Thursday, May 30, 2013

WHY NOT?!


 Product DetailsDo you know this book? I never picked it up, because I thought it was only about the actual act of quilting, which I don't do. But when my friend Dorothy (whose company I totally enjoy) invited me to take a class with these ladies at the fabulous quilt shop on Vashon Island, The Island Quilter, I immediately replied, "WHY NOT?!"

The class was improvisational inserting.
Now I think this is amusing because 
my friend Judy has been saying for years 
that there is nothing new 
and she is totally right.

These ladies
 (and I now notice a lot of other modern quilters too)
are calling "liberated" piecing ..."improv" piecing.
OK....
And "inserting" seems to be what 
  Jan Mullins 
(I just taught the Daisiez pattern which is totally inserting!) 
and Diane Hire did...
with a new brighter, crisper, modern twist...
I suppose.

So, I went with an open mind, 
hoping to mingle with some modern ladies
and gain some new insight.







This is Katie, one of the authors/teachers.


Here's a cute monkey monkey that Jaquie made...fun!


This is the palette I brought
all Kaffe shot cottons.


My work is on the far left.
I would like to add some variety of strip width and block size.
Overall the class was mellow and fine
but once again, it's the company that I 
cherish most!

 Emily Cier was the quilter that was being featured in the gallery!
LOVE! HAPPINESS!
and lots of SMILES!




I am really loving the colors and the triangles.
I am feeling an itch to do a triangle quilt.


 How clever is this?!




Balance...
I took a class
and
taught a class on my "littlebits".



I made these cute baskets for the ladies!
I used a fun and easy tutorial from here -

Chris started this in class and then when home and stayed up way to late to finish!



Here's Debbie's
lovingly showing her and her husband!


Carolyn was industrious and free flowing!




And Shiela brought some cross stitch 
she had made for her military daughter in law 
and was able to start 
creating a lovely border!






Continuing to focus on balance,
out in the garden I have been!
Here's my peonieS!
YES...I need a capital S...as in...more than one!
I planted her fourteen years ago
and for years, nothing.
Last year, one gorgeous bloom...
this year FIVE!


I imagine the peony waiting patiently
not worrying
just being
TRUSTING
that the Universe has her back 
and 
all is already well.
Blooming or not blooming did not concern her.



Then I saw this on the bag of a kind lady in my class.
And I was grateful for the reminder!


Just believe...period.
Nice!


Thursday, May 16, 2013

PARTICIPATING IN BLOGGERS QUILT FESTIVAL!




 I am sooo excited 
to be participating in the 
Blogger's Quilt Festival!

My entry started as a challenge.
Could I use small bits 
of every piece 
of my novelty print collection of ladies and girl stuff 
all in one quilt?

YES! I could...
AND I could add all kinds of 
other novelty prints that represented 
different parts of my day/life as mom, wife, woman.

I am in  love with the result!
"Domestic Bliss "
Enjoy!


As a mom of three teenage boys,
life has been FULL and BUSY!
I really really enjoyed 
discovering ALL I do
represented in my fabric.











My dear friend Judy Irish quilted it...
notice the delightful
"Stephie heart Jim".







491/2 x 50ish
a little wonky, just like me

Let me know what your favorite fabric is.
I am partial to the piece that says, "I just peed and pood".
(You have to develop a keen sense 
of bathroom humor with three boys!)

Don't forget to treat your self...
 go visit all the creative entries at 




Saturday, May 11, 2013

WINNER!

Whew! How much fun was that??!!

THANK YOU!

for playing...

some interesting 
answers to the question,  
does the seasonal change to summer effects your sewing. 

It seems pretty even... 
some ladies
get more hand sewing done outside, 
some like the coolness 
of the air-conditioning, so the keep sewing, 
and some are too busy to sew.

Anne, 
from Norway, 
said summer is so short in Norway there is no effect...
and Joy was silly when
she shared that if she is wearing shorts, 
she sticks to her chair! 
Ha!

It was quite exciting for my blog to get so many responses 
AND
new followers!
WELCOME!

My son picked #48
Congrats to:
MissEnota aka Kristin S.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

GIVEAWAY!!!! and then some

I've been working without direction these last days.
A bit of this...


with thoughts of teaching some 
SCRAPTASTIC 
classes in the fall.


And a bit of this...


pieces for my Karen Stone quilt, 
Wild Women Don't Get the Blues.
(I am loving that title!)
The color play is fun,
but, 
seriously,
how many paper pieced blocks can one make?
hee-hee


(do you see that Pacific Northwest sunshine?! YUM!)

Here's my design wall.
The Quiltmaker's Shoppe,
in Arlington, 
 agreed to give me a chance to teach in the fall,
 I bought a fat quarter pack 
of the more subdued
colors (bottom left)...and I think I like it!


When I saw this interesting color design, 
a wonderful idea popped in my head...


it's time for a giveaway!!!

Next Friday, 
May10 at 5:00, 
my youngest son 
will pick a number 
based on the amount of entries.

One chance -leave a comment and tell me how or if 
summer 
effects your quilting time.
Second chance -become a follower of my blog.
Third chance - get a friend to leave a comment and/or become a follower.
Everybody is welcome to play!



Prize?
I'll share with you some of 
the-way-tooo-much-but-oh-sew-fun-fabric 
I bought during the Karen Stone class 
at the Stichin Post in Sisters, Oregon.

luscious 
fat quarters 
from a new favorite of mine, 
Marcia Derse!

I'll leave you with a quote from a new favorite book,
Creative Thursday, by Marisa Anne,

"Creating is an organic process, and we need to allow it to unfold into what it is meant to become. Perfection already exists in what is. It is up to us to recognize it."


WOOHOO!!! 
I decided at the very last minute to join
a grand giveaway party!
Check it out at
there are soooooo many delicious giveaways!
Have fun!