Quilts and Cherry Blossoms

What a weekend this has  been!

It started in Williamsburg with the Colonial Piecemakers’ Quilt Guild. I had such a good time with these quilters! On Friday, we spent all day playing with Tsukineko Inks. We used the Fantastix applicators to learn how to control the ink and then we mixed the inks with aloe gel to see what kinds of effects we could get. We colored in commercially available black-and-white fabrics and we explored rubber stamps and traced designs. It was great to spend the day with such talented artists!

On Saturday, I started the day at the guild meeting. I’ve never seen such a show and tell. This guild is working through a year-long UFO challenge and the first round of finished quilts was literally a parade around the room.  Impressive. I presented my lecture, “Overcoming Quilter’s Block,” and then we had a full house for my “Trees” workshop. I love seeing all of the different results that can come from the same pattern.

Back home again, my husband and I went into D.C. to see the cherry blossoms. I’m always wowed when I see all of that lovely color in a metropolitan setting. And did I mention the people? Apparently, today was a great day to visit D.C. I know this because there were more people than there were blossoms! I was happy to see so many people enjoying the beautiful day. And you’ll be pleased to know that I did not correct the tourist who pointed to the Washington Monument and exclaimed, “Look! There’s that pencil building or whatever you call it!”

And so, the weekend is coming to a close. I’ve put some miles on the truck and I’ve met some wonderful quilters. I’ve seen some sights and I’ve had some fun. Now it’s time to rest up for the next adventure — or whatever you call it!

Fun vs. Productivity

This blog post is a quick hit-and-run entry that poses a question and a possible answer. I’d like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

To you workaholics, here’s my conundrum: why do we put off doing the fun things in favor of doing the hard or unpleasant tasks – even though the fun stuff is on our to-do lists and has deadlines? I’ll wait while you ponder this. Imagine that I am humming the theme to Jeopardy…

Seriously, this is an important question. I’ve talked to other productive, relaxation-challenged people and they share this malady. So, take your time and think on it. The world would be a better place if some of us could have more fun. Okay, I mean if I could have more fun.

Give up? Okay, here’s my theory. I think I feel guilty when I do something fun. How twisted is that?! Today, I decided to reacquaint myself with my sewing machine. Those of you on Facebook may have seen that intention in my status update. I love my sewing machine. I love to sew. I am, after all, a professional quilter and that does involve sewing. And so, why was there a layer of stuff accumulating on top of my sewing machine?

I did get to sew today. I put the binding on a quilted laptop case I designed out of fabric I love, love, love. The project has been languishing for over a month, gathering dust and hurling guilt darts at me whenever I walk by. I have wanted to work on this ever since I bought the fabric; that’s the heck of it. While I worked on it today, I thought of all the other things I “should” have been doing.

So…a new resolution. Guilt is unproductive. In fact, it’s the enemy of productivity. A happy quilter (me, after doing something fun for just a little while) is a more productive quilter.

And so, I resolve to do something fun every day. I guess I need to make sure there’s more fun stuff on my to-do list. Hmm, where’s my pen?

Quilters, a Quilt Show, and the Economy

I’m blogging here in Hampton, Virginia, at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. This is a Mancuso show, which means the show is organized and well-run, and everyone knows what to expect. Well, everyone except the vendors.

The quilters expected beautiful quilts, and we weren’t disappointed. But the vendors had to have doubts when they set up their wares in preparation for the thousands of quilters who attend this show each year. After an informal survey, I’m happy to report that the quilting economy seems to be fine. Fabric is selling. Patterns and books are selling. Threads, trims, and embellishments are selling. I even visited with a quilter who bought a longarm machine!

Sure, we’re watching our pennies. But we’re also quilters. We’re buying what we need to continue making the quilts that comfort others. We’re buying the fabric and kits that make our own hearts sing. We’re generating positive energy and we’re putting it out into the universe. At least for the duration of this show, we’re not dwelling on the bad news from the outside. We’re thankful to be here, thankful to be quilters, and thankful to be part of this community. If only the rest of the world’s challenges could be addressed so simply.

Left to right: Doris, Dian, Kathy, Mary, and Cyndi

Lesley Riley’s New Book on Lutradur

Lesley Riley’s New Book

When I started this blog, I never really thought about doing reviews, but Lesley Riley’s new book has made me to want to share.  Fabulous Fabric Art with Lutradur is the book I would have asked for if I had really thought about it. My friend Judy Gula of Artistic Artifacts has been talking about Lutradur for a while and I’ve been reading about it on the pages of Quilting Arts magazine. In fact, Laura Cater-Woods talked about it in class last year. Well, hearing about it wasn’t enough; I wanted to know more.

That’s where Lesley’s new book comes in.  She starts out by telling you about Lutradur — what it is, how it’s made, and why it’s so special. Then she describes 27 things you can do with Lutradur from adding color and pattern (think of the fun things you can do with paint, inks, and dyes), screening and printing, glueing and fusing, needle felting, and even using heat to cut and distort it.

After the techniques, Lesley shares a broad array of projects made by a variety of fiber artists. There’s a project for every taste and temperament, incorporating the techniques in the earlier section of the book. Want to stamp and stencil? It’s in there. Want to create three-dimensional objects with Lutradur? It’s in there. It’s all in there. I can’t wait to try some of these wonderful ideas.

And she makes a suggestion that I really appreciate: she says to pick a new technique for which you already have the tools and try it on one of the pieces of Lutradur included in the back of the book. Yup! The book includes one sheet each of two different weights of Lutradur. And so once you’ve bought the book, you can actually play with the Lutradur without any additional purchases.

Even with the Lutradur in the book, you’ll eventually want more. I recommend visiting Artistic Artifacts’ website for either the 70g- or 100g-weight fiber. To buy the book, visit the Favorite Things page on my website and follow the link. The book is also available from Artistic Artifacts (in person in Alexandria, VA, or online) and the Quilt Patch in Fairfax, VA.

Have some fun with this new mystery fiber. And send me pictures of what you do! I’d love to see it.

When Good Things Happen for Good People

In My Shade Garden

Don’t you love it when good things actually happen for good people? When the lottery winner seems nice or when the the person who wins the door prize seems genuinely happy? Well, I am thrilled to share this with you!

My friend and colleague, Kathy Lincoln, has a quilt featured in the new issue (February/March) of Quilters Newsletter! Her quilt, In My Shade Garden, is featured, along with directions. And they’ve included a detail shot on their Table of Contents page! Too cool!

Kathy Lincoln

If you’re a subscriber, you have probably already received your copy. If not, you’ll need to wait until the Dec/Jan issue of Quilter’s Newsletter comes off the newsstands and is replaced with this one.

Kathy offers a workshop that features this quilt and includes timesaving tips and tricks.  Check out her website: www.KathyLincoln.com.

Good stuff, good people. It’s all good.

Being Productive

Command Central

When I typed that title, I worried that it promised some profound wisdom, some insight that will allow us all to slay our to-do lists and spend our leisure hours making things that make our souls happy. Hmm. Instead, I want to talk a little about personal productivity and explore how I can be more productive in that limiting 24-day that we all have.  Seriously, we all have the same 24 hours; how are you getting so much more done than I am?!

And so, why am I not as productive as I’d like to be?

• I expect too much of myself.
• I am distracted and need to focus.
• I need to be better at prioritizing my activities.

Hmm. Does any of that sound familiar? Thought so. I recognize that these are things I need to work on so that I can escape this too-busy-to-think run-in-circles mentality that I’ve developed.

First, how much can I reasonably expect to accomplish? My to-do list is pages long. That’s not hyperbole; it’s really pages long. I write everything down in the hopes that nothing will be forgotten, even if it’s not a task that I expect to accomplish for days or weeks.

Okay, if my list is too long, how do I make it shorter? I’m learning to say “no.” Unfortunately, I don’t say it often enough and I don’t say it to myself. If a new project looks fun, I say yes. If a new project may provide my company revenue, I say yes. If a new project will allow me to learn something I’m interested in, uh-huh, I say yes. The hardest lesson for me is saying “no” to myself.

I’m keeping my very long to-do list so that I don’t forget some of my long-range ideas and plans, but I try not to look at it too often.

Which leads me to…prioritizing. At the beginning of each day (you can do this at the end of your day if that works better for you), I sit down and compose a short list. What absolutely must get done today? And if I had an extra half-hour, what would make my heart sing? Truly, I do write the short list, but I need to work on guarding that half-hour so that I can fill the well and remember why I stay home in my studio. For the short list, I try to be reasonable. I list what really needs to get done and then I assign priorities. In a perfect world, this would work. That means I’ll have to put an end to my current practice of “Productivity Through Avoidance.” (Let me know if you’d like to hear more about that and I’ll blog on it later…when I’m avoiding another task!)

The distractions should be simple to avoid, but it takes more self control than I’m currently using. My distractions include NPR on the radio or TV, e-mail, housework (since my studio is in my home), the kitchen, and my unwillingness to focus. I’m not unable to focus; I honestly believe I’m unwilling. Not sure why, though.

To avoid distractions, I believe it will help to control my environment better and to structure the day. First, no more radio and TV unless I’m officially off the clock. I have an iPod that has two weeks’ worth of music on it. Seriously. I’ve set up a series of playlists that will set the tone for the day and allow me to work. I have a very calm, lyric-free playlist that I listen to in the morning when I’m writing. I have a more active playlist that I listen to when I am cutting, sewing, and working a little more physically. And I have a rockin’ playlist that I listen to when I have to really move. I dare you to listen to my active playlist without dancing. Really.

No more housework in the middle of the day. No more “I’ll just do this load of laundry,” or “Let me just clean up these dishes.” No more “just.” Why is guarding my studio time so hard?

And, at last, my electronic distractions. My husband says I should turn off the Outlook feature that notifies me when I have mail. I’m not sure I can do that, but I do plan to try to ignore the computer when I’m working on other things. This will be the hardest.

Productivity. It’s the holy grail, the elephant graveyard, the intelligent life in the universe that so many people seek. It’s elusive, but I plan to pursue it in 2009. Now it’s time to finish this and walk away from the computer!

It’s That Time Again

It’s that time of year when we all tend to become more introspective. We’re surrounded by talk of weight loss, exercise programs, and job searches. We vow to get organized, save more, reprioritize, and generally become better people. I don’t know about all of that, but I am doing a lot of looking back at the past year and I do have a few thoughts about 2009.

 

Blog

This year, I’ve written 24 posts (You’re reading #25!). I’ve shared the good, the bad, and the ugly. For 2009, I hope to concentrate more on the process of what I do, from quilting to writing to web design to teaching and lecturing. I welcome your comments.

 

Writing

2008 has been a great publishing year for me. Machine Quilting Unlimited has published my articles and given me a column. I’ve written for Quilter’s Home and one of my quilts appeared in the Washingtonian magazine. My studio was featured in the Professional Quilter magazine, and I had a quilt and a tip included in Ann Hazelwood’s book 100 Tips from Award-Winning Quilters. For 2009, I’d like to branch out to e-books about art quilting and other quilt-related topics. Let me know if you have any topics you’d like me to write about.

 

Quilts

It feels like I’ve spent most of 2008 making quilts for everyone but me. I’ve been in a number of challenges and I’ve made lots of quilts that conform to someone else’s rules. Don’t misunderstand; I love the quilts that have resulted, but I’m ready to explore some new territory. In 2009, I’d like to produce some smaller work. These pieces will give me the chance to experiment with some new techniques, play with some new ideas, and offer some new work for sale. Watch the “Quilts for Sale” page on my website for available pieces.

 

Teaching and Lecturing

2008 started out with a bang when I was fortunate enough to be nominated for the Professional Quilter magazine’s Teacher of the Year. What an honor! Locally, I have really enjoyed teaching Art Quilting at the Quilt Patch this year. I love to travel to lecture and do workshops for all kinds of quilt guilds. In fact, I lectured for SAQA in Houston again this year. For 2009, I’m starting a new section of Art Quilts 101 and I plan to continue the current Art Quilt sections. Be sure to watch for new Toolbox classes.  In addition, I’m currently booking travel for 2009 and 2010. Maybe I’ll see you out there in the Quilt world. Check my web calendar to see if I’ll be in your area or to check availability for your guild.

 

Web Design

I hereby acknowledge that I am becoming a web weenie. (Hmm. Maybe there’s a better title than that out there.) Anyone who knows me knows that I keep my computer close at hand and the thought of no Internet access can induce hives. And so I have embraced my inner geek and I plan to expand the web design part of my business beyond the four websites I already maintain. I am upgrading my software and I’m learning all I can about online commerce. I’ll include updates in future blog posts.

 

As I read this, I realize that I’ve set some monster goals for myself. I can feel my to-do lists growing even as I type this on the way home from visiting family. (Yes, we’re on I-95. No, I’m not driving.) I don’t know if I can accomplish everything I’ve set out to do, but I can guarantee one thing: I will not be bored. I invite you to take this ride with me. I’ll try not to bore you either.

 

What Quilters Want

I made this for the outlaws. Pattern: No Coal, Please by Bee Creative Studios

I’ve thought a lot about this. What DO quilters want?

When I originally planned this post, I was going to roll out the new page on my website, My Favorite Things, where I list books and tools that I recommend in class. Those of you in my art quilt classes have seen many of these things but I thought it might be time to share them with a broader audience.  The page is there whenever you wish to peruse it, but the answer to my original question is deeper than material things (pardon the awful pun).

And so, what do quilters want? Lots of fabric and the time to play with it? The new Bernina 830? A permanent studio at your favorite quilt shop?

I think we want more.  

We want soulful things, selfless things. We want all that is good in the world. I’m trying very hard not to say “world peace,” but I think we do want that. We want peace for the world and for ourselves and our loved ones.  And so, my quilting friends, this is what I wish for you during this busy season.

Quiet minds so that you can create without the noise and distractions. I wish you the ability to shut out all of the negativity and doubt and worry so that you can recharge your batteries.

Unlimited skills and abilities. Or…access to classes and books and friends who are happy to share their skills and abilities with you.

Imagination and inspiration and ideas. May your well never run dry.

Life in balance. I hope that you can find that personal balance that works for you, that allows you to keep moving, keep creating, keep on doing the things that make your heart sing.

Time to create and tools with which to do the work. May your toolbox never be empty.

Simple pleasures. Whatever that means for you – fabric, chocolate, a nice fume blanc – I wish that for you.

Happy Solstice, everyone!

It’s Done! Vintage Revisited #6 is Done!

Woo hoo! The sixth and final quilt for Mary Kerr’s Vintage Revisited quilt challenge is finally done. (Drum roll, please…)

Vintage Revisited #6

Ding, dong!
The quilt is done!
Which old quilt?
The final quilt!
Ding, dong,
The final quilt is done!

I think the spokes made all the difference. After a lot of thinking about how to represent the spokes, I took a trip to G Street Fabrics and bought skinny grey ribbon. I zigzagged it into place and that was that.

Did this quilt present challenges? Oh, you bet!

Quilting density was a tiny little demon sitting on my shoulder. First it would whisper, “Leave the shirt unquilted. Quilt in wrinkles or folds and leave the rest.” Then, the shirt looked too puffy and the demon would laugh at me. “If you want the shirt to recede into the background, you have to quilt it down.” Then the hat. The Quilting Density Demon said, “Leave it unquilted; allow it to share the focal point limelight.” Then the hat looked too puffy and unfinished. You can guess the rest.

And then there were the hands. Oh, man, did they give me heartburn! First, I quilted around the hands and added lines to delineate the fingers and nails. I didn’t want to quilt them because I was afraid I’d wind up adding bizarre texture. And so I added only knuckles and creases to the right hand, the one in front. It looked like a glove. Then, I experimented by meandering on the left hand, the one behind the wheel. First, I used monofilament. Yuck. The thread was shiny and the needle left really visible holes. After ripping all of that out, I tried a bigger, less detailed meander with thread that matched the hand fabric. Still yucky. It made the hand look like it had a skin disorder. After ripping out the quilting AGAIN, I added knuckles and creases and steamed out the remaining holes. I don’t love the hands. In fact, I’m going to try to avoid looking at them.

Oh, and I had to add the vintage fabric. I kept the basic hexogonal shape of the original grandma’s flower garden, but I cut them down into irregular sizes, used only green, and fused the pieces down into a tire track. They were still pretty green, and so I stamped them with both original rubber stamps and some commercial leaf stamps using black ink. I did a freeform zigzag around each piece and then pronounced it finished.

The final challenge is the naming of the quilt. I want to incorporate Mary’s name into the title, but I’m not sure how. Puns are fine (Mary-ly we roll along), but I’d like to keep it simple. Since I need to print a label today, I guess I’m on my own to be creative.

Thanks for reading along with this process description. In the next blog entry, I’m going to tackle a new subject: What Quilters Want. Hmm.

Behold the Power of Deadlines

Done!

Deadlines are amazing things. They force productivity — sometimes with great results and sometimes not.

I needed to finish this quilt by yesterday morning so that it could be part of the Mason Dixon Quilt Professionals’ Network (MDQPN) special exhibit “What We Do” for this year’s Road2CA. The exhibit is designed to showcase what each of the quilters in this group offers professionally. I offer a Trees workshop and pattern, and so I thought this would be a good place to show that.

It’s done. I’m not exceptionally proud of this quilt, but it’s done and off my list. Such is the power of deadlines.

I think if I had a chance to continue searching, I might have found a better, less distracting border fabric. I might also have found a better quilting thread color for the grey border. I might have added some surface design, augmented the snow, given more dimension to the trees. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. I’ll never know, though, because it’s done and out of my hands.

Vintage Revisited #6 in Process

Now, I’m back to the Vintage Revisited #6. (Check the archives for more on the process for this one.) I’ve quilted leaves into the black borders and I’ve added the green vintage pieces to form a tire track. The green vintage fabric was still pretty icky, and so I stamped it with commercial and original stamps. I think it’s kind of ironic that the track interrupts the portrait the same way the vintage materials interrupt my normal process. It’s a fitting way to complete this series of six quilts.

Our MDQPN meeting yesterday was held at G Street Fabrics, where I was able to find the perfect spokes for the bike wheel. I can’t wait to add them and see how it turns out. I’m eager to finish this and turn it over to Mary to add to her collection. To see more Vintage Revisited quilts online or to see what shows will exhibit them, check out www.MaryWKerr.com.