There are times when I realize my life isn’t about me, it’s about being a valuable object lesson for others. Today is one of those times.
My friend Evelyn Judson is visiting. Some of you may remember her quilt Storm at Sea in Quilters Newsletter Magazine (Aug-Sept 2009). Evelyn is a fabulous quilter, and an organized one. She actually finishes quilts in a timely fashion, and her studio is usually tidy. I told her that I had been writing about cleaning my sewing room for a year now, and she admitted to me that when her studio gets out of sorts she motivates herself to clean by telling herself that her space is starting to look like my space. She knew I would take the revelation in the proper spirit – and she also reassured me that I am making good progress in my quest to organize my work area.
However, even after a year of hard work there is still a long way to go, so instead of showing you my stuff I’m going to show you Evelyn’s. In case you missed that issue of QNM, here is her Storm at Sea:
This quilt was seven years in the piecing (by machine) and two years in the quilting (by hand). It is amazingly complex and subtle. Here is a detail:
The quilt is also huge – king-size at least. Here is Evelyn with something not-so-huge:
This is a journal quilt from her trip to the Virgin Islands. It is a detail of a turpentine tree, a beautiful coppery plant that she will revisit in a larger work in the future. The piece was created so she could experiment with blending colors of paint sticks.
Evelyn’s work is always stunning, both her traditional pieces and her art pieces (if you get a chance, visit her website at www.evelynquilts.com). She has great technique and color sense, and she is a very good teacher.
She is also a good friend. I value her advice, and treasure her compliments, about my quilting. So I don’t mind being an object lesson – better pick up now or your sewing room will get as messy as Lani’s – because she was truly impressed with the progress I’ve made. It’s enough to keep me going for another year battling clutter.
Lani Longshore's Blog 