Freeing the form....

is a "catchy" phrase, I think. I've never thought about it that way, at least not in regards to quilting. It was a painful discovery to realize that while I really wanted to be a quilter, I didn't want to be the "kind" of quilter my teachers were expecting. If everyone around you(i.e. other quilters)are all doing pretty much the same thing it doesn't matter if its traditional or liberated. Personally I think 'liberated' is better, but it would still be THE SAME as everything you are seeing. Now it happens that utility quilting and I are old friends. Even before the current trend. The idea of "quilting a piece" the direction your mind and hands take you works for me. I like to "meander" and that has NOTHING to do with what the machine quilting process by the same name is about. To meander..."to wander, where you will, without a destination in mind".....THAT is meandering. Like a bear *VBS*Last evening while browsing, I came across a link to a You Tube video on Comicbook Ladies blog, Quilt as Desired. Please understand I'm in VIRGIN territory when I appoach "You Tube". I've been very skeptical about it and what it probably stands for....apparently I MISSED THE POINT...and that happens.Who knew there'd be quilting there??? I will go back to "You Tube", but will be very careful what I click on...think QUILTING.
The video blog of Margaret is wonderful. Type in atree3, and watch her "Making a Quilt" videos...about 32 entries of them. The approach is "free form" ala Gee's Bend. I've subscribed to Margaret's feed, and look forward to seeing more of her work, as well as her words.
The VERY best part for me was when she gets to the hand quilting. Do you know how hard it is to find someone to watch hand quilt???? I'm in accord with Bonnie, who demo'ed hand quilting at a recent quilt show....where have ALL the hand quilter gone???? It's like the dinasours....what happened???? Are we to become extinct???
In Margarets quilt, which she complets during the 32 episodes(short ones),she talks about being a quilter, what it means, and what it means to her. She is NOT a lady to be taken lightly. She's elderly, as am I. It matters. Often it's your best chance of finding someone who knows, loves and practices the whole process of hand quilting. She includes a clip by Joe Cunningham( Gwen M's former husband). His vidoe is about free form quilting and why you'd want to do it. He and Gwen have impressed me over the years with their dedication to hand quilting. Before she got so famous, Gwen used to hand quilt ALL her own quilts...alas, times change.
At least she still hand quilts SOME of them.
What I'm showing today is the outer borders of a very utilitarian quilt, a strip twist, ala Quiltville.I'm sorry, I know the pictures aren't the best. I've machine quilted the center(it's for a rowdy grandson) and am doing "my own thing" on the outer border. I hate marking quilts. Just thread a needle with perle cotton and have a "go" at it, let the adventure begin. Free form? Yes, it's also called "choices". It doesn't have to be as labor intense as Baptist fans!