Lowlights Reel

"The reason we struggle with insecurity is that we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlights reel."  -Steve Furtick

This post is a behind-the-scenes. You all see the fantabulous end results and none of the struggles to get there. Who wants to read a blog about all the times you messed up?  I'll have some pretty pictures, please!

This weekend was definitely a behind-the-scenes reel. On Saturday, I took the shoe quilt to KiwiQuilts to baste on the longarm and to do some of the quilting. It would have been pretty embarrassing if I didn't have a secure sense of self (developed much later in life, btw.  Another favorite quote is Eleanor Roosevelt's - "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.") I couldn't even remember how to turn the machine on. I couldn't remember how to make it go, and the fabric I'm using was not cooperating, so it was hard to baste. In my defense, it has been since November since I used the machine, and the only time I had used it before that was a class two years ago, so I haven't developed any muscle memory. :)  People tell me when I teach class that I am so patient, and this is why. I know I am far from perfect, so it's much easier to be patient with someone who is learning.

Sunday we had planned to do gardening, but it rained, so it was a perfect excuse for Al to watch The Master's and for me to put the binding on "Autumn at Lost Mountain." When I took the quilt up from being blocked, despite all the great smooshing, it puffed up in the middle again and the border was wavy. I blocked it again, and when I took it up yesterday, still poofy in the middle, border still wavy. I'm not sure if that's because of the polyester in the batting or what, but I'm not blocking it again. I started putting the binding on, and my first corner is wonky, so that's a do-over, also.

So all in all, pretty frustrating...I'm headed over to Kiwi tomorrow to baste some more!  Next post will be pretty pictures (or at least pictures), but just wanted to share with you that I don't just sit down at the machine and churn out lovely results. Sometimes they are spectacular failures. Einstein once said that "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."  

Ladies, if a man says he'll fix it, he will. There's no need to bother him every six months about it.

Asilomar - "But I've still got some sand in my shoes..."

 

Remember that song from The Drifters in the early 60's? It was a followup to the hit "Under The Boardwalk."  Summer over, summer love over, memories over, but I've still got some sand in my shoes...

Had a wonderful week at the Empty Spools Seminar in Libby Lehman's class at Asilomar. There were about 18 of us in class, and we learned some great tips from Libby, who is also a Bernina Educator. The weather was fantastic, and I walked on the beach every day.

I actually added that little top rock, which is a lot harder than you might think. Just sayin'.

I was not happy when Aramark took over management of Asilomar a few years ago. You know, big corporate giant taking over management of "The Refuge By The Sea." But I must say, they have made so many nice improvements, and so far, still kept that unique small quality. First of all - SIDEWALKS! Previously pedestrians just shared the road with cars. I've never seen an accident, but I'm sure there have been plenty. Second of all - SIGNS! I can't tell you how much I have wandered around Asilomar looking for a building. A friend was going to meet me last week and she said, "You are going to have to come out to the street, because I am not driving around that maze." And they have maps (energy saving maps that light up when you walk by at night!) and directional signs (Scripps, this way. Lodge, that way.) Third of all - much better food, although that's up for debate. Usually by about the third day, I could not stomache the food at Asilomar and would eat offsite, but it is vastly improved in my opinion. When I made that observation one day, some of the women at my table said it was "homier" before. The recycling of food is hilarious, though...Pork Loin for dinner Monday night, Sweet and Sour Pork for lunch Tuesday. Steak for dinner Tuesday night, Steak Salad for lunch Wednesday. But they have vegetarian choices now, lots of salads, and well balanced meals. And new mattresses!  Don't get me wrong - it's still "rustic." No televisions, telephones in the rooms, wood floors that creak like my old bones...but at least it is rustic, and not just run down and decreptic.

So in class, we were able to choose from several of Libby's projects. I worked on the Pinata Quilt. In my quest to not have any more UFO's, I chose to work on a small version and do a larger version later. And if later never comes, I won't have yet another unfinished project. You work with the circular attachment to achieve this result. I didn't finish putting it together, but here it is on the design wall:

 

We took the red eye coming back Tuesday night...I'm still trying to recover from that! The sunrise was beautiful...hard to get a good shot from the plane (especially after you are supposed to have turned off all electronic devices.)

 



 

I'll be home until the end of the month, when I go to the quilt show in Paducah for the first time. Good to be sleeping in my own bed!

 

What's the difference between a skinny quilter and a fat quilter? A skinny quilter comes home from work, sees what's in the refrigerator and goes to bed. A fat quilter comes home from work, sees what's in bed and goes to the refrigerator. - Joke told by Libby at Asilomar.

Jenny from the Block...or Blocking by Jenny...or

Blocking is fun..or...Blocks R Us...or...Send in the Blocks...

Can you tell how much I love blocking? Not.

I blocked Autumn at Lost Mountain today. When you quilt a top, even if it was perfectly square before (which has happened, never), it won't be after...that's just a fact of life. For "Show" quilts, the judges expect to see dense, all-over quilting, which is going to make things even more out of whack. The way to remedy that is to wet the quilt (Aaaaugh!) and gently ease everything back in to shape...or in the shape you want it to be.  Some people throw their quilts into the washer, some steam, I've even heard of dry blocking. I do not block every quilt. Only ones that need to hang perfectly straight when they are being judged.

I block in the tub, throwing in some Shout Color Catchers, available at your friendly neighborhood grocery store in the laundry supply department. The tub just seems a little more gentle to me. The Color Catchers pull any excess dye into the catcher (they're like little color magnets!) instead of it going back into your quilt. Ever throw something red in with the whites and end up with everything pink? Color Catchers prevent that. For good measure, I also throw in some Synthrapol. No good reason, since the Synthrapol does the same thing as the Color Catchers.

Looking at this picture makes me dizzy! But can you see some of the green in the water? I washed these fabrics before using them, but there's still some excess dye. I forgot to take a picture of the color catcher to show how green they were (I used three).

I then threw the quilt in the washer on the spin cycle (gentle) to get the excess water out.

Then I laid her out on these styrofoam boards I bought at Home Depot. (You can get them at Lowe's or Ace or any place that sells insulation.)  Some people use the carpet, and I've heard of people using their hardwood floors. This piece was really poofy in the middle, so I smooshed the quilt out from the center. Yes, smooshed is a technical quilting term. True. Look it up if you don't believe me.

Smooshing photos by Al Walton

When I measured the inside border diagonally I got a measurement of 64 and 7/8. But when I measured corner to corner the other way, I got 64 and 3/8! Almost half an inch out of whack! All that smooshing, I bet. So I lifted the wet quilt up and eased in a little bit one way and out a little bit the other and ended up with 64 1/2 both ways. The smooshing and easing took about an hour. Then I got the borders straight, and now she is just drying her heart out. I might be able to get her squared up tomorrow. I leave Tuesday for Asilomar, and it would be great to be have something to work on on the plane.

Margaret from Mainely Quilts of Love also has an excellent tutorial on blocking. Here's another really good step by step tutorial here.  Or just Google how to block a quilt and LOTS of sites will pop up.

"I'm afraid I can't go. I've already taken my bra off, so I'm in for the night."

Paper Piecing Class

I taught a paper piecing class at KiwiQuilts today. Three people came to class. Look what we did!

That may not look like a lot, but when you consider all the cutting that we had to do before we started sewing, it's a lot! I can't wait to see the results - they're off to a great start! This pattern is Indian Summer by Judy Niemeyer.

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party!

What I did at Quilt Class

On Monday and Tuesday I took a class at Quilting By the Bay. Judy was teaching the wedding ring class, and I just can not have another UFO (Unfinished Object, of which I can see 15 in just this room), so I did an easy project...a table runner. I actually got a lot finished...

This is made with a Brown Sugar Bali Pop...at first I thought the brown and blue would not look good, but I really like it. What do you think?

Tomorrow I have to gather my materials for my class with Libby Lehman at Asilomar next week, and Friday I have to prepare for my class at KiwiQuilts on Saturday. Never a dull moment!

Before I go to bed...Judy and Dell really loved the quilting that Margaret did on the Feathered Star. And here's a picture with Judy and the quilt!

 

If at first you don't succeed, try having a drink while you do it. You'll be surprised how much less you care.

Best Weekend Ever!

(This post is out of order. I started it when I came back from North Carolina, but forgot to publish it. This took place the weekend of March 1st.)

I've just come back from a weekend in North Carolina with the African American Quilt Circle of Raleigh-Durham. I haven't said a lot (anything?) about it in case I was an abject failure...didn't want it widely known that I had fallen flat on my face...that would have just been between me and the ladies of Raleigh-Durham. Well...it was fabulous! And not so much because of what I did, but because these ladies are so supportive, so warm and welcoming...I had a blast!

Friday I stayed at the home of Kimberley Cartwright, and we went to the opening of their quilt show. My favorite piece featured some of their activities over the past 15 years. I sent Rachel a photo so she could see her place in the guild's history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now I'm a part of that history!

 

I taught a paper piecing class on Saturday. The block I taught was the New York Beauty, and I think the class was a success. Several people said they wanted to do more paper piecing, and I’ve had a lot of requests for the template we used. There were 25 people in the class! Here are some of the blocks completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After class on Saturday, I was soooooo tired. I went to Wish Upon a Quilt (great quilt store! Lots of fabulous batiks!), then went to the room and put my feet up until time for dinner. We went to P. F. Chang’s for dinner, then went to a dance show at . It was a wonderful show. Afterwards we went to the room with snacks and wine, and sat up drinking and talking until after 1AM. I thought I would struggle to get up the next day. I took a sleeping pill when I went to bed, and slept solidly, and I was in good shape Sunday morning. Kimbereley said I snored all night long.  Breakfast the next day, then we went to a great store called French Conections. Their sign says they sell French Antiques and African Art.  But it says nothing about the fantastic African print fabric they sell at great prices. Loved this store.

Then it was time to go back and get ready for the 15^th anniversary luncheon. When they asked me to be their guest speaker, of course I was flattered, and then reality hit! It was a lot of work getting ready, but I think the presentation went well. My heart was so full from the generosity of spirit of the group that I think anyone would have done a great job. The food was delicious and the celebration was full of heart and soul. I stayed over Sunday night and just crawled in to bed after the luncheon was over. On Monday, I had planned to go to the Botanical Gardens, but I couldn’t get up, so I met Kimberely at the scrap store, then went to Thimble Pleasures, (another great store!) then came on home. It was a great weekend!

 

Friends are like the walls of a house. Sometimes they hold you up, sometimes you lean on them, but sometimes, it's enough to know they're just standing.

Quilting Makes the Quilt!

 

Here is the flat out GORGEOUS Feathered Star. OMG - quilted by Margaret Gunn at Mainely Quilts of Love. She did an amazing job quilting it, turned it around really quickly, and she was priced reasonably for custom quilting. It turned out so much better than I expected. What a talent! 

 

The piece is called, "Autumn at Lost Mountain," and was inspired by the changing colors of the Maple Trees at Lost Mountain last Fall (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!).

 

I have a class with Judy Niemeyer next week at Quilting by the Bay in Florida, and I cannot wait to show the finished quilt to her. I really should block it tomorrow or Friday so I could work on the binding in car on the way down, but that would be too much like right. Besides, I don't want to take a chance on it not being dry and not being able to take it. You will recall that I started this when I went to Judy's retreat in Montana last September, and I know she will be pleased to see the finished result. And you know you're going to see a picture of me and Judy with this quilt when I get back. Just sayin'. 

According to this BMI chart, I am too short.

Piecing people and applique people

In the world of quilting, I honestly believe there are two types of people...people who piece (me - sewing all the little scraps of fabric together) and applique people - people who apply little scraps of fabric to other pieces of fabric to make pictures of flowers or animals or people. I don't like applique, but I decided this year to challenge myself and try something new, so I bought a block of the month with fusible applique. Fusible is really cheating, because the pieces are already cut out and in this case, already have the fusible (sticky paper) glued on! Can't get any easier than that! So, I thought this would be an easy way to jump in to the applique world. I actually enjoyed this, and might take a step up to real applique next...maybe.

And for the record, I did try the Ricky Tims method of tearing the fabric for this block...and I don't like the result. The edges are wobbly and ironing them did not make it better.

I needed something easy to do after tearing paper out all week for the Feathered Star. I have talked before about how much I hate taking paper off...it was really a pain with these small pieces. I have little pieces of paper all over the floor of my sewing room and I have tracked it all over the house.

And I'm teaching a paper piecing class at KiwiQuilts! We had 10 people sign up for the first class!

Tomorrow it's back to the shoe quilt. I am going to put the out side border on and get it basted down and start quilting it.

You're riding a horse at full speed. There's a giraffe beside you. And you're being chased by a lion. What do you do?

Get your drunk ass off the carousel...

My New BFF, Ricky Tims

I finished the Feathered Star! Y seams and all!

Why yes, that is me on stage with Ricky Tims. He, Libby Lehman and Alex Anderson held a seminar at Clayton State. He was asking me how he can improve his piecing skills, and called me up on stage to demonstrate.  LOL! What really happened was that on the first day of the seminar, he was talking about "Caveman Quilting" and how you do not have to have a perfect 1/4" seam allowance. Edith said, "You should cover your ears when he gets to that part." He didn't hear exactly what she said, but heard our murmuring, and like a good teacher, came right on down into the audience and we repeated the conversation to him. We joked about having to call the paramedics for the less than precise part. Later, he was making a point that we all only have so much time, and we shouldn't waste time on low value activities. So of course he calls Miss Perfect 1/4 inch seam allowance up on the stage to make his point. The lady standing there with me was to cut strips and I was to tear the fabric, which presumably is faster. But he set it up so that I finished first anyway. We all had a good laugh, he gave me a yard of fabric which I donated to the Guild for the auction next month. Just for the record, I do not like to tear fabric, because while it is on the straight of grain, the stress of tearing it distorts the edges of the fabric. His recommendation is that you press the fabric and the edges will be fine. I'm willing to try it...(she said skeptically and not at all set in her ways.)

 

He was very generous about signing books and taking photos:

 

We had a great time at the seminar and I learned a lot. I wanted to attend one of his retreats in Colorado this year, but couldn't make it fit into my schedule. I definitely will go next year. And I'm taking Libby Lehman's class at Asilomar in March. And Clayton State University is a beautiful campus.

 

I just threw a housewarming party for the people next door. Well, I called it a housewarming, the police called it arson.

Happy New Year!

Today is the last day to legally say "Happy New Year!" At some point, and the New Year Police have declared it to be today, the year is no longer new. Here are my resolutions:

This year I resolve to:
1. Try new things
2. Grab life by the bottle
3. Have more adventures
4. Laugh every day
5. Go big or go home
6. Eat more chocolate
7. Drink more wine
8. Shake my tail feathers
(Not necessarily in that order.)

I should add, 9. Master Y seams. Jesus, Mary and Oprah (as Jack on Will and Grace would say), I cannot do Y seams to save my life. There's a great video online on YouTube (btw - anything you want to do ever in life has a video on YouTube. Just Google whatever it is "invalid Sim Card on iPhone5" and you will get a link to the video.) that I have been studying so hard, and I thought I had it, but apparently not. I've been working on one block for the last four hours! That is just wrong! Time to take a lunch break, give my brain a rest, and take the wreaths down from the front door.

Love the people who treat you right...
Prey on the ones who don't...
Wait, no, it's pray FOR the ones who don't...
Yeah, that's it!

RIP Audrey Thompson

My Sister-In-Law, Audrey Thompson, passed away in California on Tuesday.  My husband happened to be visiting, and was in the hospital with her when her spirit left this earth.  Although Audrey and I were not close, we always enjoyed one another’s company. She is survived by her daughter, Nicole, and grandson, Nicolas. 

While Al has been in California, thankfully, the Christmas holidays have kept me busy. My book club shared gifts at our meeting. I embroidered these guest towels as my gift:

"Dear Santa: Define "Naughty."  You can't see the white dove in the second towel.

 

For O.V.'s Christmas party, I made a Christmas ornament:

 

 

Brown Sugar Stitchers held our Christmas luncheon last Saturday. The highlight for everyone was the male in our group, who goes by  the nickname Sugar Bear. Bessie says he was sharp as a rat turd, which is not a disparaging comment, but a compliment! Apparently, rat turds are sharp at both ends. Gotta love that tie and gotta love that pocket scarf! And the top hat!



 I still suck at Y seams.

I have to figure it out, though, because this quilt is nothing but Y seams!

Y didn't I notice that before now????

 

Dear Santa: I've been good. (Mostly)

Eye Exam

You know how you get your eye exam and the doctor is testing the prescription and says, "Which one of these is better? One or two?" And you say, "One." "OK, one or three?" "Three." "Three or four?" And you really can't tell a difference between three and four? For weeks, I have been auditioning fabrics for the background and border of the feathered star. I was gravitating towards a rust color, and I had even pieced out the left and right sides of the border. When I put it up against the quilt, I hated it. I think the rust colors detract too much from the feathers and all you see is the border. I tried again with green, and it's OK...so I went back and looked at the rust again and then I couldn't decide between the green or the rust. Here they both are. BTW, quilters, did you know if you are having trouble with colors or layout, in addition to value finders and squinting your eyes, taking a picture is very helpful? Looking at this picture, if you can't decide, it probably doesn't matter, right? The green is more restful, so I'm going with...green! My other thought is that there's so much of the brown/rust in the quilt, that the green would bring out that one green in the quilt. Every time I'm agonizing over the colors of a quilt, I think of ancestor quilters who had to work with what they had on hand.













And I forgot to post the quilt that I finished for a family devastated by hurricane Sandy. This was a quilt I started years ago and didn't like the way the greens came together, so I put it in the closet. I actually am happy with the way it looks completed, and I know the family who is rebuilding their lives will enjoy it. How 'bout my artsy fartsy arrangement? LOL!

If you would like to donate a quilt, the effort is being coordinated by eQuilter...a favorite online quilt store. If I can't find it locally, they are my go-to online shop, mostly because of the work the owners do. For example, 2% of all sales go to charity, and you can choose the charity where your portion goes. For more information on the quilt collection effort, go to www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/quiltrelief.htm

SHIP QUILTS TO:
Timeless Treasures Fabrics
161 East 11th Avenue
Roselle, NJ 07203
This quilt collection will go on for several months, with a goal of 5,000 quilts.

I've spent the last two days at a class put on by Atlanta Sewing Center on the Embroidery Software that I have owned for two years! I have used it, but not to the full extent of its capability. Can't wait to play with it!

Dear Karma: I have a list of people you missed.

More Quilt Appreciation

Everyone says that Blogspot is so over and that Wordpress is so much easier to use. The post immediately prior to this one is a good example of the hassles with Blogspot. I could not add anything after the picture of me on the longarm.

Anyway - more quilt appreciation: for 3 days I demonstrated using Paintstiks at KiwiQuilts during their minishop hop with two other local shops. It was fun, and I almost reached my sales goals. I think we either had three or five of the Paintstiks left over, which is pretty good, given that I had to practically arm wrestle people to even pick the dang things up.

Prior to that, I went to the annual Houston Quilt Festival. The quilt that won Best of Show is "America, Let Her Shine,"  by Sherry Reynolds. Her goal was to create a quilt that was "a tribute to America, our foundations and values, with the hope that they will guide us to a brighter future."  Mission accomplished, wouldn't you say?  The thirteen original colonies are represented in the border's blue rays and red triangles. The 4,886 Swarovski crystals represent the sum of the 4,543 words of the Constituion, 312 words of the Star Spangled Banner, and 31 words of the Pledge of Allegiance. She embroidered words from the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble of the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address. I can't remember how long she said it took, but it is definitely a masterpiece and has won all kinds of awards from coast to coast. OH - she quilted it on her home Bernina!For more about the quilt, here's a video on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TjmrUAWl70 



My favorite was this quilt: Can't you just feel the heat of that sun? It's a hand dyed gradation. Everything else is pieced. She was inspired by a photograph she took in Africa on vacation.

The Brown Sugar Stitchers are participating in an exhibition at the Lucy Laney Craft Museum in Augusta. The show will be up until January 1. Here's a photo of Edith Chadwell and me in front of my go to quilt show quilt:

 

"Freaking Rock Star From Mars" found a good home at Pam's 16th annual “Making a Difference in the Lives of Children” gala at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles. The purpose of this celebration is to acknowledge grandparent caregivers who selflessly raise their grandchildren in the absence of their parents. Pam was visiting and liked the quilt, so I was thrilled to give it to her for the silent auction. It took a lot of pressure off to not to have to complete another quilt!
 

Finally, at the end of September, Scient had their annual reunion at the home of Bob and Meg Beck in Pebble Beach. It's good to know 1%ers.

 

Finally, on the quilting front - I am going to finish the binding on a quilt to send to New York. The devastation from Hurricane Sandy is still being felt, and some people have lost everything. But for today - Happy Thanksgiving!

 

The funny thing about Thanksgiving, is that you spend 12 hours shopping for it and then chopping and cooking and braising and blanching. Then it takes 20 minutes to eat it and everybody sort of sits around in a food coma, and then it takes four hours to clean it up.
-- Ted Allen

Thanksgiving, when the Indians said, 'Well, this has been fun, but we know you have a long voyage back to England.' --Jay Leno

 

Quilt Appreciation

Wow - it's been a long time. Miss me? I was at dinner with a friend last week and she asked if I had been doing any actual quilting, and I told her I had not, and she said, "Ah, you have been doing 'Quilt Appreciation.'"  Like Art Appreciation.

In reverse chronological order, here's what's been going on:

Today I did actual quilting! I finished two quilts for the Carrie Steele Pitts Home for Children. This is the signature charitable project for Brown Sugar Stitchers Quilt Guild.

And guess what? I actually quilted the one on the right! Tracy @ KiwiQuilts let me use her longarm to quilt this. I used a pantogram, and it was fun! I may actually quilt something else in the future.

Here's me looking like I actually know what I'm doing on the longarm. Psych!