When I saw Manda from Quilty Moments post about this, I knew I had to enter ... obviously I did necause I'm a hopeless fabric addict and there are some delicious prizes on offer of a fabricatious nature! ... but in all seriousness, this really struck a chord (or should I say cord? you know how I love my cords!)because if there's one overarching aim I have for 2012 it's to resolve to sew more ... and I do mean I need to be resolved to do so, not because I lack the desire to sew, but because I let everything else in life get in the way, and especially the little obstacles that I let become barriers, like threading needles, needing to master the sewing machine, getting the mobility van to and from quilt club sew nights .... as you can imagine, I'm not short of excuses for why I have nothing for show and tell week after week!
The original post is here on Very Bery Handmade One of the rules is that I have to name my preferred prize from the list .... I think my number 1 choice would be the lifetime's supply of Christmas cake, delivered at monthly intervals until there is a world shortage of almonds with which to make the marzipan to go on top of the cakes, or the world supply of brandy that moistens the cake and plumps up its pretty little raisins hits drought levels,or I end up in a diabetic coma, whichever comes first ...
... oh,maybe I imagined that prize! OK, my next number 1 choice is ... (7 FQ) from Dan Bennett’s Premier Lord collection from Eclectic Maker
www.eclecticmaker.co.uk
and I think I can name my other prize preferences too, so second and third choice would be:
2. Fat quarter bundle (3 FQs) of polka dots from Lake House/Tanya Whelan from Quilt Me Happy
www.quiltmehappy.co.uk ... polka dots are one of few patterns I still can see quite clearly ... they litterally jump off the shelves at me in the quilt stores!
3. Fat quarter bundle (4FQs) from Kate Spain’s Terrain collection from Gone to Earth
www.gonetoearth.co.uk
So here they are, my resolutions for 2012. I've focused on half a dozen "aims" rather than projects, which you can find a plethora of in my "Between Now And The End Of The World" post back in December... these are skills I want to work on throughout 2012, and that list of projects will hopefully be the nitty gritty way in which I accomplish my resolutions!
1. I am not going to let every little thing stop me from doing *something* with a needle and thread each week
2. I am going to learn as many of the "basics" as I can, primarily through Craftsy.com where I've signed up for aa 2 blocks per month challenge.
2b. ... I will make as many of those blocks as I can without any assistance, no matter how clunky they turn out!
3. I am going to try and fit in learning some Free Motion Quilting, using Quilter in the Gap's very helpful introduction video tutorial, and Quokka Quilts's recently started QAYGFMQAL which I know several of you are also doing!
4. I hope to hold my own challenge midway through the year, with more than a little inspiration and help from Quokka Quilts (her again!) ... the plan is for a tactile quilt challenge though the details are still in deliberation ... more later!
5. I will have a giveaway myself too, having been the very happy winner of several over the course of 2011. Having just passed 50 followers I would like to celebrate that, and will do so as soon as I think of what would make a nice prize!'
6. I will try and respond to more comments and get to know my new followers, even when their blogs aren't on Blogger and therefore aren't part of my update summary list ... I'm bad at forgeting to stop by their websites and I must do better! I hope you do know how much I appreciate your comments, whether you comment on every post or just once or twice .. they all add up to a great bunch of happiness and I know I don't tell y'all enough!
So that's it, my resolutions for 2012. You have my permission to come round my house and take a handful of my stash mountain for every resolution I fail to keep ... I'll even make you a cup of tea and a cake before you leave.
How to sew a straight line when you're blind or have low vision, and other adventures. Follow me as I try my hand at sewing after 25 years, beginning with quilting class .
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Easy Camel!
Right back when this blog began I mentioned I needed help threading needles. I tried a weird and wonderful contraption that worked but which more often than not left me tangled up in thread and the needle laughing at me no closer to being threaded! Then there was a needle designed to have an opening alongside the eye, with a little notch which the thread would catch on and slot into the eye ... that worked but the needle itself was so blunt my poor little fingers cried at pushing it through even a single layer of fabric.
So for the last 6 months I've largely been dependant on others to thread needles for me, and my evenings at Quilt Club were constrained by how many needles i could take with me (not being the sort of guy who likes to ask for help with something as basic as threading a needle at Quilt Club!)
Then I discovered a different design of self-threading needle. This one has a groove right on top of the needle, above the eye ... I tried and made no progress trying to even fathom how this mechanism worked, and so I quickly gave up. Then this weekend I've started reading the Elm Creek Quilts books, beginning with The Elm Creek Quilt Sampler, the first 3 books in the series. I enjoyed the first 2 and was reading book 3 today ... I was certainly inspired when I read about Sylvia having a stroke but working to recover her ability to quilt ... including threading a needle by moistening the eye of the needle instead of the thread ...
So, feeling brave I got out my needle and thread and moistened the eye and waved the thread in the general direction of the eye ....
no luck! You need to remember that when you can't see the thread and can't really feel it between your fingers, you've no way of knowing how close or far you are from getting it through the eye, so it's a case of 100 or more attempts and sheer luck whether you get anywhere!
With the blunt needle design I also had trouble because I couldn't easily line up the 2 ends of the thread to knot them (blind people find it much easier when the thread is knotted so that it can't pull out of the eye again when you drop the needle ... I think the correct term is double threading but I might be wrong about that!)
Anyhow, refusing to give up, thanks to Sylvia's storyline perceverance, I kept trying different ways to figure out how this groove on top of the needle was supposed to help the thread through the eye ... and hey presto!
I didn't even think I'd be able to line the thread up with the groove (remember, I can't see the thread!) ... but I found that by pulling the thread (still attached to the reel) so that it is taut, then it's surprisingly easy to get the needle to rest with the groove on the thread ... then it's just a question of wiggle wiggle jiggle so the thread angles to the side ... and at one side you find there's a little slit and the thread just pops into the eye! :)
Congratulations you have threaded your needle!
And the extra benefit is that the thread can be pulled to a good length before you start, then you can make it taut just next to the reel, and when you work at that taut part you can ignore the rest ... just get the taut bit into the eye and then you can run your hand along to the loose end, grab it between thumb and forefinger, bring it towards the reel and your right to cut and knot it ... all done and no more stress!
I should add that this design of needle has a much sharper point which is why I wanted to get it working, so now I'm happy and my fingers are happy too!
There have been a few people interested in my experiences with these needles, so if you want to know more - instructions or just makes / types, then leave a comment or email and I'll happily go into more detail!
I'd had to give Quilt Club a miss tonight because, quite frankyly, I'd forgotten it was the third Monday of the month already! I therefore hadn't booked a bus, and with more snow in the forecast i decided to stay home. However, with this minor success with the needle, hopefully this opens the door to a lot more sewing!
So for the last 6 months I've largely been dependant on others to thread needles for me, and my evenings at Quilt Club were constrained by how many needles i could take with me (not being the sort of guy who likes to ask for help with something as basic as threading a needle at Quilt Club!)
Then I discovered a different design of self-threading needle. This one has a groove right on top of the needle, above the eye ... I tried and made no progress trying to even fathom how this mechanism worked, and so I quickly gave up. Then this weekend I've started reading the Elm Creek Quilts books, beginning with The Elm Creek Quilt Sampler, the first 3 books in the series. I enjoyed the first 2 and was reading book 3 today ... I was certainly inspired when I read about Sylvia having a stroke but working to recover her ability to quilt ... including threading a needle by moistening the eye of the needle instead of the thread ...
So, feeling brave I got out my needle and thread and moistened the eye and waved the thread in the general direction of the eye ....
no luck! You need to remember that when you can't see the thread and can't really feel it between your fingers, you've no way of knowing how close or far you are from getting it through the eye, so it's a case of 100 or more attempts and sheer luck whether you get anywhere!
With the blunt needle design I also had trouble because I couldn't easily line up the 2 ends of the thread to knot them (blind people find it much easier when the thread is knotted so that it can't pull out of the eye again when you drop the needle ... I think the correct term is double threading but I might be wrong about that!)
Anyhow, refusing to give up, thanks to Sylvia's storyline perceverance, I kept trying different ways to figure out how this groove on top of the needle was supposed to help the thread through the eye ... and hey presto!
I didn't even think I'd be able to line the thread up with the groove (remember, I can't see the thread!) ... but I found that by pulling the thread (still attached to the reel) so that it is taut, then it's surprisingly easy to get the needle to rest with the groove on the thread ... then it's just a question of wiggle wiggle jiggle so the thread angles to the side ... and at one side you find there's a little slit and the thread just pops into the eye! :)
Congratulations you have threaded your needle!
And the extra benefit is that the thread can be pulled to a good length before you start, then you can make it taut just next to the reel, and when you work at that taut part you can ignore the rest ... just get the taut bit into the eye and then you can run your hand along to the loose end, grab it between thumb and forefinger, bring it towards the reel and your right to cut and knot it ... all done and no more stress!
I should add that this design of needle has a much sharper point which is why I wanted to get it working, so now I'm happy and my fingers are happy too!
There have been a few people interested in my experiences with these needles, so if you want to know more - instructions or just makes / types, then leave a comment or email and I'll happily go into more detail!
I'd had to give Quilt Club a miss tonight because, quite frankyly, I'd forgotten it was the third Monday of the month already! I therefore hadn't booked a bus, and with more snow in the forecast i decided to stay home. However, with this minor success with the needle, hopefully this opens the door to a lot more sewing!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
World's Strongest Quilter
I spent an enjoyable weekend watching World's Strongest Man. This is an annual event usually shown around New Year time. It was postponed from New Year's Day this year and I've been eagerly waiting for this weekend since then!
If you haven't ever seen it, WSM features incredibly large men doing implausibly stong things, like pulling fire engines, throwing heavy barrels, and running with huge balls made of stone!
So wouldn't it be fun to have a World's Strongest Quilter competition! Each year the best of the best gather to compete against fellow quilters in battles of fabric, thread and sheer stitchery.
photo of Fingal's Fingers
The Haxagon Press favourite will undoubtedly be Archie The Wonder Dog who has been practicing this event all weekend I believe. I am not of world class standard at any of these events (except perhaps if there's a bonus for how many times you prick your fingers in the needle threading event!) but I'm one of the best at making cups of tea so I'll be in charge of refreshments between events! Yes, this will include biscuits!
Suggestions for future events are always greatly appreciated, just leave a comment with your suggestions!
Meanwhile although I haven't managed to actually do any quilting this weekend, I did receive a lovely package from the equally lovely Magpie Mimi, containing some "not very fat" quarters (Mimi's description! I gather they're some kind of new fangled meters or something ... since moving to America I've gone all imperial in my measurements so it's yards and inches all the way!) ... there's a couple of really nice fabrics and I already am forming plans, including maybe doing some applique raindrop shapes for my Rainy Day quilt with one of them! The package also included a couple of lovely leaf hanging decorations that I shall promptly hang somewhere, and a key fob that I shall also attach to something, most likely my keys since that's what it's designed for! I definitely recommend you check out her blog and from their her etsy store as she adds more and more things to it! ... you definitely all need some of her leaves and key rings ... here's a photo to illustrate! (sorry if I've missed anything off the photo or placed it back to front etc ... I can't really see what I'm taking photos of anymore!)
... and finally the package also included a yummy bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate and 80 Yorkshire Teabags! I'd gobbled a couple of rows of the chocolate and had the kettle boiling within 2 minutes of opening the parcel! :)
Meanwhile I've also been reading some of the Elm Creek Quilt novels ... I found an audiobook on the Blind service at the Library of Congress, containing the first 3 books so I'm listening to those and am currently starting book 3! Really enjoying them!
If you haven't ever seen it, WSM features incredibly large men doing implausibly stong things, like pulling fire engines, throwing heavy barrels, and running with huge balls made of stone!
So wouldn't it be fun to have a World's Strongest Quilter competition! Each year the best of the best gather to compete against fellow quilters in battles of fabric, thread and sheer stitchery.
| World's Strongest Man | World's Strongest Quilter |
|---|---|
log press | hexagon fabric pressing |
| truck pull | Tug of War with Aurifil thread |
| Fingle's Fingers | Needle threading |
| Dead lift | Sewing machine carry |
| Barrel run | Fastest bias tape making |
| The Atlas Stones | Speed FMQing |
The Haxagon Press favourite will undoubtedly be Archie The Wonder Dog who has been practicing this event all weekend I believe. I am not of world class standard at any of these events (except perhaps if there's a bonus for how many times you prick your fingers in the needle threading event!) but I'm one of the best at making cups of tea so I'll be in charge of refreshments between events! Yes, this will include biscuits!
Suggestions for future events are always greatly appreciated, just leave a comment with your suggestions!
Meanwhile although I haven't managed to actually do any quilting this weekend, I did receive a lovely package from the equally lovely Magpie Mimi, containing some "not very fat" quarters (Mimi's description! I gather they're some kind of new fangled meters or something ... since moving to America I've gone all imperial in my measurements so it's yards and inches all the way!) ... there's a couple of really nice fabrics and I already am forming plans, including maybe doing some applique raindrop shapes for my Rainy Day quilt with one of them! The package also included a couple of lovely leaf hanging decorations that I shall promptly hang somewhere, and a key fob that I shall also attach to something, most likely my keys since that's what it's designed for! I definitely recommend you check out her blog and from their her etsy store as she adds more and more things to it! ... you definitely all need some of her leaves and key rings ... here's a photo to illustrate! (sorry if I've missed anything off the photo or placed it back to front etc ... I can't really see what I'm taking photos of anymore!)
... and finally the package also included a yummy bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate and 80 Yorkshire Teabags! I'd gobbled a couple of rows of the chocolate and had the kettle boiling within 2 minutes of opening the parcel! :)
Meanwhile I've also been reading some of the Elm Creek Quilt novels ... I found an audiobook on the Blind service at the Library of Congress, containing the first 3 books so I'm listening to those and am currently starting book 3! Really enjoying them!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Sew mama questions...
I saw Sarah (Narcoleptic In A Cupboard) post her answers to these questions recently and thought I might answer them too!
Looking back at the 2011 sewing scene, what trends stand out in your mind?
I've probably been too new to quilting to know what was a trend and what wasn't. Everythin I encountered was new to me and I don't know what was new to everyone else and what ideas are old favourites! I did notice a lot of triangles at the quilt show I went to, and I'm hearing lots of people doing things with hexagons, but that's about all that stuck me as a "trend" in 2011 .. but you must know I've never been a scenester!
What were some of your favourite things related to sewing this past year?
All the sewing people I've met and the things they've helped me learn! I can't believe that from my quiet blog beginnings when I had but a handful of follwers, I have just hit 50 followers which is more than I even imagined might be possible ... I mean, how many people would want to read about the blundering stitches of a newbie blind sewer?! ... I'm thrilled to have so many friends to chat to and who are willing to share their knowledge and especially take the time to make their posts accessible to me by describing things that a picture could easily say by itself ... that means a lot to me! :)
What did you make that you're most proud of?
That would have to be my first quilt! Most of the fabrics were picked for me by the lovely people at Center for the Visually Impaird's quilt group in Atlanta, based on the colour choices I came up with. I then found a nice fat quarter of owl fabric in complementary colours, and following that chose an owl fabric to make the backing from, and a complementary colour for the binding.
And rather ashamedly I have to say that that was all I finished in 2011! Hopefully I can be more productive in 2012 and even make some nice little gifts for all my lovely friends who have sent me books and fabrics and even little bells!
Here's a picture of that quilt, just to showcase it again ... did I mention it won 3rd place in the men Quilt Too competition on Pigtales and Quilts? ... keep an eye on that website because there's a crazy quilt competition coming up and lots of other good things!
What sewn projects have you seen this year that you absolutely love?
Obviously with my very limited vision I don't quite see many of the quilts I hear about, and often at quilt club show and tell I really miss that when everybody "oooh" and "aaaah's" at what somebody is showing! But sometimes I can still see a little bit, and if a quilt has good contrasts and strong colours I may get a good (if slightly monochrome) idea of what's going on! An example was a Medallion quilt I saw at a local quilt show. I could see myself trying one of those one day!
On my list of projects for 2012 "Between Now And The End Of The World", I have a couple of quilts I liked the visual look of, in terms of the bits I could see! Included in these are a Supernova design, which I think is like a starburst ... or maybe a giant asterisk ... eitherway I'd like to make one!
I have a whole list of projects I'd like to try too from the tutorials on Sew We Quilt too! Not so much for the visual I've seen, but they sounded so nice that they made me want to try them ... so I have them all saved or bookmarked for future attempting!
What are your thoughts about social media? How is it going for you? What do you love or hate?
I find social media a bit of a mixed bag. In theory I love it, and when I could see I would be on all the networks! ... but to visually impaired folk a lot of the sites are very inaccessible. Facebook for example is hard work unless you use the mobile version of the site and then it is very limited in functionality compared to the main version. Google Plus I'd really like to try, and several people have added me to their circles, but apart from creating a profile I've been unable to get any of the buttons to work with my screen reading software, so I am a mute voice on Plus ... I promise I'm not ignoring you if you've added me to a circle! I'll keep trying it and will add y'all back when I can get it to work for me!
I do enjoy Twitter, where I am @bix_cool. I love the #talknt chat where many quilters come to spend 2 hours in fast-paced talk about quilting and sewing! It's great fun and you should definitely try it out! There is a chat webpage that makes it easy at at this Twitter chat website, or just search for the tag #talknt using your Twitter webpage or client. Huge thanks to Cara for hosting this every week and to Fat Quarter Shop, MODA and anybody else who has sponsored the giveaways each week! ...
Social media does have a nasty tendancy to get in the way of actual quilting though doesn't it?! ... I often think if I spent less time tweeting and blogging I'd get a lot more quilting actually done!!
Did you have a favourite fabric collection or print in 2011?
I like what I've seen of Michael Miller and in the Robert Kaufman collections. I often don't know what I'm looking at, so it's difficult always for me to know exactly "what" I've bought at the shop! lol ... I like the strong contrasts and patterns because I can see them, and a little selection that Thearica sent me of black and whites is eagerly waiting to be made into something, as soon as I decide what!
The Blogger's Choice competition from Laura of Quokka Quilts and Fat Quarter Shop introduced me to many many different fabrics and designers, all of which I want to part with my precious few pennies for, simply by spending hours browsing the store looking for patterns I could see or names of fabrics that appealed to me in one way or another ... in fact, if anything has spiraled my fabric habit into an even greater acceleration, this competition has got to be it! So there you go, Laura is to blame for wrecking all those New Year resolutions about not buying more fabrics until that stash mountain starts dwindling in size!
Finally, just a nice request, but a serious one, to anybody who has an online fabric store, please do describe the fabrics ... I can't really buy any if I don't know what the main colours or patterns are like, and this isn't just an issue for blind folk! There's lots of people with low vision who would find descriptive text helpful, and just think how many times you've seen an entry in a competition and it's the story behind it that's really inspired you or captured your imagination ... just think, a couple of sentences describing a fabric as "creamy background with dark chocolate swirls and spirals" (to make up an exapmple) might tempt somebody's taste buds who wasn't initially looking for a cream fabric!
Oh, and I also have ideas for some fabrics that I'd love to see made ... not really saying I'd do it myself because I couldn't do justice to what I have in mind, but some day, I'd love to talk to somebody who knows about that kind of thing!
What do you predict for 2012 in the sewing industry?
Well, since the world is going to end, apparently, I expect lots of people to try and finish those WIPs that are filling up those craft room cupboards, and that people will start trying to reduce that ever-growing stash mountain at least by a fat quarter or dozen ...
I'm interested to see whether Free Motion Quilting is becoming an increasingly popular thing to try, or whether that's just amongst my bloggy friends ... I think it's more widespread than that so watch out for FMQing to explode across the quilt world! I'm going to start with Quilter in the Gap's intro to Free Motion Quilting which was part of her Duo Quilt-a-long, and then I aim to try what Laura (see links earlier) is doing in her FMQ-a-long, so I'm in on the FMQ trip too!
Can you tell us what to expect from you in 2012? Any big projects or life-changing goals?
Crikey, how's that for a pressure question! You'll hold me to what I say, and I'm already feeling overwhelmed by my To Do list!
If all goes to plan you should see a lot of small projects. I have a Rainy Day quilt to finish, but apart from that and maybe a Supernova quilt, I think I want to try as many new ideas as possible ... so watch out for coasters, mug rugs, orphaned blocks, all with different designs as I learn many of the techniques you guys already know!
And quite possibly I might have a giveaway to celebrate hitting 50 followers ... well I didn't literally hit my 50th follwer, but I'd like to hit somebody with a nice package delivered by your local postie. Not sure what it's going to be, or exactly when, ut watch out for it coming soon(ish)
Ooh, and thanks for some interest to a comment I made about being able to touch display quilts at quilt shows, there may be some mileage in a challenge! The idea being that anyone who wants to participate can make a "tactile quilt", one which highlights different textures or effects to make it fun to run your fingers over! Then at the end of the challenge all the quilts will be auctioned or donated to charity ... the details are still being pondered, but watch out for that mid-year! Of course there will be prizes and things too! Sound like fun? Let me know you're interested so I can pick your brains and know what kind of size challenge is in hand!
Looking back at the 2011 sewing scene, what trends stand out in your mind?
I've probably been too new to quilting to know what was a trend and what wasn't. Everythin I encountered was new to me and I don't know what was new to everyone else and what ideas are old favourites! I did notice a lot of triangles at the quilt show I went to, and I'm hearing lots of people doing things with hexagons, but that's about all that stuck me as a "trend" in 2011 .. but you must know I've never been a scenester!
What were some of your favourite things related to sewing this past year?
All the sewing people I've met and the things they've helped me learn! I can't believe that from my quiet blog beginnings when I had but a handful of follwers, I have just hit 50 followers which is more than I even imagined might be possible ... I mean, how many people would want to read about the blundering stitches of a newbie blind sewer?! ... I'm thrilled to have so many friends to chat to and who are willing to share their knowledge and especially take the time to make their posts accessible to me by describing things that a picture could easily say by itself ... that means a lot to me! :)
What did you make that you're most proud of?
That would have to be my first quilt! Most of the fabrics were picked for me by the lovely people at Center for the Visually Impaird's quilt group in Atlanta, based on the colour choices I came up with. I then found a nice fat quarter of owl fabric in complementary colours, and following that chose an owl fabric to make the backing from, and a complementary colour for the binding.
And rather ashamedly I have to say that that was all I finished in 2011! Hopefully I can be more productive in 2012 and even make some nice little gifts for all my lovely friends who have sent me books and fabrics and even little bells!
Here's a picture of that quilt, just to showcase it again ... did I mention it won 3rd place in the men Quilt Too competition on Pigtales and Quilts? ... keep an eye on that website because there's a crazy quilt competition coming up and lots of other good things!
What sewn projects have you seen this year that you absolutely love?
Obviously with my very limited vision I don't quite see many of the quilts I hear about, and often at quilt club show and tell I really miss that when everybody "oooh" and "aaaah's" at what somebody is showing! But sometimes I can still see a little bit, and if a quilt has good contrasts and strong colours I may get a good (if slightly monochrome) idea of what's going on! An example was a Medallion quilt I saw at a local quilt show. I could see myself trying one of those one day!
On my list of projects for 2012 "Between Now And The End Of The World", I have a couple of quilts I liked the visual look of, in terms of the bits I could see! Included in these are a Supernova design, which I think is like a starburst ... or maybe a giant asterisk ... eitherway I'd like to make one!
I have a whole list of projects I'd like to try too from the tutorials on Sew We Quilt too! Not so much for the visual I've seen, but they sounded so nice that they made me want to try them ... so I have them all saved or bookmarked for future attempting!
What are your thoughts about social media? How is it going for you? What do you love or hate?
I find social media a bit of a mixed bag. In theory I love it, and when I could see I would be on all the networks! ... but to visually impaired folk a lot of the sites are very inaccessible. Facebook for example is hard work unless you use the mobile version of the site and then it is very limited in functionality compared to the main version. Google Plus I'd really like to try, and several people have added me to their circles, but apart from creating a profile I've been unable to get any of the buttons to work with my screen reading software, so I am a mute voice on Plus ... I promise I'm not ignoring you if you've added me to a circle! I'll keep trying it and will add y'all back when I can get it to work for me!
I do enjoy Twitter, where I am @bix_cool. I love the #talknt chat where many quilters come to spend 2 hours in fast-paced talk about quilting and sewing! It's great fun and you should definitely try it out! There is a chat webpage that makes it easy at at this Twitter chat website, or just search for the tag #talknt using your Twitter webpage or client. Huge thanks to Cara for hosting this every week and to Fat Quarter Shop, MODA and anybody else who has sponsored the giveaways each week! ...
Social media does have a nasty tendancy to get in the way of actual quilting though doesn't it?! ... I often think if I spent less time tweeting and blogging I'd get a lot more quilting actually done!!
Did you have a favourite fabric collection or print in 2011?
I like what I've seen of Michael Miller and in the Robert Kaufman collections. I often don't know what I'm looking at, so it's difficult always for me to know exactly "what" I've bought at the shop! lol ... I like the strong contrasts and patterns because I can see them, and a little selection that Thearica sent me of black and whites is eagerly waiting to be made into something, as soon as I decide what!
The Blogger's Choice competition from Laura of Quokka Quilts and Fat Quarter Shop introduced me to many many different fabrics and designers, all of which I want to part with my precious few pennies for, simply by spending hours browsing the store looking for patterns I could see or names of fabrics that appealed to me in one way or another ... in fact, if anything has spiraled my fabric habit into an even greater acceleration, this competition has got to be it! So there you go, Laura is to blame for wrecking all those New Year resolutions about not buying more fabrics until that stash mountain starts dwindling in size!
Finally, just a nice request, but a serious one, to anybody who has an online fabric store, please do describe the fabrics ... I can't really buy any if I don't know what the main colours or patterns are like, and this isn't just an issue for blind folk! There's lots of people with low vision who would find descriptive text helpful, and just think how many times you've seen an entry in a competition and it's the story behind it that's really inspired you or captured your imagination ... just think, a couple of sentences describing a fabric as "creamy background with dark chocolate swirls and spirals" (to make up an exapmple) might tempt somebody's taste buds who wasn't initially looking for a cream fabric!
Oh, and I also have ideas for some fabrics that I'd love to see made ... not really saying I'd do it myself because I couldn't do justice to what I have in mind, but some day, I'd love to talk to somebody who knows about that kind of thing!
What do you predict for 2012 in the sewing industry?
Well, since the world is going to end, apparently, I expect lots of people to try and finish those WIPs that are filling up those craft room cupboards, and that people will start trying to reduce that ever-growing stash mountain at least by a fat quarter or dozen ...
I'm interested to see whether Free Motion Quilting is becoming an increasingly popular thing to try, or whether that's just amongst my bloggy friends ... I think it's more widespread than that so watch out for FMQing to explode across the quilt world! I'm going to start with Quilter in the Gap's intro to Free Motion Quilting which was part of her Duo Quilt-a-long, and then I aim to try what Laura (see links earlier) is doing in her FMQ-a-long, so I'm in on the FMQ trip too!
Can you tell us what to expect from you in 2012? Any big projects or life-changing goals?
Crikey, how's that for a pressure question! You'll hold me to what I say, and I'm already feeling overwhelmed by my To Do list!
If all goes to plan you should see a lot of small projects. I have a Rainy Day quilt to finish, but apart from that and maybe a Supernova quilt, I think I want to try as many new ideas as possible ... so watch out for coasters, mug rugs, orphaned blocks, all with different designs as I learn many of the techniques you guys already know!
And quite possibly I might have a giveaway to celebrate hitting 50 followers ... well I didn't literally hit my 50th follwer, but I'd like to hit somebody with a nice package delivered by your local postie. Not sure what it's going to be, or exactly when, ut watch out for it coming soon(ish)
Ooh, and thanks for some interest to a comment I made about being able to touch display quilts at quilt shows, there may be some mileage in a challenge! The idea being that anyone who wants to participate can make a "tactile quilt", one which highlights different textures or effects to make it fun to run your fingers over! Then at the end of the challenge all the quilts will be auctioned or donated to charity ... the details are still being pondered, but watch out for that mid-year! Of course there will be prizes and things too! Sound like fun? Let me know you're interested so I can pick your brains and know what kind of size challenge is in hand!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Giles' Blogger Bundle
So here it is. You've been holding your breath all afternoon and evening, since my first post, and I can sense you're going a little purple in the face by now ... so go ahead, breathe! here it is! my second post of the day! what a way to begin 2012!
So this is it, my entry for the Blogger's Bundle competition, dreamed up by Laura of Quokka Quilts in partnership with The Fat Quarter Shop, who promised a prize consisting of half a yard of each of the winner's fabrics, that's 15 half yards of fabric! Awesome!! ... and then they went and trippled the prizes, so there are now 3 chances to win! Fantastico!!!!!!
So here's my entry. As far as I'm aware you can only submit one entry. If I'm wrong I may be back with a jazz-inspired selection, but here for now is my bundle.
I started by browsing Fat Quarter Shop for fabrics whose names connected with me for one reason or another. That's where the cupcake came from, for example! Then when I felt the first selection looked a bit washed out, I went with ones I could see, which means strong colours and good contrasts. In common with a lot of male quilters (apparently) I like geometrically inspired designs, so much of the contrasts went with that kind of pattern.
I'll post the mosaic which I followed Laura's suggestion and went to the free online tool at http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php - it's easy to use and lets you save the result to your computer. Then, as per the rules, I list the fabrics and their SKU codes so that when I win the Fat Quarter Shop will know which fabrics to put in my bundle. Then, as an extra, I re-post the mosaic in my own table so that any visually challenged people can move through it one cell at a time and any screen reading software should be able to announce the name of the fabric from the tags I put on each image ... so that will give a better idea of the layout I put them in.
Ready? Here it is!
This is the list of fabrics, starting with the 12 patterns:
1. Dessert Party by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Dessert Party Chocolate Lollipop Lineup Yardage SKU# 12049-193
2. Robin Zingone for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Heart Garden Love Butterflies on White Yardage SKU# 11906-262
3. Piece O' Cake for Robert Kaufman. Marigold Large Floral Yardage SKU# 10993-129
4 Contemporary - Bespoken Passion Woven Yardage SKU# BE-6108
5. Michael Miller Citron Gray Gray Lolli Dot Yardage SKU# CX3295-GRAY-D
6. Penguin & Fish for Clothworks Fabrics. Safari Sweet Organic Orange Wobble Stripes Yardage SKU# Y0774-36
7. LouLouThi by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit Fabrics. LouLouThi Citron Framed Yardage SKU# AH41-CITRO
8. October Afternoon for Riley Blake Fabrics. Farm Fresh Green Allover Animals Yardage SKU# C900-GREEN
9. Cupcakery by SPX Fabrics. Cupcakery Multi Mini Cupcakes Yardage SKU# 22566-Multi1
10 Farm Fresh Teal Picnic Plaid Yardage SKU# C9005-TEAL
11 Alexander Henry - Rivoli Natural and Black Geo Yardage SKU# 7497-C
12 Metallic - Plume Black Large Plume Yardage SKU# CM8664-BLACK
And finally the 3 sOLIDS:
13. Free Spirit Designer Solids Cranberry Yardage SKU# S27-CRANBERRY
14 Bella Solids Blush Yardage SKU# 9900-112
15. Amy Butler - olive
And my re-creation of the mosaic table :
So this is it, my entry for the Blogger's Bundle competition, dreamed up by Laura of Quokka Quilts in partnership with The Fat Quarter Shop, who promised a prize consisting of half a yard of each of the winner's fabrics, that's 15 half yards of fabric! Awesome!! ... and then they went and trippled the prizes, so there are now 3 chances to win! Fantastico!!!!!!
So here's my entry. As far as I'm aware you can only submit one entry. If I'm wrong I may be back with a jazz-inspired selection, but here for now is my bundle.
I started by browsing Fat Quarter Shop for fabrics whose names connected with me for one reason or another. That's where the cupcake came from, for example! Then when I felt the first selection looked a bit washed out, I went with ones I could see, which means strong colours and good contrasts. In common with a lot of male quilters (apparently) I like geometrically inspired designs, so much of the contrasts went with that kind of pattern.
I'll post the mosaic which I followed Laura's suggestion and went to the free online tool at http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php - it's easy to use and lets you save the result to your computer. Then, as per the rules, I list the fabrics and their SKU codes so that when I win the Fat Quarter Shop will know which fabrics to put in my bundle. Then, as an extra, I re-post the mosaic in my own table so that any visually challenged people can move through it one cell at a time and any screen reading software should be able to announce the name of the fabric from the tags I put on each image ... so that will give a better idea of the layout I put them in.
Ready? Here it is!
This is the list of fabrics, starting with the 12 patterns:
1. Dessert Party by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Dessert Party Chocolate Lollipop Lineup Yardage SKU# 12049-193
2. Robin Zingone for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Heart Garden Love Butterflies on White Yardage SKU# 11906-262
3. Piece O' Cake for Robert Kaufman. Marigold Large Floral Yardage SKU# 10993-129
4 Contemporary - Bespoken Passion Woven Yardage SKU# BE-6108
5. Michael Miller Citron Gray Gray Lolli Dot Yardage SKU# CX3295-GRAY-D
6. Penguin & Fish for Clothworks Fabrics. Safari Sweet Organic Orange Wobble Stripes Yardage SKU# Y0774-36
7. LouLouThi by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit Fabrics. LouLouThi Citron Framed Yardage SKU# AH41-CITRO
8. October Afternoon for Riley Blake Fabrics. Farm Fresh Green Allover Animals Yardage SKU# C900-GREEN
9. Cupcakery by SPX Fabrics. Cupcakery Multi Mini Cupcakes Yardage SKU# 22566-Multi1
10 Farm Fresh Teal Picnic Plaid Yardage SKU# C9005-TEAL
11 Alexander Henry - Rivoli Natural and Black Geo Yardage SKU# 7497-C
12 Metallic - Plume Black Large Plume Yardage SKU# CM8664-BLACK
And finally the 3 sOLIDS:
13. Free Spirit Designer Solids Cranberry Yardage SKU# S27-CRANBERRY
14 Bella Solids Blush Yardage SKU# 9900-112
15. Amy Butler - olive
And my re-creation of the mosaic table :
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Reading, Writing and Resolutions
Brace yourselves! This is the first of what may be TWO posts today! That's not a resolution, just a threat, or maybe a promise ... well, at least it's the plan!
Let's start by saying Happy New Year! Right, that's that checked off ... we all know 2012 is going to be pretty much the same as every other year, give or take random things! And of course the End of the World is going to be on December 12th, so get all those WIPs finished by then! ... and I don't want to hear any arguments about starting the Christmas cake early this year, because if the world is ending I want to know how the cake turned out!
So how did you spend New Year's Eve? Wild parties? I spent pretty much all day wandering in an online fashion around the Fat Quarter Shop! I was selecting my choices for Laura from Quokka Quilts's and Fat Quarter Shop competition where you can make your own "Blogger's Bundle," a selection of 12 patterns and 3 solid colours ... that's the only rule (as far as I'm aware!) ... so that's what I did all day, and when I finish one last bit of tinkering with my selections I'll post the result in my much-hyped, eagerly-anticipated SECOND post of the day! ... oh yes, and I had a nice relaxing soak in the bath to wash away 2011 in a cloud of bubbles
And now to keep up a tradition I started on Live Journal, here's my reading list for the last year. In 2010 I managed to average a book a week, but this year since starting work that rate has decreased a little, but I came close! It's an even odder mix than past years, the usual romantic series novels by Catherine Anderson and Robyn Carr, plus a few random others, and then a good dollop of scientific and technology type books,and Winnie the Pooh because I'd never read them before! Not too much intellectual fare really, but hey, it was a busy year what with the new job, moving and learning quilting!
Talking of which, the book list follows in a moment, but HOT NEWS! I just signed up for an online freee quilt class, where you can learn 2 different blocks every month, co covering all the basics, with videa instruction and a tutor you can ask questions if you get stuck. Sounds good! So that's my resolution, to try and keep up with that (and the other dozen projects and quilt-alongs I've put on my To Do list for the year!)
So that's it until later just the reading list ...
Books of 2011:
Temptation Ridge (Virgin River series book 6) (by Robyn Carr)
Nickel Mountain, A Pastoral Tale (by John Gardner)
32 Cadilacs (by Joe Gore)
The Tender Years, vol 1 (by Janette Oke)
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (by Aimee Bender)
Cat's Cradle (by Kurt Vonnegut)
Paradise Valley (Virgin River series, book 7) (by Robyn Carr)
Death's Excellent Adventure (short stories) (by Charlane Harris)
The Universe and the Teacup (by K. C. Cole)
Killing Time (by Linda Howard)
A Searching Heart, A Prarie Legacy vol.2 (by Janette Oke)
Wellspring (by Janice Holt Giles)
Angel's Peak (Virgin River series book 10) (by Robyn Carr)
Super Sad True Love Story (by Gary Shteyngart)
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (by Douglas Adams)
Lost Genius- The Curious and Tragic Story of an Extraordinary Musical Prodigy (by Kevin Bazzana)
Phantom Waltz (Coulter series book 2) (by Catherine Anderson)
Sweet Nothings (Coulter series book 3) (by Catherine Anderson)
Simply Love (by Catherine Anderson)
So Enchanting (by Connie Broadway)
Rush to the Altar (by Jane Feather)
Contract null and void (by Joe Gors)
the Complete Stories of Winnie The Pooh (by A. A. Milne)
The House of Gucci- A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed (by Sara Gay Forden)
Lullaby of Birdland (by George Shearing)
House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival (by Deborah Ball)
Moonlight Road (Virgin River series book 11) (by Robyn Carr)
Promise Canyon (Virgin River series book 12) (by Robyn Carr)
Neuromancer (by William Gibson)
Count Zero (by William Gibson)
A Beautiful Mind (by Sylvia Nasar)
Googled. The End of the World as we Know it. (by Ken Auletta, )
Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse series) (by Charlane Harris)
Here To Stay (Harrigan Family series) (by Catherine Anderson)
Wild Man Creek (Virgin River Series book 13) (by Robyn Carr)
Supercrunchers- Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to Be Smart (by Ian Ayres)
The Art of Intrusion- The Real Stories behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders, and Deceivers-(by Kevin Mitnick)
The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics- A Math-Free Exploration of the Science That Made Our World (by James Kakalios)
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Let's start by saying Happy New Year! Right, that's that checked off ... we all know 2012 is going to be pretty much the same as every other year, give or take random things! And of course the End of the World is going to be on December 12th, so get all those WIPs finished by then! ... and I don't want to hear any arguments about starting the Christmas cake early this year, because if the world is ending I want to know how the cake turned out!
So how did you spend New Year's Eve? Wild parties? I spent pretty much all day wandering in an online fashion around the Fat Quarter Shop! I was selecting my choices for Laura from Quokka Quilts's and Fat Quarter Shop competition where you can make your own "Blogger's Bundle," a selection of 12 patterns and 3 solid colours ... that's the only rule (as far as I'm aware!) ... so that's what I did all day, and when I finish one last bit of tinkering with my selections I'll post the result in my much-hyped, eagerly-anticipated SECOND post of the day! ... oh yes, and I had a nice relaxing soak in the bath to wash away 2011 in a cloud of bubbles
And now to keep up a tradition I started on Live Journal, here's my reading list for the last year. In 2010 I managed to average a book a week, but this year since starting work that rate has decreased a little, but I came close! It's an even odder mix than past years, the usual romantic series novels by Catherine Anderson and Robyn Carr, plus a few random others, and then a good dollop of scientific and technology type books,and Winnie the Pooh because I'd never read them before! Not too much intellectual fare really, but hey, it was a busy year what with the new job, moving and learning quilting!
Talking of which, the book list follows in a moment, but HOT NEWS! I just signed up for an online freee quilt class, where you can learn 2 different blocks every month, co covering all the basics, with videa instruction and a tutor you can ask questions if you get stuck. Sounds good! So that's my resolution, to try and keep up with that (and the other dozen projects and quilt-alongs I've put on my To Do list for the year!)
So that's it until later just the reading list ...
Books of 2011:
Temptation Ridge (Virgin River series book 6) (by Robyn Carr)
Nickel Mountain, A Pastoral Tale (by John Gardner)
32 Cadilacs (by Joe Gore)
The Tender Years, vol 1 (by Janette Oke)
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (by Aimee Bender)
Cat's Cradle (by Kurt Vonnegut)
Paradise Valley (Virgin River series, book 7) (by Robyn Carr)
Death's Excellent Adventure (short stories) (by Charlane Harris)
The Universe and the Teacup (by K. C. Cole)
Killing Time (by Linda Howard)
A Searching Heart, A Prarie Legacy vol.2 (by Janette Oke)
Wellspring (by Janice Holt Giles)
Angel's Peak (Virgin River series book 10) (by Robyn Carr)
Super Sad True Love Story (by Gary Shteyngart)
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (by Douglas Adams)
Lost Genius- The Curious and Tragic Story of an Extraordinary Musical Prodigy (by Kevin Bazzana)
Phantom Waltz (Coulter series book 2) (by Catherine Anderson)
Sweet Nothings (Coulter series book 3) (by Catherine Anderson)
Simply Love (by Catherine Anderson)
So Enchanting (by Connie Broadway)
Rush to the Altar (by Jane Feather)
Contract null and void (by Joe Gors)
the Complete Stories of Winnie The Pooh (by A. A. Milne)
The House of Gucci- A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed (by Sara Gay Forden)
Lullaby of Birdland (by George Shearing)
House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival (by Deborah Ball)
Moonlight Road (Virgin River series book 11) (by Robyn Carr)
Promise Canyon (Virgin River series book 12) (by Robyn Carr)
Neuromancer (by William Gibson)
Count Zero (by William Gibson)
A Beautiful Mind (by Sylvia Nasar)
Googled. The End of the World as we Know it. (by Ken Auletta, )
Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse series) (by Charlane Harris)
Here To Stay (Harrigan Family series) (by Catherine Anderson)
Wild Man Creek (Virgin River Series book 13) (by Robyn Carr)
Supercrunchers- Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to Be Smart (by Ian Ayres)
The Art of Intrusion- The Real Stories behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders, and Deceivers-(by Kevin Mitnick)
The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics- A Math-Free Exploration of the Science That Made Our World (by James Kakalios)
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
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