cactus quilting

On one of my yummy AZ trips this winter

Bob & I had a wonderful day at the
Sonora Desert Museum. While at lunch,
I was struck by the beautiful geometry of
the organ pipe cactus.

Though often overlooked for it's more
popular cousin, the suaro with its iconic arms,
the pipe organ clearly displayed
what I had just learned about at
Taliesen West: Frank Lloyd Wright's
broken line of the desert.

Here it is in somewhat abstracted quilting terms:

Becomes:

And then:

Hopefully a finish to show tomorrow for AAQI - stay tuned!

Doors Done!

Couldn't resist this picture which features
my assistants: daughter and our dog Blaze.
I think it also captures the contrast between
the bland gray of our Il March
and the bright colors I was craving to work with.

Some quilting:

during which I realized my Bernina is due for a tune up.

Though this quilt kind of "did in" my goals of a Finish it February
it was exactly the right thing for me to be doing.

Liberated Amish Love

This quilt (or blocks on the design wall at least)
from Julie at Quiltdivajulie is
my current favorite on the
Liberated Amish Get Together.

In my list of Quilting Goals for 2010 one was to pick one new challenge to stretch my skills, and this is my choice. My love of Amish quilts and all things solid and/or abstract make this a natural inspiration for me, and using the techniques in Gwen Marston's Liberated Quiltmaking II will bring a new type of quiltmaking into my life. I'm excited to connect with my first group of online quilt folk on a project. The top is to be completed for the challenge by June -

stay tuned. . . .