Taking Stock

A month ago I signed on to Peg's Finish 5 Challenge. Time's up. I was a little disappointed to have finished only 1, but when I reflected a bit more thoughtfully I had a great July. I finished Little Blue With a Kiss of Pink, and I made 4 other tops that were only ideas back then and are now completed and ready to quilt. (I have one yet to show you...still fussing over whether to add borders (sounds familiar, right?)

EDITED TO ADD: I finished 5 tops...forgot about this one!
My finishing is a bit handicapped due to the fact I'm back with my little old Singer. (My mom needed her Bernina so no machine quilting for me.) I will have a pile of tops to quilt, but it should be fun and with all that practice, maybe I'll improve those skills too.

Here is my completed top from AmandaJean's Seeing Stars quilt-a-long. I love it. I'm working on the back right now. I have some left over stars to incorporate into the back. Thanks AmandaJean for all the work you put into this quilt-along. You're the best!





















Here is a top I made last night and finished up this morning. It's a simple 4 patch made from two vintage sheets and a pillowcase. I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but the other fabric in the 4 patch is a wide pink and white stripe. It's so girly, I'm in love with it. With all the boys in this house I don't get many girly things so I made this for the fun of it. I think it would be a great baby quilt.

I say easy now, but 6 months ago when I started quilting again, this wouldn't have been easy. In fact, I made a top sort of like this and tossed it because it was so crooked and well, just plain bad. I'm happy with how far I've come and how my skills are coming back. I have the striped sheet and so I think that will be the back and the binding. Maybe there should be a striped border, hmmmm another border dilema? Ideas?

Quilting Behind...Again

I finally got back to AmandaJean's seeing stars quilt-a-long. I've been behind for so long, I was determined to get back to it. I made 2 of blocks 10, 12, and 13. Haven't made 11 yet, but I'm not sure I'll need it. I picked my favorite 12 out of the 15 I've made and began experimenting with what to do next. I decided after I made 6 of the setting blocks (weeks ago) that I wasn't going to use them. I love the stars by themselves. This is what I've come up with. Each star is framed with a fabric from within the star and an additional white frame. I made them a bit more "jacquified" by skewing the frame a bit. They are now 18 inch blocks. I love the oversized block. For me it makes each star look like a separate painting. I would love to do this one without borders so I may need to make more stars. Right now it's 3 blocks by 4 blocks. It may depend on how much fabric I have left. I hope to finish framing all 12 blocks today. 5 done 7 to go!

I'm Cleaning Up

Inspired by this lovely studio (she has 4000 yards of fabric in there) and Lisa's studio (a crafter's heaven), I did some cleaning and organizing. My studio/office is 9'x10'. It's a challenge for me to work in a confined area...I'm a spreader...into the bedroom, the kitchen etc. I do love the old adage, a place for everything and everything in it's place. If only it would stay there. It started innocently enough with the need for an empty bookshelf to put in progress piecing. I was starting to lose things and get things mixed up, that doesn't work for me. Before I knew it I had cleared off the bookshelf, emptied the closet and created a monster mess. After a full day of reorganization here is what I ended up with.
An organized closet...left side my vintage sheets, tablecloths and thrifted fabric as well as upholstery weight fabric and a place to hang completed blocks and completed tops. I tried to put things on the left that I don't need to access very often. Those sliding closet doors drive me nuts.





















Right side...fabric stash, batting, ribbon pillow forms...again, supplies I use most often.





















I organized my scraps by color. Don't you just love the fabric labels. You should have seen that hot mess...every scrap I have dumped in the middle of the floor. I'm so proud of how it looks now and maybe I can work with my scraps better this way.

















Here's that shelf I wanted...projects I'm piecing have their own home. Of course there will be projects on top of projects soon, but at least they have a place.

















My quilting and sewing books on the top shelf where they belong. Work books below. Now that's prioritizing!






















The room needed some cleaning and organizing to stand up to that fabulous newly covered IBC!






















A clean place to read, work and blog.






















Sewing corner.

















Bought this journal yesterday...plans are to journal each quilt I've made. While going through the scraps I pulled small pieces from each quilt to be a part of this journal. I'm excited to get started.

























Lastly, I've been given some lovely awards over the last week or so. Penny of Penny Quilts and Randi of Allen Quilts have given me the Arte y Pico award and Amy at 4Patch and Chaletgirl have given me the Brilliant Web Blog Award. You all probably know all about these. I'm so thrilled that folks enjoy this blog. All of these ladies have great blogs. If they aren't familiar to you...definitely check them out.

I'm not very good at accepting and passing on either, but I did want to share a new blog with you. If there was an award for "witty commenter" she would win hands down. Take some time to meet Kate at Katekwiltz. Here's what she said to my Border Dispute Resolved post. "Does this mean now that the border dispute has been resolved that you move into binding arbitration?" I almost spit my coffee out onto my laptop when I read her comment. She's a card! So head on over and say hi and welcome her into this fab crafty blog community. Tell her Jacquie sent you.

Border Dispute Resolved

First I have to say it again that this is a magnificent community of quilt bloggers. Thanks for weighing in on my border issue. I appreciated your thoughtful comments. You made me think and that's what I was looking for. You're the BEST!
So, this is what it's going to be. I was leaning towards white, scrappy, white and after I sewed on the first scrappy side I knew that wasn't it. Rip, rip! The scrappiness distracted from the simplicity of the blocks, it didn't work. I took Nicolette's advice that reds go with reds. The 2nd border isn't the same red (but not the orangy one I originally reserved for the border), but it's close. I used all I had, but that still didn't make it a twin size so I added the outside white. I would have preferred all red, but at least I didn't have to buy more fabric. That part should hang down over the mattress anyway. All the work I put into the scrappy border will turn into the binding. I think it's small enough to add interest without distracting from the quilt. So, there it is. Basting, quilting and binding....onward! Oh, forgot, I also have to piece something together for the back. Will I ever finish this quilt?

City Life

I had an interesting experience last night. How about I set the scene for you? This is what I see when I look out the window or sit on my porch.
















St. John's church is up the street and St. John's park is directly across the street from my house. It's a typical urban park, a few large trees, a flag pole, a few stone benches that overlook the city and have the same view as I do when I'm sitting in my living room. The redbuds in my header bloom in the park in the spring. Beautiful stonework walls line the sidewalk and a stone stairway leads down to the lower level of the park which is an open field where I play with my dog and kids play soccer and families come to hang out. Lots of folks take their lunch break at the park to enjoy the view either in their cars or lounging on the stone wall. Our street is the last street on the Kansas side, then the park, the river and an area called the West Bottoms which is an old warehouse district. Then the land rises up to downtown Kansas City, Missouri. My neighborhood is a mix of old and new, young and old, urban blight and urban renewal. I love my neighborhood, I get energy from the diversity and from the struggle to make it a good place for everyone to live.





















The interstate connecting Kansas and Missouri is below the park and with the railroad and the ramps and bridges and the river it is an area with a significant homeless population. A few blocks up from my house is the Willa Gill Center. Every day, 365 days a year they serve a hearty lunch to anyone who shows up. You would be surprised to see who and how many people get their only meal at Willa Gill. Everyday around 11:30 a trickle of people come up from the West Bottoms for lunch. I've seen a glimpse of camps, communities down by the river when we ride our bikes or walk the riverfront trail and there are a few that spend some time in the park across the street. The other day I saw two men who scrambled under the ramp to the interstate. It must have been loud and hot under there. Mostly though I don't see them, they're hidden, but I know they're there.





















I guess it took longer to set the scene than I thought. So last night I had one of those sleepless nights. As I was wandering trying to entertain myself I went downstairs and sat by the window. I noticed a man in the park. It was 2:45 a.m. I couldn't see him clearly, but he appeared middle aged, thin, and he was carrying a backpack. He was systematically searching through the trash can in the park. He would dig for a minute and then lay his finds on the sidewalk in a neat row. Dig for a few more minutes and add to his stash. He glanced at his finds and picked up a few things and put them in his pack, threw others back in the trash and left others on the sidewalk to be reconsidered. He dug some more and eventually all he thought worthy of keeping were in his pack and the rest back in the trash. I thought he was moving on as he began to walk up the hill, but he paused and did the same at the second trash can. I couldn't see what he kept. He then walked to the stone bench with the best view and put his pack on the edge of the bench, took off his jacket and folded it neatly and put it in his pack. He sat on the bench with his pack beside him and looked at the lights of the city. I watched him as he sat and I wondered about him. I wanted to sit next to him on the bench and talk with him. Was he homeless? Was he hiking the interstate and trying to get somewhere?

I have many questions. There are so many things I don't understand. We have so much and many have so little. I've been known to take someone's trash too, a cute table on the street which has potential. Is that how he feels too, "I can do something with this." I wonder.
(Photos are by my son Jon. He loves to capture that urban feeling.)

Stumped Again

All the blocks are complete, sewn together...ready to add the red borders. ARRRRG...the red fabric I set aside for the borders is a different red. I can be such a doofus! So, plan B...white borders...it's ok, but maybe something else...a scrappy inner border...a white inner, then scrappy, then a wider white border...or just the white...or something altogether different. Thoughts? I'm stumped. Maybe I should search for the red...

IBC Facelift

Saw this so...
I turned this...

















into this,






















using this.
Now I can sew.

Guest Blogger

Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Chester, Chester Winston Bartholemew James, but you can call me Chet. Howdy folks! What do you think of my tie? Pretty snazzy, don't ya know. I'll be hanging around here for a few weeks, at least until my tie is firmly attached.






















Excuse me, got to go...exploring to do, don't ya know. See ya!

38 Hours (warning...unbridled enthusiasm!)

Arrived 10:00 P.M. Wednesday, departed 12:00 noon Friday. 38 hours in New York equals two taxi rides, the Museum of Modern Art, lounging in Bryant Park listening to Broadway performers sing, one Broadway show, the Folk Art Museum, the garment district, shopping at Mood, walking in Central Park, breakfast at Dishes, lunch at Pret, miles of walking...
Did I mention the Garment District?
I stood in a room about the size of my studio surrounded by 4 walls of ric rac. Every size, shape and color I could have imagined. It was like being inside of a ric rac rainbow. Explored as many shops as I could. Some shops specialized, all men's wear or upholstery, silk, some were all about a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I had a ball. My kind, patient hubby stood outside most of the shops people watching and waiting patiently for me. He did come into Mood and helped me pick some fabric. What a guy! It was almost so overwhelming it was hard settle down to buy something. I was on fabric and notion overload, inspiration overload too, architecture, music, people, art, fabric.

Melissa, thanks so much for the tips for us out of towners. Your info made all the difference!
Here's a bit of our trip:
Garden outside St. Bart's church






















Fabric gardens in the Garment District






















Shopped and bought at Mood (could I have stood in the footsteps of Christian?)

















Picasso sculpture...love the lines and spaces






















Jasper Johns...love how North Dakota drips all over South Dakota

















Wanted to sit and play on these...












































Simplicity, repetition, line...






















Artsy sound baffles...






















Floating...

















Guess who was in town?

















Vincent...love his colors...


















I'm exhausted...maybe a nap?

Can I Follow My Lead?

I was lost, but now I'm found. I started on this quilt for Hannah's high school graduation present. It's all improvised. No patterns. You would think those kind of quilts would be easy to put down and pick right back up again. Not so. I got lost in my improvisation. I stopped after I'd completed 6 of the 16 blocks. That was at least a couple of weeks ago. I lost track of time as well as losing my way. I forgot what size I cut the strips and how much trimming I decided to do etc etc. Even though I say I'm winging it, it really does have a plan, if only in my head. I think I might want to write down a few thoughts. I usually have a sketch and a few notes, but for this one I had a plan of action, but never wrote down a thing. It took me all afternoon to get back into the groove. (with a few missteps and ripping in the process) I have 14 of the 16 center panel blocks completed. I'm determined to finish those tonight so I don't lose my way again.
















I've also been working on these. There are 30 blocks stacked here. It started with the fabric on top. I made 3 blocks from that fabric, pulled another fabric made 3 blocks from that, and so on until I had 30 blocks from 10 fun fabrics. It's a mix of Michael Miller, Amy Butler, Flea Market Fancy, and some assorted fabric from my stash. They all need to be squared and then these are ready to become a quilt top.





















I have a few thank yous to pass along. First, I received these goodies from Rachel at 2nd Avenue Studio. Thanks so much Rachel. I'm using the needle book already! My hubby appreciates that...no more needle danger on the sofa! I'm also going to love the Q tools. Haven't tried them yet, but both assist in areas that I need help, cutting and scant 1/4 inch seams! Also, I received a box from Liz at The Quilted Turtle. I won a box of tulip bulbs. Sorry Liz, no picture. They're already safely tucked away in my basement sleeping, waiting for fall planting. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving! Thanks!
















Thanks also to Madge of It's a Mad Madge World for this award. You make my day too! Thanks so much. It means so much that folks are visiting, reading, enjoying. Pass on some bloggy love to these ladies. They all have great blogs that are fun, inspirational reading. You may even learn some science...isn't that right, Liz! Lastly, a former Tallgrass lurker contacted me. She's a lurker no longer and now she's a blogger. Yup, took the plunge. Good for her and good for all of you too. She's got five children, loves to craft and has no space to really do what she loves. So, she's organizing and purging and believe it or not, giving away some of her excess supplies including stash. You can get fabric for free and at the same time welcome a new blogger. So head on over to Jennifer's blog. Sign up for her giveaways, but more importantly become her blog friend.

Thanks for Not Sharing

We were able to spend a couple of mornings sailing last week. I love the time we spend on the boat. It’s quiet, yet active, requires concentration, but not so much that we can’t talk, or think. Sailing is something we do to be together, sometimes with friends, but usually as a couple. I spent part of one morning watching my hubby as he handled the boat and thinking about our couch-shaving escapade. I shared that story with some friends over lunch (in an attempt to brag about him) and the conversation quickly moved to husband/man bashing. I guess there are times when we all need to vent those things that drive us nuts. It’s hard not to jump in with gusto and share those things about him that make me crazy. He’s got ‘em alright and I could outline them in living color with stories that would make you shout “amen, sister!”
Then I pictured him banging into the vacuum in the hall hopping on one foot, holding the other and cursing me under his breath as he winds the cord and puts the vacuum back in the closet which I left in the middle of the hallway with the good intentions of continuing my cleaning binge. It’s probably a weekly occurrence. Twenty-five years times 52 weeks. You do the math. (Sometimes it happens more than once a day so add a few extra.) I had visions of him picking threads off his pants and his suit. Every day he attempts to evade millions of little threads that I scatter through the house in the name of creativity. And then there is the kitchen table. He would like to eat meals there without having to move. It’s quite a production to eat dinner in our house, because I tend to spread. One day it’s paint cans, the next day contact paper, the next hammers, drills and other assorted tools and on and on ad nauseum. Oh, and he can’t go to bed at night without moving something off the bed because lately the bed is an extension of my design wall. Every night he comes into my studio and turns off the light and my music, which I leave on because again, I have every intention of continuing my work late into the night. Sometimes I do return, but mostly it’s just a sound and light show to keep him from falling asleep. Needless to say, I could go on. As I watched him on the boat I thought not of the things that drive me crazy, but of all those wonderful things he does that make me love him more each day. I won’t bore you with them, except to say I appreciate that he doesn’t air all of my quirks, bad habits and idiosyncrasies to his friends or colleagues or anyone who might listen. Thanks for not sharing.

Off On a Tangent...Or Two...

I may not be working on my list of things to finish, but I am working on something. Finished the Peekaboo quilt top and pieced the back. It should be basted today and ready to quilt. I found this 3 Sisters fabric for the borders and the back. These fabrics have the soft feeling of the quilt. I also have a blue/aqua print for the binding that is the same blue in the baby print. I think it will add that tish of brightness that will make this quilt shine. I'm loving how this is coming together. It was such a whim. I started another project on a whim too...15 blocks of that one are completed, but my camera is acting up so that will have to wait. Again, so much to do, so little time. It's raining which means I can put the weeding on the back burner for now. Could it mean more time sewing? Only if I'm going to sew naked...I don't think we have a clean article of clothing in the house. Off to do laundry and clean the kitchen floor (only so I can baste the quilt without choking on dog hair). What I will do for my art! Have a great weekend!