Fabrics armed with my 40% off coupon. I bought their largest and cheapest picture frame, complete with a wonderfully squared piece of plexiglass sandwiched inside. I took it home, peeled off the flimsy frame, and chucked it in the trash. I have been using the sheet of plastic as a cutting and squaring guide ever since. 

It is not the perfect size for all the wall hangings I make, but I can improvise by adding quilting rulers along the sides..

This one actually cooperated, and I was able to finish rather quickly. Just glad that I have been doing a fair amount of yoga in my lifetime, because cutting on the floor always requires some acrobatics.