Saturday, July 27, 2013

Changes

Changes are a part of life, and the longer you are around the more changes you will experience.  I usually enjoy change, and have a positive attitude about it, though I have to admit I like it a lot better when it's my idea to initiate it!  When I heard that my local Joann's Fabric store was expanding I was actually pretty excited about it.  And though I am sure that I will continue to shop there, now that they are nearly completed with the conversion I am no longer so sure it is an improvement.

For one thing, I really dislike the fact that they have removed the outside door and I now have to walk all the way into the mall to get to the front door.  Apparently this was due to the mall owners request, but in order to get into the store you now have to walk a significant distance.  So it's no longer a quick stop, but a real shopping expedition.  Phooey.

I have not seen any of the regular employees that know me by name and remember my projects.  I have only been waited on by new employees that have been brought in from other places.  They don't seem as friendly, though that may come in time.  I hope those familiar faces are still there and haven't been phased out.  I miss them.

It sounds silly, but I don't like the way that you have to go through a maze to get to the cash registers.  Plus the candy aisle.  And the light fixtures are all set on the diagonal.  Why?  It seems very distracting to me.  And I have to take a number to get my fabric cut!  At least it's not a long wait, at least not until the next big sale.

I do like the new decorator fabrics!  And the racks are nice, you can see the fabric much better.  Lots of new notions and the batting and pillows are much easier to get to.  I guess I'll survive the change, but I'm not too sure that it's for the better.  I like hometown friendly, not corporate efficient.  I sure hope the friendly comes back.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

WIP Wednesday - Lots of Tops

Seems like I've been inspired this week to get some tops finished.  I put together the rest of the blocks for the middle of this quilt - it is a class sample I started Spring 2012.
Then I worked on getting this stop started.  It is going to be a twister quilt.  After I add borders I'll fit the units and it will have a whole new look!
This is a quilt I started early this year.  It started out as a quilt for a Project Quilting challenge, but ended up too large to finish in time!  I need to purchase order fabric and it will be good to go.

Hmmm.  Three quilts in need of borders.  Guess what I'll be working on tomorrow?

Check out the Quiltsy Team Blog for more WIPS!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

If it hangs on the wall, is it still a quilt?

I was posed an interesting question today - is a wall hanging still considered a quilt?  I know that to some people if it is not meant to go on a bed they do not consider it to be a quilt, but I feel that it is the technique that makes it a quilt, not the finished size of the item. It is an interesting topic to consider, along with the entire evolution of quilting.

When I first started quilting back in 1986 most of us were still cutting our fabric pieces with scissors and hand quilting our quilts.  I remember hearing that if it was machine quilted it was not considered to be a "real" quilt.  Now, machine quilting is recognized as adding just as much artistry as hand quilting and there are some really fabulous machine quilters out there!

Another big change in quilting is that many of us now have the ability to use a computer to design and color in our quilts instead of using graph paper and colored pencils.  I still have my handy pad of graph paper, but I sure do love being able to place the images of actual fabrics into my quilts and see how they would look in a variety of colorways and prints.  It also makes it easier to share my ideas with others - for instance here is a quilt I designed, and now have substituted holiday fabrics for a totally different look.


Another fun thing that quilters are doing more of now is dying their own yardage, whether it is for backs, or for piecing the tops.  I've seen some really fun techniques for creating your own blends of colors and effects.  Many of them are quite easy and affordable.

There seem to be so many opportunities for creativity in the quilting arena these days.  I am really glad that there seem to be less rules and more room for spontaneity. I think the "quilt police"  have been relegated to white glove duty at the quilt shows, and quilting is all the better for it!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Quiltsy: Share & Win Give-Away Contest!

I am so happy to be part of an awesome online group of quilters! We call ourselves Quiltsy, and we are a team on Etsy - it is one of the best groups I have ever been in.  They are talented, caring, and giving in every way, and we have cooked up a giant giveaway just for you!  Go check it out and enter as many times as you can to win a great prize - I know you won't be disappointed.  Make sure you share it with your friends as well - it's a great opportunity, too good to keep it to yourself...

Quiltsy: Share & Win Give-Away Contest!: Enter the Quiltsy Team Share & Win Give-Away Contest. Four lucky people will win prizes with a combined value of $500, including one th...

Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Wednesday WIP - Happy Fourth of July!

This is a special request from a customer - combining her patriotic fabrics with a charm pack of Prairie Paisley II.  I had to cut a LOT of 2 1/2 squares to make this little quilt (40 x 45)  and I have totally forgotten how long it takes to do this one square at a time!  Now I remember why I like strip piecing so much.
It is a great scrappy quilt, though!  My favorite is those stripey blocks.  They really give the quilt pizazz, I think.  It's all basted now and ready for quilting.  I didn't quite get it finished before the fourth, but it does make a great quilt to work on for the day.
I've also made a bit of progress on Barcelona Nights.  Pictures do not do this quilt justice!  I would have taken a better picture, but the wind was whipping up and I was lucky to get this one.  The one other picture I got features the quilt folded in half....we'll see if I can do better if I go out in the morning tomorrow :)  

As usual - go check out the Quiltsy Blog for more WIPs!  And don't forget the giveaway coming up - you WILL NOT want to miss it!!