Creativity Abounds

We spent Christmas Eve day with our daughter and her family in the Capital City. Lucy Ann was eager to take me upstairs to their finished, converted attic space which has become her (and her brother's) play room. They do allow their father a secluded corner of the space for his work-from-home office. 😉 We enjoyed time together as a family, opened gifts and had a wonderful dinner together before I actually got upstairs with her to see what she was so excited to show me. Lucy Ann loves her American Girl dolls. "Loves" might not even be a strong enough word: she's obsessed. She wanted to show me how she had created a home for them in an elevated section of her play space. I was absolutely blown away by her creativity and attention to detail. She took me around for a room-by-room "tour". Each doll has its own bedroom and theme. The living room was all decorated for Christmas complete with stockings hung by the fireplace for each doll and Christmas cookies set out on plates. She has made many of the accessories herself, creating furniture, wall art and motivational sayings. Now granted, I am her grandmother and may be a wee bit prejudiced where this is concerned, but have a look below and see if you don't agree with me. I didn't get any shots of the kitchen, I just realized. It was as well appointed and equipped as any of the room settings shown here.

Isn't this cute? I had to go back downstairs to get my camera to share all of this. It probably comes as no surprise that this girl's bedroom is every bit as neat and well-organized as these of her "children". Our daughter told me that Lucy Ann spends hours on end playing with her dolls and designing. Apparently there's a YouTube channel with inspiration for this type of creative endeavor. I told my daughter-in-law about that the following day, as this kind of activity is right up our youngest granddaughter's alley too. I love the fact that this creative spirit is alive and well, I am thrilled to see it cultivated and encouraged! This "can do" characteristic and enthusiasm will carry her a long, long way in the coming years. 

Life is Good!

A Pieceful Glimpse

The cards are addressed and sent, the gifts wrapped, the cookies baked. What's left to do? 

Hannes and I want to express our sincere wishes for a "Pieceful Day" to you and yours... today and every day! Yes, my daughter-in-law has created yet another wonderful quilter's T that I am more than happy to model and market for her. These well fitting, comfortable shirts are long-sleeved, 100% cotton, pre-washed, tagless and all around wonderful!  Thanks to everyone who contacted me and ordered a "bobbin" shirt already, they are still available too.  I hope she creates a website so that I can link to it in the upcoming New Year and quilter friends can order simply with the click of a button from my side bar; but, for now, you can e-mail me for details, she has a fast turn around.

This cute spool motif is on the back of each shirt, your friends will recognize you coming and going! I hope to be back blogging with much more frequent regularity soon, very soon. My husband and I have been operating in a fog, so to speak, for the last month. All of a sudden that fog is lifting and it is Christmas! I have some stories to relate of recent happenings and, of course, photos to share. I'll be back. In the meantime: Have a Pieceful Day!

Life is Good!

I'm Here To Tell Ya

Think of this as a public service announcement: if I can serve as anything it will be as an example to remind you to check your bobbin level before taking off on a stitching marathon!  I've been there, bought the T-shirt too. 😉  If you're interested in getting a T-shirt like mine, email me, my sweet daughter-in-law creates them for sale. The cute logo on the back neck (below)  is equally compelling. Just think, you can be a walking billboard too... as quilters we need to pass along all the good advice we've learned the hard way, it's our obligation to the future. 

Life is Good!

Off The Wall

I've been suffering with "piecer's block" lately; the projects on the design wall have been stalled there for the longest time and aren't currently inspiring me to move off the mark and get back to them. What to do? In an effort to jumpstart the creative sewing juices I have taken them off the wall, albeit temporarily, and have launched into something new. Using Sujata Shah's Cultural Fusion Quilts book as a springboard I have taken off on a free-form Rail Fence quilt, a pattern in her book. This type of  piecing has been both liberating and disciplining for me at the same time. Liberating in the sense that there's a freedom in slashing gentle curves without a ruler that combine into these rather crude, rough shapes. The exercise in putting together the blocks has been disciplining in the sense that I have stayed on task adding the blocks with regularity to the wall, I've learned that there's definitely a right and wrong direction to make these rails "work" together and that there needs to be enough visual contrast between the chosen fabrics for impact (my original inclination was to use this pattern with low-volume prints, NOPE, that doesn't work efffectively at all!).

"Rustic Rails" might have booted those other projects off the wall for the time being, but it's been just the kick I needed to get things moving again. I hope to add eight more blocks to this wall by the weekend, bringing this quilt top to approximately 64" X 80"; the blocks measure 16" and will be set four across by five down. Thanks, Quiltdivajulie, for bringing this great pattern to my attention; the not-too-distant-future flimsy status of Jackstones, Hexie Garden and Metro Rings thanks you too! Welcome back, mojo, I have missed you.

Life is Good!

Developing A Plan

It's a great thing when a plan comes together... this sneaky project tip-toed in before one was even developed! I've got one now though, "Jackstones" will ultimately finish to be 63" X 84".  This photo represents  the left side of the top row; I'm happy with the integrated pieced border, I like the effect.

Now I can get back to the work at hand... where I was before that project snuck in and took over my brain and cutting table! Somedays it's just hard to demonstrate self-control and ignore those pesky creative distractions, I have to remember who's the boss.

Life is Good!

Inspired

Hello from the ship! We've been back home from our Caribbean adventure for almost two weeks now; but I wanted to share some of the ship-board fun and inspiring sights from our time away with you.
  
This was our cruise routing, sailing out of, and back into, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The ship was the largest one we've ever sailed on, the capacity was somewhere in the vicinity of 5,000-- 3,500 passengers and 1,500 crew members.  With that many people on board you might think that it was impossible to be anywhere that wasn't over-crowded, that wasn't the case at all; it is a really  BIG boat! The Regal Princess is the newest addition to the fleet and in a weeks' time we explored every bit of her.

At times the corridors outside of the staterooms looked like this...
empty except for the house cleaning cart!

Mid-ship the elegant Grand Piazza dominates the public space; comprising three levels, this is where you will find all of the the on-board shopping, food venues and, at times, musical entertainment.

The Grand Piazza, another persective.

It was in this area that we discovered "Alfredo's", a wonderful Italian restaurant specializing in brick oven pizza and salads. You may think that the quilter in me was inspired by this table. You'd be right, I was.

But then, take a look at this tile wall; can't you just see a fabric version of this in similar-hued batiks?

But, wait; this was the best inspiration of all! I'm already drafting this one up... someday, someday
I'll make a quilt inspired by this wall; the color, shapes and movement appeal straight to my heart!

This was the view sailing into St. Maarten, we docked on the Dutch side. In case you're wondering where all of the ship's passengers were in the previous photos, I'll tell you. When the ship was in any port we would disembark, walk around for awhile and enjoy the local sights and tropical breezes, then get back on the ship and take advantage of the pools on the top decks without the crowds of people; it was nearly deserted at those times and extremely peaceful and relaxing!

This  photo and the one below show the pools, and view off the ship, during peak hours on a sea day.

This was taken on our last evening, at dinner; all good things must come to an end. Our post-Christmas R&R was just the thing to start off our New Year on the right foot with a great adventure and to jump-start those creative juices that were inspired by all that I saw and experienced while we were gone! Now, it's back to reality~

Life is Good!

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!

On Starting A New Project...

"Little Letters"  ~ Temecula Quilt Company

A few weeks ago I was alerted by Quiltkeemosabe to a new tutorial, an alphabet quilt, beginning over at Temecula Quilt Co.'s blog (linked below photo).  Yesterday the first letter, and installment of this series, was published; this will make up as an adorable little quilt!  I'm in! I love letters, I love old-fashioned samplers; what's not to love?  The only decision here is what fabrics to choose.  Why would I consider starting even one more new project right now? I was puzzled by that myself... and then I read this quote, on creativity:  "The excitement, the true excitement, was always in starting again.  Nothing's worse than an accomplished task, a realized dream." - Marilyn Harris  There you have it. I've finished up more than a few long-standing projects recently. I NEED to start something new simply to acheive balance; my creative spirit demands it! Who am I to argue?

Life is Good!

Ramping It Up!

How does that saying go? "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten?" Something like that. My quilting endeavors seem stale to me lately, with the exception of that "Head For The Border" challenge I haven't tackled anything truly new or put forth any extra, out of the ordinary effort.  In an attempt to take it to the next level I have registered up for a few classes this summer; nothing like a new perspective from a skilled instructor to jumpstart that old creativity! One class is on "free-form piecing" taught by Lynne Tyler and the second is a longarm quilting class taught by Gina Perkes; they are completely different as far as content but learning some new approaches and getting some fresh ideas should go a long way to ramp up the imagination level and bring me to a more original and energetic place as far as my quilts are concerned. I couldn't be more excited about learning a new thing or two... how do you reignite your own spark?

Life is Good!

Why We Quilt... To Express Our Creative Selves

The quilts we make are outward expressions of our creative selves. Rarely do I make a quilt "by the pattern", if I use a pattern at all. Just like our life experiences, our location, and the time period in which we live define us; those same contributing factors define our quilts. This quilt, "All Are Precious...", is a perfect example of what I am talking about. The pattern is an old one from McCall's Quilting magazine, mid 1990's. It sparked my interest and I set it aside as a "someday" quilt to create. Finding the Cherrywood setting fabrics at a major quilt show years later determined the quilt's palette; a workshop taken at that same show by  Sue Nickels became the springboard for the border. I love the way all of these elements combined to become the whole. This quilt languished in the stash closet for years before the quilting was completed, more a reflection of my procrastinating self than my creative one! At long last it now proudly hangs in our bedroom hallway.

"WTLBFMFL" (Words To Live By From My Fabric Library) hangs in our guest room. Displaying a collection of personal quotations, penned (and quilted!) by hand, it was completed in 1997. It documents not only the fabrics that I had amassed at that time but also my interest in adding a hand applique border to rein it all in. This pattern appeared in the October 1993 publication of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine; the applique additions are my own. Our quilts are like snowflakes or fingerprints... no two are alike, once we become part of its making it becomes our own creative manifestation. We define the quilt, then, it defines us. 

It's why we quilt!

Life is Good!

Creating ~ For The Joy Of It

This little boy adores in spending time at his easel with markers. His joy is derived by taking a marker from the box, removing the cap and placing it on the opposite end, making a mark, and recapping the marker before happily choosing another color! His delight stems from the process, not the product. When was the last time you allowed yourself to experience process joy without getting bogged down by looking ahead? I know, for myself, it's been entirely too long!

Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child. ~Joan Almon

Life is Good!

Inspired!

I took a screen printing workshop from Jean Ray Laury at Mid-Atlantic quilt festival back in 2004, it was a day of pure inspiration. I only just learned of her passing upon returning home, Quiltkeemosabe sent me this link to her obituary that she had written herself, even in death she continues to inspire! I have been thinking about her the last few days, and about that workshop in particular. I still have the handouts, and my class samples; I rooted around in the closet and dug them out. My attempts are primitive and naive; but they still hold enormous appeal. The quilt pictured here was our class example that day, she encouraged us to work with simple shapes and familiar objects. I don't know the name of this piece of work, I found the photo here (click to read a terrific interview with her from November, 2000). If any of you can help me out with a name/title of this piece I'd be very grateful. I remember at the conclusion of our workshop she informed us that her teaching schedule was ending, she was planning on staying home after from then on and concentrating her energies there. I recall feeling so very fortunate that I had signed up for that class, and more than that I can still sense the sheer joy and unbridled giddiness that she sparked in me that day. I am compelled today to dust off that screen and print some more fabric squares! Thank you, Jean Ray Laury, you fed this quilter's soul with creativity seven years ago; it nourishes me still. I've removed her charming children's bedtime book, No Dragons On My Quilt, from the shelf. The next time Mason visits we'll read it together. The legacy of this talented quilting pioneer will live on~and on!

Life is Good!