What IS normal, anyway?

Is there a normal life? Does anyone ever live a normal life? Sometimes I find myself wanting to “get back to a normal routine”. But usually, it just means “getting to do whatever I want to do, when I want to do it”. Wait a minute – that sounds exactly like my definition of being retired. And since I am retired, why am I not living a normal life? Oh, I know! I haven’t done a lick of sewing or quilting since I put all of those sleeves on all those quilts that you saw in my last post. I think I’m having withdrawal symptoms.

News from the studio

Studio time has been limited to non-sewing stuff. I finally got sick of the larger pieces of batting stashed all over the place, and got them a bit organized. I took a hamper we weren't using and put all the smaller pieces in it - when the bag is full, I'll put them into a clear bag and put them in the guild auction in the fall. The big pieces I measured, labeled, and have found a place for them in the closet.

Sometimes, I like to serge the raw edges of yardage before it is pre-washed. The little, inexpensive serger I have has languished, unused for a few years, so I knew it had to be serviced. I'd prefer to just make it a boat anchor, but in case it could be saved... So, my traveling service guy stopped by the house, spruced 'er up good, tightened up the tension control wheels, and now she just hums along. Just wish she would thread herself!

A visit to the Mead Orchard

Last week, the DH and I drove to upstate NY, to visit my sister and her DH. His family owns a large orchard near Tivoli, Mead Orchards. They grow many varieties of apples, peaches, pears, cherries, apricots, you name it. They also have some acreage in veggies and fruits, like strawberries and blueberries for the summer markets. They have pick your own in the fall, make their own cider, and on and on.

Oh, the DS and I have started our own shop hop in that part of the country. There are NO quilt stores in her area – but if you are willing to drive (and who isn’t?) you can hit a few. We found 2 of them, one in Selkirk (got some batik @ 25% off) and my favorite so far, The Patchwork Co., in Windham. That's one of their blocks of the month. Great store! 

 Back to real life

After all of that, it’s back to “normal” – but the mundane kind: fill up the frig, go to the pharmacy, make dr. appointments, take care of guild business, etc. and still no quilting! Sorry, I just can’t devote my life to the mundane. So, the payoff for all that mundane stuff is to reward myself with studio time!! The goal today is to wash the batik I got in NY and figure out where I am on that Precision Piecing class quilt.

So, do the daily chores with joy, knowing that your reward is waiting for you in your sewing space!

Now let’s go quilting!

Appalachian Heritage Quilters Quilt Show - Huge success

Milky Way

The AHQ quilt show was a huge success!! Approximately 160 quilts were on display at the Crossroads Christian Church in Gray, TN this past Friday and Saturday – and they were beautiful! Best show we have had since I have been a member. Check out the Facebook page for Appalachian Heritage Quilters to see lots of pictures and info. I can hardly wait for next year. I was blessed to sell one of my quilts, Milky Way, to a local couple who will put it on display in their home. 

 

 

To get ready for the show, I needed to put hanging sleeves on 8 quilts, and a binding on one of those.  It was a customer’s first quilt that she agreed enter into the show. She did a fantastic job, didn't she?

Customer's first quilt!

As you can guess, I spent last weekend with needle and thread. If you are looking for a needle for hand sewing that glides through the fabric and has a big enough eye, that you can actually thread it – I have the answer: Dritz Embroidery needles, size 8. Then there's the only thimble I can wear now. I don't remember the name of it, but it has a rubber body that is comfortable and functional on my aging knuckles. 

By the way, setting up a quilt show is a major deal. Not to mention, getting it all out of the church sanctuary quickly, so it could be set up for Sunday morning!! Here are just a few pictures of set up.  Hmm, the few pictures I have here seem to imply that Angie and Sandy were the only ones working - but there were a bunch of us. The others must have been just out of picture range, or taking a cookie break. A BIG thanks to everyone who pitched in to make it happen!

If you have never entered a quilt in a quilt show - just go ahead and do it. It is great fun and very rewarding.

Now y'all have a great week, and let's go quilting!

Surprise! Surprise!

I usually don't like surprises. I'm afraid I won't like what I'm surprised with, or that it won't be exactly what I would have bought for myself. The same is true with me and fabric. To get that guarantee that all the fabrics in a quilt go together, I've been using pre-cuts and yardage from the same line. It's a safe way to get a well-balanced look in a quilt. But I love to use batiks. Since most batiks bleed, I must be able to pre-wash them, which is impossible with pre-cuts. So, I use a limited number of batik fabrics in a project, and agonize over selecting ones that coordinate with each other. Thankfully, there is a little collection of color cards that are a big help to me. If you are color-challenged, check out the Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool by Joen Wolfrom. It is a big help at the quilt store, and I'm usually pleased with the results.

Lately, I've been wanting to make one of Jenny Doan's easy, scrappy quilts with batiks, but have been thwarted by the idea of finding a myriad of fabrics to work with. Lucky me! Batiks Etc has been having a Fat Quarter Frenzy (20 fat quarters for $30). So, I just sucked it up and ordered a bundle online! Scary, for sure, trusting a total stranger to pick 20 fabrics for me, but I could get 20 fabrics and not have to select a single one. I told them that I like cool colors, and which colors I like the best and just waited to see what I would get. Well, today the happy collection showed up in my mailbox and I am very pleased with them! Whoever had the job of picking out the fat quarters did a wonderful job!

Seems like a lot of us quilters want to be in control of our fabric choices - at least most of the time. My hunch is that many of us need to be in control of other things in our lives, as well. Maybe it's time for us to learn to relax a little, and trust someone else to make a fabric choice for us. We might be pleasantly surprised.

Have a great week! Now, let's go quilt something.

Breaking free of "stuck" mode

Always put a lull-in-the-action in your studio to good use. I got stalled last week, waiting to acquire what I needed to continue. I really don't like being in that situation. I'm uncomfortable, and wander aimlessly through the house wondering what to do with myself.

First, I got stuck behind a needed tool. As you may remember, I'm taking the Precision Piecing class on Craftsy. The instructor had us make a template with all the different angles that quilters use. We marked all the seams and angles on it and punched holes in it where the seams intersect.

Now this is a precision piecing class. An inaccurate, homemade tool (the best I can do)  cannot precisely mark dots at seam intersections, no matter how accurately the patches are cut. I at least need a tool more accurate than one made by me. So I stopped working on those blocks, and ordered a tool made exactly for this purpose, The Quilter's Quarter Marker is available at SewUnique.com. (Thankfully, it arrived on Monday.) It works great! Oh, I just heard from Janet Hoxie (sales@sewunique.com) that the tool is on back order at the moment. It should arrive in 5-6 weeks. If you want, she will put you on the waiting list and let you know when they arrive.

Secondly, quilting work is stalled. I'm waiting for a thread order for one job, and am stuck behind a panto order on another. It can be very frustrating for me to just wait! My kindergarten teacher, Miss Taylor, noted on one of my report cards (which I still have) that "Sharon does not handle frustration well." So true.

Anyway, while waiting, I wandered around the studio, trying to get interested in a ufo or something. I spotted a project box, covered with dust, and found a top and backing just waiting to be discovered. What a treat. They had been in that same box since 2010! It's a slightly modified version of the Milky Way design by Georgette Dell'Orco. I had thread that was perfect for it - so I threw it on the longarm and voila!

 











Now I'm not quite so stuck. I can move forward on my Precision Piecing class, and will give myself a break from making decisions about future projects until the thread and panto show up.

Oh, BTW. I just scheduled a Learn to Quilt with Jack and Jill class at Heavenly Stitches Quilt Shoppe in Kingsport, TN. It will start May 6 at 2:00pm, and run for 6 weeks, ending on 6/10. If anyone you know is interested in learning to quilt, have them call Heavenly Stitches at 423-406-1401. The only prerequisites are to be familiar with their machine and be able to sew a straight seam.

Now let's go quilt something!

Patience is not a virtue

Patience is not a virtue. It's a treasure, a gift, a skill, and a habit. Many in the general public think that quilters must be a very patient bunch of people. But you and I know otherwise. Only a few of us quilters, in my opinion, are truly patient. Patient means: enduring, tolerant, unwearied, uncomplaining, long-suffering, and serene. If we are really patient, our projects would be completed calmly, diligently, and without complaint from start to finish. If you are a patient quilter, you are richly blessed.

The rest of us have the 2-edged sword of impatience. Impatient means: annoyed, irritated, frustrated, and angry. Which of course, leads to mistakes and more frustration. BUT, impatient can also mean eager, excited, and enthusiastic. The positive aspects of impatience can quickly turn to the negative without the ability to move into a patient mode to get the project you are eager to do, actually done. Here are some suggestions:

• Play your favorite calming music as you sew. I personally like adagios - the quiet and often pensive type of classical music. But, if country music takes you there - go for it!
• Stay hydrated, pee when you need to, eat lunch, and take a break now and then.
• When you get frustrated - stop, breathe, and make it okay to take a break. Just don't abandon the whole project. Yesterday I heard myself say "I'm just going to throw the whole thing in the trash!" That was my clue to call it a day. 
• Practice patience. This actually works to help you move into a patient place when you need to. At the grocery store on a busy day, get in the longest line you can find. Breathe, talk to the people around you, breathe, smile, breathe. Then on your way out to your car, saunter.

 
Why am I even talking about this? Because working on the Amish Pinwheel block for the Precision Piecing class on Craftsy had begun to take a toll. I definitely WANT to know how to piece (nearly) "perfectly" when I need to, but I'm so impatient, that if it isn't coming together immediately, I tend to get upset. Yesterday, I finally had enough of being upset. So I implemented the "call it a day" strategy. Today, I'll do another block, and tomorrow, another. But I won't start pushing myself any harder than that on this project. I'll exercise a little patience - maybe.

Now let's go quilt something!

What's the point, anyway?

Have you taken any of the classes on Craftsy? I have watched several classes, but had never actually done one. You know, actually worked along with the class on the specific projects used for learning. But, right now, I am actually doing a Craftsy class.

As a perfectionist quilter, I agonize over every seam and point match, every cut, pressing, etc. As a result, I piece pretty well. But I met my match in one of my own designs! The block is mostly all triangles. Talk about matching points and seam allowances. The block just cries out for precision piecing. So I'm doing Precision Piecing by Norah McMeeking . Just got started at it, so I'm still finding my way. BUT check it out. At least one of my units looks pretty good. I have a lot of units left to make. Next is Y-seams.


Not surprisingly, Norah is a quintessential quilting perfectionist - and human. So, we get to see how she corrects mistakes - from mis-cutting a stripset, to orienting the diamonds backward, to points that don't match. Thankfully, we all get to pick and choose when to do it over and when to let it go.

Do you sometimes let it go, even if you believe in your heart you "should" do it over?  Well, I believe that you actually should do it over IF the quilt is going into a judged show, you will give the quilt to someone who is very picky (or, better yet, give the quilt to someone who appreciates you), or you love the satisfaction you get when each of the seams matches perfectly. Otherwise, no one else will care, and neither should you!

Have a delightful week. Now let's go quilt something!