Kristin Shields Quiltmaker

Roundabout Bend

I managed to finish Roundabout Bend on Wednesday, complete with facing, label and sleeve.  This has got to be one of the fastest projects I've done.  I couldn't wait to try those curves and then couldn't wait to do the next one.  It helps that this piece is only 18" x 40" (and that the deadline was upon me).  This will be part of a Central Oregon SAQA exhibit.  The first showing will be in November at The Stitchin' Post.  Yes, it's true, the SP is changing things up and adding a quilt gallery!  I'm very excited to see that.  At the meeting yesterday there were 21 pieces shown with more in the works. Should be a great show!  They will also be shown in a special exhibit at next year's Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.  It's their 40th Anniversary and promises to be a big blow-out of a show!  Make your plans now.  

Upcoming Class: Liberated Stars

I'm teaching Liberated Stars on October 24th, 10-4 at QuiltWorks in Bend. Come along and join the class. We'll learn the basic technique and how to change things up for various effects. Star blocks can be used in ANY quilt and since these are liberated, you get to make all the decisions. These are the most fun ever!

Check it out here

Quilts, at long last!

I just realized that there have been virtually no photos of quilts on this quilting blog in months!  Wow, how did that happen?  Travel and the other concerns of daily life have made things topsy turvy.  To rectify the situation, I thought I'd show a couple of finishes from late last year.  These are both shop samples for classes I'll be teaching in March.  The first is Boho Baskets, which was made as a sample for the Liberated Baskets class I'm teaching on March 1 at QuiltWorks in Bend.  This is a fun class!  Baskets are a wonderful way to use large scale and novelty prints and you can highlight each one.  The handles are where the action is and I'll teach a quick and easy way to  make them.  The triangles (made three ways) are a bonus for those who have time in class.

High Country Winter was made as the sample for the Modern Improv class I'm teaching on March 21 at QuiltWorks.  This is also a fun and sometimes mindblowing class as students learn to trust their instincts, use fabric in unexpected ways and compose spontaneously.  If you'd like to join me in either (or both) of these classes, please see the QuiltWorks website for all the details.

The Snow Child Exhibit Opens Today!

This very nice article appeared in the Go! Magazine this morning.  I am so excited to see this exhibit.  If you are local, tonight's reception is from 5-7.  Tomorrow, QuiltWorks is having an open house all day and artists are coming throughout the day for an hour or two to meet anyone who stops by.

Dave and Marilyn are the owners of QuiltWorks.  They are great supporters of the quilting community.  I am so pleased to see two of my quilts with them in this photo!  My Snow Child quilt, called The Spirit of the Wood (being held by Marilyn), and my monochromatic quilt, the pink one on the right, called Not Your Grandma's Hanky.  The March exhibit came down yesterday and the gallery is now filled with about 60 Snow Child artworks.  There are quilts and other types of needlework and fiber art.  It's sure to be a great evening!

Wonkyworld

Bill Volckening showed up at Gwen's medallion class ready to go and brought with him a small selection of his incredible antique quilts.  It was pleasure to be in class with him to give a new perspective on things because his knowledge of quilts is incredibly extensive.  Bill is the one who bought my #10,000 AAQI quilt.  Check out his blog, Wonkyworld, for lots of great quilt talk.

This quilt with the rooster block is one of my favorites!

Look at that stitching!

This beautiful fan quilt has amazing stitched birds on it.  I am inspired by these, for sure!  Gwen examined each quilt very closely.  

And here's the mother lode, read more about it here.  It was a wonderful, impromptu quilt show.  Thanks Bill!

The Big Day!

My show at QuiltWorks is in full swing for the month of March.  You can see a lovely slideshow at the QuiltWorks blog.  Last Friday night was quite an experience! I had such a good time.  It was great to see so many friends there and to hear from others who have seen the show during other times.  These first photos were taken before the show started.  Above is the first thing you see when you walk up the stairs.

Some more views of the gallery.

Above you can see Diane and Mary Ann, the lovely and talented ladies who hung the whole show and created and served the amazing food.

The food is always to die for and last Friday was no exception.  There was a St. Patrick's Day theme.

Come along and I'll show you some quilts that haven't made it to the blog before.

Above is a quilt made by my mother and I for the Hammond Family Reunion in 2000.  We designed and created this through a long distance collaboration.  There are signatures on the diagonal blocks.  It lives at my parent's house. 

This one was a collaboration with my sister and I and made in 2003 for my parent's 40th anniversary.  The photo panel buttons to the back of the quilt.  The blocks in the quilt are state blocks representing the states they had lived in up to that point.  There are state birds and flowers in the border.  Now they live in Oregon and next year is their 50th anniversary.  How will we top this!

This quilt is Maui Beach Houses, made during our year in Maui and finally finished 5 years later.  It's paper pieced.  I like it, but I'm not likely to do that again!

This is another quilt I made for Ryan when he was little.  I love the applique on this.  It's from a commercial pattern.

This is my quilt, Crossroads of Sedona, made in my workshop with Rosalie Dace.  I'm so glad it's finished so that it can be in the Sisters Quilt Show this summer.  It was very experimental for me and includes all sorts of techniques.  I combined hand and machine stitching and quilting in all the blocks.  

On the right are two mini quilts I finished just for the show- Studying with Gwen I and II.  These were made in a class with Gwen Marston.  I just needed to quilt them and decided to do it by machine so it went fast.  I like the top one best.

Zig Zag finally got done and this one was hand quilted.  This started in the Liberated Amish Challenge with Tonya Ricucci.  I love it so much! When I found that border print I knew it needed to be on this quilt.

Above right is a new one called "Little Red House".  This one started in a class with Tonye Phillips.  This one is also machine quilted.   

A Tribute to Gwen, was also started in a class with Gwen Marston.  I feel that she is my greatest inspiration and totally a "rock star" quilter.  I love this piece even though it doesn't lay flat.  Luckily, you can't tell that the way it's pinned on here.  

There was also a case holding three of my small slow cloth pieces.  

Here are some candid shots from the evening.  

Guild member Jill.

My parents enjoying the anniversary photo panel.

Ryan.

Michelle and Erin.

Teresa (and friend), Sarah, Jenn and Myria.

Karen, Sarah, Jenn, Erin and Susan.

Dad, Mark and Ryan.

Raffle Time!

Marilyn, co-owner of QuiltWorks, does the raffle.

Thank you to everyone who came and for QuiltWorks for putting this together!  It was a blast!

Sneak Peek

Sorry for neglecting the blog lately.  The preparation for my show has kept me busy.  I also had a real lack of energy last week, the aftermath of that nasty bug I had the week before.  Last weekend I was really able to catch up on sleep and finally get over the bug and today I felt like normal for the first time in two weeks!

This little sneak peek is the last thing I want to finish up before delivering my quilts on Wednesday.  More photos will come after the quilts are up and the reception is over.  If you happen to be in the area this Friday evening, the reception will be at QuiltWorks 5-7 pm.  I'd love to see you then, but the quilts will hang throughout the month of March, so stop on by anytime the shop is open.

Tea is done!

I just finished this piece and it's off to QuiltWorks for the gallery show today. Tea is No Minor Beverage is inspired by The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It measures approximately 20" x 20". Here's my quilt description:

Tea is No Minor Beverage

Renée, a Paris apartment building concierge, has one true friend named Manuela.  They meet for tea and pastry on a regular basis.  Renée tries to hide her talents and interests from the people who live in her building.  As the book progresses, Renée’s true character emerges and she develops deep friendships with Monsieur Ozu, a wealthy and cultured Japanese businessman, and Paloma, a precocious 12 year old girl, both of whom live in the building.  Tea brings these characters together and seemed to me a fitting symbol of them all.

p. 91:  “So, let us drink a cup of tea… I know that tea is no minor beverage.  When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things.”

This piece is created with hand appliqué; hand embroidery; hand dyed fabrics and threads; and cotton, linen and silk fabrics.

This is what it looked like last night.  One of the things I did was to couch down a sample of handspun mohair that I made a couple of years ago.

In the past couple of days I added a bunch of quilting stitches.

Today I was adding the glass beads and buttons.  I just ordered these blue glass buttons from Etsy and got them the other day.  I had no plans for them, but they seemed just right here.

I think the back is always interesting to see.  The heavier lines are created by quilting with a back stitch.

Finally a tiny hedgehog had to be on the back and my signature.  This is what I finally came up with and I like it a lot.  My signature post should be coming up soon. 

***Lastly, I haven't heard from Val yet. Please email me soon, Val.  I don't have your contact info in your comment. **

Janelle Rebick

My friend, Janelle Rebick, is this month's featured quilter at QuiltWorks.  Janelle is a multitalented fiber artist and a member of my book club, The Undercover Quilters.  I hope you enjoy this slideshow!

Customize a slideshow

Jean Wells: Local Quilter Makes Good

I just had to share this!  Jean Wells, the owner of the Stitchin' Post, originator of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and all around fabulous art quilter and teacher, was featured in last night's edition of Oregon Art Beat.  I hope you'll watch this video to learn a bit more about Jean and the wonderful shop where I'm taking my workshop this week.  

I'm especially excited because I actually got to have dinner at Jean's house last night along with the rest of my classmates.  It was just wonderful!  Her house is a true artist's house, with art by Jean and other local artists adorning every wall and surface.  Even the bathroom had fabulous original art.  It was such a treat to see Jean's home and studio and the fabulous view from her patio, above.  The mountains were in fine form last evening, showing their new snow in the crisp autumn breeze.  Enjoy!