Who needs sleep anyway??

Yesterday, my Mom inquired about my blogging, or lack of... so here's a short update with hopes that I'll get into the blogging groove again...

So, the Laundry Basket Quilts mystery 2021 has started. I was totally unprepared. I didn't know about it until I saw Block #1 on my Instagram notifications.

However, I'm working on several quilt projects for work, I'm teaching two classes, and hand quilting a king sized quilt. I thought maybe I should skip this mystery...

Then I couldn't sleep...

 so I decided that I might as well be sewing... 😋

It's now 4:30 a.m.

And I'm in the middle of Laundry Basket's Block #2 clue. 😆

Edyta Sitar says the mystery is going to be over a course of 12 consecutive days! 

I am terrible at block of the month programs. Or even every week on goings. But I feel pretty good about sticking with a 12 day quilt top!

I'm choosing the rainbow color option and am determined to use only what's in my scrap stash, which really just means anything I have already even if it's yardage. This is going to be an exercise in color combinations for me. I'm hoping for the best but realize it might be a complete flop and I'm "OK" with that!!

But now I'm headed to bed. I should be able to drift off to sleep and be rested enough for Block #3 when I wake up!

Sweet dreams 😘.

On my day off...

I opened blogger to compose an update and found these photos waiting to be written about.

However, I feel the moment has passed and I'll just let them be photos with minimal explaining.

These are my 3 favorite pincushions. A colorful sewing lady my late Aunt Maria had given to me many years ago. The Owl ornament was a gift from Watana C. from The Wanna Bees. And a Heart I made 25+ years ago!

 

Crumb piecing.

... led to improv piecing...

...and of course, 2.5" crumb squares...

... just proof that some of my fabric does get thrown into the waste bag...

.... now, onto what brought me to blog today...

I am giving sewing lessons to a 10 year old. We meet once a week and sew for a couple hours. We have made many items in the last few months. We started with learning how to care for her sewing machine. The first thing she made was a pillow case, then we did 'jama pants and a top out of flannel. We made a quilt which took much longer than she cared for. She made masks for her brothers. We just finished simple matching dresses for her and her 18" doll.

I have been blessed to have her as a student. To witness a young person eager to create with their own hands is very satisfying. Seeing how much she has learned in her time with me is amazing!

Why do I tell you all this? 

Because a few weeks ago, she asked me, "what do you do when your not here [at the quilt shop]?"

She's not the only person to ever ask me this or similar question.

My reaction seems to be always the same...

I am bewildered by the innocent inquiry, "what do you do for fun?"

Sewing is Fun!!

Hahaha. She and her mom made me laugh with their wide eyed incredulous, "Really!?!" when I said, "after class I go home and sew on my own projects." 

Yes, it's what I do for fun!

This is my view at the moment, on my day off...

Today, as I'm sewing a store sample, I am getting the urge for dimensional or fabric manipulation projects. So, I'm watching YouTube videos on the subject.  I'm hopeful I'll find a new technique I just gotta try!

But I have to share this video on Tucks. To be honest, it's not a new technique to me. I was taken in by the YouTuber's sweet humor and lilting accent. It's so similar to Julie Andrew's nanny voice in Sound of Music or Mary Poppins. Just adorable!! I especially like what she says at around time mark 12:50 about "flips" and "flops."

I think you might enjoy watching, even if you don't care to sew.

Tuck into Texture

"... Presence of wonder..."

"always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder." -e.b. white

If you have been following me, you know that I love crumb piecing.

Several months ago I had a few 2.5" crumb blocks on my design wall.

I thought I had blogged about them but I couldn't find the update. Maybe I had only posted to Instagram and FB...

Ahh... yes. Scrolling through my photos, it seems I had intended to blog about how I decided to proceed with these 2.5" crumb blocks..

ah, well, that was put aside to work on an idea my Sweets had. And THAT was put aside to work on a quilt top for work. That quilt top was completed, displayed in the store, and now back with me waiting to be quilted...

At the moment, I have several projects that are at the top of the list to be working on.

- Bonnie Hunter's 2020 mystery quilt - Grassy Creek. Pictured here is Part 2 and BH has just release Part 4!

- 3rd Thursday BOM that I guess I'm in charge of at work. It starts in March.

I have picked out colors for the first 5 blocks and should get started with the piecing...

- I need to plan my classes for the new year.

first on the list is a workshop for The Tree of Life...

- I have my son's fiance's quilt on the design board...

and a solid plan for finishing!

- and a christmas present that I can't give a picture yet...

so, with all those "priorities," what am I doing??

I'm playing with crumbs! 

But it's even worse than that. 

I'm playing with cast off bits from other quilters!

cast off bits from the garbage bin 🤯

Wait, wait... it's not as bad as that sounds. In the classroom at work there is a basket designated for fabric bits. It's for clipped thread, trimmed batting, trimmed "dog-ears," and extra fabric trimmed from blocks and the piecer considers it too small to bother with. This basket usually goes to someone that makes doggie beds and is used as the filler.

I passed by this basket several days. Averting my eyes. Determined not to rummage through the pile for the bigger pieces.  I have plenty of my own bits to keep me busy for years!

But the colors kept luring me!

I could hear the story these bits were telling. 

They were from at least three different quilters,

 three different projects happening in the classroom.

The golds and greys are probably from the Grassy Creek group.

I am guessing the reds and creams could be from the American Jane Gems and Jewels BOM the store is doing right now. 

The purples, pinks, turquoise are a mystery to me. They must be from a customer working on her own project in a Sew Day group. Maybe she'll read my blog and recognize her fabrics 😊. Wouldn't that be something!?

 All of this in the above photo came from the fabric "waste" basket. 

Strings and triangles that I pieced into something wonderful.

The piecing technique is very improve. 

The piece on the left has a selvage pieced in that has the word "cotton." 

Because of these two things, I am reminded of my Mississippi quilt friend Julia Graber, who took me on my Cotton Adventure and she did a class on improve piecing for our PTQ guild at my request. She's a wonderful, generous, incredible woman and I am blessed to call her friend.

I should say that the light turquoise that frames that piece is from my own stash. It's a perfect size for a small wallhanging. I intend to finish it and hang it in the guest restroom in my house! I'm excited to start using my quilts in my own home decor!

I haven't decided what to do with the other pieces yet. I'll let them speak to me in their own timing. There's no rush to make them into something right now.

But how perfect is it that in the pile of bits there would be a selvage edge with the quote, "always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder." -e.b. white!

It makes me feel like it was all Meant To Be!!

Thanks for visiting. 

Happy Quilting / Creating to you!!