In Memory of cousin Pablo

Four quilts made from Pablo's shirts. 

Cousin Pablo passed in March 2019 too young.  I offered to make memory quilts for his wife Nancy, son Kelby, daughter Solange and mother. 

Nancy sent this box of shirts, and I got to work cutting them into squares and strips to be used to make blocks.  Mostly I wanted to preserve the sense of 'shirt', as much as possible, so I kept button plackets and pockets.

Once all the large squares were cut, I cut strips to be used in making blocks such as this one:

 

I also found a way to keep sleeve cuffs whole and attached only on the 'arm' end. 

Next I started embroidering a personal block for each recipient.  Solange sent me this phrase: "Remember to breathe so you can laugh" which was something her father wrote to her on her last birthday card.




Kelby called his dad "Papi", Nancy called her husband "Chuchi", and his mother called him "Pablito", each of which I transferred to fabric and hand embroidered:

This is the first time using Sulky Solvy as a way to transfer a pattern to fabric, and I really enjoy using this stuff, rather than writing directly on the fabric.  

Once all the blocks were created, I booked open sewing time at my local quilt shop - Gotham Quilts - so i could use their design walls.  These are batting covered walls to which you can 'stick' blocks for arranging a quilt top.  Here are a couple in progress: 

After sewing all 4 tops together and also creating backs for each (using left over squares from the front, combined with quilting fabric sections) I again booked time at Gotham Quilts, this time on their longarm quilting frame.  This was a marathon quilting session, where I spent 5 hours meander quilting all 4 quilts.

Then the binding.  I created over 1000 inches of scrappy binding as each quilt required about 250 inches (that's the measurement all around each quilt) 

As luck would have it, Nancy and Kelby came to visit NYC so I could deliver these quilts in person.  It was wonderful and emotional to have them see Pablo's shirts this way.  They can hide little keepsakes or notes in the still operational pockets and wrap themselves in the love Pablo had for each of them. 

"Pablito" quilt for Pablo's mom

Kelby with his "Papi" quilt:

 Quilt for Solange with "Remember to breathe" quote:

"Chuchi" quilt for Nancy

Nancy and I have been cousin-friends since I visited Argentina in 1978 when we were both teenagers.  She was learning English and was glad to have a pen pal in the USA.  In her early 20's Nancy's family moved to the US, and she married Pablo.  They had 2 beautiful children, whom I had the pleasure of knowing when they were young.  What an honor to be trusted to make these memory quilts after Pablo passed.  He was a sweet, smart, honorable, loving man.  He died too young and will be remembered forever. 

love, 

Paula 

Flying Squirrel in the Goldberg house

Embroidery, piecing, pillow.  12" square.  Completed Mar 23, 2019 

for Steve Goldberg and Ann Ball, New Jersey 

Steve and Ann are long time friends (Neil and Steve have known each other since they were 3 years old!).   They moved into a new home last year and I created this as a housewarming gift.   

On one side of the pillow, I printed an image of their home, drawn by Ann.  Then I embroidered details, adding plants and home details.  The house is surrounded by 4-patch posy blocks, created with the floral print you can see on the back. 

The other side of the pillow has an embroidered flying squirrel, because Steve and Ann tell a very funny story about the night they found a flying squirrel IN the house. 

Here are some close-ups of the embroidery: 

We wish you many happy healthy years in your new home.  We love you. 

Peace, 

Paula 

Executive Time

Fabric 'ransom' note. Letters cut from various fabric, glued, then machine quilted into place.  Size: 11"x 6".  Completed on March 4, 2019.

"Trapped at Boarder.... send cash, covfefe, hamberders and blondes!"  

This piece was created for the Project Quilting week 5 challenge: Abecedarius. 

Although I like doing handwork, and especially embroidered words, I knew that the tight timeline to achieve this challenge meant doing something a little different.  I had the idea to do a collage-style ransom note, for someone trapped with a request for chocolate (because I knew I had fabric with the word chocolate on it.)  But my friend Kimberly pushed me towards doing a political piece, and even suggested some of the final phrases. 

First, I gathered some fabric from my stash that has words on it: 

I started cutting letters out of the fabric:

Then glued each letter on the background: 

Finally I machine quilted around each letter and in waves below each line of text: 

The name "Executive Time" refers to the 'down' time the current occupant of the White House spends watching TV and tweeting each day.  I imagined that he would be writing these kinds of messages during that time.  Its full of his ridiculous misspellings and immature desires. 

I can hardly wait for the end of this era. 

Peace, 

Paula 

Chocolate Wrappers

Vinyl and Lindt chocolate truffle wrappers.  Size 16" x 15".  Completed February 13, 2019, for Quilt Lab Experiment: Unconventional Materials


The Quilt Lab group at Gotham Quilts in Manhattan has monthly 'experiments'.  Some are more successful than others for me, and I don't always complete a project.  This month was inspired by the Project Runway Unconventional Materials challenges.  Of course, I picked chocolate wrappers. 

A Lindt Chocolates shop opened on 34th Street; I pass by twice a day.    The truffles are arranged in bins by color and flavor.   I bought a bag of truffles,  and did the 'hard work' of eating the chocolates, saving all the colorful wrappers. 

I tried various methods of attaching the wrappers to a background.  Sewing wrinkled it, Ironing melted it, so I decided to glue the wrappers to vinyl.   I wanted to recreate a quilt block called "Candy Twist", so I carefully cut and

folded the wrappers to fit into a gridwork, I could see by placing the vinyl on my cutting mat. 

Since the wrappers aren't covered, they remain shiny, metallic.  

I'm completely charmed by this.

Peace. 

Damnit Janet

Pieced bargello-style rainbow wings, machine quilted. Completed February 9, 2019.  Size 14" x 16".  Made for Project Quilting challenge 10.3.  Click on that link to vote for your 10 favorite quilts this week 


This week we lost our amazing friend, Janet Mease  (center in this photo)  She was funny, honest, snarky, foul mouthed, loving, kind, and generous.  We met in an online group in February 2013.  

Adva and I went to visit her in San Luis Obispo a few times, and made a small quilt for her when she opened her quilt shop.  Here is a post about that quilt.

The night she passed (Feb 8th) I dreamt I saw her with wings.  Yes.  wings.  I'm not really spiritual in that way, so my response to that vision was: WHAT THE F*CK.  I have a feeling Janet would have said the same thing. 

I created this image of her for our FB group.  

Janet was colorful, in every meaning of that word.  She loved ALL the colors, especially yellow, which she used in her quilts as a neutral. (most people use white/gray/light colors as 'neutral'). 
  
I cut thin strips in a full rainbow,  sewed them into a strata fabric,  added a bright yellow to the top and bottom as my background,  then cut that up to create the bargello 'wings'  (I'm sorry I don't have process photos, this actually went together very quickly) 

On the back, I included a left over strip of Frond Tree of Life panel, which I used on the back of a 'get well' quilt we made for Janet this past summer.  

The quilting on this small quilt includes wings,  the words 'snowflake sister', which is the hashtag that original FB group uses on other social media, and a row of naughty bits, which I first used on Janet's quilt, and reminds me of her ribald humor. 





Godspeed Janet Mease.  
I'm going to miss that wild woman. 

Peace.