settlers peace

Playtime

I haven't been able to leave the stack of old blocks alone. It's so fun to play around with setting fabric, especially when I have no attachment or vision for what they should be.

Figuring a layout on the designs wall.

What I thought would work, but is hardly noticeable.

Then I saw this fabric in the cabinet, oh fun!

Oh, oh, and then I saw this fabric!!!!!

It definitely helps having a dark center in the blocks, and I do realize why these blocks were never finished. There is a bit of an issue of them laying flat. I'm thinking that they look enough like a flower that a pucker here and there around the center would only add to the design element. Right?

It's rare for me to have yardage of fabric and I might as well use it, there is certainly nothing else calling for it. I hope to work on it soon, or it could become one of those exercises where you design an entire project and eventually put it all away, simply satisfied with the creative stretch. Time will tell.

We lost our cat, 'Monkey', a couple of months ago, and the girls have been begging for kittens. A few weeks ago, they went to the animal shelter and brought these two home, Oliver and Tucker. They've been a bit of a distraction, fun and entertaining in every way! It's always playtime for them.

 

Creative Fuel

The invitations were ordered, received and ready to mail, senior photo shoot this weekend and prom plans made! So what else have I been up to?

• A little bit of this and that. I made a top with the Schoolhouse Tunic pattern, love it and hope to make more!
• Devoured the book by Jenny Lawson, "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" and laughed until my sides hurt. The fact that the first 100 pages were like a flashback for me, made me feel kindred in some twisted way, I guess to say that all of those memories, while seeming so absurd at the time, actually make us who we are, and they're pretty darn-good stories to tell once you make it out the other side!
  
• Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon is an awesome read, especially with all of the Pinterest sharing going on. I've found myself withholding my creations afraid to really let it out into the world. Then in the end have to ask myself "What if we give it away?" and I have to answer, it's just too hard to hold onto, let it go.
  

• I'm feeling very inspired by old blocks, patterns and fabric, and wondering how to make something old new again. The mind churns......

Oh my goodness! I've been trying to learn to post from my new iPad, and have been having an issue of them disappearing when I hit a wrong button, and I just found them!!!! So exciting! Now maybe I can attempt to be more consistent. Hope that your weekend is full of wonderful discoveries as well!

 

Where was I going with that?

This has been a week of missed exits, thoughts and ideas. My thoughts have been all a jumble and my attention span even worse. I think it is the pressure of graduation preparations that someone has no interest in participating in. S. has no time for such common social practices as senior pictures, ordering invitations and such. I'm blessed with her goofy antics every time the camera comes out, and I have to say that I think that her announcements will be a true reflection of her personality. Why, oh, why do I allow the pressure of traditional photos haunt me? They would certainly not reflect the spirit that she contains, and what reason would I have in trying to normalize her? We are each meant to stand out, but it is so easy to forget that and opt to be a part of the crowd. I am so thankful that she demands to remain true to herself. Let's embrace the spotlight that we have been granted, shine our light, lighting the way for others, maybe we, too, will become more secure in my own uniqueness.

This little quilt rather resembles my paths lately. I started the string balls as part of another project and then fell in love with them on this piece of Kona Crush fabric. Love the texture! It is hand quilted with a hand dyed thread and big stitches.

Here's to embracing each moment!

 

 

What's in your recipe box?

In my frustration to find something to prepare for dinner, I realized the chaos in my recipe box. No organization what-so-ever. Recipes on cards, torn from boxes, printed from the computer, and jotted on notepads. As I started sorting, no doubt a delay tactic in cooking, I found several repeated recipe cards. I'm fairly certain that someone must have asked for the recipe, I obligingly wrote in down then slacked in the delivery. Upon its rediscovery, I assumed that it was my original copy and simply stuck it back in the box.

My apologies to anyone that wanted a copy of my Orange Ball recipe. Of course, they are probably not even reading this, because I haven't made the darn things in over ten years! But just in case you are curious, here it is.

Orange Balls

1 - 12 ounce box of Vanilla Wafers, crushed fine

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup pecans, chopped fine

1 - 6 pounce can frozen orange juice, thawed - do not dilute.

Combine ingredients in order listed. Chill. Form into balls and roll in additional powdered sugar. Store in refrigerator or freezer. Serve chilled.

These are a yummy treat, the intense orange flavor goes well with hot tea or coffee. It's only due to my gluten issues that I have not made them in years.

Enjoy! I think we'll grab take out tonight, and work on a menu starting tomorrow.

 

I Send You Roses

S. asked me the other day "Why are the roses the only thing living in the garden?"

"Well, I happen to love antique roses. They are known for surviving through years of neglect, I just didn't expect the neglect to happen so quick."

 

 

Challenged

In more ways than one.

I'm working on several small projects and enjoying them. I'll try and share some of them soon, but what I really want to share is my Folk Basket quilt! Here's a peak.

I love the rough texture and glorious color of the old fence boards against the fabrics of this quilt.

And in its full glory.

I had so many thoughts and ideas with his quilt that it was hard to move forward, then I finally realized that I didn't have to implement every idea in this one quilt! It felt as though fireworks were going off as it freed me up to finish this one and will hopefully inspire some new work in the future.

I hope that you can take that next step that you need to take, to move you forward and feel the fireworks! It's so liberating!

There is so much that I like about this quilt, the liberated piecing, the folk art style, the vintage inspired fabrics, and the baskets. What is your perfect combination in a quilt?

Happy Camper

The deadlines are closer, some of them have come and gone, and yet I keep on keeping on.  I still love my monthly goal list, it just so happens that I am still working on January's list.  Pretty sure that I will start off March still working on it.  Once the Dallas Quilt Celebration is over, I may be able to re-asses my list and start with a clean sheet, well, minus the one project that has been on there since November.  I guess it really needs to move to the top and get done.

Given that it has taken me two years to get the quilting done on this quilt, it has had many names.  It took me entering it into the quilt show, having a deadline, to fully commit to getting it done, and I'm glad that I did.  I love how the quilting shows in this photo, such great afternoon light.

As far as I know, I broke every rule in hand quilting.  I didn't do any marking on the quilt, which was what slowed me down the most, having to make constant decisions on where to go next, at what angel, and how many arcs to use.  It is utility quilted with No. 12 cotton thread.

Now to get a hanging sleeve on it, and get back to the quilt with the pins, as it needs to be done next week too!

Happy Stitching :)

Buying Time

I work best with a deadline, it's my idea of procrastination.  I have really been trying to change this about myself, knowing that I can enjoy the finished project a bit before it moves on.  That being said, I forced myself to go upstairs one evening to pin baste a quilt show entry.  Mind you, I would have really liked to hand quilt this one, but time is not on my side, and I have resolved to machine quilt it verses pull my entry.  Apparently I got a bit caught up in the panic of not having a clue as to how I would machine quilt it and got carried away with the pins.  I figured, that as long as I was basting, I wouldn't have to commit to a quilting pattern.  

They have all been neatly closed and waiting for over a week.  I may need to schedule a day to remove some pins so that when inspiration truly strikes, I'm not spending all of my time UNpinning. So much for buying time.

In the mean time, I worked on a center block for a round robin that I am participating in through the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild.  I'll admit to being down to the wire on getting this put together, but I do like it, and figure that it will represent the DMQG when it's done with so many hands working on it.

And I've had more pincushion love going on.  The elephant is a Heather Bailey pattern, and the mini dresden block was from the 'Oh Christmastime' book.

Such fun going on, and so much more rewarding than Pinterest, not that I've given up my daily dose of inspiration, but it does feel mighty good to be getting things done, too.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Valentine's Day, where are the days going?!

How to best enjoy the sunshine

My sidekick, Jeffery, thinks that sunshine is best enjoyed when laying in it.

I have not been able to be lured outside quite so easily though.  I am finding that I enjoy the sunshine just as much when I am digging through the 5 boxes of vintage fabric that I have inherited.

Plenty in there that I will pass on to others, as I won't be making use of it anytime soon, some very interesting fabrics, too.  I think that I am most in love with the variety of corduroy fabrics.  It is my intention to incorporate more texture into my quilts this year, I find that I am getting bored with simple cotton, but I need durable.  Think Gee's Bend Quilts, lots of corduroy there. 

It was a bit after Christmas, but I did finish the Bargello quilt and give it to my in-laws.  They were mighty happy with it, I was happy to have it finished.

This beautiful quilt, Majestic Migration, is the raffle quilt for the Quilters Guild of Dallas.  While it will be going to a new home in March, I was happy to have it visit for photos when the sun was out, just enough, last week.

It is simply beautiful.  I am looking forward to the quilt show in March, ummm, I just have to finish my entries to really be excited.

The Distractions Are Many

I've finally come to realize that when I have that great hunger, as in obsession, to go shopping, to find new things and inspiration, it is really my greatest desire to steal away some creative time with what I already have.  It seems to have been a pattern for quite some time, as I have accumulated quite the stash of stuff, and I'm just now learning how to curb those urges and reward myself with what I am really craving, which is simple creative action.

 I love the rhythm  of the hand quilting, I just wish that it weren't so difficult for me to sit down and enjoy doing it.  Why is it that I feel so unproductive when I do handwork?  I guess that I'm addicted to the speed of the machine, and yet I am so ready for a change of pace.  Time to make some adjustments and see what creative things happen.

On the speedy side of things, here are a few Pinterest inspired projects that I finished up for Christmas,

Budget envelopes for my sister and a t-shirt scarf for my niece.

Now, I am going to just sit in the sunshine filled window and enjoy some quite handwork.