settlers peace

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.

Oh, Pins and Needles

I recently participated in a Pincushion swap, and got a bit over-zealous in making one to swap.  I simply kept trying out patterns and ideas and have amassed a growing collection.  So here are some that I have made, and a few created by friends.

I received the owl in a swap some time ago, and the makers name is no longer attached, sorry.  Felted wool pincushion and scrappy patchwork pincushion made from leftovers.

Large round pincushions made from this pattern. This cute little pocket was made by Tammi D. and what I came home with after the swap.  Such a clever idea, and the perfect size next to my machine.  I love the little calico kerchief sticking out of it.

The big flower pincushion was my swap entry.  The one in the background is a pretty cool traveling pincushion.  The pincushion is actually sewn to the inside of the plastic lid, so it sits flat when stitching, then the bowl attaches over the pins when done, and can be easily tossed in a bag with no worries of losing a pin or needle during travel.  The precious wool pincushion in front was made by my friend Susan E. 

And if that isn't enough cuteness for you, take a look at this precious hand stitched ornament that I got in a swap during the DMQG meeting this month.

Created by my friend Angie of Retromama's Ramblings.  So blessed to be among several groups of very talents quilters and stitchers, so lucky to call them friends.

Now, a binding awaits!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For the Love of Pinterest

How do I love thee, let me count the ways......

Yes, it is that bad, I even have the app on my phone.  It has been a constant source of inspiration and distraction from my loss of time in the sewing room.  S.  is recovering quite nicely and has regained almost all of her independence, given that each arm still has a cast or a brace.

It seems that I passed the Pinterest addiction to both of the girls, too.  O. has been pinning things left and right, an interesting insight into the thoughts of a college girl.  She had even given in to the crafting bug because of Pinterest, for a moment.

She had grand ideas of going into production of key fobs, but that seems to have dissipated.  I enjoyed having her ooh and ahh over my stash for the time that she was up there though.  I bet she'll be back before long, how can she not find something else to make on Pinterest?

Another reason I love that site, well, I get to 'pin' all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons, my own reasons.  And sometimes it is something that I really want, enough to give it is own board.  And then there are people in your life that are observant enough to notice the fact and take action on it.

Yesterday I had a mysterious package in the mail from a bead company, and inside....

This amazing, tiny work of art.  I'm still giddy from the surprise gift, such a treat.  Thanks, Kathy, much love and hugs coming your way!

So, do you 'pin'?  Come on, join the masses, it's like a magazine in your computer every day, with just the parts you want.

Warning: Pity Party Ahead

If you are here for quilting and craft inspiration, today is the day to skip this blog.  However, if you can offer up any creative suggestions to simple daily tasks, offers of encouragement or prayers, please read on and leave a comment.

Wednesday afternoon I got a call from our youngest daughter, S. age 17.  20 minutes after starting a job of painting logos for a restaurant, a gust of wind caught her and had blown her and the ladder over.  She landed on her wrists and head on the concrete.  After the ambulance ride, the ER doctors, the 2 orthopedic doctors, the pediatric concussion specialist, and the orthopedic hand specialist, the results are a mild concussion, stitches in the forehead, severe whiplash, and two broken wrists.  One wrist will heal in a cast for 3 months, the other, her dominate hand, will require surgery with plates and pins to get it back together, that is scheduled for later next week, ugh. 

She has been a real trooper through it so far, not an easy thing for someone so independent.  Such a drastic change from invincible to needing help opening a drink, packages of snacks, doors, seat belts, getting dressed and going to the bathroom.  We are so thankful, it could have been so much worse, she could have gone through the window or backwards with no way to protect her head or break the fall.  The wrists will heal.  She will one day be back to playing the piano and painting.  And one day, I won't be the hands for two people, I too, will be back to sewing and playing with fabric.  Until then,  "I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  Phil 4:13"

Freedom

I'm finding that I work much better with a monthly goal list, it comes in handy when I am wandering around the kitchen bored and looking for a snack.  I'm reminded that they are other things that I really want to be doing.  So it was with this quilt.

The pieces were left-overs from the 'cross quilt' that I made for a friend.  I really wanted to use up the bits and pieces of blue and move on to something else.  The letters are pieced from this book, and oh so fun to do.  I think that I'd like to do something with jumbo letters, too.  The quilt will be going to a local veteran as part of a community service project thru our guild.

 Sadly, my list was a bit extensive for September and some deadlines passed, but I am having a sense of freedom in no longer having the pressure of those tasks.  I've been able to enjoy some of the nice weather and do some hand stitching out on the porch.  I didn't realize what a lovely explosion of color it was until I came back from answering the phone.

I was in the process of making some hot pads and didn't get any photos of them finished before they were gone.  The tiny apple core blocks in the box seem to be only eye candy, as I haven't stitched any of them in awhile.  Maybe I should add them to a monthly goal list....... maybe next year.

Hope that your day is colorful!

 

Ripples

I have often heard  "It'll quilt out."  And I think with hand quilting, there is a bit more wiggle room.

But at what point do you ask yourself,

"Can I really quilt these ripples out and have a flat quilt?"

Apparently this quilter was forever optimistic about her piecing adventures.  I don't think that there is a 12" square that will lay completely flat.  I adore the fabrics and hexagon shapes though.

Lest you think that the waves are created by the grass,

here it is on the design wall.

Ideas?  Suggestions?  I'm not opposed to making several projects from it.

I don't think quilting is an option :)

Movements

I went on a retreat this past weekend.  It's so nice to be only an hour from home and yet it feel like you're a world away.  16 ladies from my local guild descended upon a small Texas town, locked ourselves into very comfy retreat house and stitched away.  

I've always been curious about the process for making a Bargello quilt, but never really interested in putting forth the thought to purchase fabric for one.  Another guild member, Denise, designed a pattern using EQ6 to create a quilt using 18 fat quarters, now I had no excuse, I could make one from my stash.  I picked out fabrics and commenced to making a quilt.  It's pretty cool how changing the placement of the color strips changes the movement within the quilt.  My auditions, each segment represents 1/8 of the quilt.

A 1/4 segment in the layout I went with.

and then the entire body of the quilt, completed during retreat.  Whew!

It was a pedal to the metal weekend, with plenty of questions and doubt that I would have enough fabric.  There was no room for a mistake, due to my sewing in the first place.  I'm looking forward to getting borders on this and calling it done.

The weather had cooled off enough to be outside and grill.  Caribbean Chicken, zucchini and peaches.

Today we are setting a new record for the most 100 degree days in a season, I'm just hoping that tomorrow is not another new record.  

Hope that your days are cool and your stitches straight!

Navigating New Waters

I discovered, way back here, that I'm not much into figurines, or portraits for that matter.  Hardly any photos around the house, even of the girls.  But I love quilts, and I love to learn new things to do with fabric and quilting.  I really try to be choosey on what classes that I take, not wanting to create a new UFO and the pressure that comes with it, I'd rather expand on something that I already know and love.  Then along came Lola.  Wow!  She is a burst of creative inspiration, talent, humor, passion, heart, and a whole lotta push!  She's totally into portraits, I was into soaking up some of her energy and artistic eye.  I took a workshop with her in June and was satisfied with leaving the class with this portrait, (no, not a self portrait)

and my name on a list to take another class with her building on what we had learned.  By time the second class rolled around two months later, I was dragging my feet and bemoaning how "I don't DO portraits", "I don't DO fusible" but I was committed to attendance.  I waited until the last minute to gather supplies, it was an all around bad attitude that I had, and prayer snapped me out of it.  I guess that God had other plans for me, because I sure can't explain how what I created in the workshop this past weekend came to be.  I am pretty stinkin' pleased with this portrait of my great grandfather though.

I learned a lot from Lola, she's a great teacher and an artist that really inspires.  Now my mind is beginning to whirl with all of the lovely little, old faces that I deliver Meals on Wheels to.  Wondering how they would feel if I asked to take their photo, even a photo of their hands would be an interesting piece.  So many ideas and faces to do.  But wait, I really like flowers and landscapes, too!  Lucky for me, Lola is working on developing a class on this subject as well, and has a book slated for publication in 2012-2013!  I'm thinking that I may keep leaning on God's direction, I like where this is going.