Trimming loose ends...

Yesterday I got the borders on that printed panel for Isaac. I would have finished it today, but I've been putting a sleeve on my "Another blue and white quilt" so that I can deliver it tomorrow to be in the White Bear Show in January. Tomorrow night is MCQ and our speaker is Tim Harding, and I'm betting it's gonna be a full house.

Auditioning borders

I'm auditioning borders for this pre-printed space panel.

Creativity Every Day IS WORKING! ~~or~~ I'M BAAAAACK!

My spirit is changing while trying to obtain creativity every day. Meeting up with quilt buddies like Sharon and Sarah and doing show 'n tell together, getting ideas, encouragement absolutely warms my heart!
Yesterday I went to Sharons and helped her start her blog: www.sharonenglund.blogspot.com
I've just started reading "Ignore Everybody and 39 other keys to creativity" by Hugh Macleod and the first line already has me buzzing:
"The more original your idea is, the less good advice other people will be able to give to you."
It's so true, when you have something coming out of your soul, who else would know what you should do with it? Only you know what comes next....it'll pour out of you. It's your story, only you can write it.
It kind of helps me loosely redefine something else too...I think that when you're starting a project, you might not always see the path it will take you, but that's ok, it will come to you.
A few projects I've started with a base idea and I go shopping for 'things' for it and I'm always amazed when I end up using all those 'things' in it...I felt the urge to buy it, not knowing what I would do with it and it ends up having a distinct purpose. Intuition?
For me, when I'm nearer the end of the project and I don't see the path that I start to feel disconnected from it. I start asking others advice on it...the end isn't in me, I have to search elsewhere. Maybe I'm done with the project at that time. I got what I needed out of it.
I haven't totally gotten rid of that negative anal-retentive part of me that thinks all projects need to be done and that I'm not a complete person unless they're completed. I do not want to investigate the fruedian connection of infant anal retention and hoarding....ignorance is bliss! Crowded, but bliss.
The other day as we were plowing through my UFO's with a bulldozer, Sarah said "I've only been quilting for 5 years, so maybe that's why I don't have any unfinished projects." My sarcasm thinks "Well you ain't doin' it right honey!"
But of course I have a huge lesson to learn from that...but I can't see the lesson all the way from the top of this alpine mountain of UFO's.
As for the book I haven't gotten past the first page yet, just because the first line rang so true for me. This is the guys website: http://gapingvoid.com/

And Still Counting...

For a couple days now I've spent my creative minutes sewing these 6" quilts for Caron Lages project called "And Still Counting..." About 2 years ago Caron saw the number of Americans that had perished in Iraq, but astonishingly, for each American that has died, more than 212 Iraqis have also died.
So Caron decided to make a 6" finished solid color quilt for each American that died, and on each quilt put 212 black french knots or black seed beads to represent each Iraqi.

Above is a picture of some of the project while it hung at the Minnesota Quilters show in Duluth this past summer.

This memorial does not have any political point of view expressed, only a quilted interpretation of the numbers. It does not include names of those who died, nor any symbols of anything. Of course these numbers have changed since 2 years ago, hence the name 'and still counting...".

So far Caron has reached the 2,000 mark, but still over 1,000 quilts are needed. Although I have done the french knots on more than a few, I hadn't made any of the blocks for her. So that's what I've been doing the last couple days.

If you're interested in making some quilts or putting knots or beads on some, please see her blog for instructions:

http://www.andstillcounting.blogspot.com/

Creating everyday!

I'm still working on creativity everyday. Tomorrow I'll try to post some pictures.

Pillowcases for Jenna are completed

This is as far as I'm going on the edging...it's not going to be the 'lace' I started out trying to create. It's been 20 years since I made doilies with thread and now it's getting frustrating. So the pillowcases are done and they are going in the wash. Now to decide what to work on next.

Still being creative every day!

I'm still working on the pillowcase edging...it's going slow but steady.
I finished listening to Three Cups of Tea by 'Dach-tor-Gah-RRR-ek' Greg Mortenson. It's amazing what one person can do for others; and to think it wouldn't have happened if he hadn't gotten lost climbing down off of K2!
Last night was Cave Women, at Sharons Cave. An evening full of laughter can not be turned down!

Third day of November

Todays creativity was spent looking at crocheted lace edging patterns for the pillowcases, and messing around the sewing room.

Awwww...

The second day of the month and I didn't create any art today. :-(
Too stressed out about health insurance.

A new day, a new month...

Today I'm going to start the challenge on this blog: http://creativeeveryday.com/ which for November is to create art everyday.
I'll be loose on the definition of how much to do every day so I can enjoy the creativity. Today already I have worked on the lace edge of the pillowcases I'm making for a gift. And I'm still listening to the audio book "Three Cups of Tea".

Ok, so I've added the picture of the pillowcase(s)...it's one of those kits you can buy at the craft store that I bought in Watertown SD when my niece Jenna was with (she said she'd like them so I'm making them for her). The kit doesn't include putting edging on. I bought some variegated perle cotton and I'm crocheting it on. The row that's there is just for attaching it to the pillowcase. Now I have to make up a pattern for the crocheted lace edging. Hopefully they'll turn out just like my Grandmothers made.

Happy 40th Birthday to my brother Eric!

Eric turns 40 today!

Only a quilter!

* Only a Quilter would spend more hours sewing several hundreds of buttons on a quilt to embellish it, but wouldn't take five minutes to replace a button on a pair of pants.
* Only a Quilter would give the gift of a wedding quilt two months after the birth of the couple's second child.
* Only a Quilter would put hundreds of dollars worth of fabric into her fabric stash because she might find a use for it sometime, but wouldn't replace a 50-cent needle on her sewing machine.
* Only a Quilter would let three later-arriving patients go ahead of her at the doctor's office because she is on the verge of completing a block.
* Only a Quilter would rush to finish a gift quilt. Not so it's done in time for the recipient's birthday, but so it's done in time for Show and Tell.
* Only a Quilter would make a special quilt to give to her son, who would then have to attend quilt shows just to see it.
* Only a Quilter would use freezer paper in the production of something to keep someone warm.
* Only a Quilter has a welcome mat at the door to her home and an "Enter at Your Own Risk" sign on the door of her sewing room.
* Only a Quilter invites everyone to see her sewing room, then says, "Don't look at the mess."
* Only a Quilter says, "I really don't need another project," then offers to make a quilt for a friend.
* Only a Quilter will buy more than she'll ever need of one fabric for her stash, but slightly less than is needed of another fabric to complete a project.
* Only a Quilter would give a quilt book to the guild auction then bid on it to get it back.
* Only a Quilter would drive 40 miles in a hurricane to attend a quiltshow, but call out to have her dinner delivered because it is drizzling.
* Only a Quilter's family would put up with, understand and love a quilter.

If anyone knows the actual origins of these I would like to know.

Projects start out as WHIMMs (Works Hidden in My Mind).
When you make a purchase of fabric you have a FIG (Fabric in grocery sack).
When you make the purchase of pattern and fabric you have a PIG (project in a grocery sack).
At this time it may also be a brazen HSY. (haven't started yet)
Once you start,it is a WIP. (work in progress) A WIP is worked on until completion.
Once you lose interest and set it aside it's a UFO (unfinished object).
Then you're encouraged by your quilty friends to FIUP (Finish It Up) and then you can loudly shout TGIF (Thank God It's Finished)!!!!!!!!
And you can post the picture in the photos section or in the monthly contest for finished projects.
You'll also get much praise for those projects that you've FINALLY finished.
The collection of fabrics you'll use to complete your project is yourSTASH (Special Treasure All Secretly Hidden)
Occasionally you'll need random SEX (Stash Enhancing Xperiences) after finishing a FART (Fabric Acquisition Road Trips)or a WOMBAT (Waste Of Money, Batting, And Time).
And the final most important thing is to leave a SABLE (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy) to your fabric-loving heirs.

I'm still here...

I've been working on something, but it's a secret!

Nancy Eha's Fiber Tiara Contest - Vote for your favorite.

http://www.beadcreative.com/Embellished%20Tiara%20Canidates.htm

Binding is on.

After having a couple weeks of no productivity I have the binding on the quilt. Next is washing it.