Thank You, Hilton Head Heroes!!!

We just returned from THE BEST VACATION EVER!!! all thanks to DS2's hospital social worker and the wonderful folks at Hilton Head Heroes.

We had a fun-filled week highlighted by a private boat tour, a family jet skiing adventure, and a professional portrait session on the beach at Sea Pines Resort.

If you need a place to make a tax-deductible contribution, please consider Hilton Head Heroes.  They make vacations possible for children with life-threatening illnesses.  Our family hadn't had a vacation in 5 years (or more) and couldn't really afford one anytime soon.  They not only made our trip possible, they treated us like royalty.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved!!!

Spring 2014 (Ravelry) UFO Club - The List

Sign-ups for the Spring 2014 UFO Club are closed. All participants were required to sign up by April 7, 2014.  All qualifying UFOs must be completed by Midnight (EDT) on June 30, 2014.  It only took me TWO MONTHS to post my list to the blog!  (Sorry, BlogLand, I've been busy!)

Membership Details:

Membership is at 20.  There are 15 quilters in the NO SEND group and 5 members in the SEND group.  These quilters are finishing projects at break-neck speed!  In the time it's taken me to get around to posting this, 13 quilters have completed 38 projects!!!  I'm pretty  sure we are breaking to group's all-time record for the most finishes in a single session.  (And let me tell you, I am SO excited!!!)

Keep those finished items coming!

My list is as follows:

Commission Quilt:

1. Flower Garden (DONE!!!)

3 "C" quilts:

1. Crumb Quilt
2. Circle of Friends
3. Calico Ric Rac

3 Other Quilts:

1. The Margaret Mystery
2. Where's Jackson?
3. Inspired by... The Series

And just to change it up a bit...:

Alternates:

1. Baby F's Quilt

2. QE2 Goodbye Quilt - You've all seen this one before, but after 15 YEARS of hibernation, I would REALLY like to get this one finished.  Maybe not during this session, but (hopefully) this year!

Most of the photos can be accessed in the following post:  http://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/2013/10/fall-2013-ravelry-ufo-club-list.html

Happy Finishing!!!

Winter 2014 (Ravelry) UFO Club - The Results

Why didn't anyone ask me about the results???

The Winter 2014 (Ravelry) UFO Club has now been CLOSED for more than a MONTH!!!

Sorry for the delay in posting.  Any interested quilters with 5 (or more) UFOs were required to sign up by Midnight (EDT) on January 7, 2014. All qualifying UFOs must have been completed by Midnight (EDT) on March 31, 2014.

Congrats! to our “Official” Queen of the Last Minute, Jrnylst and all of our finishers. If you didn’t finish anything, but made progress on (at least) ONE of your projects… YOU are a WINNER, too!!! Thank you to all of our participants and our cheerleaders. I’d say we had a successful quarter. Wouldn’t you agree?

Membership (27):

NO SEND (22):
thepoch
Zieknits
kris7: 6 completed projects
sandybags: 1 completed project
yarnosophy: 1 completed project
needleb: 1 completed project
basketcase9702: 6 completed projects
laceyspinner: 1 completed project
monicarose51
aerieiris
chrystalmo
Outlander: 2 completed projects
sockjeannieous: 2 completed projects
PeggyStuart
Snookums: 2 completed projects
volkat
GirlReaction
SunshineMom: 1 completed project
CatWithCats
teajoygreye
KK454
amalberti: 2 completed projects

SEND (5):
mducky
andimc13: 1 completed project
jrnylst: 2 completed projects
Tortolachick: 4 completed projects
Marushka

Session Totals: 14 quilters completed 32 projects. Congrats! all of our finishers. Our goal is for EVERY quilter to complete (at least) ONE project. A great many of us did that during this quarter. If you weren’t one of our finishers, I wish you better luck next time. Until then…

Happy Finishing!

Inspiration from the Works of Others

Inspiration can be derived from many different sources.  Nature, music, and personal thoughts - you know... that "light bulb" moment - are the tip of the iceberg.  Imitation being a form of flattery, another great source of inspiration is the works of others.

This Bullseye quilt, her latest "finish", was shared in the Spring 2014 UFO Club by Kris7:

Kris at http://quiltingismything.wordpress.com/ said that she started this quilt as an experiment and it's quirky, lopsided circles reminded me that I have been wanting to make one of these quilts for a very long time.  I love how she included some "whole" circles to give the viewer's eye a place to rest.

Look at the cool quilting she did!  I think it's AWESOME!!!

Kris thinks that it's just another "fabric vomit" quilt, but I think it's wonderful!  Go over to her blog to have a look at her mother's "more thought out and artsy" version.  (Not sure that I agree since they are EACH lovely in their own way.)

 Then Jrnylst, also from the UFO Club, posted this quilt from the Denver National Quilt Show in our Ravelry group (from a photo she shared on her blog) to show the similarities noted by another Ravelry member:

  The quilt in question is titled "Black Saves the Day" and was made by Susan Lee, SAQA Color Wheel of Emotion.  Be sure to visit Deborah's blog at http://www.snowcatcher.net/2014/05/wordless-wednesday_13.html for more awe-inspiring photographs.

While I love the quilt that Kris made, something about Black Saves the Day just spoke to the quilter in me.  It spoke volumes and it spoke LOUDLY!  I was inspired!!!

Here was my response (on Ravelry.com) to the picture post:

'I love the freeform way this one was “thrown” together. Even though that’s not my usual style, it gave me that “Oh! I must go make that NOW!!” feeling. (And I just might…)'

In fact, I did begin... THAT VERY NIGHT with this:

The background grid and the search for appropriately sized circle "templates."  Two true templates were used for the larger sizes.  The smallest circles were cut using a Gatorade lid (thanks DS1 for coming up with that) for the proper balance.

By the next afternoon (thanks to a Sew Day with NeedleB), the quilt was looking like this:

Circles lined up on the background.  Lots of mixing and matching to get the color combinations "just right."  This was followed by stitching the various circles together.

Once the circles were stacked and sewn, I chopped them into bits - half the fun of being a quilter!  :o))  Although, (technically) I only cut them into quarters.

Then came several days of "playing" with the bits to get them to form a pleasing sequence...  it should be easy, but I have a tendency to arrange and rearrange until the bits are probably right back where they began.  LOL

Anyway, it took a fair amount playing and the LAST thing that I did the night before was declare the positioning "perfect."  (I suppose that was my mistake.)  I head off to bed, sleep the night, get up to get ready for Quilt Bee, and go into the studio to get my project pinned down before Show and Tell.

What did I find???

I found that it took a LOT of talking to myself to avoid the tears that threatened to fall.

WHAT??  Why???

Well, it seems that my studio assistant felt the need to rearrange my pieces in the middle of the night!!!  Grrr!!!  (Cats, kids, or husbands... what can you do?!)

I took a deep breath and began pinning the pieces down (in a "new, improved" design).  So much for that other layout... here's what it looks like now:

It's getting closer to that inspiration piece!

I'm still not quite sure that I like the scale of the circles as compared with the size of the background, but I'm going to live with it "as is" for now and decide once I've determined what I want to do for the quilting.  I took a small survey of quilting and artist friends.  The consensus was to leave the background the way it is shown.

For now... I'm thinking machine trupunto using two layers of batting, but I haven't determined if that's the method that I really want to use.  My last trupunto effort went horribly wrong, so it may be time to try it again.

Thank you to Kris7 for whetting my appetite for a new project.  Thanks to Jrnylst for sharing the Denver National Quilt Show photos and thank you to Susan Lee for creating a quilt that forced me into action!!!

Until next time...
Happy Quilting!

Studio Redo

Yesterday, I was meant to be having a mini retreat, but found that I was not in the mood to sew.  Here is what I did instead...

 I went through a bag of fabric from a Ravelry destash.  Thanks, Breila!!!  Then I sorted items in the storage drawer that is shown above.  Next came, or should I say went since it is going out, the unused sewing box to create a bit of extra room in the sewing closet.  Sorry!  The closet is NOT ready for its viewing.

See those bookcases over on the left... before yesterday, you would be looking at a wall of Rubbermaid tubs and Sterlite totes!  Several of the shelves received an overhaul.  They look MUCH more organized than before.

Here is a closer shot of the bookcases.  Looking good!  There is more to be done, but I am SO glad that I got a wild hair and had the itch to organize my sewing studio.  I believe that my creativity can now take flight in this room.

This is the thread shelf, with a side order of NSOs.  Quilts that are Not Started Objects.  The acronym was used by Fidissimus on Ravelry and made its way into the UFO Club rules.   UFOs count for the club, but NSOs do not.  The thread used to sit out on the small white dresser.  I think it looks neater here on the shelf.  I trust that YOU agree!

This is the Black and White shelf, with a side order knitting.  The orange basket holds some of my orange yarn, not currently in use.  The Hillsborough Yarn Store bag holds all of my knitting needles that are not being used.  Most of the needles in the bag are there for the duration.  I discovered circular needles and rarely go for the straights, anymore.

I have had this little sewing decoration stuffed in a drawer since I moved into this room.  We will NOT discuss how many years that has been!  It was time to bring it out and let it do its job!  It now greets me at the door and begs me to come in and sew a while.

Just inside the door sits the Coca Cola crate that I got at a yard sale many years ago.  It adds a bit of color and acts as a storage solution for any number of Fat Quarters, as well as, random cutting tools that I like to have at the ready.

Although, the area in front of the window might not look very organized, it is a far cry from what it looked like just one day ago!  Quilts that I have set aside, for one reason or another, are housed in two of the under bed storage units and the third is where destash yarns await the right scarf, hat, cowl, or sweater.  My collection of quilting rulers is wedged in between the containers and the chest of drawers.  Two of those drawers got in on the organizational action, as well.  You may see those later... or not.

 But, right now, I want to show you the BEST area in the room!  Needleb and I affectionately call it the Dance Floor.  As you can see, it is the area in front of the bookcases.  It was formerly a 1 X 2 foot area crowded with junk!  Well, maybe it was not actual junk, but it was certainly a cluttered mess.  More of a mess than it is now... in all of its 4 X 6 foot glory!  I can actually bend down and reach the bottom shelf without having to stand on my head, if I need to find a magazine or something to work on.

Here is a close view of the orange cubbie and it looks as if I may need to straighten it a bit, already.  This shot gives you an idea of how my new storage system is working.  The fabric basket, which was recently showcased here on my blog, holds the tiny bits of leftover fabric.  Yardage is stacked to give a good view of the shades available to work with.

And this, my friends, is the view that really makes my day!!!  Look at all the choices.  Look at all the colors.  I think I can see my next quilt staring back at me!  There are even a few hidden quilts in the works behind some of the fabric stacks, but that is a secret just between you and me.

There are a few more cubbies that could use some work, but for now, I could not be more satisfied.  I even managed to carve out a bit of room for my folding table that I take with me on retreats or use when I have friends over to quilt with me.  You ALWAYS need more tables than you have!

Wishing you quilting dreams...

Delivery Day

No!  I did NOT have a baby!!!

Thursday, March 20th, was the first day of Spring and the delivery day for the Project Bag Bonanza that I just completed.

Here are the pictures taken in the shop upon delivery:

10 x 14 Project Bags

10 x 13 Project Bags

7.5 x 11 Sock Bags

12 x 14 Project Bags

 

It took a bit of time, but I finally got the pictures to show up in the post.  Must mean that it's been TOO LONG since I last blogged!

Project Bags come in many shapes and sizes.  I made a variety to appeal to a wide audience.  What do YOU think?  I hope you see (at least) one or two that you like.  If not, I can always make them to order.

I delivered these bags and realized that I had forgotten to take photos.  The good news is that the bags didn't mind doing group photos.  LOL

Some of the fabrics didn't lend themselves to the size that I had chosen to make with them.  Therefore, I made (and took) a few extra bags.  The good news is that the shop owner wanted then ALL!!!

If you see a bag that you just can't live without, head on over to The Twisted Knitter in Mebane, North Carolina.  Tell Kim that I sent you and I'm sure she will gladly sell you your new Favorite Knitting (or Crochet) Bag!

This turned out to be a really fun project.  Thank you to Threebagsfulled of Criminal Knits on Ravelry for "getting me into this mess."  It was exciting to see so much of my fabric being turned into useful items.  Buy them all up and maybe I can do the Project Bag Bonanza again.  :o)

Now back to my regularly scheduled quilt finishing...

Three Dog Night...

You've heard of a 3 dog night, right?  Well, I had a 3 bag weekend.  LOL

It started a few days earlier, really, when TBF announced that her LYS owner was looking for a "local supplier" of project bags to sell in the shop.  And, then, adding that she had taken the liberty of recommending ME!!!

WHAT?!?!

Well, after going into a brief panic, I decided that I might give it (the project bag making industry) a try.  That's how I turned a stack of fabric into 3 project bags this weekend...

Small, lined:

Medium, lined:

Medium, unlined:

And I'm interested in making the best bag that I can make, so I made another one this afternoon since work got canceled due to the weather predictions.  (Gotta LOVE living in the South!)

Today's Tab Bag:

Each bag took WAY longer than I expected, but it has been a learning experience.  Thank you to Knittingsuek, Phoenixfire, Quietheart, and Sheeplady75 for participating in my "Market Analysis" to find out what "Bag Lady's" like.  I appreciate your comments and suggestions.

I would also like to thank Craftsy.com and Kristin Link of Sew, Mama, Sew (www.sewmamasew.com) for the informative Bag-Making Basics: Drawstring Bag & Bucket Bag class.  It helped me look at the process in a different light.  Kristen's technique for the drawstring casing gave my bags a more professional look.  (See the Medium, lined bag above.)

It was a productive day and with some relaxation...

I ended the day by casting on THREE new knitting projects!!!

Until next time...
Happy Stitching!