FAL Q1 - A Look Back

As the first quarter of 2013 wraps many quilting bloggers are assessing ​their progress by way of the 2013 Finish-A-Long, hosted by Leanne of She Can Quilt. There are already many links posted which I'm eager to take in over the next few days, and I'm glad I went back to read the instructions again, as this is a bit different than other link parties I've seen! 

My initial post, found here, listed essentially 7 items, and I have to say I did better than I realized as I went.​ I can say that I got a true completion on 4 of those (grouping the mass of pot holders as one listing), and of the remaining 3 items, 2 are underway. I hit a hiccup with quilting the pink and green baby quilt, wanting to do circles or bubbles, but not having the proper technique down. Thinking I'll need to employ a compass to mark my quilt. Worse things have happened.

Whether I'll be continuing on for the second quarter, that is still up in the air. I know that I work better with deadlines, but the self-imposed kind don't always pull muster. In the mean time I'll enjoy looking through other people's successes and upcoming goals linked over at She Can Quilt.​

Giveaway Winner!

So, apparently next time I decide to do a giveaway I shouldn't add it as a parenthetical on a post. There was but one comment in response to last week's magazine giveaway, which made choosing a winner very easy - but no less exciting to me! I'm thrilled to have dropped off a sweet little packet headed to Lauren S. yesterday at the post office. Here's what she offered as her recent inspirations:

I'm inspired by paper-pieced stars and geometric designs; there are far too many inspiring blogs to list them all, and trying to find the original source is impossible!​

And there is actually one paper-pieced star project in the magazine, too! So again, thank you Lauren for taking the time to play along and keep your eyes peeled for the manilla envelope with the above goodies which should be arriving early next week.​

Exciting Reveal, #2 (and giveaway!)

I don't yet have one of these guys in my grubby little hands, but the announcement can now go public...​ At least I got the "official word" of the go-ahead, just haven't seen the fruits yet.

That spring issue of Quilt Magazine's Simple Quilts & Sewing that will be popping up in quilt shops, bookstores and magazine shops officially today, March 19th, will be featuring one of my quilts! ON THE COVER!!

stolen from the quiltmag.com website

This is my first quilt ever to get publication and I am so thrilled!​ And they even catered the title colors to those of the quilt!

The genesis of this little gem is actually quite a simple one. Last spring (2012) I decided to design something from scratch for the juried PMQG exhibition within the annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the largest such show in the country, I believe.​ I have to say that given the amount of talent and drive within our Portland chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild I was honored to have my Lock 'n' Bolt quilt among those chosen to exhibit.

And certainly could never have imagined what would come of it. At the most I thought maybe someone would take note of my name and add me to their blog roll or something. Maybe.​ (this was before I realized that the guild had spelled my name wrong!Ooops.)

But what does a person do with this momentum? Run with it, of course. The question is, how? As those of you who have been following my blog are aware, I am approaching 2013 in a pro-active, positive, get-things-done sort of way, and this is perfect fodder for that fire.​

And in celebration of that energy, I'm offering a little GIVE-AWAY. A copy of the magazine (which always has a whole bunch of fun projects included!), plus a little fabric bundle bonus. Leave a comment letting us all know either what project of your own has been the fire in your belly, or if someone else inspired you, please share your inspiration (and the credit) and perhaps where you hope to go with it. One thing I love about being involved in the quilting world right now is that we are truly a community - both online and in the real world. One that shares its experiences, its loves, its questions and difficulties, its techniques and its inspirations. So please share with me as I am so eager to share with you! A winner of the give-away will be announced one week from the magazine release date (March 19), on Tues. March 26th.

Oh, and if you want to enter the giveaway, please be sure to leave an email address in your comment. International entries welcome.

Perfect is in the eye of the... doer?

One of my running statements when I participate in a VQB (virtual quilting bee) is that I am far from a perfectionist. I certainly do my best to deliver a well-conceived and well-executed block to my other bee mates, but when it comes to the blocks sent my way, if a corner doesn't match or a seam is off by a smidge... enh, I'll work with it. No worries. Nobody's perfect.

​a BOM from a couple of years ago... all pieced by me, block in the upper left has a couple points missing their marks, the one in the lower right is the same, and you might notice the setting block where I had to substitute fabric after miscalculating and not being able to find more. Making due, man!

And then it comes to working on layout for a quilt (whether it's a bee quilt or one I've pieced entirely on my own) and I learn something about myself. I'm not a technical perfectionist, but oh my, overall design will getcha every time!​ And by "getcha" I mean ME.

If you've been checking out my blog (or my flickr or my facebook page)​ lately you have no doubt been seeing my adventure with the Design Camp 2 improv bee blocks which I have been receiving since last August. In fact, two have arrived within the last week or so!

So, I put these guys up on the design wall about 5 weeks ago to begin working on piecing the top. At least some of the blocks have remained up there all of that time, going through any number of reconfigurations, new layouts, edits and so on while I fill in the blanks.​

​2/23/13

​3/1/13

​3/15/13

The first two photos are pretty much just where I left things that day. Many other arrangements occurred in the mean time. I lost count ages ago.​ And after stepping back and taking in what was going on mid-afternoon yesterday (3/15/13 - the photo above on the right) I realized that this got WAY BUSIER than I had ever intended. And also entirely unbalanced. I don't do well with imbalance in my quilts. See, the perfectionist is rearing her ugly head.

Next step... taking almost everything off the design wall!​ Undoing a couple of seams that were already joining large areas of the top and just playing again. And I have to admit, one of the decisions that made this new approach possible is to use several of the pieced blocks on the back. There was just too much crowding of the lower right quadrant and I still hadn't brought in the last block to arrive. I hope no one from the bee feels shirked, as I love all of the blocks I have, and am still being very considered in which ones go together on the other side of this quilt-to-be. 

​3/15/13

​EOD 3/15/13

The changes are definitely subtle, but hopefully still make a difference. ​(oh, and please excuse the angle of that last photo... tripod and wall not quite on the same plane - oops).

I may have said this already in a previous post, because I KNOW I've thought it several times while working on this guy, but here it is again: Improv quilts are really tough to put together!! There's something to be said for having a plan going into the process, even if one allows oneself to adapt the plan mid-stream. I think I will be glad to get back to something easily drafted on my graph paper where the parts fit together in a regular way and I just get to play with the variations in color and value again. But I shall see this to the end before I allow my design wall to move on to the next project!! And with that, I am committed!​

The Parallel Road

So far this year I think I can say I have been keeping up with keeping goals, just not necessarily the specific goals I set out with. And that's OK. ​

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am quite certain I will not complete my entire list of hopefuls for the 1st Quarter Finish-A-Long, hosted this year by Leanne at She Can Quilt. I HAVE been making better progress than I initially thought, though! Of the original 7 items (including the pattern thing) I have finished 4 so far! Granted, I probably will end up going back in to do more quilting on the Icy-Cool diamond quilt, but technically it's finished and bound! And perhaps by the end of March, this

just basted yesterday!

will be crossed off that list, too!

But how did all of these other UFOs and new, exciting things creep in as well??

Not to mention bee blocks! ​Oh the fun I've been having!

And the best part... I've been reacquainting myself with my stash. Do any of you other quilters out there ever have that issue? I feel as though I got so caught up in either projects that I HAD to work on, or new inspirations which relied on particular prints in the world and was out seeking bits and pieces to finish things up...​ and neglected my stash. But I'm trying to be better. There are some great prints I have languishing on those shelves! 

​Erin McMorris for Free Spirit

​Kitty Yoshida's "Brooklyn Heights" for Benartex

​Those good ol' Dogwood Blooms from Joel Dewberry for Free Spirit

​A classic Amy Butler print from her "Belle" collection for Rowan.

Just to highlight a few.

One of the reasons I rarely take part in fabric swaps - not because I'm stingy but because I can't think of anything I am ISO (in search of) that I couldn't find a suitable mate or substitute on my own shelves. Hilarious, I know. 

So UFOs, WIPs, unrealized sketches, I'm callin' on you now! Finished quilt tops waiting to be quilted, well, y'all might have to continue to wait, but I'll get there eventually too. And in the mean time, you're getting new friends and neighbors every day this week.​

Exciting reveal, #1

March. ​A.K.A March Madness here in the PDX eastside fabric shops. Bolt Fabric Boutique and Cool Cottons have teamed up for a little customer appreciation and crossover fun. Gina and Marie have been looking for a way to honor the other's amazing store and our combined fabulous customers, and this month they are doing it big. Spend just $25 at either of these great shops and receive a coupon for 15% off your next purchase at the other one. All Month.

And lucky me, I get to have my work featured in the prime ​"over the mantle" real estate at Cool Cottons this month!

I've been leaving hints and teasers for well over a month about a "super-secret" wall hanging project. Well, here it is! Marie first approached me just before the start of the new year with an idea to feature some of the less-exposed, abundant talent of our local patrons and kindly asked if I'd make something for one of the months. I got out my sketchbook before the conversation was even over!​

Now, of course part of the goal is to showcase some of her awesome fabric used in a new project. This gave me a great excuse to design something around a print I have been incredibly drawn to but had not yet found its way into my stash. The Jay McCarroll  "Midtown" from his Center City collection - Denver. 

This guy has a truly unique style and always comes up with vibrant, dynamic designs. I love it!

So the next step was to find a few more prints to really highlight this treasure...​

​From left to right: Kaffe Fassett shot cotton in Scarlet, FolkHeart by Sara Trail for Fabri-Quilt, Lucky Penny by Alison Glass for Andover, Center City by Jay McCarroll for Free Spirit, Field Study-Mind's Eye by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit and Soul Blossom by Amy Butler for Rowan. Oh, and the background is Kona Bay Black.

I am currently working on drafting an actual pattern for this puppy, but my technical writing skills could use a lot of work, not to mention my complete lack of InDesign skills. But I'm trying and will hopefully have something available either in print form or PDF soon.​ But in the mean time, here are a couple of close-ups of this little guy.

​Have I mentioned how much I LOVE how the Shot Cottons show off quilting??

Now, the choice to have my quilt hanging in March is related to another big reveal that I can't quite announce just yet, but hope to be able to spill the beans very very soon. I can say that it has something to do with my Lock 'n' Bolt quilt that I made last summer for the PMQG exhibit at Sisters, which did a little traveling during the fall before coming back to me to now hang in my studio. Please stay tuned...