A couple of Charity Quilts I've been working on

They are almost done, hopefully I will get some help in the next week to finish them. Two are string quilts using some of my scraps and fabric I want use up. The other two were started a few years ago when our guild wasn't making charity quilts, but I still wanted to make them. Now I have a place to give them to so recently I've been inspired to finish them.

I'm Sewing Again

It's simple, if I am not working on a project or doing some type of quilting I let my poor little blog languish while it wait for my updates. Well, I am sewing on a project again! It is a Layer Cake and I decided I needed some bright happy fabrics to chase the winter blues away. Luckily my stash is still brimming with bright happy fabrics. Last week I went over to my friend Sue's house and worked on cutting out the pieced for the this quilt and the next day I started sewing on it. It is so satisfying sometimes to put together something that someone else has figured out the yardage and what not and I just cut ant sew. I've committed to a challenge at my quilt guild to finish it by June, binding and all. So, here goes....

Timon Likes It!

He is the first to use my goofy little rag rug!

New Modern Quilt - Crazy Martha

I have been looking at this pinned on my wall for the last month and it just couldn't find excitement over it anymore, not the way the last quilt did. I realized it was just too regular and predictable. So, I put some of my crazy (and there has been a lot of it in me these days) into it and added something unexpected, and to bring some sanity to me. It, again, may not be my best work, but at least I like it better than I did a few days ago and it has gotten me to sew again.

I think I am a little more nuts when I am not sewing. I always feel a bit more stable when I am sewing, making a progression to some sort of completion. Finding some kind of sanity amongst the chaos, some small bit I can control and conduct.

I think I am calling it "Crazy Martha" because most of it made with Martha Negley Prints, and my part of crazy is making it.


My rag rug is finished too. I don't like it as much as I did several months ago and need to move it from UFO to something silly that I use as a bath mat.

How I divide my three blogs

Sometimes I have a hard time dividing how I organize my three blogs. I am writing this more for myself to keep track of, but it will help you, as you stumble onto my blog, navigate all my entries.

All serve a purpose and all are quilt related.

This blog, flippytale Quilter is for general musings about quilting and day to day quiltiness. Just like what I am writing right now....

My STASHBUSTING is more about my works in progress and I will transfer blog entries from this blog as they relate to a specific project, but many entries are unique to that site. I have a list of my UFO's there as well as a 100 yard stashbust tracker and a "finish 25 quilts this year" tracker. I like those, they keep me motivated. I wasn't specific about which 25 quilts needed to be finished, just as long as 25 are completed this year, that includes new ones started along the way. Okay, I'm not that disciplined to just work on existing UFO's. .....I am an "artist" and must create.....argh!

Then my Wall of Delights are my finished quilts. Many entries were transfered from my web site to here (my web site is soooo out of date because I, don't laugh, know how to upload new stuff to it anymore) I will transfer entries from the Stashbusting to the Wall of Delights as I finish a project. I do try to go back an check all my links as I go to make sure there as a track back to each projects.

Complicated enough? I guess that is how my brain works, it won't be the first time I've been accused of making a system more complicated than it needs to be. I think I do it out of the need to figure stuff out and stay interested in projects. If it is complicated, I will fool with it. If it is too simple I will get bored and move on. Just wired up that way...

Al-righty, thanks for looking!

Stashbuster Topic of the Week - Labels

Lately I've been hand writing my labels with a Sharpie. (fine point) I have a couple of the Micron pens, but think they are too light. I like the dark line of the Fine Point Sharpie. The reason I've been hand writing my labels is because my printer is out of ink and I've just been to lazy to buy a new set of cartridges. I usually design something nice and fancy in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop and print it out on the treated fabric sheets you can buy and Hancock Fabrics. I have a packet of Printed Treasures, but haven't tried them yet.

I include my name, title, year, location, and maybe a photo the pertains to the design of the quilt.

Any notes that I've written are either in my sketch book or put in clear sleeves and put in a three ring binder.

Now I've started this blog to journal what I am thinking while I am creating each new quilt. It should be interesting to read back in a couple of years what I was thinking at certain times.

happythings String Quilt Tutorial

The most stunning String Quilt Ever! I just have to share what I found....

String Quilt Tutorial

happythings has posted an amazing quilt along with a tutorial on how to do it. It is so delicious I just want to drop everything else and start something new (but thats not hard for me)

Stuff Busting Tip

From Sister's Choice (Nicole)'s Blog:
What a great idea, I am always aware that I need to reduce my stuff, but don't always act on it, this is a great way to do it.

"...Real Simple magazine that advocated throwing out 50 items that are cluttering up your life. Just spend a Saturday picking out 50 things that have no further purpose in your life and chuck 'em. There were a few stipulations that made the process a trifle trickier. For instance, if you were going to toss your old magazines, you had to count the whole lot as ONE thing."

Thanks for sharing this great tip!

PQP!

Be sure to get your daily dose of vitamin PQP!


This is my inspiration to Quilt 'til you Wilt (Ann)'s PQP concept! (pure quilting pleasure)

I have access to some fancy 3D software and made these beauties with pictures of my currently favorite fabric. Yeah! Give me the large dose!

Timon & Tucker's Bed Quilt

It will be mostly Tucker's Quilt since I've positioned it at his favorite spot on the bed.

Can you see my "excellent" quilting? I did only what I had to hold it together, will see how it goes through its first washing, I may need to add more. The corduroy is the perfect fur magnet too, not sure if this is a good thing or not.

Anyway I finished it last night and it removes two items from my UFO list .... Yeah!



Click on Tucker to read about my progress on this quilt:

F.I.S.H.

Urm.... I am this, so compeletly.... I want to thank Cat in the Batt (Vicky) for inventing and sharing a name for this condition:

Fabric fondling + Inhaling + Stroking + Holding = F.I.S.H.

Oh that sounds so wonderful, yet so dirty, and fun! Oh wait, I've been doing this all weekend with my new fabric ... gulp! hehe

What if I created my own Fabric...

My Day Job is not that pesky, really, I like that it allows me to fund things like a nice home to cover me a my two old-man kitties and ALL my fabulous fabric, as well as the ability to purchase more fabulous fabric.

But, I've been sketching a lot in the last two days after seeing the show and want to do more than just fondle my fabric. I would love to stay home for a week and just cut and play and sew and make stuff. I have so many ideas ... waiting...

A friend of mine just released her second line of fabric, WOW! So, naturally I am thinking the next obvious thoughts...

What kind of fabric would I design if I could create any pattern?

What fabric cannot I not find that I would like use?

Would it be a reproduction, new idea, inspired by my favorite artist/designer?

What would be the subject?

How could it be used?

Is it a Graphic Pattern?

Is it a Blendy, Impressionistic Pattern?

I would like to see a range of shades with good contrast

Are my doodles worthy of the permanence of fabric?

Do I really need to create my own fabric when there is so much else out there?

My guild has an Art Bee, I would like to start attending, I am failing at the Stashbuster Bee. I am already abandoning my projects and designing the next (thus creating more UFOs). I have to come to make peace with this way that I work so that I stop beating myself up each time my mind races to the next exciting idea.

Soooo, the next exciting idea.... I have a really nifty design worked up to show case my treasure trove of recently purchased fabrics (Amy Butler, Jane Sassaman, Valori Wells, Martha Negley) . I want each beautiful print to be showcased in the quilt and not cut up too small. I have a design I created about five years ago with some other fabrics, but have repurposed it to work with these.

Tonight I've finished drafting the design and am really excited by how they fit together. The design will involve these fabrics

I came - I saw - I spent

The bus trip to Paducah was just what I expected, a great show, beautiful quilts, lots of walking, lots of spending!
This is my fabric diet for April...

..but it was a planned binge.

And here is the LOOT that I brought home from the show


We had an hour after the show to stop at Hancock's of Paducah. They have a back room of flat fold, bolt ends for 3.98 a yard. I went a little NUTTY! 24 yards! (you do the math.... that's a hundred clams) I really need to find a pattern that will show case the loveliness of these great fabrics that won't require me to cut them into little pieces. They are so out of character of the other fabric I possess, but right in character with how they make me feel

(A bit of a weird reference to 24, but I sort of felt like Jack digging through the flat folds and dodging other eager hunters at the store. And then I came up with the magic number of 24 yards... and I do like the show. "I promise to do everything I can to get the fabric home safely and not let if fall into an enemy's hands, I promise")

The pictures I took at the show were the quilts that inspired me the most, and were all detail shots. I bought the show picture catalog so I will have a quick visual of every quilt at the show.
These are two of my favorites were more abstract in design; "Evergreen" and "Loose Curves"


Most of the quilts chosen for this year's show were symmetrical, more traditional than in the past, and many quilters were adding crystals to their quilts. Wonder how the Nashville AQS show in August will go...

WIPs

How did I end up with so much Pink and Ivory? I am using their boxes to press my little rag rug, which doesn't lay so flat no matter how much I steam iron it. But that's okay too, I plan to use it as a bath mat. Now cutting up the Pink and Ivory would be a good stash busting project, to reduce those colors, and they do look good together, if you like that sort of thing, which I know many people do, so maybe a gift? See... I like dark earthy colors, with only the occasional light, bright color to be thrown in to add a highlight or sparkle.



Again, with the beating of self about how many UFO's I have and how few I've finished. I've set a goal of completing 25 projects this year, I don't care if they are new projects or UFO's as long as it is all from my stash (with the exception of April)

Well here is one stashbusting idea I had this week, two tops I made that I don't really want to go further with, they are in fabrics that are not "quilty". The purple one is a poly blend from my beginner years, the second is corduroy from the same era. I am thinking that if I just sew the two together the boys might enjoy a good snooze on them. I don't mind washing these repeatedly.

Especially with these fuzzies


Oh, I could use a mental health day. I think Sunday will be a true day of rest, lots of naps, no chores. (not like I keep a perfect house or anyone will see it to know the difference) Not that I am truly complaining, I know you with families have a lot more obligations than I do. But, even the unencumbered like me feel overwhelmed at times, and that is me this week, just not enough time to do all that I would like, too many woulda-coulda-shoulda's... as always, I know I will be fine as long as I take time to take care of myself, which is what is next on my agenda.

Tomorrow is the bus trip and I am hoping to have some good chats with my quilting sisters! Yeah!

More UFO's

I went looking for a pattern I designed a few years ago so I could give a copy to a friend and in the process became re-aquainted with all the VAST amount of UFO's I have created over the years. Why do I leave them behind? When I revisit them I remember the emotion and excitement I felt for them at the time. What happened to that that first blush away. Do I have that much trouble concentrating on one thing for very long? Somehow I manage to finish stuff, but when I see how much I haven't finished I really see the glass half empty....

MY Quilts in Progress

WIP Rag Rug

A voice in my head said "wouldn't a bit of yellow be nice?" So I am putting little yellow circles around the edges and am filling in with the red. Have used up about five yards now.


The 3/4" bias

WIP Weekend Stashbusting

I had a crazy idea when I saw an image in a design magazine (I think Elle Decor) for a designer rug, sold for who knows how much.
"Eliana Gerotto & Patricia Urquiol’s Crochet rug for Paola Lenti"

I thought "hey! I could do that!" Then I thought about the heavy thread that they must have used to make it, and then it occured to me that I could make it from bias fabric. I have a bag of fabric I am not so fond of, the colors are fine but the prints are incredibly out of date. Hmmm......

So by the end of the weekend I've cut up about 3-1/2 yards of fabric so far into 3/4" bias and crocheted it up. I still like the colors, and what a great way to turn ugly fabric into something nice! Here is my interpretation of that rug, it is about 15", point to point so far....

YouTube! Quilt Stash

Oh! this is GREAT!!!!

FABRIC STASH

She really needs a "No Buy" policy, her granddaughter narrates it so perfectly too!

{pause for breath}

OMG! and here is ANOTHER ONE!!!!

QUILTING WITH BUCK

I nearly busted a few stitches over the skill saw!

Oh, AND I just got done rating all the Super Bowl Commercails (Nope, didn't watch the game, but will go on line and watch commercials for FREE)
{insert crazy person sounds here ***b-b-b-b-b-b-b***}

SUPERBOWL COMMERCIALS

My personal fav is the Blockbuster "Mouse", again, I burst a few seams over that one too, though the Career Builder ones came in pretty close for me.

Ok, off to bed ... nighty, night
{sound of crazy person scampering off into another room.... **he-he-he-he**}

Bloggimacation

I keep learning new things about these blog formats that lets me do mre sophistacted things with my pages.
My UFO pages are becoming more of a Diary of each quilt's progress, much better than if I just sat down and tried to remember everything.

My Storm at Sea challenge will get the most journaling since I am working on it while I am learning about blogging. It is certainly a blog baby!

I am so excited about blog pages that I am thinking of converting my Professional Portfolia to a series of blog pages. Not sure yet, but my web pages are so antiquated.

Oh, and I discovered LABELS ... !!!!

Inventorying UFO's & Inspirations

More UFO's are listed:
STASH BUSTER

*******************

And in othe news...

Am working on the update of the look of my professional portofolio. Hmmm, and my quilting will be a big influence, though it may not be recognized in the final product. Must use motifs that are resounding with me now. My portfolio was designed over a decade ago, and feels it when I look at it.

My Eames quilts is a basis of inspiration for my new direction...


And Angela Adams rugs and such (which also inpsired the above
ANGELA ADAMS

And of course Charles and Ray Eames, especially the shapes that they used in their furniture designs
EAMES
or Google it for more...