I am a really, really lucky person. Take my quilting friends, for example. As you know, I have a small sewing circle that meets every week. The women in this group were once my students, but after learning the basics they just sort of attached themselves to me (and I to them) and we developed a friendship now six years old. As my own skills continue to grow and develop, so have I been able to see the growth of each one of these wonderful gals.
My friend Bachita is a good example of how a student can quickly surpass her teacher. We are all appliqué lovers, and we all have our favorite techniques. Bachita is a perfectionist. And although she owns one, she is certainly not very attached to her sewing machine. She would rather take her time and work by hand. Yet her stitches are so perfectly even, you could easily mistake them for machine stitches. Except for the fact that you would never be able to achieve such tiny stitches on the machine without fraying.
Here is her latest wall hanging. Her choice of fabrics is simply wonderful, and her eye for detail exquisite. Once she finished the appliqué she asked me to machine quilt it for her. So here it is, already quilted and with the binding attached, ready for her to hand stitch it to the back.
The piece is rather wide, so I had a hard time getting a picture of the whole piece, with no one here at the time to hold it up for me. I did crawl up on a chair for a rather wobbly picture. Sorry about the blurriness, but it gives you an idea…
The piece in itself is wonderful. But what I really wanted to show you is her stitching. Bachita’s favorite technique is blanket stitch. Just click on the photo below for a bigger view. And then tell me, aren’t those stitches just awesome?
After finishing her Japanese girls, she got started on a new project right away. This is the beginning of a quilted basket:
And, once again, close-ups of her perfect stitching:
You might recall some of Bachita’s previous projects. Here’s a reminder:
I love my friend. She is such an inspiration. 🙂
I am a self-learner. I taught myself to sew and to quilt. And I taught myself how to draw. I am learning how to dye my own fabrics and am dabbling with mixed media. I am a quilt designer and teacher, and design and publish my own line of quilt patterns. With this blog I would like to share the bits and pieces of my life.
7 Comments
Angie.-
Thanks so much for sharing pictures of my mom’s work on your blog. If it wouldn’t have been for you I wouldn’t have the opportunity to appreciated her amazing work (since I live so far away from her), and a special thanks for all the beautiful words you use to describe her work and your friendship, I know she feels the same way to. 🙂
I am so glad that I can use this blog to highlight the work of my friends. Photos never quite do justice to the real thing, but it is a way of sharing. And I am so very proud of Bachita and my other friends. 🙂
Bachi rocks!! 😉
I absolutely, completely agree!
Bachi is my sister and I always admire her work; you are right Angie she is a perfectionist, when I grow up; if I ever do I would love to take quilting classes with you guys.
Thank you for showcasing her wonderful quilts; she is truly an artist.
Cierto, sus puntadas son realmente parejas y pequeñas, es muy difícil hacerlo con esas piezas tan pequeñitas como los rulos del cabello de la japonesita, admirable! Pero el que más me ha gustado es el de “Christmas Dove”, requiere mucha dedicación y paciencia hacer un proyecto como ése. Felicitaciones a Bachita, por su labor tan bien hecha!
Irene, me has dejado sorprendida con tu comentario. Porque escribes muy bien en inglés y nunca me hubiera sospechado que no lo hables. Creo que deberías inscribirte en algún curso para “soltar la lengua”, ¡porque sería lo único que te falta! Siempre me alegro de ver tus comentarios, porque para mí el llevar este blog tiene que ver precisamente con formar amistades como la tuya. ¡Gracias, gracias!