Hop Around The World...

Last week Quiltdivajulie posted during the "Around The World Blog Hop Tour" and invited me to follow her lead. I was thrilled to be asked! I always enjoy learning more about the people behind the blogs, who they are and what creative process they use that makes them, and their quilts, distinctive and unique.  

I blog under the name Mrs. Goodneedle and have done so for the last eight years; I share quilts and other sewing projects as well as my life, family and faith stories on an almost-daily basis.

I have been a quiltmaker since 1983, my first project was a sampler quilt done by the lap-quilting method (made popular by Georgia Bonesteel) it was hand quilted and took two years to complete! I gave that quilt to my then 5 year old son who proclaimed that sleeping under it was "like being covered with love". That was all the encouragement I needed and have never looked back! Quiltmaking is my life; I love every aspect of the process.

I am married to my high school sweetheart, have been for 39+ years; we have two children, an awesome son-in-law and daughter-in-law, and four remarkable grandchildren. Life is good, as I state at the end of every blog post; it really, truly, is!

Now, on to the Q&A format:

"Adding Curves" ~ Setting and blocks-of-the-month currently on the design wall.

What am I currently working on?  I am not any different from most quilters that I know, I'm never only working on one thing at a time! But, the blocks above (and layout diagram) are currently what's on the design wall. I am also working on a few other projects simultaneously as well as quilting yet another small quilt on the longarm at the present time. I enjoy challenges, and the piecing on this one is no exception to that statement. Since the blocks from these recent workshops are totally composed from squares and rectangles I thought that adding curves (hence, the quilt's name) might prove interesting to the overall appearance of the quilt. While designing settings I am also thinking ahead the whole time to how this might be quilted, adding yet another dimension to the whole. I believe the secondary circles that are created by this setting will provide a nice canvas for some pretty quilting to set off those emerging shapes. 

Templates and tools for cutting the alternate Orange Peel blocks for setting "Adding Curves".

I'm not afraid of templates when it comes to piecing; since I've been a quilter for a very long time, this was the foundation that my quilting skills were built upon. I use every tool in the toolbox and sometimes going back to basics is exactly what it takes!

"Adding Angles"  ~ This is the sister quilt to "Adding Curves"; same blocks, different colors and setting.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?  I'm not really sure that it does. I am greatly inspired, and no doubt influenced, by the works of others.  I tend toward details; those little "extras" that add a pop of color or an unexpected touch, to make my work my own.  I will add piping to almost any binding at the drop of a hat! I always joke that I can turn any project into a career move. Since I've already admitted that my first quilt took two years to complete, it's safe to say that I am not a fast quilter by any stretch to the imagination. I work slowly, and listen to my heart; I make quilts to satisfy my own creative desires.

"Swiss Baskets" begun in 1999 and only recently completed. The design, quilting and piping make it one of a kind. The finished quilt can be viewed here.  

Why do I create what I do?  I believe that each and every quilt is a culmination of where I am, and what I've learned, at this point in time.  Could I have completed the quilt above sooner? Of course! Would it look like it does now? Absolutely not! Why not? Because I didn't have the skills in 1999 to see this one through in the manner it is finished today. Does that matter? Probably not; but who's to say?  I love to learn new things.  I have a huge queue of quilt tops waiting to be quilted... as I test my wings and learn techniques to improve my own quilting stitches I am happy to have those tops to practice upon. I create quilts to experiment and try out the latest tricks from the classes that I've taken, or from the books that I've read. If the quilts aren't used or displayed in our home they're given away as gifts, every quilt has a home. 

"Feathered Friends" this small quilt is benefitting from quilted feather techniques learned in a class that I took  this past summer.

Six inch blocks from "The Quilt Block Bible", writing up cutting directions for these is a current obsession.

Recently I was drawn to the 202 blocks, and this book, by Rosemary Youngs.  The book is a lovely composition of photographs and line drawings, there are no instructions for cutting and piecing the blocks. I have enlisted my best friend, and quilting buddy, to help me out. We have divided the book in half and are each writing directions, and piecing blocks, as we go along. I am drawing from a stash of accumulated scraps and going for a very traditional scrappy look; this is also a perfect opportunity to employ all of those specialty rulers that I have purchased over the years, precision piecing is my goal and I won't settle for less than perfect points and corners, this self-imposed challenge is both demanding and satisfying at the same time. 

How does my creative process work?  I jot down ideas as they come to me, sometimes it's a phrase or a quote; sometimes it's a color combination or even a happy memory that bubbles to the surface... I make a lot of notes when I am creating. My go-to design tool is EQ7. I can audition my ideas using that software program and, usually, come up with a neat and tidy design plan that reflects my concept, interpreting my ideas into stitchable units.

"It's The Journey"  a challenge incorporating randomly drawn color and design elements to create a unique quilt.

This 49" X 61" wallhanging was designed entirely in EQ7.  As the design elements were revealed in an organized group challenge, components were changed and tweaked, meeting the new criteria at every step along the way. The path was never a clear one; the quote became as much a definition of the process as the challenge itself. It wasn't until the final border was added that I realized it never had been about the destination after all, it was about the journey all along; the creative process didn't let me down, but rather, documented my routing.

That's it for me. Now I would like to go on to introduce you to Laura, she'll be posting at Tanderwen Quilts next Monday, she's an amazing quilter possessing a very creative spirit; you will be in awe of her talent!  I have not been able to procure more participants for next week, as directed; they've either already been tagged, have already posted via this format or would rather not post at all, I am sorry about that. Laura will more than make up for it though, she is clever enough to be three bloggers in one; you'll see what I mean.

Laura and her incredibly detailed whole cloth quilt, "Atlantis",  juried into the AQS show in Charlotte.

Life is Good!

Birds, Butterflies and Flowers... Oh, My!

What a wonderful, whirlwind weekend  I have to report on today. Mr. Goodneedle, Hannes and I left our home before dawn on Friday morning and drove north, to New Hampshire, before the day was done!  Yes, we put another 2000 miles on the car... but you know I like to make the miles count*. My parents,  sister and brother-in-law live in New Hampshire; we were able to squeeze in a quick visit with them as well as a quilt class for Mom and me on Saturday! She and I drove to Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH; about an hour away from my parent's home, to spend the day with Lynne Tyler and learn her free-piecing method for birds, butterflies, asterisk flowers and hearts. I have followed Lynne through her Patchery Menagerie blog for years and always wanted an opportunity to learn how she created some of her masterpieces... she is just as much fun as I had imagined. We had a blast, I had to pinch myself a few times to make sure I was really there!  The class sample is on the right, above. I can't say enough good things about the class experience at Quilted Threads, this is one shop that bends over backwards to accommodate their customers! The classroom is on the second floor and my Mom has some mobility issues... no problem whatsoever, they have an electric chair lift! Have you ever been in a quilt class where poor lighting, low chairs, not enough electrical outlets or small tables were a hindrance to your learning experience? You won't have to worry about that at QT. The lighting is superior, the chairs (for every student) are padded, swiveling, office chairs and there are power strips at every large table! I was in heaven with so much space in which to spread out. Students also had access to a kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator and a spotless bathroom too. This is one top-notch shop!

Lynne (standing) and a classmate hard at work!  Lynne did a wonderful job leading us through a technique that really doesn't have a lot of rules... she helped us by guiding our vision and expanding our horizons; not an easy job at all, but she was up to the task! 

Lynne treated us to a inspiring quilt show of her works while we sewed and created.
This is my Mom, busy at work on a wonky, free-pieced heart.

Mom and me with our twin birds, we got a LOT done in class; we each came home with four creations from the class, plus some "wing" fabric to make more birds... as well as happy memories of a great day spent together! We've already asked Lynne what she'll teach us next time; this may just become an annual event for us!

Sunday was spent making up for lost time. A year ago while visiting my parents we went to my favorite little lakeside seafood restaurant specifically for a fried clam roll. Unfortunately we picked the wrong day to do that, his fryolater was out of commission. This year, thankfully, was not a repeat of that calamity; my lunch was well worth the two+ year wait! 

We arrived home very late last night. When I walked back to the bedroom this morning to unpack the laundry this is what I found! Hannes likes his road trips as much as we do... in fact this is his way of saying if we're going on another one he's ready and eager to go!

Life is Good!

* You'll see what I did while riding, and read, in a future post.

Blog Summit

These great blogging minds convened today to solve the world's problems and eat some very tasty Mexican food at the same time. Well, in all seriousness, we probably didn't solve all of the problems and the summit is a nod to our mountain area location... but the minds are great and the conversation was easy and comfortable; just like old friends who pick up and leave off with ease. Salem Stitcher (l) and I met up with Nancy(r) for the very first time; our in-real-life rendezvous has been planned for many months. I was so excited last night I could barely sleep, anticipating this get-together. Nancy came into my life when she visited my blog and left a comment in October, 2006; it was clear we had a lot in common and we have "visited" back and forth ever since. Nancy is every bit as delightful in person as she is in her blog; that was no surprise to me! After all, we've known each other for almost five years! She brought both S.S. and me a well-made and ample tote, designed for fabric shopping trips, that she made for us from pretty and delicate William Morris prints. What were we to do? We had to put them to good use... right? Of course, that was required! A quick trip up the road to a well-stocked (it was when we arrived...) quilt shop put the bag's capacity and strength to the test. They passed beautifully! I will use mine all the time.Before I knew it we were dropping Nancy off at her car and, sadly, the summit had concluded; it was time to head home. We quickly spoke of future visits, (perhaps next time somewhere near Philadelphia?), exchanged hugs and went our separate ways. Next time, we'll pick right back up where we left off, of that I have no doubt. I am left this evening with warm and happy memories of a wonderful day, great friends and a very large totebag full of treasures! What could be better than that?

Life is Good!

Standing In The Need of Prayer

The blog is a powerful tool! I can safely say that it's much more powerful and far-reaching than we realize. We set out to jot our thoughts in this public forum, add a photo, hit "publish", and off we go. But, it goes farther than that, and deeper. People we've never met read what we write, some leave comments and some don't; some send an e-mail. Paula sent me an e-mail, she is a quilter and a long-time reader, she asked if I would pray on her behalf; with significant health issues she is facing hospitalization and surgery next Tuesday. I knew right away that I could do better than that, I could ask all of you to join me in prayer for this courageous lady. She is standing in need of serious prayer; we can lift her up and support her through this difficult time. Yes, the blog is a powerful tool, but not nearly as as powerful as our collective prayers.

Life is Good!

Blogger Appreciation Day

I don't know if there is such an official day as Blogger Appreciation Day but I am declaring it today! I want to thank you all for your recent abundant comments and congratulations on the birth of our two newest grandchildren as well as my 900th blog post. You already know that I believe life is blessed and good and being a small part of this vast blogger world only makes it that much better. I am extremely grateful! So, from my heart to yours: fellow quilters and bloggers, friends and family; know that you are highly valued and deeply appreciated... today, and every day!

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." -Voltaire

Life is Good!

"Where Do You Live?"

I have a new answer to the question, "where do you live?" I can now say: "not far from Quiltville". It's true. I didn't move. Bonnie did; and she brought Quiltville with her! I can testify, with all authority, that she did arrive, that her new home is every bit as lovely and peaceful in it's surroundings as the photos depict, and that her quilting area is just as completely fantastic as she has reported! Quiltkeemosabe and I dropped by her place the other day to take the Queen of Quiltville some lunch and to extend a good ol' NC welcome! What was she doing when we arrived? Well, you guess... setting up her wonderful, magnificent, long-arm quilting machine in it's new workspace! Now really, what else would you have expected? And, in the midst of boxes and chaos and the associated confusion of moving the village of Quiltville, what else did Bonnie do? She handed us cute, yummy Valentine's gifts! Yep. Mine is pictured here. She's a sweetheart. Thanks, Bonnie; I'm so happy that you're here! But you know, the world is a smaller place and the blogger-community is partly responsible for that; when it comes right down to it, none of us are very far from Quiltville; are we?

Happy Valentine's Day!
Life is Good!