Another One Bites the Dust

Yes.  Another fine person accomplishes their dreams.  Oh...okay, maybe not their dreams, but my sweet sister in law finished her quilt.  GOOD JOB!  She came to my house last Wednesday to quilt this sucker.  I am amazed.  She worked hard pinning, quilting, and binding this baby and she did it all in 3 or 4 hours.  WOW!  

She is even pregnant and has a 2 year old in tow.  Seriously, WOW!  See, you can do anything if you put your mind to it.   Do you have a project you want to finish?  Just do it!  Don't be afraid.  You can do it.

Who cares if the project takes over your house?  That is the fun of it.  Then everyone knows you are being productive!  See....you can spin it.  It's not messy....it's productive.  (I have had a little practice at this, and my dear lovable and wonderful hubby has totally bought it.)

 Go QUILT!

What have you been up to?

So, what have you been up to lately? 

I have been working on some Christmas goodies.   It has been fun working in a Christmas theme, preparing for the fun in the next few months, but making it a little spunky.  Who knew that bright pinks and funky greens could look so festive.  Loving it.

I am also enjoying the straight line quilting thing.  So easy, so fun to look at.  And as you can tell, I am no perfectionist.......but I think the imperfections bring a little something extra.  Really. I am all about imperfections.  Maybe it's the crazy lady in me, but imperfections make me smile.

Only a couple more hours until my box is off to the post office, and a little stress can leave my house for a minute.  I love it when stress takes a vacation.  

Classy, real classy.

As I lay in bed last night, my mind was filled with my to do list.  The majority of my to do's have to do with quilting.  I have a deadline, which is today, for a book with Martingale....which I will not meet (luckily, they extended the deadline 'til Friday for me....ya hoo!).  

Anyway....this got me thinking about this blog.  Yep! I realized, the blog readers here don't really know me.  I post random stuff.    

So, here is the first installment of "get to know me" moments.  It is just a snapshot of a moment in my life.  I hope these little snapshots will help shed a little light into my life as a momma and quilter/creative lady.

So, the picture above is of our house, the morning after.  After what?  Soccer practice until all hours of the night.  Bj (my one true love), stops to get everyone a drink on the way home, and we all chow down on the dinner I have made (and salivated over) while they've been gone.  Then in the morning, it seems I have this huge pile O'garbage to clean up.  However, I try to make my garbage pretty, if I can.  

If you pay attention to detail, you can see pillows stacked on the rocking chair, and you will have a tiny clue as to what I have been working on lately.

Inspiration

What inspires you in your art?  Is it nature?  Is it architecture? Is it other artists?  There are so many ways to be inspired.  As I started making sketches for the quilts in my book, my eyes were opened to the world around me.  A motif decorating our local library helped me come up with my bird quilt.  Flowers in nature, inspired charming gardens....the brick pattern, helped set the background for the cocoa cakewalk quilt.    


The unnoticed things in the world are some of the most extraordinarily beautiful things we see. I encourage you to open your eyes, in a way you haven't in the past.  Notice walls, freeways, architecture, the texture of leaves, flowers, colors, the way the leaves swirl in the wind....Anything, and everything can be an inspiration, if you let it.


Be inspired.

Oops I did it again...

I am going to be on the Morning Blend on Tuesday, Nov. 2 (yes, voting day...I voted early) to discuss the joys of my book (again).  Join me, it starts at 11:00 a.m. on channel 9 (in Tucson).  Don't live in the sunny land of hotness?  Well, just go to their website, and catch a glimpse of me by watching one of their videos.  Party on.


Luckily, I have a couple friends of mine going on with me.  I am excited to have them come with me.  


And, side note, to those of you who think I might be the worst blogger ever.  You might be right.  However, I anticipate being far less busy in the upcoming weeks.  I have been working hard to be a good(ish) mom, fair wife, moderate friend, and have been developing some patterns for a book for Martingale (a book with many contributors).   So, hopefully, I will have fun things to look at, cute ideas to spur your own exciting projects, or something interesting to you.  We'll see.  I know the holidays are coming up, that means a mad dash to try to make cute things for neighbor gifts and the yearly insanity that comes from designing my own Christmas cards (I really do love it).  We're all in this together... the holidays bring such fun to all of us.


I'm off to work....the best hubby in the world just took all 4 kiddos to soccer practice so I can have an hour and a half to get busy.

Retreatin'

To Retreat:

 to withdraw to a safe or private place.

We all need to retreat at some point.  These past couple months, I have had my share of retreats and it has been so fun.  Preparing for the retreats took some effort....but it was worth it. The first retreat, Red Dirt Retreats, took place in Old La Sal, UT at a beautiful home.  I can't call it a cabin, it was too amazing.  As you can see from the photo above, the deer were happily playing outside while we sewed (notice sewing machine in lower corner of photo...and deer only a few steps away).  It was amazing.

Can you believe it???? Someone is in serious contemplation over my book!

Here's my cousin Krista, master planner, and head chef.  We had the best food ever.  Seriously, ever.  The price of this retreat was nothing compared to the amazing food offered.  

I loved that at Red Dirt Retreats, there was no where to go.  You could get totally immersed in a project, and not worry about a thing.  Every detail was taken care of for you, meals were prepared perfectly, deliciously, and without any effort.  I could work until meal time, then eat, and then get back to work.  If you ever have an opportunity, you should TOTALLY go!!!

Now we enter Zermatt territory.   Hello!!!!! This was amazing.  I have been to many a Utah Quilt Guild Quilt Fest.  This was, by far, the best.  I loved the accomodations, it was beautiful, and the weather was fantastic.  The fall foliage was heart warming, and the cool weather was such a great break for me.  I needed it in a big way.

My table for the meet and greet with the teachers.  (Funny side note...when they gave me my teacher packet, they kept looking at me funny, then asked if I was really the teacher.  Apparently, I am a little young for quilt teaching).

I was pleased as punch when I saw my quilt made up with American Jane fabrics.   And, check out those kits in the basket below.  I talked to the owner of this cute shop, and I was just so tickled someone actually liked my book.  I directed all book sales to her that week...  She is also an amazing wool felt.  

Those dancing bears brought a smile to my lips everytime I saw them.  (which was a lot)

Here is my class.  I was amazed anyone signed up for this.  Seriously, I am packed and gone usually by this time (2 - 5 p.m. on Saturday).. But these women are awesome.  We worked and sewed and had lots of fun making our own quilts and learning something all the way.  

 Meet my sister Brooke, this is her first year at Quilt Fest, but hopefully not her last. 

Retreats are essential for quilters!  Why?  You get inspired by others, introduced to new methods, and to new ways of thinking.  You get time to sit and work (or talk and eat chocolate...whatever).  It's simply wonderful to be around creative people!

Sitting at the Airport

Here I am sitting at the SLC airport, patiently awaiting my flight back home.  I can't wait to see my family, and I am excited to squeeze my main squeeze.

The Zermatt was a beautiful place to stay.  I took advantage of their workout facilities (you know, you have to try to work off all that "quilting" chocolate), and even used the hot tub and sauna.  The national teachers each had something new to teach me.  I just said a nice goodbye to Mary Stori a few feet away at the Delta gates.

I got some work accomplished, but not nearly enough to brag about.  Instead, we spent our time, looking at the quilt show, shopping at the vendor mall, and visiting with family.  This is the first year for my cousin Krista and my sister Brooke to come, and we just had to show them a great time.  We learned from each of the national teachers at our luncheons, and I came away with renewed appreciation of the art of quilting, and how it means something different to everyone.

My class was fun.  I am amazed that anyone came to it, being the last class of the last day, but there were 6 students in all, and it was so fun to see everyone's choices.  One lady even made a traffic light out of her 3 big circles....some seriously inventive stuff.

I am sad to leave the cool weather, colorful fall mountains, and dear family.  But, my sweet babies are awaiting my return, and I can't wait to see them.