Ode to Fabric

Hello Fabric.  I just wanted to let you know how much I love you.  I love stroking you, imagining what you might become.  I dream of ways to make you dance and play with the stacks of other fabrics beside you.  I dream of one day having not only one huge shelf of fabric, but two, or maybe three, why quit there, maybe four.  I have my favorites of course, I lean towards loving those Moda's, there are so many fabulous Moda fabrics, and the weave is fabulous.  AHHH, silky, beautiful, soft, and PERFECT.  But, then, how can I forget Freespirit...with Joel Dewberry, and who doesn't love Amy Butler.  Okay, so I just love fabric.  I imagine a time (maybe in heaven), where time is not an issue, and I can accomplish all my fabric dreams without having to do laundry,  or make dinner, or do my church callings, or even sleep.  Until then, I shall love the sight of you, and I'll pull you off the shelves to stroke you.  Someday,  I will have a little more time to give you the attention you truly deserve.  Until then, sleep tight.

Easier

Just so you know.  Eating these beauties is much easier than writing directions.   Luckily, I have a fabulous mother-in-law who has taken my kids for the day so I could slave away writing instructions.  I thought I might get so much done.  But, alas, writing instructions for batting, backs, basting, marking, quit labels, and binding.....is hard.  Who knew?  So, now I am taking a break from writing "basics" instructions, and I am going to go ahead with an actual pattern.  Seriously, can't I just stick with the peanut m&m's?

The Best Hubby

Just because I have the best hubby in the world, I actually finished quilting the 9 quilts I needed to quilt.  It has been a long road, and fun at the same time.   I am amazed what a little fire under your belly will help you accomplish.  I have had some of these quilt tops done for many months...but it took a book deal for me to get in gear to get it done.  One of these quilts I actually made from start to finish yesterday (okay, I have made 3 like it already, I just gave them away....so I had to do it again).  Here is a "sneak peak" of the quilts.  There are muted colors, brights, wild patterns, more traditional ones, and some completely crazy stuff.   You might think I should be done now... well, I just have quilt labels and binding to do before they are done.  Luckily, I love those parts, so hopefully I won't put it off like I did with the quilting.  I have spent part of today writing instructions and patterns.  I would like to thank the makers of peanut m&m's for making my day a little sweeter.

Pre-wound Bobbins

After going through a dozen of the evergreen color in just 2 days, I thought I might write a little tribute to the prewound bobbin.  Oh, how I love them.  Why????  Who knew that bobbins could inspire thoughts of love and admiration.  Well, the first and most obvious reason is that I don't have to wind the bobbin myself.  This, in and of itself, saves me a few precious minutes.  Second, and most importantly, more thread is wound on these babies, and that means more time sewing, less time changing those pesky little "beauties."  Seriously, when you are doing quilting on a big project (like I am right now), who wants to deal with moving that big quilt on and off the machine more than you have too.    I was hesitant to use prewound bobbins, thinking they might cause my fabulous machine some issues.  Ahhh, no way.  I use these babies from Superior Threads (100% cotton), with the cardboard (instead of plastic).  Love it.  Just peal the card board off, throw the bobbin (bare) into the case, and I am ready to go.   So, if you are a sewing fanatic (or you just sew sometimes) try these out, you may fall in love.  

Bumps

After the perfect Mothers Days weekend (Bj took the kids while I stayed home and finished quilting 2 more quilts), we have realized that maybe we should have spent the weekend home snuggled in our beds.  Our little ones, were recovering from being sick...but after this weekend, they experienced a full relapse.  I spent last evening in Urgent Care with miss Liz with croup treatments, and my Maddie and Mitchell have missed more school in the last 2 weeks than they have all year.  They are all home with me right now, and the fun never ends.  Yesterday I had many dreams of getting one more quilt quilted as well as one chapter written.  Alas, I spent the day with a nebulizer, coughing kids, and a contracting belly.  For some reason, after the kids were all tucked in their beds and finally asleep I was too exhausted to do anything useful with myself.  Ah well, these little "bumps" in my road will definitely come, but I am hoping the experience will make the book even better.  I can dream right?

Getting it DONE!

After working for months and months designing and piecing together my patterns, let's just say I got tired.  Well, honestly, I got pregnant...and then I got REALLY tired.  So, I took a couple months off.  Now, with the book's deadline coming up, pictures, due, etc... I really need to have these quilts QUILTED!    So, I have put the foot to the machine pedal and worked until my thread is almost gone (as you can see in the picture above).   I have seriously felt the Tender Mercies as I have quilted.  Two times I have finished quilting a quilt with only inches of thread left in my bobbin.  For those quilters out there...you know what kind of blessing that is.  I am having a great time working with such a deadline (plus, it is nice to have an excuse to neglect housecleaning, dinners, makeup, laundry, etc.).  So, off to get some more stuff done!

This could be the Start...

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Let's hope so!  It is official, I got the contract in the mail today.  I am writing a quilting book, (gasp) and I am so excited, as well as slightly intimidated.   I have been thinking about doing something for ages, and I have either been too busy, or too scared to try anything.  That was, until last year, I finally got the itch, and I went for it.  I have spent the last year, drawing, playing, cutting, shopping, writing, hoping, etc...  It has been an interesting journey, and one that I have definitely learned from.    So, I have a long journey ahead of me in writing this manuscript (due in August)...but maybe not long enough.  However, with this little guy arriving in September, it will be perfect to get this done, and not have it hanging over me.  Of course, there is that pesky "editing" process.     I truly am so excited to do this project.  I know it is going to be labor intensive, I know my time will not be my own, I know there will be sacrifices my family will have to make, and at the end of it I will have a completed book to show for it.   

So, in all my excitement, I am hoping to share with you my journey.  I would also love to share tutorials, inspiration, etc.  Hopefully, I will have the time to share it as it comes.  Wish me luck.