Inspiration is a Funny Thing

People ask me all the time how I get inspired. Inspiration is a funny thing....you never know when or how it might strike or manifest itself. Between storms, bad internet and power outages I did get a little sewing in. I was considering how to tackle this Roberto Capucci inspired chevron and I decided to make a maquette to experiment with some ideas. A maquette is a preliminary piece, sometimes a small version of a larger piece used as practice or a test. I learned about the concept from the Gee's Bend ladies.

I improvised another chevron from the scraps left over from the larger piece. I experimented with setting it in the background with some improvised curves....at this point I was simply practicing. I happened to put it back on the design wall upside down and there it was...a tornado. After my experience this weekend and the crazy weather in the midwest I felt compelled to go there.

That coincided with a conversation with Katie, my writing partner, and she happened to mention an idea of slicing the chevron in half. After that I started playing with making the chevron appear to rotate like the funnels we saw near our house.

The black seems to give it an ominous feel to me. 'Twister' is about 16" x 36". Quilting lines have the potential to enhance the tornadic feeling of this piece even further, but I'm not sure I want to work on it any more right now. It's weird.
The large chevron still on my design wall is taller than I am, so I still don't know where to go with that. Maybe I should make a larger version of Twister, but I'm not sure.

A reader in Monday's comments said something like could a tornado quilt be in my future...inspiration is a funny thing.

PS...I'm working on getting a winner for the Block Party book...arrg crappy internet. I'll have it as soon as I can!

Wild Weather Weekend

My hubby, son, Bruno and I spent some time huddling in the basement hiding from a potential tornado. For a couple of hours we watched the wall cloud, which was about 15 miles from our house spawn funnels. They dropped down and pulled back up over and over again. Several times there were multiple funnels dropping from the cloud. The rain and hail would fall so hard they would disappear, though we knew they were still there.

When we thought it was over, Ben and Steve headed out into the back yard to check things out. Bruno and I lagged behind (I was cleaning up) when the guys came running back in. As soon as they got out in the yard and were able to see around the house they spotted a funnel and started running.

We had lots of warning and actually kept electricity during the worst part of the storm so we could follow the radar and watch the supercell move and track the tornado signatures. I'm buying a battery operated TV today. Without the television coverage, we would have been so much more in the dark about what was happening.

There was damage nearby and a larger tornado that hit farther away in Reading, KS and then yesterday the giant tornado in Joplin and Minneapolis. We heard about the Minneapolis tornado on the radio and immediately called our younger son who was in that area.

The fury of nature is so random. One house untouched and others gone. My heart aches for those families in Joplin. Such devastation.

I hugged my guys a little tighter this weekend.

Back to quilts soon.

More Quilt Market Goings On

The first day of Quilt Market is Schoolhouse. Schoolhouse is a full day of short presentations on what's new in the quilting industry...new fabrics, books, patterns, notions and even ideas. Each time slot has multiple presentations so you have to make choices on what to see. I am pleased to say that "modern" was the subject of several schoolhouses. Schoolhouse is an opportunity to talk directly to a group of potential buyers.
Alissa and Kristen, the authors of Block Party did a schoolhouse presentation. These gals were prepared and had a well thought out presentation that not only showcased the fabulous quilts in the book, but talked directly to shop owners on how the book would be good for business. I had the opportunity to see my quilt that's part of Block Party for the first time in over a year. Thanks to Kristen for giving my quilt such a great name...Profit Margins...love the name and coincidentally it speaks to what Quilt Market is all about. The exhibits open the morning after Schoolhouse and book signings happen periodically over the next three days of market. Publishing companies provide a limited number of free books that are given away during the book signing.
You can see from the crowd that Alissa and Kristen and their publisher did a great job marketing their book. The signing was packed...lots of folks wanting Block Party who didn't get in line soon enough to get a copy.
Block Party isn't on shelves yet, but is available for pre-order on Amazon. It's a wonderful book with great quilts and 12 interesting and very different women. I'm proud to be a part of it.

I'm going to share one of my advance copies with one of my readers. If you're interested, leave me a comment telling me what you look for in a quilting book. I'll announce the winner on Monday. Good luck!

Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering. I'll do the random number thing and announce the winner as soon as I can!

Quilt Market...It's About?

Choose the best answer.

Quilt Market is about?

A. Fabric

B. Parties

C. Networking

D. Business

E. Quilts

For me, the best answer is business. Quilt Market is the trade show for the quilting industry and it's about doing business: selling books, patterns, fabrics, notions etc and the majority of people there are all about business. It's pretty easy to identify the saavy businessmen and women. I noticed the serious and sometimes stressed looks on faces as quilting business owners worked market. People are making decisions which will affect their livelihood and it's hard work. Attending quiltmarket is an investment of both time and money and making that investment pay off in terms of your quilting business.

Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew....Workin' It!

My purpose for attending market was two-fold, to prepare for and understand book marketing so that when my book is released I'm ready. Also, I was gathering information for my new business venture. I came home with a two foot tall stack of information/ideas to sort through and with many decisions to make. I so appreciate those quilt market veterans who were willing to share, talk with me and give helpful advice to a newbie. I'd love to name all of you, but I'd miss someone for sure. Thank you. Coincidentally, my first market coincided with the release of Alissa and Kristen's book, Block Party, so I was there to support their book and accomplish goal #1 with friends.

Next post...All about Block Party and a chance to win Alissa and Kristen's fabulous book!

I hope you want to hear more about Quiltmarket. I have so much to say and Bruno is a little tired of hearing about it.

Right now, I've got sewing to do...laundry will have to wait!

Quilt Market

It's day two of quilt market and because of the lapse in blogger I haven't been able to report all the goings on. It's busy, busy, busy, so a quick update. It's been amazing to meet all those loyal followers in the flesh. I'm constantly bumping into people in the aisles who come and visit the blog and really exist in real life! So much fun!!
A quick peek at part of the Robert Kaufman booth, the Kona solids and the Modern Quilt Guild Challenge quilts. KCMQG is well represented and I'm thrilled to see our quilts being showcased! Congrats MQG and KCMQG! More pics soon.
On thing I found intriguing was the back of the Michael Miller booth with their walls of inspiration from architechture, interior design and fashion. Very modern and kind of non quilty. Totally inspiring.
I'm pinching myself. Am I really here? So many exciting things to tell you and show you. More later!

Pre Market Sewing

I'm heading to quilt market in Salt Lake City on Wednesday. I'm so excited. I have my list of things to do, things to learn, people to meet. It's a first for me. I've been trying to whittle down the list of things to do before I leave. One of those things is to finish class samples.I had this leftover pile of strip piecing from a previous quilt so I decided to make a quick sample for my improv class.
I started cutting and sewing and before you know it I was making a whole quilt. How does that happen? I ran out of pomegranate kona cotton so this will have to wait until after market.
If you're heading to market too, don't forget about the Modern Quilt Guild meet-up on Friday night. We'll be at the Marriott Destination's Lounge, Friday, May 13 at 8:00 p.m. See you there!! Can't wait to meet everyone!

Oh, and thanks for entering Friday's giveaway. Laurie's fabric will be heading to ColoradoLady! Congratulations! Send me your contact info and I'll get your fabric off to you. Thanks again to Laurie for providing the fat quarter set.

Pickup Parking...and a Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago Laurie Wisbrun sent me a fat quarter set of her new fabric line, Pooches and Pickups. She said to play with the fabric. That freedom was just what I needed. As soon as I opened the package and saw the trucks I thought of my boys and how they would play with their collection of miniature cars and trucks. They would take blocks and make giant parking lots and roadways. So, out of my brain came "Pickup Parking".

Those trucks begged to be fussy cut, so I did and I placed them in different parking configurations just like my boys would have. The quilt was on the design wall when a friend's young son came over. He liked the quilt and asked me who I was making it for. I told him it was a baby quilt. He told me in no uncertain terms that this was NOT a blanket for a baby. This was for a big boy bed. I turned it into a twin size quilt in no time.
He also told me it needed one more thing....a license plate. When I asked him to help me choose the letters and numbers for the plate, he said no. It didn't need letters and numbers. It needed a vanity plate. How he knew about vanity plates...well, I was impressed and asked him what it should say. He said matter of factly, TRUCK. So, truck it was.
I made this for no one in particular, so I think it's going to get boxed up and sent to BASICS in New York City. I'm hoping some little boy needs a quilt for his bed.
I didn't forget about the Pooches part of the fabric. I just happened to have this pooch who looks pretty spiffy dressed up in Laurie's fabric.
So, would you like a fat quarter set of Pooches and Pickups to play with at your house? Leave a comment and let me know. I'll draw a winner on Monday. Thanks Laurie!

Comments are now closed!

Nose to the Grindstone

That's where it is. I hope I'll have this quilt done to show you on Friday. It's super cute.

My youngest son is home from college for a week between semesters. I've forgotten how much time it takes to wait on a young man. (Making gravy...big breakfasts...dinners...desserts...hugs...long conversations...)

Block a palooza!

Catchin up on some bee blocks!
For Blair whose inspiration was mid century modern fireplaces.
For Rebekah...another mid century inspiration.
For Debbie...a linear architectural inspiration.
For Robin...if Mondrian loosened up a bit.