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 .
Showing posts with label quilting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quilting. Show all posts
Thursday, January 19, 2012
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!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Fabrication
I read on a blog I just followed, that there is a Fabric Tuesday group! I may have to join in on that one, because my rate of fabric aquisition is putting my rate of actual sewing to shame! ... and I don;t mean a kind of gentle embarrassment I mean a deep red flush and the feeling that there's nowhere big enough to swallow you up!
This is not only an emotional issue, it also has practical consequences! Firstly my cute little picnic basket is only so-big, and before long I can see a point where the lid ain't going to close! Secondly, not really being able to see what's what, means I have to work on some kind of organisational system! ... and anyone who nows me knows that I'm great at organising things in spreadshheets, but in ractice you're much more likely to find something in a nice neat pile on the floor!! ... so the more fabrrics I get the less likely I am to be able to remember what colors and patterns are on each, nor where in the pile they actually are or what will compliment them!
But it was sew night at Irondequoit Quilt Club last night and I did get through a dozen squares, which isn't a bad rate of hand stitching for a couple of hours work. :) .. it's a block for a charity quilt and I suspect I'm lagging way behind other block makers! I'm also horribly unaware of exactly how to construct my block ... I'm just pairing up squares at the moment, but should I be sewing 3 together in a line so that I can then do 3 x 3 squares to a block? This whole block system is new to me and I don't really know wat I'm aiming for!! any suggestions would be super helpful! :)
Meanwhile, a woman who sleeps in a cupboard asked me, and a few others have wondered similar things, about how easy it is to learn to recognize people when you can't see them (or in my case can't see enough detail to recognize their faces ... I just see a general outline, even as close as over the table) ... so here's is a little insight into why I'm liable to walk past you in the street unless you shout out and say "hi, it's Ms So--and-Sew from quilt club" ... or unless you wave a piece of cake in my general direction, in which case I'll stop on a dime or a sixpence, depending in which country this is happening!
Anyway, enough of the rambling, here's what I said ... and then you can get back to your cups of tea, your cakes and biscuits, and even a bit of weekend quilting, if you're not heading out to buy more fabric ....
This is not only an emotional issue, it also has practical consequences! Firstly my cute little picnic basket is only so-big, and before long I can see a point where the lid ain't going to close! Secondly, not really being able to see what's what, means I have to work on some kind of organisational system! ... and anyone who nows me knows that I'm great at organising things in spreadshheets, but in ractice you're much more likely to find something in a nice neat pile on the floor!! ... so the more fabrrics I get the less likely I am to be able to remember what colors and patterns are on each, nor where in the pile they actually are or what will compliment them!
But it was sew night at Irondequoit Quilt Club last night and I did get through a dozen squares, which isn't a bad rate of hand stitching for a couple of hours work. :) .. it's a block for a charity quilt and I suspect I'm lagging way behind other block makers! I'm also horribly unaware of exactly how to construct my block ... I'm just pairing up squares at the moment, but should I be sewing 3 together in a line so that I can then do 3 x 3 squares to a block? This whole block system is new to me and I don't really know wat I'm aiming for!! any suggestions would be super helpful! :)
Meanwhile, a woman who sleeps in a cupboard asked me, and a few others have wondered similar things, about how easy it is to learn to recognize people when you can't see them (or in my case can't see enough detail to recognize their faces ... I just see a general outline, even as close as over the table) ... so here's is a little insight into why I'm liable to walk past you in the street unless you shout out and say "hi, it's Ms So--and-Sew from quilt club" ... or unless you wave a piece of cake in my general direction, in which case I'll stop on a dime or a sixpence, depending in which country this is happening!
Anyway, enough of the rambling, here's what I said ... and then you can get back to your cups of tea, your cakes and biscuits, and even a bit of weekend quilting, if you're not heading out to buy more fabric ....
As with everything there are some
blind people who are really good and quick at learning new voices. It
took me about 6 months at work until I really started recognising most
of the people (obviously the ones in my little team I learn more
quickly) ... the biggest challenge really is recalling which name goes
with which voice - once you begin to identify the voice you've
forgotten the name it originally came with! ... it's very helpful if
people say " hi, it's ..." rather than just hello, because often I
just end up saying hi back without really knowing who I'm talking to!
If they stop for a conversation I can ask the name but if they're just
walking past I really have no idea!
I think people who have been blind from birth are often much better at
remember all kinds of things, I guess simply because that's what you
have to do. For somebody who has been sighted most of their life, it
can take a while to train your memory to work in that way!
Thanks for taking an interest! :) :) :)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Pot Luck
No photos tonight because it's getting late! I just wanted to do a quick post so you didn't think I'd been kidnapped by aliens looking for quilts! (it can get cold in space apparently!!_
I've still been very idle on the quilting front ... haven't done anything since my last post! Even my best intentions to participate in Thearica's 24 days of Christmas block-a-day counting down to Christmas! I do hope to catch up, but as the days slip by the odds aren't improving! lol
It's the quilt club pot luck Christmas night tomorrow (Monday) which should be fun! I'm taking a pasta salad with sun-dried tomatoes and I have a book for the Secret Santa ... I'd quite like to have kept it for myself butI don't think that's in the rules!
We went bargain hunting this afternoon ... there's a rather nice Goodwill store out at Macedon (not sure how that's spelled!) ... I got a nice blue Perry Ellis shirt with white stripes and cufflink cuffs (I'm really liking this designer's clothing . I also got a blue jumper range!) with a shallow v-neck (I'm not a big fan of v-necks, but this seemed nice, and at $2.50 you can't really go wrong can you!) ... and I also got a pair of brown Levi cords, so that was a nice haul for less than $10!
When we got back I found I'd lost my phone, and a process of simple deduction revealed I'd probably left it in the store fitting room! We called the store and nobody had turned it in :( ... however a bit more deduction revealed it was happily snuggled in the pocket of those brown cords I'd been trying on at the time! Yay!
So I'm going to be a party animal for the next 2 days (it's the work do on Tuesday!) ... so if you don't see me you know I'm out enjoying lots of good food and soaking up the Christmas spirit! :)
I've still been very idle on the quilting front ... haven't done anything since my last post! Even my best intentions to participate in Thearica's 24 days of Christmas block-a-day counting down to Christmas! I do hope to catch up, but as the days slip by the odds aren't improving! lol
It's the quilt club pot luck Christmas night tomorrow (Monday) which should be fun! I'm taking a pasta salad with sun-dried tomatoes and I have a book for the Secret Santa ... I'd quite like to have kept it for myself butI don't think that's in the rules!
We went bargain hunting this afternoon ... there's a rather nice Goodwill store out at Macedon (not sure how that's spelled!) ... I got a nice blue Perry Ellis shirt with white stripes and cufflink cuffs (I'm really liking this designer's clothing . I also got a blue jumper range!) with a shallow v-neck (I'm not a big fan of v-necks, but this seemed nice, and at $2.50 you can't really go wrong can you!) ... and I also got a pair of brown Levi cords, so that was a nice haul for less than $10!
When we got back I found I'd lost my phone, and a process of simple deduction revealed I'd probably left it in the store fitting room! We called the store and nobody had turned it in :( ... however a bit more deduction revealed it was happily snuggled in the pocket of those brown cords I'd been trying on at the time! Yay!
So I'm going to be a party animal for the next 2 days (it's the work do on Tuesday!) ... so if you don't see me you know I'm out enjoying lots of good food and soaking up the Christmas spirit! :)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Squeeeee
My, this update is long overdue isn't it?! (that's definitely rhetorical!)
So, over the last 2 or so weeks I had some nice luck! First of all my 3rd place prize from Men Quilt Too competition arrived on the doorstep! It was this:
A lovely box full of Aurifil thread! I'm sure these will keep me going for about a year!!
And then, I was one of The Chosen over on Sarah (Narcoleptic in a Cupboard)'s blog! And my prize was this lovely book - Dare to be Square by Boo Davis http://tinyurl.com/c6j5aws . which is full of pictures, many of which I can see (or see enough of to get the idea! all the patterns are bold colours which means I can see the contrasts!) of quilt patterns using squares! ... I always knew it was hip to be a square, and this book proves it ... even if I am a little dodecahedral at the edges!
Talking of books... yesterday I went to Joanne's to look for something $10-or-less for the quilt club Secret Santa. The only restriction was no fabric! I found this book marked at $10, Free Motion Quilting, From Practice to Perfection (I think that's the title!).95 and thought it would be perfect! So when we got to the checkout it turned out to be $24!!!! now that's a pretty price for a book no matter how nice! But, I had a 50% off coupon so bought it anyway ...
Now I'm having second thoughts because it is a bit much value for the Secret Santa and I don't want to be not in-keeping with the other folk ... so I might take it back ... pennies are a bit tight, what with having to replace the Jeep a couple of weeks ago (and then the wheel bearings last week!), and with all the medical bills and Christmas coming up... I can't really afford to keep it no matter how much I'd like to. lol, but I shall try photographing it and OCRing the pages before I return it... whether that will work is anyone's guess, but it might!
Apart from that I'm afraid I haven't done much quilting ... I did get a new pack of the self-threading needles yesterday, and they do appear to be a lot sharper which is what I wanted, so maybe I'll have a productive week with my new needles :) ... I haven't forgotten that a couple of you asked about those needles and I did try to take a photo but without any success... but there is information on the web and this link ... and here is more general info for those who are visually-challenged or just find threading needles tricky! (apparently they are very good for burying your thread ends inside a quilt - when you finish with a piece of thread you don't knot it, which can create a noticeable lump- you just leave the end loose and then thread it onto one of these needles, and you can then sew it into the center of your quilt! ... or something like that ... Google it if you want instructions, there's lots of pages about it!)
So, over the last 2 or so weeks I had some nice luck! First of all my 3rd place prize from Men Quilt Too competition arrived on the doorstep! It was this:
A lovely box full of Aurifil thread! I'm sure these will keep me going for about a year!!
And then, I was one of The Chosen over on Sarah (Narcoleptic in a Cupboard)'s blog! And my prize was this lovely book - Dare to be Square by Boo Davis http://tinyurl.com/c6j5aws . which is full of pictures, many of which I can see (or see enough of to get the idea! all the patterns are bold colours which means I can see the contrasts!) of quilt patterns using squares! ... I always knew it was hip to be a square, and this book proves it ... even if I am a little dodecahedral at the edges!
Talking of books... yesterday I went to Joanne's to look for something $10-or-less for the quilt club Secret Santa. The only restriction was no fabric! I found this book marked at $10, Free Motion Quilting, From Practice to Perfection (I think that's the title!).95 and thought it would be perfect! So when we got to the checkout it turned out to be $24!!!! now that's a pretty price for a book no matter how nice! But, I had a 50% off coupon so bought it anyway ...
Now I'm having second thoughts because it is a bit much value for the Secret Santa and I don't want to be not in-keeping with the other folk ... so I might take it back ... pennies are a bit tight, what with having to replace the Jeep a couple of weeks ago (and then the wheel bearings last week!), and with all the medical bills and Christmas coming up... I can't really afford to keep it no matter how much I'd like to. lol, but I shall try photographing it and OCRing the pages before I return it... whether that will work is anyone's guess, but it might!
Apart from that I'm afraid I haven't done much quilting ... I did get a new pack of the self-threading needles yesterday, and they do appear to be a lot sharper which is what I wanted, so maybe I'll have a productive week with my new needles :) ... I haven't forgotten that a couple of you asked about those needles and I did try to take a photo but without any success... but there is information on the web and this link ... and here is more general info for those who are visually-challenged or just find threading needles tricky! (apparently they are very good for burying your thread ends inside a quilt - when you finish with a piece of thread you don't knot it, which can create a noticeable lump- you just leave the end loose and then thread it onto one of these needles, and you can then sew it into the center of your quilt! ... or something like that ... Google it if you want instructions, there's lots of pages about it!)
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Between Now and the End of the World
I've noticed a lot of you more-organized-than-moi bloggers making lists of all your projects. So, here's my list!
I'm not assigning any priority to this list, it's just a list of things I'd like to accomplish sometime... and since the world is due to end in 2012, I've nominally selected the end of the world as my target date, or whenever the cups of tea and biscuits run out, whichever happens soonest.
If this post appears garbled as you first read it, bear with me... there's going to be lots of links to other blogs or pictures, so it's quite possible I'll need to make corrections if I type the code wrong or miss out a quote mark for example! In fact, I'm far from sure I've got all the links to the pictures right, so sorry if there's some random photo which doesn't relate!
So here goes.
Do tell me what you think, especially any suggestions, even if it's a "it'll never work" lol.
Oh yes, and at some point I want to make things with triangles and circles, and maybe one of those lovely Dahlia designs as a medallion quilt ...
I'm not assigning any priority to this list, it's just a list of things I'd like to accomplish sometime... and since the world is due to end in 2012, I've nominally selected the end of the world as my target date, or whenever the cups of tea and biscuits run out, whichever happens soonest.
If this post appears garbled as you first read it, bear with me... there's going to be lots of links to other blogs or pictures, so it's quite possible I'll need to make corrections if I type the code wrong or miss out a quote mark for example! In fact, I'm far from sure I've got all the links to the pictures right, so sorry if there's some random photo which doesn't relate!
So here goes.
Between Now and the End of the World I would Like To Finish:
- My second quilt, based on the Rainy Day Quilt posted by Quilting in the Rain as part of Madam Sam's 3-month series on Sew We Quilt. My version has lots of fabrics with clouds, raindrops, yellow duckies and rainy day sayings, but I don't have a photo yet, so here's the original:
- Charity block for Irondequoit Quilt Club. This is simply a 9x7 square block of a wide variety of colors, each one alternating with a lightly patterned white square. I've been making decent progress with this over the last couple of weeks! Sorry, no photos yet!
- Now for the ones I haven't even started yet... Coasters, as designed by
Laura from Quokka Quilts. I'm really looking forward to creating many of these, and some of you lucky folk may be on the receiving end one day! I'm just struggling to pick out appropriate fabrics, though this week I decided that one of the lovely black and white fabrics that Thearica from Pigtales and Quilts sent me would work nicely, so I just need some less-busy fabrics for the rest of that set... I'm thinking some subtle patterned pink and grey would work well.
- Flowers, as featured in this tutorial on Sew We Quilt. These sound so pretty and easy and a great use of scrap material... though I'm finding the step-by-step instructions to be a little confusing... mainly because I can't really see what's going on in the photos. I may be picking your brains for some tips in due course! I've already started collecting leafy patterns and bright flowery colored fabrics for these! Here's the original pic
- More coasters! Another tutorial from Sew We Quilt, the style of which seems quite similar to the squares I'm doing for my Rainy Day Quilt, with the borders around the squares. I like the apparent simplicity of these and will probably try a couple of sets!
- Black and White Quilts. I stumbled across these from a comment left on my blog from a reader of the Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side. These 2 quilts are from Eileen's Ladybug Lovelies blog and I can see the contrasting patterns. I love the simplicity of the Bountiful Baskets quilt, and if I can manage a Supernova quilt I'd like to try that too! First photo is the Supernova
and here's the Bountiful Basket 
... and here's an alternative Supernova in a step-by-step that Sarah from Narcoleptic in A cupboard told me about.
- Bowls - another from the Sew We Quilt tutorials. This quilted bowl (which I can't find the link to...) struck me because it seemed an unusual thing to make by quilting! I'm not sure if I'll get around to this one, but maybe, time permitting.
- I have a design idea for a belt, well more a sash. I would bow to you ladies if you don't think it would work! Imagine a small square, say 3 inches square, or even slightly rectangle seems to look quite nice. Attach thin strips to two opposite ends (like the individual squares in my Rainy Day Quilt). Now, imagine as you are putting the quilt together, you sew each one in turn, pairing two of them with a layer of batting between. However the batting is only as wide as the center square, so you sew / quilt along the sides of that center square, and then you finish the border strips separately, so they have no batting inside. Them. Then you turn them to make a diamond shape and in the point of one of the borders you make a button hole in one of the strips and sew a button in the point of the other strip. Repeat, and when you've finished you can join all the individual units together, buttoning one to the next, forming a belt or sash that you can wear around your waste! (or if you're a gunslinger you can wear it across your shoulders and stick your bullets to it, for that stylish mercenary look). No pics for this yet, it lives only in my wild imagination!
- and I'd forgotten about this until I was going through the list of Sew We Quilt tutorials again.... a quick and easy drawstring bag, which I liked the sound of )I've always liked drawstrings!)
- Finally, and this is unlikely to see the light of day, but I had an idea for a modern Christmas table runner, many of which you all were making for the Crafty Christmas Club I think. I thought a modern style runner but with a snowflake-like jagged piece of lace-type material attached to the back, and another piece attached to the front and kind of overlapping the gaps of the back strip might look nice. Of course this might be fiddly to make, even assuming I could find suitable material, but it's an interesting idea and I'm sure it'll keep until next year, assuming the world doesn't end as planned...
Do tell me what you think, especially any suggestions, even if it's a "it'll never work" lol.
Oh yes, and at some point I want to make things with triangles and circles, and maybe one of those lovely Dahlia designs as a medallion quilt ...
Saturday, October 29, 2011
What a Hoot!
Well isn't this a nice surprise! I discovered from BillieBee's Blog that there is another quilt show, with a particular emphasis on telling the story behind the quilts.
Those of you who know me know that I am legally blind and therefore those descriptions and stories behind quilts (and any other fabrications!) is what matters most to me!
So I jumped straight on to my blog to write this entry! The show is Blogger's Quilt Festival (Fall 2011) over at Amy's Creative Side so get on over and look at all the lovely quilty things, and if you've got one of your own to show and tell, go write your own story post for the festival!
Hopefully this code will put a button to blog in my post:
So here it is, my first quilt. It's the only one I have to show, though quilt number 2 is well in progress! I was thrilled when it recently took 3rd place in the Men Quilt Too! show on Pigtales and Quilts blog, and although I've rambled about it on my blog, I haven't really sat down and told its tale succinctly in one place!
So let's start with the quilt. Here it is,
It measures approximately 72"tall by 45" wide. The top is hand stitched, and then I used my Brother sewing machine to do some basic quilting in the ditch, and then adding the binding. I began this quilt back in Atlanta where I was at the end of some vision rehab training helping teach me how to do daily things and work tasks with my limited sight. I have played the piano for around 30 years, and had recently been realising that I would find it difficult to play that well now I couldn't really see the music or the keys! When the center's quilt club re-started it was perfect timing for me to get back into doing something creative, so I signed up!
It was great to be part of a quilt group, especially one where the other attendees had similar visual difficulties to me. With the help of a couple of sighted supervisors we all managed to make great progress with our projects! They selected a bunch of squares for me, based on my color preferences, and helped me pair the squares up and start sewing them together.
A couple of weeks and in I was exploring Intown Quilters, a nice local quilt store in Decatur, GA, and found a fat quarter with some very cute owls on in colors that complemented my quilt squares. So they became part of the quilt top, and when it came time to do the backing I selected an owl fabric to make the quilt reversible and that's how the quilt eventually came to be called Owls All Around!
Of course I'm jumping the gun a little... shortly after starting the Atlanta club I got a job way up north in Rochester, NY so quilting got put on hold while we packed and moved and settled in to our new apartment!
Jump forward into September and the deadline for Thearica's Men Quilt Too show was looming, and I managed to get all the final touches done and my quilt entered in the competition! It was one amongst almost 30 entries from male quilters, and it was fantastic to meet so many other men doing great quilty things! I can't wait for next year's show!!
So this quilt celebrates a lot of things. It's the result of wanting to find something creative that I could do even with little sight... and as time goes on I'm managing with less and less help... but it's also the result of having lots of help and encouragement from people, friends and family, some of whom I've known a long time and others just a matter of months having met them through their blogs!
And obviously it's my first quilt so has to have a special place! I love its littered mitred bindings, the abundance of owls, but most importantly all the people who helped me get it made, and the fact that it's opened the door to the world of quilting for me!
I've enjoyed getting to show and tell about the quilt at Irondequoit Quilt Club which I've just joined, and talking about it to other quilters at the Elma Quilt Show, and hopefully at the forthcoming Lockport show (Nov 4-6).
You can follow the whole process of my Owls All Around quilt by reading back through the older posts in my blog, Touch And Sew and please, if you follow me, do leave a comment because that makes it much easier for me to find your blog so I can follow you back :)
Happy quilting!
Giles
Those of you who know me know that I am legally blind and therefore those descriptions and stories behind quilts (and any other fabrications!) is what matters most to me!
So I jumped straight on to my blog to write this entry! The show is Blogger's Quilt Festival (Fall 2011) over at Amy's Creative Side so get on over and look at all the lovely quilty things, and if you've got one of your own to show and tell, go write your own story post for the festival!
Hopefully this code will put a button to blog in my post:
So here it is, my first quilt. It's the only one I have to show, though quilt number 2 is well in progress! I was thrilled when it recently took 3rd place in the Men Quilt Too! show on Pigtales and Quilts blog, and although I've rambled about it on my blog, I haven't really sat down and told its tale succinctly in one place!
So let's start with the quilt. Here it is,
Owls All Around
.
It measures approximately 72"tall by 45" wide. The top is hand stitched, and then I used my Brother sewing machine to do some basic quilting in the ditch, and then adding the binding. I began this quilt back in Atlanta where I was at the end of some vision rehab training helping teach me how to do daily things and work tasks with my limited sight. I have played the piano for around 30 years, and had recently been realising that I would find it difficult to play that well now I couldn't really see the music or the keys! When the center's quilt club re-started it was perfect timing for me to get back into doing something creative, so I signed up!
It was great to be part of a quilt group, especially one where the other attendees had similar visual difficulties to me. With the help of a couple of sighted supervisors we all managed to make great progress with our projects! They selected a bunch of squares for me, based on my color preferences, and helped me pair the squares up and start sewing them together.
A couple of weeks and in I was exploring Intown Quilters, a nice local quilt store in Decatur, GA, and found a fat quarter with some very cute owls on in colors that complemented my quilt squares. So they became part of the quilt top, and when it came time to do the backing I selected an owl fabric to make the quilt reversible and that's how the quilt eventually came to be called Owls All Around!
Of course I'm jumping the gun a little... shortly after starting the Atlanta club I got a job way up north in Rochester, NY so quilting got put on hold while we packed and moved and settled in to our new apartment!
Jump forward into September and the deadline for Thearica's Men Quilt Too show was looming, and I managed to get all the final touches done and my quilt entered in the competition! It was one amongst almost 30 entries from male quilters, and it was fantastic to meet so many other men doing great quilty things! I can't wait for next year's show!!
So this quilt celebrates a lot of things. It's the result of wanting to find something creative that I could do even with little sight... and as time goes on I'm managing with less and less help... but it's also the result of having lots of help and encouragement from people, friends and family, some of whom I've known a long time and others just a matter of months having met them through their blogs!
And obviously it's my first quilt so has to have a special place! I love its littered mitred bindings, the abundance of owls, but most importantly all the people who helped me get it made, and the fact that it's opened the door to the world of quilting for me!
I've enjoyed getting to show and tell about the quilt at Irondequoit Quilt Club which I've just joined, and talking about it to other quilters at the Elma Quilt Show, and hopefully at the forthcoming Lockport show (Nov 4-6).
You can follow the whole process of my Owls All Around quilt by reading back through the older posts in my blog, Touch And Sew and please, if you follow me, do leave a comment because that makes it much easier for me to find your blog so I can follow you back :)
Happy quilting!
Giles
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Competition Climax
After 3 weeks of a fantastic Men Quilt Too! show, the voting closed yesterday and the results have just been announced! ...
Let me just say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me, and for putting up with me badgering and cajoling people with incessant regularity on here, FB and Twitter ... and special thanks to Amy (Magpie Mimi), Sarah, Narcoleptic in a Cupboard), and Rhonda (Quilter in the Gap) for mentioning the competition and my quilt in your blogs and podcasts, and for getting all your friends to vote for me too! ... another special thanks to the people who helped me get my first quilt started and all the way to finished... the lovely folk at the CVI quilt group in Atlanta where I learned to quilt, all my bloggie friends who often answered my questions, and of course Michelle for unpicking all my errors, keeping my machining in a straight line, and threading probably 100 needles!
It was a great show and I've met a lot of new lovely people through it, which is surely the most important thing! I've tried to follow all my new followers back but sometimes it's difficult for me to track down your blogs... I'll do a post listing those that I'm yet to find and maybe y'all can point me in the right direction!
So yes, I think any of the 20-odd quilts would have been worthy winners... and I'm just thrilled for all the votes I got ...
haha, stop prodding me, I'll tell you now how I did ...
I finished third! and I win a load ofwonderful threads, which will be brilliant as I have at least half a dozen projects, including quilt number 2 and a fairly sizeable charity block either on the go or planned!
Feel free to urge me to return the favor and vote for you if you've got quilts or other sewing projects entered in any competitions!
And finally, another big thank you to Thearica at Pigtales and Quilts for putting on a magnificent show... if you don't follow her blog already you should head over and do so now! :)
Let me just say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me, and for putting up with me badgering and cajoling people with incessant regularity on here, FB and Twitter ... and special thanks to Amy (Magpie Mimi), Sarah, Narcoleptic in a Cupboard), and Rhonda (Quilter in the Gap) for mentioning the competition and my quilt in your blogs and podcasts, and for getting all your friends to vote for me too! ... another special thanks to the people who helped me get my first quilt started and all the way to finished... the lovely folk at the CVI quilt group in Atlanta where I learned to quilt, all my bloggie friends who often answered my questions, and of course Michelle for unpicking all my errors, keeping my machining in a straight line, and threading probably 100 needles!
It was a great show and I've met a lot of new lovely people through it, which is surely the most important thing! I've tried to follow all my new followers back but sometimes it's difficult for me to track down your blogs... I'll do a post listing those that I'm yet to find and maybe y'all can point me in the right direction!
So yes, I think any of the 20-odd quilts would have been worthy winners... and I'm just thrilled for all the votes I got ...
haha, stop prodding me, I'll tell you now how I did ...
I finished third! and I win a load ofwonderful threads, which will be brilliant as I have at least half a dozen projects, including quilt number 2 and a fairly sizeable charity block either on the go or planned!
Feel free to urge me to return the favor and vote for you if you've got quilts or other sewing projects entered in any competitions!
And finally, another big thank you to Thearica at Pigtales and Quilts for putting on a magnificent show... if you don't follow her blog already you should head over and do so now! :)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Squish Squash Sandwich
First, a public service announcement:
It's almost the end of the Men Quilt Too! competition on Pigtales and Quilts...Thanks to everyone who has voted. I'm biting my nails wondering if I'm in the top 4, the prize positions! I just hope I get a respectable number of votes and don't finish last ;) If you've voted you can rest assured, I won't be sending the hitmen round to help you remember to cast your last minute vote :)
Voting closes on the 22nd so if you haven't voted yet, just send your email saying "I'm voting for 14. Owls All Around!" to alliesgrandma@earthlink.net ... and a huge thank you to Thearica for putting on such a great show and exposing us male quilts to the world :)
OK, onwards and upwards... there's rainy clouds in the sky... well, rainy fabrics! The rainy day quilt is progressing well. I did several more squares whilst listening to Quilter in the Gap's latest podcast. If you haven't listened to the previous one which interviewed me, do go check it out, it's number 13, and the new number 14 is full of more Rhonda quirkiness and enjoyable ramblings about quilting and life.
It's sew night again tomorrow, so I'll be hopping on the bus and taking my bag of quilt tricks to do a couple of hours quilting after work. I'm going to concentrate on the charity squares since I haven't made a start on that multi-colorod assortment of fabrics yet! I'll post photos this weekend of the fabrics I'm working with.
In other news... I managed to thread my first needle tonight! Well not my first ever, but first since I became blind. I'm using the neat needles with tiny hooks at the top and which divert the thread into the eye of the needle. I'm very happy about this, it feels like a new kind of freedom!
On to the subject of today's post... bye bye Jeep. It became a squished sandwich between a car which stopped with warning and a big Chevvy truck which totally failed to do the same. So it's a write off :( I wasn't on board, and luckily Michelle and Tazzie dog are both ok... aching from the whiplash, but no serious injuries. Keep your fingers crossed that the insurance decide the value of the Jeep is a respectable amount else we will be struggling to afford anything that will work in the big snow we get up here... I suspect it will be a couple of thousand dollars short of what we really need... life sucks sometimes :(
And final news... I've got my appointment next week to have the catheter put in to my stomach ready for dialysis in the near future. I have the surgery on Thursday, full aneasthetic, but if all goes well I should be discharged by lunchtime... You all know me, I'm not very good with doctors, needles etc, so wish me luck because I'll need it! :)
So that's it, all my current news... now go vote if you still haven't done so! ;)
It's almost the end of the Men Quilt Too! competition on Pigtales and Quilts...Thanks to everyone who has voted. I'm biting my nails wondering if I'm in the top 4, the prize positions! I just hope I get a respectable number of votes and don't finish last ;) If you've voted you can rest assured, I won't be sending the hitmen round to help you remember to cast your last minute vote :)
Voting closes on the 22nd so if you haven't voted yet, just send your email saying "I'm voting for 14. Owls All Around!" to alliesgrandma@earthlink.net ... and a huge thank you to Thearica for putting on such a great show and exposing us male quilts to the world :)
OK, onwards and upwards... there's rainy clouds in the sky... well, rainy fabrics! The rainy day quilt is progressing well. I did several more squares whilst listening to Quilter in the Gap's latest podcast. If you haven't listened to the previous one which interviewed me, do go check it out, it's number 13, and the new number 14 is full of more Rhonda quirkiness and enjoyable ramblings about quilting and life.
It's sew night again tomorrow, so I'll be hopping on the bus and taking my bag of quilt tricks to do a couple of hours quilting after work. I'm going to concentrate on the charity squares since I haven't made a start on that multi-colorod assortment of fabrics yet! I'll post photos this weekend of the fabrics I'm working with.
In other news... I managed to thread my first needle tonight! Well not my first ever, but first since I became blind. I'm using the neat needles with tiny hooks at the top and which divert the thread into the eye of the needle. I'm very happy about this, it feels like a new kind of freedom!
On to the subject of today's post... bye bye Jeep. It became a squished sandwich between a car which stopped with warning and a big Chevvy truck which totally failed to do the same. So it's a write off :( I wasn't on board, and luckily Michelle and Tazzie dog are both ok... aching from the whiplash, but no serious injuries. Keep your fingers crossed that the insurance decide the value of the Jeep is a respectable amount else we will be struggling to afford anything that will work in the big snow we get up here... I suspect it will be a couple of thousand dollars short of what we really need... life sucks sometimes :(
And final news... I've got my appointment next week to have the catheter put in to my stomach ready for dialysis in the near future. I have the surgery on Thursday, full aneasthetic, but if all goes well I should be discharged by lunchtime... You all know me, I'm not very good with doctors, needles etc, so wish me luck because I'll need it! :)
So that's it, all my current news... now go vote if you still haven't done so! ;)
Friday, October 14, 2011
Hot Stuff! Everyone wants a bit of the male quilters!
If you've been following Men Quilt Too! competition page, you'll no doubt notice the ever-increasing link list of blogs by male quilters. It's tremendous how male quilters are out there quilting and doing some great quilty things!
At a local quilt show in Elma, NY the Carriage Quilt Company stall owner was telling me about a quilt club in Canada that is in fact men-only and has a large membership - maybe 400, though I may be making that number up!
And now I saw a link to this on Ye Olde Twitterphone... there is more info on their web page but it says not to copy it without permission, so I'm just quoting the bare essentials:
read the full story here
* * * * *
And don't forget to vote (if you haven't already) ... voting is open until October 22 in Men Quilt Too! and there are more men linking up their blogs / websites every day.
Seems like men are hot stuff in the world of quilting at the mo... heh, remind me not to take myself too seriously (like there's any chance of that! happening, I mean, c'mon ;) )
At a local quilt show in Elma, NY the Carriage Quilt Company stall owner was telling me about a quilt club in Canada that is in fact men-only and has a large membership - maybe 400, though I may be making that number up!
And now I saw a link to this on Ye Olde Twitterphone... there is more info on their web page but it says not to copy it without permission, so I'm just quoting the bare essentials:
"Bengal Tiger," a fabric piece by Rob Appell, owner of The Cotton Ball quilt shop in Morro Bay, is part of the "Men Quilting!" exhibit at the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula.
Guys demonstrate their skills with needle and fabric in the "Men Quilting! Quilts Made by Men" exhibit at the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula, on display Sunday through Feb. 5.
The 13th annual Heritage Valley Festival of Quilts exhibit will showcase the creations of male quilters from Ventura County, Los Angeles and Morro Bay.
read the full story here
* * * * *
And don't forget to vote (if you haven't already) ... voting is open until October 22 in Men Quilt Too! and there are more men linking up their blogs / websites every day.
Seems like men are hot stuff in the world of quilting at the mo... heh, remind me not to take myself too seriously (like there's any chance of that! happening, I mean, c'mon ;) )
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Magnetism
On Monday I had my second iron injection and I've been so full of energy I've been zipping around, haven't slept a wink, pins and needles jump out of the pin cushions as I pass and stick themselves to my arms.....
erm, or not! I can't explain it but I've been shattered this week! I get home from work and promptly take a nap before dinner! weird... where's the extra energy boost?! maybe we'll give it a week and let it catch up with me.
Don't forget, anybody who hasn't cast their vote in the Men Quilt Too! competition, hop along and send Thearica an email with the name and number of your favorite quilt... that'd be number 14, Owls All Around ... there's a lot of cute little owlies on that quilt and they all need a vote, so tell everyone you know to adopt an owl! ... if you vote I'll even tell you which owl is yours when the competition closes!
... and there have been several more male bloggers linking up on the blog listing too, so go check out their blogs... seriously, there are some really talented guys there and some have been quilting for a long time and have some fresh ideas about quilting :)
In other news I tuned in for the #TALKNT chat on Twitter last night. This is a 2-hour chat about all things quilty and sewingy, and frankly it moves at one heck of a pace! I struggled to keep up - even setting the speed of my screen reader (which is called Jaws, so I'm going to start calling it that because it's so much shorter than "my screen reading software") up a couple of notches to the "motormouth" level, even then I was mostly 5 minutes behind the latest tweet!
I enjoyed the conversation and threw in a couple of comments. However, does anybody else do the TALKNT chat? I visited the blog page about it but couldn't find the "Add" button anywhere to show that I was participating... I think that's how you get entered in the sessions giveaways... the night seems to be often sponsored by the great Fat Quarter Shop :)
... if anybody has any insights as where I'd find the add button so I can appear on the list of chatters, please please please point me in that direction!
I think I'm going to turn some of my attention to the charity quilt block I've said I'd do. Watch out for some pics of the fabrics for that, and also some progress shots of the Rainy Day quilt which is becoming a neat little stack on my desk as I sew squares whilst listening to the likes of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Coco Before Chanel ...
erm, or not! I can't explain it but I've been shattered this week! I get home from work and promptly take a nap before dinner! weird... where's the extra energy boost?! maybe we'll give it a week and let it catch up with me.
Don't forget, anybody who hasn't cast their vote in the Men Quilt Too! competition, hop along and send Thearica an email with the name and number of your favorite quilt... that'd be number 14, Owls All Around ... there's a lot of cute little owlies on that quilt and they all need a vote, so tell everyone you know to adopt an owl! ... if you vote I'll even tell you which owl is yours when the competition closes!
... and there have been several more male bloggers linking up on the blog listing too, so go check out their blogs... seriously, there are some really talented guys there and some have been quilting for a long time and have some fresh ideas about quilting :)
In other news I tuned in for the #TALKNT chat on Twitter last night. This is a 2-hour chat about all things quilty and sewingy, and frankly it moves at one heck of a pace! I struggled to keep up - even setting the speed of my screen reader (which is called Jaws, so I'm going to start calling it that because it's so much shorter than "my screen reading software") up a couple of notches to the "motormouth" level, even then I was mostly 5 minutes behind the latest tweet!
I enjoyed the conversation and threw in a couple of comments. However, does anybody else do the TALKNT chat? I visited the blog page about it but couldn't find the "Add" button anywhere to show that I was participating... I think that's how you get entered in the sessions giveaways... the night seems to be often sponsored by the great Fat Quarter Shop :)
... if anybody has any insights as where I'd find the add button so I can appear on the list of chatters, please please please point me in that direction!
I think I'm going to turn some of my attention to the charity quilt block I've said I'd do. Watch out for some pics of the fabrics for that, and also some progress shots of the Rainy Day quilt which is becoming a neat little stack on my desk as I sew squares whilst listening to the likes of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Coco Before Chanel ...
Saturday, October 8, 2011
"There are so many colors in a flower, so let's use every one"
I thought this was a very good quilt show by the quilters of Des Moines, Iowa ...
Blind People 'See' Quilts At Exhibit - Des Moines News Story - KCCI Des Moines
when I went to Elma quilt show I ran my fingers lightly over the exhibits to get an idea of the patterns and stitching... I hope nobody minded... well, they didn't say so if they did ;)
So here's a challenge for you... when you're thinking about your quilting, try to make at least one quilt with a tactile difference - that could be in the choice of fabrics, using applique (fabric textures or I've seen some people use little bits of batting to make the applique puff out a little for example), designs using beads or things that would stick to the fabric (sequins), I'm sure the thread could be used in imaginative ways so that it is noticeable to the touch... really, the possibilities are as wild as your imagination!
And if you have a local quilt show, please do encourage your fellow quilters to encourage any blind visitors to touch your quilts and really appreciate all the work that's gone in to them!
... and don't forget to tell your local vision rehab organizations that your quilt show will be blind-friendly! :)
And here's a link to the song from which the title is taken, with a rather cool animation which I can see most of :) on YouTube
And here's a poem about colors and some of the ways they can be seen:
colours
Because everything touches and leaves a little differently every time
Colours are the way you feel,
The tickle of grass under your feet
Is green, emerald when it's warm, darker when it's wet
The skies are blue
Singing with birds and be-anything clouds
Grey are the paths and brown the park benches
On which linger the people you've never met
The conversations you'll one day have
The future you do not know quite yet
Yellow is the warmth that wraps an arm around
Your shoulders, quiet and happy,
Simple, and simultaneously profound
Whispers, in orange
That tomorrow is going to be fine
And never let you down;
Black is the unknown
The enptiness of someone gone
The fears we do not like to own
Pink is a birthday, immediately unwrapped
Giddy with ribbons and party friends
The kind of day that runs until we're super tired, then ends,
Collapsing into purple shades and closing eyes
Your favorite bed
With freshly laundered pillowcases to rest your head.
And lavender, the scent of tiny bags
Exquisitely capturing the garden
Where we walk, hand in hand.
The stories and the dreams, white
The sheet of paper, the field of snow
Wating for footprints to bite
An open canvas to scribble or write;
Curl up, share the flickering fireside
Dancing with gold and ochre and violet
Or the gentle candle light
This heart, red like nothing else
The essence of love and life.
Blind People 'See' Quilts At Exhibit - Des Moines News Story - KCCI Des Moines
when I went to Elma quilt show I ran my fingers lightly over the exhibits to get an idea of the patterns and stitching... I hope nobody minded... well, they didn't say so if they did ;)
So here's a challenge for you... when you're thinking about your quilting, try to make at least one quilt with a tactile difference - that could be in the choice of fabrics, using applique (fabric textures or I've seen some people use little bits of batting to make the applique puff out a little for example), designs using beads or things that would stick to the fabric (sequins), I'm sure the thread could be used in imaginative ways so that it is noticeable to the touch... really, the possibilities are as wild as your imagination!
And if you have a local quilt show, please do encourage your fellow quilters to encourage any blind visitors to touch your quilts and really appreciate all the work that's gone in to them!
... and don't forget to tell your local vision rehab organizations that your quilt show will be blind-friendly! :)
And here's a link to the song from which the title is taken, with a rather cool animation which I can see most of :) on YouTube
And here's a poem about colors and some of the ways they can be seen:
colours
Because everything touches and leaves a little differently every time
Colours are the way you feel,
The tickle of grass under your feet
Is green, emerald when it's warm, darker when it's wet
The skies are blue
Singing with birds and be-anything clouds
Grey are the paths and brown the park benches
On which linger the people you've never met
The conversations you'll one day have
The future you do not know quite yet
Yellow is the warmth that wraps an arm around
Your shoulders, quiet and happy,
Simple, and simultaneously profound
Whispers, in orange
That tomorrow is going to be fine
And never let you down;
Black is the unknown
The enptiness of someone gone
The fears we do not like to own
Pink is a birthday, immediately unwrapped
Giddy with ribbons and party friends
The kind of day that runs until we're super tired, then ends,
Collapsing into purple shades and closing eyes
Your favorite bed
With freshly laundered pillowcases to rest your head.
And lavender, the scent of tiny bags
Exquisitely capturing the garden
Where we walk, hand in hand.
The stories and the dreams, white
The sheet of paper, the field of snow
Wating for footprints to bite
An open canvas to scribble or write;
Curl up, share the flickering fireside
Dancing with gold and ochre and violet
Or the gentle candle light
This heart, red like nothing else
The essence of love and life.
Friday, October 7, 2011
20 Questions
Let me start by saying, I deny everything! haha! Go to Quilter in the Gap's blog and look for Episode 13 of her highly entertaining podcasts! In this episode she's interviewing some blind guy who quilts with the help of his tearaway cat... yep, that'd be me!
So go and look for the link to listen either on iTunes, or to the web player, or if you prefer to download the mp3 there's a link for that on the web player page too.
I enjoyed answering all those questions, and Rhonda's ramblings and insights into quilting are as fun as ever. So definitely set aside an hour this weekend to listen while you're doing your quilting and sewing! For all my new followers this is a great way to find out a little more about me and my quilting! Don't forget to leave a comment and let me (and Rhonda) know you enjoyed it :)
... and while you're online don't forget about the Men Quilt Too! show and competition over on Pigtales and Quilts blog... if you've already voted you'll still find lots of great blogs from male quilters listed in the link-up, several more have come and added their blogs since the start of the competition, so do check back (and leave a comment to say hello!)...
And if you haven't voted, please do so! There are some great prizes for the winning quilts, and if you leave a comment there are great daily prizes for you too - so comment every day until Oct 15 if you like! You can only vote once though, so please don't forget to do that... pretty please with cherries on top!
To vote you can look at all the entries by following the Competition Album link, and then cast your vote by sending an email to alliesgrandma@earthlink.net ... simply state the number and name of your favorite quilt (hint: mine is 14. Owls All Around)
Tonight I go to the first sew night at Irondequoit quilt club, so I'm looking forward to spending a couple of hours working on my Rainy Day quilt, and maybe the charity block I'm doing too :)
And if you're a new follower, do leave me a comment with the name of your blog so I can follow you back... with many it's hard for me to get from your name to your blog in my list of followers!
And finally, thank goodness it's Friday :) :) :)
So go and look for the link to listen either on iTunes, or to the web player, or if you prefer to download the mp3 there's a link for that on the web player page too.
I enjoyed answering all those questions, and Rhonda's ramblings and insights into quilting are as fun as ever. So definitely set aside an hour this weekend to listen while you're doing your quilting and sewing! For all my new followers this is a great way to find out a little more about me and my quilting! Don't forget to leave a comment and let me (and Rhonda) know you enjoyed it :)
... and while you're online don't forget about the Men Quilt Too! show and competition over on Pigtales and Quilts blog... if you've already voted you'll still find lots of great blogs from male quilters listed in the link-up, several more have come and added their blogs since the start of the competition, so do check back (and leave a comment to say hello!)...
And if you haven't voted, please do so! There are some great prizes for the winning quilts, and if you leave a comment there are great daily prizes for you too - so comment every day until Oct 15 if you like! You can only vote once though, so please don't forget to do that... pretty please with cherries on top!
To vote you can look at all the entries by following the Competition Album link, and then cast your vote by sending an email to alliesgrandma@earthlink.net ... simply state the number and name of your favorite quilt (hint: mine is 14. Owls All Around)
Tonight I go to the first sew night at Irondequoit quilt club, so I'm looking forward to spending a couple of hours working on my Rainy Day quilt, and maybe the charity block I'm doing too :)
And if you're a new follower, do leave me a comment with the name of your blog so I can follow you back... with many it's hard for me to get from your name to your blog in my list of followers!
And finally, thank goodness it's Friday :) :) :)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Trigonometry
It's been a busy day of doctors appointments, mostly involving my arms so I was too tied up to do any quilting! first off it took 2 hours to do the paperwork ready for me to have a catheter put in (minor surgical procedure) for my looming start of dialysis... this involved some not-very-papery things too, namely chest x-ray, EKG, and the obligatory blood test.
After a couple of hours gap, next up was an iron injection, tying up an arm again as they did it like a blood transfusion, taking about an hour again (including the half hour observation period to make sure I wasn't going to react badly to the jab ... not sure what they expected me to do, run around madly quilting?)
But that was that, all went smoothly. i get another iron shot in a week, and should get an appointment for the catheter surgery in a couple of weeks. What a hectic month!
Time for some quilting news! Here are some pics from the Elma quilt show which we went to this last weekend. The theme was very definitely triangles, and this first one was one of my favorites
Blue Dahlia
And here are a couple more:
Jess & Lou's Wedding
Prairie Flower Patchwork
My Grandmothers Rose Garden
Back to work tomorrow... more rain in the forecast! Looking forward to sew night at Irondequoit Quilt Club on Friday - I need those hours behind a needle, I've got lots to do and today's needles didn't help! ;)
After a couple of hours gap, next up was an iron injection, tying up an arm again as they did it like a blood transfusion, taking about an hour again (including the half hour observation period to make sure I wasn't going to react badly to the jab ... not sure what they expected me to do, run around madly quilting?)
But that was that, all went smoothly. i get another iron shot in a week, and should get an appointment for the catheter surgery in a couple of weeks. What a hectic month!
Time for some quilting news! Here are some pics from the Elma quilt show which we went to this last weekend. The theme was very definitely triangles, and this first one was one of my favorites
Blue Dahlia
And here are a couple more:
Jess & Lou's Wedding
Prairie Flower Patchwork
My Grandmothers Rose Garden
Back to work tomorrow... more rain in the forecast! Looking forward to sew night at Irondequoit Quilt Club on Friday - I need those hours behind a needle, I've got lots to do and today's needles didn't help! ;)
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Elma Quilt Show
First of all, thanks to everybody who has already voted in the Men Quilt Too! competition, and a double thank you if you've been telling people about the show... and a triple thank you if you ask your friends to vote for my quilt ;)
Next, a big hello to all the new followers who have found my blog through the competition! I am in the process of trying to follow you all back, but Blogger is far from friendly to my screen reading software and it can be very difficult for me to actually find out what your blogs are! Sometimes it'll let me go to your profile page, but more often than not it won't, so I'm just left with your posting name and no way to get to your blog! .... grrrr to Blogger!! .... I'll get there in the end though!
Yesterday Michelle and I went to a local quilt show in Elma, NY, somewhere on the road to Buffalo. It was really well attended, with lots of quilts being exhibited. The preference certainly seemed to be for triangles - there were many examples of triangular and diamond patterns... very few circles or hexagons!
The day certainly started well - there were door prizes and I picked up a fat quarter size of a velvety / fleece type fabric of a purple color along with a selection of 8-or-so hand colored threads, and everyone was able to take a small Christmas tree ornament, so I picked up a red one with a teapot on!
Then I went shopping! First stall was Carriage Quilt Shoppe, and I had a nice chat with the owner. I picked 5 fat quarters since it was buy 5 and get 1 free... and then on hearing about my quilt and the Men Quilt Too! competition she let me choose another fat quarter for my next project! ... and when I gave her the link to my blog so she could go see my quilt, she said she will print a copy and display it in the shop! how awesome is that?!
I have a vague idea that the fabrics I got might go with the selection of black and white fabrics that Thearice of Pigtales and Quilts sent me when I won a giveaway on her blog! The one on top of the left-hand pile is the extra free one I chose! ... the green batique (if that's how you spell it) might come in handy for the quilt flowers I have in my future projects queue!
I had a nice bowl of French onion soup and some cheesy bacon fries on the way home, but when we stopped to pick up a coffee I couldn't resist challenging myself to beat this Mile High Cheesecake too! mmmmmmmmm, I won!
I also brought home a tasty rice krispie treat with chunks of minty Orea cookie in it... I'd show you a photo of that too, but nomnomnom it's gone! that was breakfast ;)
Next, a big hello to all the new followers who have found my blog through the competition! I am in the process of trying to follow you all back, but Blogger is far from friendly to my screen reading software and it can be very difficult for me to actually find out what your blogs are! Sometimes it'll let me go to your profile page, but more often than not it won't, so I'm just left with your posting name and no way to get to your blog! .... grrrr to Blogger!! .... I'll get there in the end though!
Yesterday Michelle and I went to a local quilt show in Elma, NY, somewhere on the road to Buffalo. It was really well attended, with lots of quilts being exhibited. The preference certainly seemed to be for triangles - there were many examples of triangular and diamond patterns... very few circles or hexagons!
The day certainly started well - there were door prizes and I picked up a fat quarter size of a velvety / fleece type fabric of a purple color along with a selection of 8-or-so hand colored threads, and everyone was able to take a small Christmas tree ornament, so I picked up a red one with a teapot on!
Then I went shopping! First stall was Carriage Quilt Shoppe, and I had a nice chat with the owner. I picked 5 fat quarters since it was buy 5 and get 1 free... and then on hearing about my quilt and the Men Quilt Too! competition she let me choose another fat quarter for my next project! ... and when I gave her the link to my blog so she could go see my quilt, she said she will print a copy and display it in the shop! how awesome is that?!
I have a vague idea that the fabrics I got might go with the selection of black and white fabrics that Thearice of Pigtales and Quilts sent me when I won a giveaway on her blog! The one on top of the left-hand pile is the extra free one I chose! ... the green batique (if that's how you spell it) might come in handy for the quilt flowers I have in my future projects queue!
I had a nice bowl of French onion soup and some cheesy bacon fries on the way home, but when we stopped to pick up a coffee I couldn't resist challenging myself to beat this Mile High Cheesecake too! mmmmmmmmm, I won!
I also brought home a tasty rice krispie treat with chunks of minty Orea cookie in it... I'd show you a photo of that too, but nomnomnom it's gone! that was breakfast ;)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Male Quilters - Shout About Your Blog!
I know I don't have any male readers (yet), but if you know any other male quilters, please do tell them it's not too late to link up their blogs on the Men Quilt Too! listings page.
Entries for the competition itself are obviously closed now that voting has started, but the listings page is still open, so send any and all male quilters over and get them to shout about their blog! :)
And thanks again to Thearica for organizing such a fab quilt show! and to all of you for your awesome support and help!
Entries for the competition itself are obviously closed now that voting has started, but the listings page is still open, so send any and all male quilters over and get them to shout about their blog! :)
And thanks again to Thearica for organizing such a fab quilt show! and to all of you for your awesome support and help!
Friday, September 30, 2011
An Englishman in new York... Quilting
Pen PortraitName: Giles
Age: 38
Hometown:Harrogate, England
Current City: Rochester, NY
Quilting Since: March 2011
I grew up in England, spent my early adult life in Wales, and moved to the USA in 2007 when I married Michelle and we moved to Atlanta, GA. I began quilting earlier in 2011 and have just finished my first quilt - the one I've submitted in the Men Quilt Too! show.
I've been legally blind since 2008 and I began quilting largely because I felt a bit remote from the creative things I used to do when I could see more. I began this blog to be able to talk about my progress, about the challenges of doing it blind, and to meet the wonderful friends who also quilt and blog!
I'm just starting a second quilt and I've got several projects lined up which I can't wait to try my hand at - including quilted flowers, bowls and bags. I joined the local Irondequoit Quilt Club and am contributing a 9x7 square block to one of the charity quilts, so those are all things that will be mentioned in on this blog between now and Christmas!
Outside of quilting I enjoy all kinds of music - I play a bit of jazz trumpet / flugelhorn and classical piano, and I used to write and blog about all types of pop, rock and electronic music! I love books and writing, and I'm very partial to a cup of tea (hot with milk, not iced) and a slice of cake!
Thhanks for stopping by. You'll find a good dose of humor, as well asquilting stories and photos, and lots of good advice from others on this blog. If you want to know more then look out for the podcast by Quilter in the Gap - there is an interview with me in the next edition, anticipated on October 5th... and of course feel free to follow me and leave a comment to let me know the name of your blog too!
See you soon!
Giles
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
How Many Quilters Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?
Last night I got the mobility bus from work and headed off to quilt club. There were half a dozen of us blindees on the bus, everybody else heading home after another hard day in the sweatshop... I mean in the call center ;)
Most drivers are nice but don't provide more than the minimum help that you need to get on and off the bus... but last night the driver, when he heard I'd not been to this venue before, he got out, went in and checked it was where I needed to be... and then he came back and guided me in!
It was the first monthly meeting after the summer break, but even so I was surprised to see so many people. I'd guess at least 50 quilters. By coincidence I got the same driver home tonight, and in all seriousness he said there must have been 150 to 200 people there!
I'm intrigued to discover if that's a reflection of it being the first meeting after the break, or whether it'll be a similar turn out next month!
Everybody was very friendly. I stood up and introduced myself with the other new members. Several people said they are keen to see my first quilt, and I managed to pick up a 9 x 7 square block to do for a charity quilt!
I was very happy with the lighting... very bright, thanks to a project with the local power companies, where the church (that was the location) paid 33% and got a whole energy outfit of bulbs for the hall... but hmmm-crikey-that-many-thousand-dollars???!!! well, I suspect it's worth it, all those energy saving watts and it sure helped me see a little bit of what was going on! ... the quilt gang voted to contribute some money to the cost, which seemed fair since it really is a huge benefit...
so that's how many quilters it takes to change a lightbulb: 200. Fact.
Next Irondequoit Quilt Club meeting is actually a sew night, 6pm 'until whenever', on October 7th. I'll be there :)
Most drivers are nice but don't provide more than the minimum help that you need to get on and off the bus... but last night the driver, when he heard I'd not been to this venue before, he got out, went in and checked it was where I needed to be... and then he came back and guided me in!
It was the first monthly meeting after the summer break, but even so I was surprised to see so many people. I'd guess at least 50 quilters. By coincidence I got the same driver home tonight, and in all seriousness he said there must have been 150 to 200 people there!
I'm intrigued to discover if that's a reflection of it being the first meeting after the break, or whether it'll be a similar turn out next month!
Everybody was very friendly. I stood up and introduced myself with the other new members. Several people said they are keen to see my first quilt, and I managed to pick up a 9 x 7 square block to do for a charity quilt!
I was very happy with the lighting... very bright, thanks to a project with the local power companies, where the church (that was the location) paid 33% and got a whole energy outfit of bulbs for the hall... but hmmm-crikey-that-many-thousand-dollars???!!! well, I suspect it's worth it, all those energy saving watts and it sure helped me see a little bit of what was going on! ... the quilt gang voted to contribute some money to the cost, which seemed fair since it really is a huge benefit...
so that's how many quilters it takes to change a lightbulb: 200. Fact.
Next Irondequoit Quilt Club meeting is actually a sew night, 6pm 'until whenever', on October 7th. I'll be there :)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Quilt #1
I just ate the fortune cookie that came with my dinner... "A palm can say a lot, especially when it smacks." ... that's not a fortune, that's a threat! Oh dear!
Well, it's 11:15pm as I'm starting to write this post, but the deadline for the Men Quilt Too! competition is 9am tomorrow, so I made it! My first quilt, finished and in time for the competition!
I missed posting a photo of the binding tape, but suffice to say, Friday night we got that ran through the little manual bias tape maker, and ironed (without running over my fingers!)... and this evening I sat down with the sewing machine and attached it to the quilt. It was harder keeping it straight because the seams and edges I had to line up with the quilting foot on the machine were a lot less pronounced than the ditch I sewed in when doing the main quilting... but with a little help (especially at the corners!) I think it is done and looking fine for a first quilt! ... what do you think?
So that first photo shows the main random patchwork of the top, in blues, beige and red type colours. The reverse is a backing of lots of owls and apples, in colours which should complement the top. And then there is a tan coloured binding of about 1 inch along the edges, with mitred corners for a nice fancy edge!
Here is a close-up of the edge detail:
So there we have it! The Men Quilt Too! show and competition starts on Oct 1st until 15th, so I'll remind you when it's time to vote. If you see anything that I could do better or differently then do let me know your suggestions! Tomorrow night I go to my first quilt club meeting at Irondequoit Quilt Club... I'm not sure if it's a meeting night or a sewing night, but I'm looking forward to it all the same!
And if you get the fortune cookie that says "you will do well in a competition" eat it for me ;)
Once I've finished this cup of tea it's surely bed time!!
Well, it's 11:15pm as I'm starting to write this post, but the deadline for the Men Quilt Too! competition is 9am tomorrow, so I made it! My first quilt, finished and in time for the competition!
I missed posting a photo of the binding tape, but suffice to say, Friday night we got that ran through the little manual bias tape maker, and ironed (without running over my fingers!)... and this evening I sat down with the sewing machine and attached it to the quilt. It was harder keeping it straight because the seams and edges I had to line up with the quilting foot on the machine were a lot less pronounced than the ditch I sewed in when doing the main quilting... but with a little help (especially at the corners!) I think it is done and looking fine for a first quilt! ... what do you think?
So that first photo shows the main random patchwork of the top, in blues, beige and red type colours. The reverse is a backing of lots of owls and apples, in colours which should complement the top. And then there is a tan coloured binding of about 1 inch along the edges, with mitred corners for a nice fancy edge!
Here is a close-up of the edge detail:
So there we have it! The Men Quilt Too! show and competition starts on Oct 1st until 15th, so I'll remind you when it's time to vote. If you see anything that I could do better or differently then do let me know your suggestions! Tomorrow night I go to my first quilt club meeting at Irondequoit Quilt Club... I'm not sure if it's a meeting night or a sewing night, but I'm looking forward to it all the same!
And if you get the fortune cookie that says "you will do well in a competition" eat it for me ;)
Once I've finished this cup of tea it's surely bed time!!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
"Gentleman, Start Your Engines!"
It's about a week until the deadline for entries to the Men Quilt Too! blog show hosted by Pigtales and Quilts, October 1 - 15... and I'll be entering my quilt and calling on everyone I know to vote! haha!
I don't expect my quilt to win, but it will be great to be featured alongside other quilters, many of whom I suspect have been quilting a lot longer and have far fancier quilts to enter into the competition!
I'll get a bio, well I think I get to write a post on my blog and put a link to it on the profiles page for people entering the show. So my tasks for the next 7 days include sewing the strips of fabric into one long strip of binding fabric... buying some more fabric tomorrow because there isn't quite enough... running it through the bias tape making device, sewing it all around the quilt, and writing my bio blog post!
I've been having a terrible day with technology battling against me (and winning most of the time)... as the sharp eyed amongst you might have noticed when this post got published comprising of a single letter 'c'... yep, I hit CTRL-C to copy it before publishing and promptly replaced everything I'd written by the letter c when the CTRL key failed to register... so I've just finished re-typing it and hopefully it'll work this time!
Oooh, but in better news, yesterday I got a nice pair of red cord trousers for half price in the Goodwill store, that's less than $5! I've wanted a pair of red trousers for only about 10 years!! ... they have a rather nice rocking chair for $25 too which is proving quite hard to resist... maybe if it's still there next time...
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