Around the World Blog Hop

I'm been tagged by Kim Soper of Leland Studios in the Around the World Blog Hop. Kim is a busy mom of three young boys, but still manages to create beautiful quilted creations. I love this sampler she's making with her local guild.

Leland Ave Studios LIMOD Sampler

She also recently tested a pattern for Bonjour Quilts. The transition in value makes Diamonds in the Deep quite striking.

Leland Ave Studios Diamonds in the Deep

I encourage you to check out Kim's always-inspirational blog, beginning with her Around the World Blog Hop post.

Now, I better move on to this blog hop business before I forget to answer the questions and decide to start my very own Diamonds in the Deep instead.

What am I working on?

In collaboration with Gail Garber, I am adapting the Tutti Frutti pattern to a modern aesthetic. 

Tutti Frutti by Gail Garber and Donna Barnitz

We are aiming for an interplay of scrappy modern prints and low volume selections. As with Gail's classic quilts, color gradations will be included.  The center section includes fabrics from Cotton + Steel, Sun Prints, Collage, and Waterfront Park.

  

There's a little bit of work left to do on the flying geese that will surround the center star.

These pointy spikes are a modification of the original pattern. They will be in the position the free-motion butterflies are occupying in Gail's original quilt.

If, by some miracle, my teething toddler and this project don't keep me occupied enough, I may even start quilting my brother's high school graduation quilt. I still have high aspirations of finishing before he graduates from college, witth a Master's degree. (I wish I was joking.)

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I think it's impossible to completely disassociate my work from others. After all, I love immersing myself in quilt shows, Pinterest, Flickr, quilting books, quilt museums, and galleries. Admiring their beauty is what inspires me. I enjoy pondering questions such as, "What is it about this piece that make me so attracted to it?", "What technique did she use to make that?", and "Could I make this into a quilt?". There's some truth to the phrase, "There's nothing new under the sun." Whether or not I am consciously aware of it, my ideas are often rooted in the work of others.

That being said, I prefer to design my own quilts rather than following a pattern because I'm aware of which construction techniques have been successful for me. My completed projects are rarely identical to the original inspiration, and my ideas evolve as I work on a quilt.

My preferences change, and my knowledge grows. I don't feel the need to limit myself to a particular niche at the moment, but rather choose to apply whichever construction method and style best suits each project.

Why do I create what I do?

• Quilting is a way I can creatively express myself. I like to be productive and solve problems. Quilting gives me a way to apply those ambitions.

How does my creative process work?

Aside from standard processes for making a quilt, my personal process involves several D's:

• Design-I sketch, use EQ7, or trace shapes within a photograph to create a pattern.
• Distraction-My process is far from disrupted, since I have two little ones who have their own agendas.
• Disaster-There are many learning experiences throughout the course of each project. The good part is that I improve each time.
• OCD-I will make those points match, even if I wear out my seam-ripper from resewing it so many times.

I'm tagging Gail Garber. She's a nationally-recognized art quilter and teacher who has published several books, but her sew-lebrity status isn't what's remarkable about her.

She's incredibly humble and patient. Though she's busy and wildly talented, she highlights the achievements of others and takes little credit for herself. She's tirelessly mentored me, and I appreciate her selfless nature.

I'm also tagging Renee Hoffman of Quilts of a Feather. I find her very relatable, as she's wife to a mathematically inclined fellow and mother to a four year old boy and two year old daughter. Yet, she still finds time to make coordinating mother daughter outfits. That's where the relatability ends for me.

Renee is a fellow member of the Albuquerque Modern Quilt Guild and NMQA.

Snowflake by Renee @ Quilts of a Feather

She's a dear friend, and a talented sewer, quilter, and canner of all things fruity. I'm blown away by her talent. Her cesarian quilt is is a case in point.

Cesarean Quilt by Renee @ Quilts of a Feather