A WIP and an update…

I must admit that I am totally amazed by my online quilting community. Yesterday I posted about my plan to make a queen-sized No-Repeat Scrap Vomit Quilt (so named by Katy at ImAGingerMonkey). In the twenty-four hours since I put up that blog post I’ve received 30+ pledges of 2.5″ squares and/or scraps from all over the county and the world. Some are mailing; others are bringing mini stashes to Quilt Market for me.

I am just blown away, and insanely excited to see all the fabric come in: not for the sake of the fabric, but because of the stories. There will be bits of fabric someone printed herself fifteen years ago, bits of a stash inherited from a quilting mother, and squares coming in from some of my quilting heros. What started out as a wildly obsessive project has turned into something truly beautiful for me. After my recent health issues over the past three years I have felt increasingly isolated, and this feels like it is connecting me in a real and tangible way to the wonderful online community I have become a part of. While I think this quilt will end up beautiful in and of itself, more importantly it feels like this is what quilting is all about: stories, histories, meaning embedding in the bits of fabric and the process of bringing it all together. I am sure I will design and make more attractive quilts over the years, but it may be hard to make one more meaningful.

So thank you all for your help, your kindness, and your fabric love.

Now, on another note, here’s what’s up on my design wall right now, my Truism quilt:

thomas-knauer-sews-holzer-1

You may well ask why I’m calling it Truism. Well, it is based on a piece called Truisms by Jenny Holzer. This has always been one of my favorite pieces of recent art, and shortly after I started quilting I knew I wanted to incorporate a Holzer Truism into one of my quilts. For this one I have stitched AT TIMES INACTIVITY IS PREFERABLE TO MINDLESS FUNCTIONING.

thomas-knauer-sews-holzer-2

It seemed somehow apt for a napping quilt. Like all of her Truisms it seems to make sense at first, but if you think about it carefully it becomes rather problematic. (I love you Jenny Holzer!!!)

For the rest of the quilt I busted out all the scraps from my bin of big scraps — yes I have a sadly small scrap stash — and a little Kona Tarragon for the border. Just need to tie off the ends of the stitching around on the backside of the top and I am ready to finish this top off. A little gentle quilting, and I hope to have this one done by the end of the week. Then off to my quilt for the Naked Bed Challenge. From there I start sorting all the 2.5″ squares for the No-Repeat Scrap Vomit Quilt, and prepare myself for the fabulousness that will be Quilt Market. Yay!!!

Oh, and if you want to help me get to the 2,744 4,851 squares I need for Project Madness by passing along some 2.5″ squares or some small scraps from your stash just comment below and I will gladly write back to arrange the transfer. The more the merrier; each bit will be lovingly received, and I can’t do this without you all…

Hugs,
Thomas

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