"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

You know the drill, no further explanation is needed.

Deserted island, five things:

1. Without a doubt, my husband
2. The Bible
3. Coffee, good coffee.
4. My laptop with an Internet connection
5. Sunscreen

Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

I had the great privilege last evening of gathering with some of my best quilting friends at a Guild meeting to hear a marvelous speaker, Linda Cantrell, from Asheville, NC. Linda is an amazing applique artist and a hilarious presenter. She showed, in her slide presentation, an enormous work table in her studio and the small amount of space available on which to work due to the piles o' stuff. I can relate, I'm sure we all can. Today's question is actually a three-parter, and one where honesty counts:

What is currently taking up space on your cutting/worktable? How much space is available on which to work? Do these items have anything to do with your current project?

My table is 45" X 72". Sitting on the table right now are the following items: a snippet basket (for threads), three pincushions, a book and two magazines, two paper sacks (one full of fabric strips for making clothesline baskets, one empty!?!), 100 feet of clothesline, a wet-erase marker and a vinyl sheet for auditioning continuous line designs, a spray bottle and a rag, 2 marking pens, the laser light off of Sundance, a straight edge tool, a software CD and design collection book for my embroidery machine, an empty cardboard tube, a bottle of eye drops and an empty coffee mug. These items take up approximately one third of the surface area, (that's not much in all honesty!) the only reason there's that much space is because I cleaned the table off on Sunday morning before the family arrived; I have drawers into where I can sweep (literally) the clutter! Just Saturday night this table was covered with various and assorted piles of fabric, rulers, books and magazines! The only things on the table that I need out right now are the spray bottle and rag, the wet-erase marker, the clear vinyl sheet, the straight edge tool and the snippet basket. These items assist me as I am custom quilting the Red Star quilt currently loaded on Sundance, I can turn around and reach them comfortably. Everything else on the table was drawn there by a powerful magnetic force, the very same force that attracts clutter and objects to all flat surfaces in our home. It's a daily battle I tell you, I'm doing my best.

"...and sew, let's talk..."
What's taking up space on your table? Do you dare to share?
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

"Quilting friends are the BEST". We've all heard that phrase, we've probably all said it; and it's true, they are! I had the opportunity to spend all day Saturday at an "in-town" sew day with some of my best quilting friends. That event prompted the question for this week's discussion topic:

"If quilting friends are the best, are your best friends quilters"?

My best friends do happen to share my love of quilts, fabric and quilt-related activities. This common interest, no doubt, leads to that fact. I do have plenty of friends, old and new who are non-quilters, too. Plus, I have even turned friends who were formerly non-quilters into quilt-making crazy women! When I first moved to Puerto Rico in January of 1995 I cried buckets for the first few months, I didn't think I'd ever have another friend again. By January of the following year I was hosting and teaching quilt making classes at my home, piecing and applique were taught in the warm Caribbean sunshine to a crowd of women who packed themselves around a patio table beside our pool! One of these former students remains a dear and treasured friend to this day, and she continues to make quilts. We are lucky, we really can have our friends and quilt with them too!

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

With all the choices for quilt projects available it's hard sometimes, if not impossible, to choose what the next project will be. There's information and inspiration overload today; magazines, books, blogs and daily e-mail showing and describing what everyone else in the quilt world is doing, it's enough to overwhelm even the most energetic and dedicated quiltmaker.

How do you decide where to spend your quilting time?

For me, this question is becoming harder and harder to answer. I don't think that I suffer from any attention disorder but the distractions from all sources can be daunting. I know that I must limit myself or I will effectively murder all productivity on my own quilts. I have pared down my magazine subscriptions and I roll through reading a selected blog list in my "down" time. I pile up the new magazines that I do acquire for car trips and bedtime reading. I choose the project at hand for a specific purpose, or person, and channel my energy there for assigned blocks of time. This specific focus method works for me, but it doesn't come easily and requires constant vigilance on my part. We really do "have it all" at our fingertips, what we do with the resources available is up to us, they can be both blessing and a curse at the same time!

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

I had a question posed to me yesterday in the comment section of a previous post. Carla H asked if I thought that EQ6 was worth it for a beginner. I've had similar questions asked of me many times: "is that appropriate for a beginner?" or "could I do that if I'm just starting out?" I'm not qualified to answer any of those questions with a simple answer, I'm going to rely on you and your comments to speak to beginning quilt makers today.

If you could only offer one piece of advice to a beginning quiltmaker, what would that be?

Even if you've only been making quilts for a very short period of time there's undoubtedly someone with less experience than you, therefore you're no longer a beginner; please feel free to weigh in. The advice I would offer is this: "don't be afraid to break the rules". I think quilting "rules" can be daunting and intimidating to beginners: "only stitch a 1/4" seam, always press to the dark, never use steam in your iron", and so on. These "rules" serve to provide a good foundation and, certainly, they exist for good reason; they're tried and true. Breaking the so-called rules has been hard for me, I'm a first born, I have worked most of my adult life attempting to not feel guilty for stepping outside the boundaries. There have been times when I just knew that I must use a different size seam allowance or press my seams open. Being a natural rule-follower caused me much undue worry when I felt led to wander away from what I thought was sanctioned! I would urge any beginner to follow their instincts and do what feels right to them. If they want to turn a nine-patch wallhanging into a king-sized quilt who am I to tell them that's not a good idea? If they want to launch into computer-aided design and haven't even sewn that first stitch, I'd say: "go ahead"! Certainly read everything quilt related that you can find, take a good beginner-level class from a recommended instructor, and attend as many quilt shows as you're able to locate. Then, get down to business. Enjoy the process and don't be afraid to break the rules!

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

PS-- If you're a "non-reply" commenter I cannot answer direct questions with a follow up e-mail, please consider linking an e-mail address to your blogger log in, it makes life much easier. Thanks!

"Let's Talk Tuesday"

Is it just me or do Tuesdays seem to be rolling around a little faster than they used to? I can scarcely keep up some weeks, and this is one of them! I am still reveling in the inspiration I received from Kristin Steiner when she presented a program on creativity at a recent Guild meeting. Thanks for all your wonderful responses to last week's question on what our quilts say about us, or what we hope they will say one day.
If we are making our own imprints, being true to our creative selves and pouring our lives and loves into our quilts as forms of self expression it can be exhausting, at least it can be for me. Sometimes I feel myself slowly sputtering to a complete stop.
How do you jump-start your creative engine when it stalls out?
For me, sometimes I need to simply walk away. I can gain new inspiration from a brisk walk, a movie, a book, a visit with a friend; but I can tell when it's time to leave the sewing room altogether. What about you? Four years ago I had major surgery, my friends all commented on how lucky I was to have the time to spend on my quilting projects while I was recuperating. I smiled, I nodded, but my heart knew it was the last thing I wanted, or felt inspired, to do! I worried that I might never want to go back to it, my spirit wasn't interested in the least. I suppose my body was too busy healing itself at the time, eventually my quilt mojo returned to full strength! I didn't know if this was unusual or not, at the time. And so, now, when my creative engine slows I don't worry that it's a permanent state; but I know myself well enough to recognize the fact that I need to simply walk away sometimes, for a little while, that's all part of my creative cycle.

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

We had an inspirational speaker at our Guild meeting last evening. Among other things, she threw out this question:

"What do my quilts say about me?"

I've pondered this all day, hence the delay in posting my customary "Let's Talk Tuesday" topic earlier this morning. I needed time to think about my own answer to this question. I know what I would like for my quilts to say about me, I'd like for them to communicate creativity and originality; I'd like for them to speak of my faith. I'm not sure that they do that and I have tried to figure out what the stumbling block to these accomplishments might be. My quilts do reveal my fondness for the color red and my ongoing love affair with novelty fabrics, they may also divulge a penchant for scrappy creations, the more fabric the better! I also know what I don't want my quilts to say about me: "she never finished anything, she sewed cookie-cutter quilts, she never strayed from the pattern and found her own voice". That's worth thinking about, it changes the focus a bit and gives me more freedom to be me, what a purely comfortable (and scary at the same time) revelation! What do your quilts say about you, or better yet, what would you like for them to say?

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

At a recent quilt guild meeting I noticed quite a few quilt-themed vanity plates in the parking lot, you've seen them: "QUILTER" or "IMAQLTR", whatever you can fit on the plate that's not already spoken for through the state license tag bureau. I also noticed license plate frames that were quilt themed and bumper stickers proclaiming, and warning, that the driver brakes for quilt shops. This practice made me wonder why we do this, and provided fuel for today's topic question:

"Do you identify yourself as a quilter through the use of your vehicle, or by any other means, to the public?"

I remember the popularity of the quilted Bomber jacket. We all had them in our guild in the mid-nineties and wore them proudly. It was our way of showing the world that we were quilters, we were proud of it, and we sewed more than bed coverings! I loved my bomber jacket, maybe a little too much. (It succumbed to a horrible laundry accident at my own hands, but that's another post for another day). Do you wear quilted clothing or quilter's jewelry or advertise your love of the art on your car? I didn't think that I did, for the most part, although I do have a few quilty pins and a pair of earrings that resemble an Ohio star block. I have a gold thimble pendant that I wear; and, oh yeah... T-shirts with quilt motifs and slogans, and then, there's that fleece jacket that I bought at APQS with their logo on it. Yep, IMAQLTR, sometimes it's just plain hard to hide it!

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

I've been reading a lot about "Shop Hops" lately; the official ones, where the participant collects stamps on a pre-determined quilt shop route and enters drawings for prizes along the way. I have never shop-hopped that way but it's safe to say that I've done my fair share of hopping from quilt shop to quilt shop. Each trip that my husband and I take includes a side trip to check out a quilt shop somewhere.

What's the farthest distance you have traveled specifically to visit a quilt shop?

Ten years ago our son was attending Purdue University in W. Lafayette, IN. We drove Kyle out to school, dropped him off, and headed on further west, to Garner, Iowa. I had always wanted to go to Country Threads and figured; "since we'll be in the Midwest anyway..." My husband is a good sport, he agreed. It was only 391 miles out of our way! It was a great quilt shop (good thing!), we spent the night in a nearby city and drove back the next day. How far have you gone? How far would you go??

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

You've seen her, maybe you are her, the knitter who sits at the quilt guild meetings with her needles flashing wildly; turning out gorgeous knitted socks, shawls and mittens.
Do you have a second passion, right behind quilting? What else has caught your attention and fuels the fires of creativity within you, is it scrap booking, crochet, embroidery, painting; all of the above?
I posted on Friday about attending a "Stamp Camp" with my daughter, she is a rubber stamp enthusiast and has created some breathtaking cards and gifts. I see her eyes light up when she talks about designer papers and new stamp sets. I can identify with that, it's the same excitement I feel about new fabric lines and quilt patterns. I could easily be lured over, I tend to lose myself in the aisles of our local rubber stamp store, the inks and glitters and embellishments are intoxicating but I know I don't have time for one more obsession. I wasn't going to get caught up in machine embroidery, no I wasn't! But, I fell in, head over heels. I have rationalized that by reminding myself it can be combined with quilting, and, in all honesty, I have done that and will do more in the future. So, what else is it for you? What else calls to you? What else is so seductive that it succeeds in taking you away from your quilts? I found a box on my doorstep Saturday when I returned home from the Capital City, it was the book and 200 feet of clothesline that I had ordered to make coiled fabric bowls and baskets! I tore into it like it was a box of cash. I spent hours poring over the book, planning my first project: a floor basket for Hannes' toys. This was an intentional diversion you realize, it's a catalyst for stash-reduction. That's my story, I'm sticking to it! Yes, I am.

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

There used to be a column in a magazine I read once upon a time (cannot remember!) entitled "Was My Face Red", it ran short stories submitted by readers of their most embarrassing moments, today's topic is just that.

What is your most embarrassing quilting story? Does it still turn your face red to remember?

I have two stories, both make me laugh now, thinking back; but they were extremely embarrassing at the time. I was teaching a basic quilt making class at our local technical college, approximately a thirty minute drive from our home. I arrived at the school and opened the trunk of the car to get out my teaching bag when I realized that I had left it, back at the house, on the floor of the garage! I had placed it there when I removed the folding chairs from the trunk to make room, and never picked it back up. I could do little else, at that time, but go inside and unlock the classroom, take the roll and leave my students for an hour (of a three hour class) while I returned back home to retrieve the lesson plan, hand-outs, and my teaching aids. That was seventeen years ago, if my memory serves me correctly, I believe I gave them a project to work on while I was gone. I hope so. The second embarrassing situation happened to me only three years ago. I had agreed to donate a quilt to our church's silent auction to benefit charity. I had completed the top and already submitted the dimensions, description of the quilt and a photograph for a brochure. I was up against a deadline (that's always the case!) and still needed to quilt it but I felt confident that I could do it in time, even if it came right down to the wire. Then, I had a last minute, brilliant(!), thought; to add a narrow inner border for an additional pop of color! I had just read an article about piecing in narrow borders using a larger seam allowance and trimming it out afterward; without a second thought I did it, trimmed it back, flipped it over to admire it, and was shocked to discover that I had chopped off every single star point on the outside edges! I had destroyed it, and there was no time (or any more of the same fabric) to create another. I went ahead and quilted it. I decided to machine quilt 1/4" inside each and every point and I made those quilting lines perfect, I pivoted right before where the star point should have been and created sharp angles with contrasting thread. It was all that I could do. I don't think anyone at the auction noticed, but to me there could just as easily have been neon lights above each chopped point bringing attention to them, it was that glaring! Amazingly, that same quilt garnered a second place ribbon at North Carolina Quilt Symposium the following year, apparently my quilting remedy went a long way to healing those amputated points; go figure.

...and "sew", let's talk...
What's your most embarrassing quilting story?

Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

Today's topic is back to basics, let's discuss the most basic tools of our trade: needles and thread.

Do you have a favorite needle for handwork, for quilting, what about thread? Are you loyal to your tried and true choices or do you prefer to try new products whenever you discover them?

I met up last week with the gals from my Bee to help out a friend with a binding project. The bindings were already applied by machine and we were to assist with the hand finishing portion of the job. I knew exactly what to throw in my bag for supplies: my favorite thread, needles and a small pair of stork scissors; that's all I need. As the binding party progressed there was much discussion about a new (at least to me) needle for accomplishing this handwork, several of the gals were trying it out and really liked it. When I find a needle, or thread, that I like that's it, my search is over. I rarely try new things anymore in that regard. So, what are the choices? After years of trial and error here's my definitive list:
Needles: (hand) quilting-- Clover, between, size 12
(hand) applique-- Piecemakers, sharps, size 12 (I use these for handwork on bindings, too.)
(machine) Schmetz Sharps 80/12 for piecing and Organ for machine embroidery
Thread: (hand) applique-- Mettler machine embroidery thread, cotton, 60 wt.
(hand) quilting-- Mettler, cotton, 40 wt.
(machine) piecing-- Aurifil, cotton, 50 wt. (top and bobbin)
(machine) all other sewing: Mettler, cotton, 50 wt. (top and bobbin)

...and sew, let's talk...
What are your favorites?
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

There was a local quilt show last weekend, I didn't enter a quilt in the show (that I knew of) and was surprised when I met someone as I entered the show who congratulated me on "my" ribbon. I laughed and assured her I hadn't entered a quilt; she went on describing it. Oh. I was unaware that a raffle quilt our Bee had made (group category) had been entered, I was listed as the quilter. We had won a second place ribbon, I was thrilled for my Bee.

Have you ever entered a quilt in a judged show? What was your experience like, would you repeat it?

I have been putting quilts in shows since I was an early quilter, naivete had a lot to do with those early entries! For me, the most valuable part of this experience is receiving the judging critique form when the show is over. Do I always agree with what the judges have to say? Of course not! And yet, I have learned, over time, to accept constructive criticism as a tool to improve certain areas of my quilts. My bindings have become straighter, my corners squarer, my quilting more even, all a result of entering shows. My quilts are a work in progress, and I'm still listening, the most intense criticism of this recent entry was directed to the quilter!

...and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

I've gone back to the notebook that I used last week for this week's topic question.

What do you consider the most intimidating quilting technique, but would still like to give it a try?

After saying last week that traditional quilts are my favorites, it seems contradictory to admit that I'd love to learn how to draft and execute an art quilt using perspective and depth in an ultra-contemporary design; one that incorporates spheres and pyramids. I will find myself standing at shows, blown away by those types of quilts and thinking: "how did they think of that, how did they do that?"

...and sew, "let's talk"...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

I ran across a notebook yesterday, one that accompanied a Round Robin quilt back in 1996; it was full of questions designed to reveal the personality of the quilt maker. The first question in the notebook is today's topic:

What are you favorite type of quilts; has your style changed over the years?

What I wrote down in the notebook thirteen years ago and how I feel today are still the same! I love multi-fabric, or "scrap" quilts, the more fabrics the better for me! I am drawn to traditional patterns, stars and baskets are two of my favorites. I love pieced quilts and pieced quilts with appliqué. My love of appliqué has only grown since 1996; but, I have to say that my style hasn't really changed, only my fabric selections. I wrote in the notebook that I loved the muted reproduction fabrics and now I am drawn much more to novelty fabrics and bright colors for children’s quilts and beyond!

..and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

One of the best things about making a quilt is each one of the various steps involved; from planning the project to gathering the fabrics, cutting it out, piecing and/or applique, basting, quilting and finally (at long last) binding your masterpiece. I read an article this past week where the author stated that starting a new project was her favorite part. That got me to thinking and provided this week's topic:

Which is your favorite part of the quilt making process, and why?

I really enjoy every step along the way, I think the very fact that there's always something new to do keeps the process fresh and interesting through to that very last stitch. Quilting the quilt is my favorite step. I just love witnessing the transformation from a flat surface to a quilted one. Whether it is giving definition to the straight lines of patchwork through quilting in the ditch or adding swirls and feathers with a contrasting thread for a new and exciting visual element, it's the quilting that makes my heart skip a beat. I find myself dreaming and planning my next project while I'm creating hills and valleys, light and shadows, on the quilt's surface. Without a doubt, it's the quilting that is my favorite part of the process. Before I had my longarm machine I never had quilts stack up at the binding stage, but now I do. Apparently I need to force myself to move beyond my favorite part and celebrate a few completions, too!

Life is Good!
...and sew, let's talk...

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

Thanks for all the great input last week regarding stash management. This week's topic hinges off of that and deals with the management and storage of quilting magazines.

Do you subscribe or purchase yours from the newsstand? Do you dispose of them when you're through reading them or do you keep them? If you keep them, how do you organize them?

I used to subscribe to all of the quilting magazines that entered our home. I had six subscriptions, perhaps more. Finally, seven years ago, I limited it to the top three, that helped a little. This year I have stopped my subscriptions entirely. Why? That's simple: because I have been collecting magazines since 1983 and the sheer volume of them is overwhelming! I have them grouped by title, month and year and they were taking over my sewing room. When the shelf in my storage closet buckled under the weight I took them down and moved them to the armoire in our guest room, it is now completely full. I have a trunk full in the attic, too. I had just about resigned myself to not purchasing anymore, period; and then, just this week, I heard about a great article in Quilter's Newsletter and a scandalous edition of Quilter's Home currently on the newsstands. Well, naturally, I am going to have to check those out! I am not organized whatsoever in regards to storing and keeping these publications; before they literally push me out of my own home I desperately need your assistance through your wonderful suggestions.

...and sew, let's talk....
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

There's been a lot of talk on the blogs lately about "stash busting", there are weekly reports calculating yards in and yards out as a way of documenting "stash busting" progress. This week's question pertains to stash management.

Where do you keep your stash and how do you organize it?

I have wire shelves mounted on the back wall of a closet, the shelves go all the way to the ceiling. There are six shelves placed twelve inches apart, so the stacks of fabric can't get too tall in between shelves. The first shelf from the bottom begins twenty four inches off the floor and I keep bins under that shelf, they contain tops to be quilted and blocks waiting to become tops. My stash is organized by color, there is definitely more blue in my stash than any other color. (Red is a close second, though.) I don't shelve purchased "collections" together, but rather organize them by color, too. I don't re-shelve any pieces as small as (or smaller than) a fat quarter; they get cut up into strips and squares using Bonnie Hunter's Scrap User's System and placed into marked bins, ready to sew. The one thing I can report about my stash is that it is organized; getting smaller, however, it is not. Busted.

..and sew, let's talk...
Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

UFO's*; we all have them, they plague us. Our Guild has a UFO challenge going on this year to prompt us to finish a project a month, there are even prizes for incentives.

* UnFinished Objects

"How many UFO's do you have, do you know why you start another project before you finish the first and does this bother you?"

I counted up my "works in progress" (limited them to quilting projects) and I came up with 29. I know, that sounds like a lot. I tallied everything, including projects that hadn't even been cut out yet but were intentional purchases with a pattern; from those to quilts that are quilted but not yet bound. Why do I have so many, and how did this happen? I had to think long and hard about that, I'm not a quitter, I am a finisher, of most things. I never stop in the middle of meal preparation and begin something else entirely. I don't get in my car to drive somewhere and suddenly turn and head in an entirely different direction. I don't start a book and abandon it in the third chapter. But with quilts, for me, it's the need to dabble in many techniques and processes at the same time. My mind wanders while I work and I remember that stack of machine applique blocks piled high in the closet, they beckon me when I am machine quilting and I drag them out after lunch. The machine quilting takes a back seat for a while and I'm consumed with applique. I may tire of a color combination or a certain block become repetitious and I abandon it for a while and decide, at long last, to make the binding for a patiently waiting quilt. Does this bother me? Only slightly. For me, jumping from one thing to another keeps it fresh and interesting. I do finish up my quilts, in due time, and I'm not afraid to donate projects that no longer hold any interest. I know that I will never run out of things to work on, and for me... that's OK; actually, it's great!

...and sew, "let's talk"...

Life is Good!

"Let's Talk" Tuesday...

I spent one evening and two full days last week at Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival, strolling the vendors mall and being totally inspired by the magnificent quilts on display at the show. It was a wonderful time. To me, the attendance seemed lower than in the past, no doubt due to the economic situation. I did see a few vendor booths that were extremely busy with customers, but that was the exception. Following my observation, this week's question dovetails off of last week's topic regarding buyer's remorse.

"If money was of little to no consideration, what would you run right out and purchase for your sewing space?"

For me it would have to be an abundance of beautiful quilting threads! A stop at the Superior Threads booth at the festival and I was in love. The gorgeous variegated King Tuts, the incredible colors of the high-sheen Brytes, the glittering Hologram spools and the texturized decorative thread cones proved to be almost irresistible! This booth provided small shopping baskets and the lines of customers had them filled to overflowing. The prices range upwards to $25 dollars apiece for the larger spools, this was the one place that it became clear I needed to practice some serious spending restraint! I did buy two color cards, with actual thread samples, for future project consideration; it seemed like the financially responsible alternative and it satisfied my "need" to buy them all!

...and sew, "let's talk"...
Life is Good!