2023 Begins

Happy New Year to one and all.

I'm still debating whether or not I want to focus on a word or phrase for 2023 or whether I just want to take things as they come (leaning towards the latter option).  

All of us are still recovering from our month-long invasion of "the crud" but it is supposed to warm up today so we are going to open the windows and doors and invite lots of less-germ-filled-air inside.

There's been no studio time since my last post and likely won't be for another day or two as the Christmas pack-up process begins followed by the deeper clean the house ritual.  

The 2012 photo above is of my Studio Spirit Doll posing in my old design studio.  I wasn't using blog labels back then, so here's a link to the search results, if you want to know more of her story.  

Off to update our wall and desk calendars . . . 

Quiltdivajulie

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"Do you know why birds sing just before dawn?  Scientists believe it is to tell their mates they made it through the night, as a way of saying 'I'm still here.'  Maybe that's why we sing, too, why we create art - as a way of saying 'I made it.  I'm still here!'"

Jeff Goins

Another Scrappy Quilt Begins

Comfortable (above) began in 2018 when I gathered all of the random 2.5" strips into one box.  From there, I made several quilts - finishing Comfortable in 2020.

Interestingly enough, while I created my own layout without consulting a pattern, tutorial, Pinterest, or Google Images, it turns out that this approach has been used in many different ways.

There is a pattern named Zip It by Emma Jean Jansen, a design named Now and Later by Kathie Holland that was sent along in an American Patchwork and Quilting marketing mailer, Jo from Jo's Country Junction shared this tutorial on her blog after making her Brick House Quilt, Katy from Katy's Quilts just finished her version done all in 30s prints, and I am sure there are other patterns or tutorials out there.

Clearly there is very little new under the sun.

Anyway . . . I spent most of Saturday cutting up leftovers from the resource boxes.  Some of these were rotary cut (2.5" wide by whatever length was available) and the wider pieces are ready to run through my die cutter (8.5" width yields theee 2.5" strips) so I can make another version of Comfortable.

The current plan is for this to become a comfort quilt, one that will probably not be finished until 2023.

I also die cut a group of warm neutrals into 2.5" squares, using up the last of each of these fabrics.

Since I didn't pre-calculate exactly how many of either shape I needed, I'm pretty sure I cut too many squares and rectangles.  I'm not worried about it though.  More fabrics makes it easier to design once the segments are sewn together and we all know that leftovers are, as Wanda puts it, seeds for another project.

The box above contains roughly half of the rectangles and all of the neutrals.  Time will tell how closely their numbers match up.

It was so nice outside Sunday that I spent some time on the back porch pairing and pinning so I can use these as leader-enders when I web the two waiting tops, etc.

I'm not in a big rush for this new project, although I'm sure that will change at some point.  

I've given it a working name of CAIM which means "Sanctuary; an invisible circle of protection, drawn around the body with then and, to remind one of being safe and loved, even in the darkest times."  

* * *

Note to file:  My "word" for 2022 has been MAGIC with each post ending in a somehow-related quotation.

Starting with this post, I am going to deviate from MAGIC and use quotations that relate to ART or ARTIST instead.   I have a large number of quotes so this theme may well carry over into 2023.  

Quiltdivajulie

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"Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else."

Sydney Gurewitz Clemens

(chosen in honor of Little Man's first day of kindergarten)

2021 Wrap Up, 2022 Game Plan and Guiding Word

First - the Wrap Up

I'm so pleased that I more than met 

my goal to get caught up on FMQ

of the overflowing backlog of tops.

You can see all of my finishes

by clicking on the 2021 finish label

(in the side bar or at the bottom of the post)

I also completed the Kitchen Table Quilt series

that was started in 2020 but delayed.

You can see all of those quilts HERE

or by using the kitchen table quilt label.

I'm also beyond delighted that I finished

my lined drawstring bag project.

Started as part of this year's 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

but finished off on my own,

you can see all the posts

from the year-long adventure

by using the label -

'lined drawstring gift bag'

I also managed to finish up 

a number of quilt tops this year.

Some were started pre-2021 but unfinished

while others were start-to-finish in 2021.

All of this year's quilt tops

 can be seen using the 2021 quilt top label.

Second - the Game Plan 

My goal is for 2022 to enjoy a year without any

artificial/self-imposed deadlines or 

dedicated monthly projects/goals.

(the highly scripted month by month approach

started in 2014 when I was working on my book - 

it is way past time for me to get over that approach)

It IS time to focus on enjoying

the process of making for the sake of making.

I am SO looking forward to this freedom.

Third - the Guiding Word

I've chosen MAGIC as the focal word

for the quotations I'll share in 2022.

This article (click HERE) will give you

some insight into the thought process

that led to my choice of word.

On Friday I'll share 2021's final squirrel.

But in the meantime I need to ask 

for comment amnesty.

Thank you ALL for your kind comments

about Lykke and my style of FMQ,

the comments on the amaryllis blooms

and on the lined drawstring gift bags.

I am so grateful for 

your visits to the blog and your comments.

Quiltdivajulie

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“Mere color can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.”

Oscar Wilde

Responses to Things You've Asked

Lots of words today . . . 

Ann commented the other day 

"Beautiful Fabrics make another gorgeous quilt. 

You turn them out so quickly, too . . . "

Well, actually I don't.

The quilt top in question started in November 2019 

so its finish came almost exactly two years later.

I have had a lot of finishes this year

but that is because I lost six months of FMQ time

last year when our one son moved home

and we did some significant remodeling upstairs.

(meaning the things that were in the way

moved into my studio and onto Max's table -

I could cut and piece but not quilt and finish)

My personal challenge this year has been to

quilt and finish at least two waiting quilts each month.

(I've managed twenty-four so far)

The oldest of those tops was completed in 2018

but who knows how long before that

most if not all of the older tops were started.

Probably in the 2016-2017 range.

So while it looks like I'm fast, honestly I am not.

I just keep taking baby steps every day

and eventually they all add up.

When I shared the quilt top for Pandemonium,

JustGail (no blog) asked: 

"Speaking of persisting - how do you know 

when it's time to put aside a project that's giving you trouble? 

Do you have a time limit? 

A number of times you will root through the stash 

looking for a solution? 

That hard to describe feeling in your head or stomach 

that it's just not going to come together, at least not this time? 

You realize your thinking has changed 

from a curious "what if I..." or "I wonder..."

to a sad "I guess I should..." ?

First of all, please enlarge and read the graphic above.

I'm not sure where I found this

but a lot of their points apply in my studio.

For me, there is no time limit, 

no set number of revisions,

and no set process for knowing 

when it is time to let go and move on.

It depends on my emotional/mental investment in the project,

the quilt's intended purpose, the quilt's inspiration

 (i.e., AHIQ prompt vs. one of those "I could do that" ideas)

and whatever else is going on in my life.

I learned a long time ago to sit back

and really think about what I don't like 

and put those thoughts into words.

Many times that effort is enough to spark

a change of direction that works out.

Other times it becomes clear

that the party is over.

Another big factor:

my persistence depends on whether or not

the process is engaging and fun or not.

When it ceases to be fun/engaging,

 it is time to either put the project away for a while

and work on something else

or just end the whole thing and move on.

Also from that Pandemonium reveal post,

Jan (no-reply blogger) asked whether or not 

I am using a book for the color quotes

at the end of my posts.

No, I am not.

The quotations are ones I've gathered

from many different sources.

To that end, 

I've already chosen my "word" for 2022

and started gathering relevant quotations.

(I'll share that word in late December)

Since I don't post every day,

I'm gathering at least 200 quotes 

which should be enough for three per week.

How do I gather them?

I type each one into a single Word document 

and scroll through it to find a quote

that resonates most for each post.

When I shared the quilt top for Woolgathering,

Mari asked if the project box was empty.

No . . . it wasn't. 

There were strip set ends and other assorted pieces

that were just too good to throw away.

They have become the scrappy tops for January's utility mats.

And NOW the project box is empty.

Recently a no-reply reader asked if I had ANY idea

where I found this fabric.

I don't - it has been stashed for a long time.

This was the only this selvage section left.

A quick online search yielded this information:

50582-3 Cottage Joy by 

Shannon Christensen for Windham Fabrics.

And finally, earlier this week Rebecca (no blog) asked:

"I am in awe of the color sorting and folding 

and placing on your shelves but I have a question... 

on some prints and most KF prints 

I have a hell of a time figuring out what color to put it with!

How do you decide?"

There is no straight-forward answer here.  

Once I put a piece from the KF Collective

(or any other multicolor print)

on the shelf, I step back and look.

If it seems to fit and blend with its neighbors

then I leave it there.

If it doesn't play nicely with its neighbors,

I move it until it does.

Trial and error really does work.

* * * 

And if you've made it all the way to the end . . . 

(and in case any others of you, like Barb N, 

are curious about my "resource boxes" concept,

click HERE to read about my studio space)

Quiltdivajulie

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“Color is one of the great things in the world that makes life worth living to me and as I have come to think of painting it is my efforts to create an equivalent with paint color for the world – life as I see it.”

Georgia O’Keefe

My 'Word' for 2021

It's time to announce my "word" for 2021.

I've chosen COLOR.

Why?

Let's start with the text on the graphic below.

Those words say SO much . . .

I found the photo online but I've never seen it 

with any kind of attribution.

If any of you know the original source, 

please let me know and I'll add it here.

1/3/2021 update :

The quote is by wrdsmith, a LA based street artist who uses

a manual typewriter font to post inspirational messages. 

(this installation is in LA at one of the movie studios) 

I've shared this photo before

showing two of the three shelf units

that house my stash and resource boxes.

It's pretty easy to see that I love color.

Color motivates me.

Color soothes me.

Color makes me happy.

Color lets me bring joy to others.

Color is a language with endless possibilities.

So during the coming year I will share a quotation

about color (aka colour) at the end of every post

as a way of sharing my fascination with you.

Stay tuned!

Quiltdivajulie

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“Colour is like food for the spirit – plus it’s not addictive or fattening.”

Isaac Mizrahi

Contemplating and Looking Ahead

After a period of soul searching,

I have chosen my guiding word for 2020.

Previous guiding words have included 

ENJOY, SMILE, MINDFUL, 

and most recently SHOSHIN / WONDER.

I could write all sorts of words to explain why I chose LISTEN

but the short version is that I want to do a better job of it -

listening to myself AND listening to others.

I've already started gathering quotations to share

at the end of posts next year - those will serve as

ongoing reminders to stay the course

and keep me focused on the challenge.

(for the record, FOCUS was my runner up word)

Looking ahead  . . . 

I want to spend less time stirring/planning

and more time actually stitching - 

piecing AND quilting.

I want to stop obsessing about my paper trail

and spend that time making and doing.

I want to use the fabrics in my stash

instead of impulsively acquiring more.

I want to savor the process instead of 

fretting so much about whether or not

my chosen outcome is the "perfect" one.

I intend to keep sharing what I make

here on the blog and spend less time

watching what others do on Instagram.

I want to spend more time reading the books I've purchased.

(hard copies have returned to favored status

over digital books - simply because of screen time

and the easy access to online distractions)

I want to meet my own personal challenge

of making monthly quilts for our kitchen table -

resisting the urge to get too fancy and

focusing instead on colorful and functional.

I've set a personal goal of making five 

24" x 24" quilts for the GREEN challenge 

to be shared during the annual November

Davies Manor Quilt and Fiber Arts Show -

each of the five showcasing a different aspect

of my process / style.

And yes, I'm also planning to 

share their making here on the blog, 

unlike some of the participants 

who choose to work in secret.

Most of all, 

when I assemble a fabric pull like the ones 

shared in this post, I want to honor my 

scrappy, colorful, liberated, eclectic nature,

staying open to new ideas and changes of direction.

. . . including being influenced by my studio squirrels!

(in their honor, 

I have a 2020 studio calendar

with silly photos of squirrels 

ready to hang up come January 1st)

* * *

With all of the above shared for the record,

these wise words from Calvin and Hobbes

 will now be my focus for the rest of the year.

Wishing each of you comfort and joy.

See you again in the new year.

Quiltdivajulie

Happy New Year!

During the last few weeks of 2018

I did plenty of thinking about how

I want to spend my 2019 studio time.

So here are the top ten things

I've been thinking about:

One

My guiding word for 2019 will be WONDER.

I want to include all aspects of the word

including curiosity, contemplation, gratitude, 

surprise, awe, admiration, etc.

Two

I want to plan less and piece more.

Three

I gave up Facebook a year or so ago

and aside from not being able to

access info for some businesses

who only have FB pages,

I do not miss it at all.

I am active on Instagram with a 

private (not public) feed but

in the past week I've significantly reduced

the number of people I follow

and cut the number of people who 

had been granted permission to follow me.

It's nothing personal.

It's because I want to spend 

less time scrolling/reacting and

more time stitching.

Four

I've chosen one full-size project 

that I'll piece on a month-to-month basis

for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2019.

I'll share that on Saturday Jan. 5 or 12.

Five

I plan to continue playing along 

with the Ad Hoc Improv Quilters,

subject to the challenges and

whether or not they inspire me.

Six

I'm excited about participating in Sujata's 

Unconventional and Unexpected quilt along.

I've spent some time revisiting

Roderick Kiracofe's book

and have chosen several quilts

that suit fabric pulls I want to work with.

Sujata's first post for the QAL

is due on January 7th --

we'll see how she wants us to proceed.

Seven

I also plan to participate in Lori's

Humble Quilts String QAL

using several fabric pulls that

have been waiting to be played with.

These projects will also be inspired by quilts

in the Unconventional and Unexpected book,

just because there are so many I like.

(I'll also share my string projects on 

Brenda's String Thing Along blog)

Eight

I want to make time to enjoy 

quilting and finishing what I've created.

(I'm sure Max will appreciate the play time)

Nine

I want to focus on using what I have

rather than buying more to feed the stash

because of a sale or an irrational fear

that any given fabric will no longer be available.

Ten

And I especially want to honor 

what makes me the happiest --

playing with scraps and strings 

AND chasing squirrels.

Time will tell how things will actually unfold.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.  
Try to make sense of what you see, 
and wonder about what makes the universe exist.  
Be curious."  
(Stephen Hawking)