My Rosemary Rush piece

On yesterdays post I didn't talk much about my piece from the Rosemary Rush class, so I thought I would talk about it more today.

It took me a lot longer to put together the applique pieces than I had anticipated and while I initially got a little frustrated about that, my quilt is more mine and I have a very clear idea of where I am going with this quilt - what I am trying to achieve, the stitching and then the quilting that will take place.

My quilt so far with triangles down bottom pinned on

Rosemary's sample

Change can be uncomfortable but stretching our comfort zones is very important. For me this class did exactly that and that is precisely what I wanted this class to do. I chose the design option that I knew would challenge me in every way from the actual design itself through to the choosing of colours.


While the information on the process that Rosemary uses, the needles, threads etc is extremely valuable, on reflection now I think the biggest thing that I got from this class is about the thinking process - from the conception through to the completion. Thinking through the choice of fabrics, colours, contrast, what is going to pop and how it is going to pop, what is going to recede. I think the best way I can describe it is that each piece that is placed on this quilt has a job to do and the challenge for me especially in the beginning of working on this quilt was working out exactly what that job was for each piece and how I was going to include thread, stitching and quilting in that process to fulfil that job.

Although I was a little disappointed at not getting much stitching in at the class I do feel that I concentrated on the areas where I needed the maximum growth and I am very happy with where I am at. The second big thing that I got from Rosemary is to slow down, not to go at breakneck speed but to stop and think through the options. I redid several pieces over the weekend, - retracing, applying vliseofix, cutting, auditioning again and again.

I need to remember that it is all a process and that I need to engage and enjoy each step of the process and not to be in so much of a hurry to get a finished product. I can see the difference this can make as I know where I am going and what my next step is because I have already thought it through and this is stopping me from getting to the next step and wondering 'what on earth am I going to do now' scenarios.

I am going to have to exercise some very good self discipline to put this project aside for now as the purple and green gridlock quilt needs to be quilted so it can be sent to Australia as it is a special gift.

It is winter solstice here in New Zealand which means we are having our shortest day of the year today and it is a grey and miserable drizzly kind of day, the perfect excuse (if you need one) to be inside and stitching and that is where I will be.

Take care and until next time, happy stitching everyone.

Donna-Maree