Collaborating with BJ

Happy New Year, Dear Readers, 
Starting off the new year, I am back in the studio working on a new piece for my friend BJ.
She is #20 on my list and while I am trying to do one a week, I sometimes get off track due to holidays and unforeseen circumstances, but now that the holidays are over and so is the remodeling, I hope to be more consistent. Since there are now 34 more to make, I appreciate the patience that it takes to wait for your name to surface.

Melody,

I have been following your career for many, many years.  Taken numerous workshops with you, the most recent being a fabulous week dyeing fabric in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I also have a small collection of your quilts and artwork. So this opportunity for you to make a quilt especially for me is an opportunity I just couldn’t resist.

I would really like a quilt similar to  Under a Silken Moon or October Gift. I’ve always longed for the opportunity to own one like either of these.

I think one aspect that draws me to Under a Silken Moon is the glow of the moon through the trees as well as the curvature of the green pieces.

If you would like to make this quilt a little larger it’s OK with me.  I’m retiring in February after nearly 30 years with the same company and I’ve decided that this will be a retirement gift to myself!

Thanks so much Melody—I just know I will be thrilled with whatever you create!

BJ

PS  Have you noticed that quite a few “Make Me a Quilt” folks have mentioned the Allegro quilt as one of their favs?

1. choices of size (with price based on size)  24”

2. orientation: horizontal or whatever works for you, vertical, square

3. color scheme: pastel, high contrast, dark and murky, neutrals, vivid, earthy  I love yellow, gold, reds, and greens, hand-dyed fabric, please.

4. surface treatments such as hand quilting, fancy machine quilting, hand or machine embroidery, embellishments or stamping/paint (no beading!)  whatever you feel the piece calls for.  I have examples of all your surface treatments, so I’ll leave the choice up to you.

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I thought I would share my process as I make this quilt. What you are looking at is a drawing and a tracing. The under layer is a large sheet of paper, 32x27" upon which I initially sketched my layout. Then I used leftover paper from the Wonder-Under to trace the best shapes off the original drawing.  Since tape won't work on the Wonder-Under release paper, I have to fuse bits of fabric to it to make it larger.

I'll begin by finding the right fabric for the sky, and then I will do the hills and moon, and then begin to cut the tree shapes. Finally I will add leaves and then quilt it all. (The tree limbs are rather fine in this drawing, and will be bulked up a bit for the fabric version.) I plan to take photos as I build it.