This post is way overdue. I wish I could say it is because I’ve been so productive but that’s not the case. I’ve been stalled. Lacking ideas and any creative energy. I finished my piece for the Fair Oaks Cancer Center last month and mailed it off. Its being framed prior to installation. I like the larger 36″ x 36″ format better than the original 18″ x 24″.
Moon Dance is slowly, slowly taking shape. The crane bodies are assembled and fused to parchment until the background is quilted.

And that’s the hang up right now. I have a plan for the quilting but I need to practice more. I recently purchased the Babylock Sashiko machine. Its a one-trick pony but what it does is beautiful. I love the look of hand quilting, particularly big stitch but my hands cannot do it This machine will. I’ve been practicing on muslin sandwiches:

Playing with various stitch lengths, etc. The longest learning curve involved threading and inserting the bobbin correctly. The machine only uses a bobbin thread and has a barbed needle and the arm that picks up the thread. Pretty amazing to watch. The manual recommended 30 wt. thread so I ordered a bunch. Luckily I only opened one spool because this machine does NOT like it. Spoke to Superior Threads and they verified it so I am using 40 wt. Now that that’s clear up I am ready so quilt with it. I’m going to start on this small collaborative piece that’s been waiting for lightning to strike for over a year.

I want to just have fun with it. Then I plan to stitch the marsh background on Moon Dance.
Several members of the local SAQA group, Mountain Art Quilters are joining in a Visioning Project for 2021. My vision is to master the Sashiko machine in order to incorporate the stitch into my art. I’m sketching out preliminary plans to achieve that.