Quilts

WIP: Bits and Pieces

October 22, 2013 Elizabeth E.8 Comments

I’m finishing up bits and pieces, collecting bits and pieces, and am covered with bits and pieces of thread (On Mondays and Wednesdays — my teaching days — I’m always worried I’ll stand up in the front of the class with snips of thread sticking to me). Above is the label, all sewn on, for my recent Schnibbles quilt: America Is A Tune (it must be sung together). Finished that up tonight.

This is the Schnibbles from last month all pinned up ready for quilting.

The blocks from the Mid-Century Modern Bee are starting to come in, and as they arrive, I iron them and smooth them up on the pinwall next to Santa. It’s so fun to see them come in, with their nifty signature blocks (we decided to do a signature block and I’m really happy we did!).

Some Other WIPs:
Lollypop Tree–it calls to me from the guest room closet where it is on a hanger, like a siren song. I ignore it, for the most part.

Friendship Quilt Blocks–I just need to sew them together. What is taking me so long? Our novel for class, Moon Over Manifest, has a signature quilt in the story line, so I took in a few blocks to show the students. As I looked at the signatures of the women, I thought of each of these ladies. This will be a gem. At some point.

Santa (above). I could start working on the houses and trees, I guess, now that I’ve finished up my Four-in-Art quilt for the November reveal. (Suppressed squeal of joy) Come back in a few days and see the gallery. We have eight total now, so it should be a fun blogging/Flickr day.

Friendship Swap Blocks with Krista–we finally worked out our schedule and are ready to go.

I also have fabric for a Halloween quilt — oops! Next year.

Not a WIP: finished my novel Light Between Oceans–loved it. Can recommend it highly.

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced,
if she decides to run it, as I know she’s been very busy with getting things ready for market.

WIP Wednesday: Schnibbles Time, again

October 15, 2013October 15, 2013 Elizabeth E.7 Comments

It’s Wednesday and it’s been a long time since I’ve linked up with the fabulous Lee at Freshly Pieced Fabrics and I mean to remedy that today. I’ve got all the Schnibbles bits up on the pin wall and I need to get them all sewn up and quilted and DONE, because my bee-mates are sending me my green and snow blocks for my Santa’s Village quilt, and I want to see them all arrayed. Funny how one project pushes another to completion. It’s like how tiny the toddler is at the tail end of the family until you bring home the newborn. Then it’s time for that kid to grow up, get potty-trained and pull their weight in the family. Yep, this is kind of like that.

Linking up with Lee!

Classes · Quilts

Not All Dirt and Rocks

September 18, 2013 Elizabeth E.9 Comments

The quilting community is priceless–I see it on blogs, on Instagram, in quilt shops, and in smaller groups that gather together. And in my case, this week, the comments I received about my frustration with my quilting buoyed me up and gave me lots to think about.

The first thing I did was buy a couple of more tools to help me. Both Amie and Pip, in their comments, steered me back to Leah Day’s FMQ site, and then to Diane Gaudynski’s blog, where I learned tons of things by reading through all of her posts (loved the one about *batting*). One of the things I learned was continuing education is invaluable, as new tools (above), ideas and techniques are always evolving and I Need To Keep Up. Practice is mandatory, other commenters reminded me, and to not despair that my quilting is not like that of the long-armers. I loved the quote that Dot sent over, and also this one by Ursula La Guin:

If you see a whole thing, it seems that it’s always beautiful. Planets, lives… But up close a world’s all dirt and rocks. And day to day, life’s a hard job, you get tired, you lose the pattern.

And I guess I should add that quilting seems to be best looked at as a “whole thing.” I am thankful for those who read my blog, reminding me not to focus on the dirt and rocks, but to keep the vision–to not lose the pattern.

One of the little miracles this week was teaching my Lollypop Treat class at Bluebird Quilts & Gallery. I had six great and enthusiastic students (one was camera shy), shown here the second week, bringing back in their own Lollypop Treat blocks. Each is so different and so wonderful, and I had such a great time. A couple of them became readers of this blog, so to them I say–thanks for joining in the adventure!

The owner, Janet, saw my Tote and thought it would make a great class, so she picked out some fall-themed fabrics, with a fun pop of Halloween for the lining. It’s an evening class, just one day, on October 22, from 6-8:30 p.m. if you’d care to join us. (You can reach the shop by calling (909) 514-0333.)

This is the tote that I made–I’ve been using it as my purse and I’m really liking it, even though it’s probably not what you’d see in the fashion magazines. But I need a purse that I can throw stuff in, and that has pockets, and that I can set on the floor if needed. I also love my higher-end leather purses, but in truth, that’s not always the kind of life I lead. And this suits me.

May you have a good week, working on the Dirt and Rocks, but keeping an eye on the bigger whole.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Lee’s Freshly Pieced blog.

Quilts

WIP–An Oldie, But Goodie

August 27, 2013August 28, 2013 Elizabeth E.9 Comments

I made this for my youngest son’s college freshman dorm bed when he went off to school, lo these many years ago (now he’s married, has a job and is getting his masters). I got this far, and he kinda said he wasn’t really happy with it, and could he have something else? So I made him something else, and this has sat for years in the back of the closet. Today was the day to do something, after so many of you wrote so many encouraging things back to me.

It was helped when I folded back the panel on the right to make it more symmetrical. It’s still such a 1990s quilt, though, isn’t it? but I do love the Hunter’s Star pattern.

And wrapped up in the wad of fabrics that I’d stuffed in the cupboard, lo those many years ago, were the outer borders, already cut. I wasn’t going to second-guess my 1990s mind, but I did add the inner yellow border, made up of different yellows in the quilt (and yes, I still have some of those in the stash, too).

So, now it’s off to the quilter’s–my first quilt to go there in probably four months? It was good to see her again, and to hand it over.

I also was delighted to receive my “hang it dang it” quilt rods. It’s basically an aluminum tube which you pull out to the width of your quilt (they have three different sizes), twist the rods to anchor them to that size, then snap the clasp on the center. They have a magnetic clasp and a plastic clasp. I bought one of each, but really, the plastic clasp works fine (and is cheaper). They even have a video to show you how. One nail and your quilt is hanging up, invisibly. No rods show, nothing.

Dot, one of the commenters the other day, in response to my “doldrums” post, referenced me to a carton by Grant Snider, done for Red Lemon Club, a site that caters to the creative type. I spent some time there, reading articles, re-learning about what it means to be a creative person.

Other wise insights that were mentioned:

I think we all find ourselves feeling that way from time to time. It’s called overwhelmed. Something has to go, and it’s usually our hobby time. I find if I don’t sew for a few days I get cranky.
Creative ebbs and flows and sometimes over flows, you’ll get back into the zone soon. In the meantime, follow your bliss, not your list.
It really is hard to find the time to do it all.