What's the Question?

I didn't quilt today. Oh wait, I bought some fabric. Does that count?  And oh wait again, I mailed out some swaps. However, I didn't turn on my machine, nor the iron, nor did I pick up a rotary cutter nor any needles & pins. 

This morning's group at the library was engaging. One of the guys even brought me flowers! Members of the group talked about vulnerability, authentic sharing and how the book, THE ALCHEMIST touched them. I even stayed a few minutes after the time ended and chatted. Me. Chatting. I know.

I came home, made lunch, and went outside to do some yard work, starting with the water feature. The motor had clogged and so I emptied it and moved it to the sidewalk, where I discovered a very small frog floating. I had to keep going with it, so was most pleased to discover it outside hiding in a corner. The pump is going to operate out there on the sidewalk through the night, and with luck the frog will be safe. If it is gone off the lip, I will never know if it is hiding on the ground somewhere, or got eaten by another critter coming for water.

I spent more time cleaning up the front corner garden, by pulling unwanted plant matter and watering the roses. Everything is so dry here and its getting hotter each day. Sometimes with how cold it gets at night, I forget how hot it gets during the days. Roses and trees are starting to bud out. For as much as I love quilting, I love the gardens too.

With all the physical work outside, I thought about our library discussions this morning focusing on vulnerability and authenticity. It seems to me that when we start moving towards those values, we step into our self-worth. Its slow. There are many levels of being vulnerable that can get us hurt, and we remember that pain. We even talked about how being authentic can get you hurt when you chose to make choices for your greater good. We remember those pains too.

What I know is that I do less and less to please other people, and more to appreciate and please myself. Not everyone likes that I don't want to take care of them, or that I don't want to fall into step with the rest of the gang. I can answer that question now. "If your best friend was going to jump off the high bridge, are you going to jump too?"

Row 11 - check

Lack of understanding between people, nations and our values is the reason so many of us are alienated. That is the same concept I have about labeling the work as I go. I NEED to keep writing notes-to-self for everything, especially for the projects I set aside, even for a day.

This represents the half way point for the rows in the Cat Paper Piecing quilt, yet, not the half way for the quilt top's completion. I worked on the it for a large portion of the day, almost pushing myself to complete a row. That practice, of pushing myself to finish, had worked to complete a row before setting it aside when there were only a few blocks in it. However, row #11 and row #12 each have 11 cat blocks to them. Each block is made from two different patterns that visually will connect them to cat blocks above and below. Each long row requires a couple of days spent measuring, cutting, pinning and piecing. (see my spinning thoughts...gah!)

My attention turned to other quilt projects for awhile. Primarily, it was having the hands-on touching them, measuring, making notes and refolding them for another day. Most of the ones I looked at have finished tops, therefore, its only a matter of purchasing fabric backs for them. This Red/Blue/White one is for Sophia, and I am using it to get some practice on machine quilting  with simple grid lines that have random spacing.

In one way, its been good to set quilt projects aside for a time, returning with a fresh mind and vision. However, my notes-to-self have become more detailed so that I do not misunderstand my original plans and goals.

I think my notes-to-self have more to do with how busy I get and how many things are going at the same time. Misunderstanding my own motives and preferences can get me in trouble...with myself. When I am clear with myself, I find that there is less stress, and more affirmations.

Would You Like to Swing on a Star?

Wow, 50 stars to this Constellation quilt. Its not a complaint, mind you. Just reality. Like thunder bumpin' a stump. Its a jolt to my entire being how much it takes to build a quilt.

Each star begins with a 4-patch, and then is bordered with flying geese pieces, so that means 200 of those guys, finished. Two hundred center triangles with 400 smaller triangles, pinned, pieced and pressed. And then again, pinned, pieced & pressed.

Colors need to be matched each step along the way from the 4-patches to the flying geese, and then 4-corners, so that visual spiral tension of color is achieved for the top. 

It is a quilt-maker's choice to either have them coordinate or contrast. And every step offers that opportunity. I started coordinating and know that the next step will bring on the contrast.

I am working on both this one and the Cat Paper Piecing quilt at the same time so that I can work until I need to give myself a breather, step back and come back refreshed. All of the blocks in a row are the same, so its getting easier to cut the pieces to fit with less waste. What seems to be working for me is to keep sewing them on the paper copies. At first, I thought it might take me an evening to cut the papers off and pin the two parts of the blocks together. That is probably a low calculation of the time it will take.

And for the in-between times, I keep doing 'little small things' like the block swaps, and the holiday projects, as well as remembering to make the occasional item to go into one of the Grandchildren's boxes.

I still wonder if anyone really likes what I make and give them. In this new world, people don't find time to say thank you, and so its hard to know if they are smiling or rolling their eyes when they get something I've made. It has become a common issue, resulting in a practice for a quilt-maker to do what she (or he) does for herself. For the pleasure of it, for the opportunities to grow, and for the friends she makes.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SWING ON A STAR? Carry Moonbeams home in a jar, and be better off than you are? Or would you rather make a quilt?

My Swaps

Efficient people tend to come up with an answer before they hear the question. They can be arrogant and impatient. They often wonder why people are so slow; slow to act, slow to catch on. Slow. Guess that was a good description of me for most of my life, and yes, I still own these personal character flaws. This sort of behavior is familiar to me, and they are my go-to behaviors. I've worked long and hard to change them. Yet, here I am.

I chose to be slower now, not to smell the roses, but just because its another way to know myself. Well, I do try.

I've got a lot of quilting block swaps listed on my To-Do list. Three of them are based out of Australia (Oz as it is called) and the other one is state-side with International swappers as well. Partners are assigned either at the first or end of the month for the 12" blocks and mid-month for the 6" blocks.

Usually, you make up one block for the 12" swaps and two blocks for the 6" blocks.

This pic represents what I received from the 12" Christmas Quilt Block Swap (CQBS) during the first year. Extras are going on the back (I think). I asked for fabrics that would work on a young boy's quilt. Then, I changed my request to Wonky House or Tree blocks in CQBS. Some trees came in the 12" swap, but more houses than trees. In a few months, when I have enough Wonky Trees, I shift to another kind of block.

Next is a second group, the 6" Block Swap. We swap two blocks in this one. I requested any Wonky style block and plan to join them as a border around the Wonky Houses & Trees. I just changed to any style block in the Orange, Black and White colors.

The third group I joined is the Block Swap Adventure (BSA), and my request is also for any block style in Orange, Black and White.

The fourth group I joined is the Oz based group and this one is called Own Choice (OC). My choice is again, any block style in Orange, Black & White. I've started using Halloween fabrics to make the backs, and think getting these random blocks 12" & 6" in Hallows colors will be so very complementary. This means getting two blocks 12" and two 6" per month in the Hallows colors and that means I can finish  Halloween quilts I am making this year. What I make to swap will be what my partners request. The joy of swapping is getting the variety of fabrics and patterns that would be virtually impossible to do on my own. It add such depth to any project.

Fast. Ooops. Well. No one ever said personal growth would be easy. 

And to make it even more interesting my CQBS partner (for this month) & I discovered we both love the house blocks and want to do a private swap. We are still working out the details. I will love it!

Telling Time

The Cat PP project is still progressing. I cut more pattern pieces for the blocks for the next batik color, and then set it aside for tomorrow. I want to say it is going easier, however, I am not going to be so arrogant as to think I have the system down enough for that kind of confidence. Not just yet. I am still learning and there are many lessons to this.

As I work on the Constellations quilt, it makes me smile that there are 50 star blocks and 49 hourglass blocks contained in it. Its taking me longer to create than I would have guessed. I named it Constellations because of the dark blue fabric I bought for it that has glow-in-the-dark stars. I had no idea how profound meanings in the quilt would become by combining these aspects of the fabric with the stars and hourglass blocks. I also had no idea how much time it was going to take to piece the top. 

Its a scrappy quilt, with the exception of the dark blue fabric, and if anyone ever says scrappy quilts are easier because you have stash in your closets, you would be misinformed. Its important to match colors and values, and then also attempt to keep each piece as unique from the others as possible. The goal is to create a quilt that looks good and isn't a bunch of scraps tossed together. Experience has shown me that once the blocks are created, the next step is in layout, again, ensuring that there are differences throughout.

Now, that the hourglass blocks are completed, the next step is to make flying geese pieces, surrounding the 4-patches, for the 50 star blocks by pinning them together. Of course, they would be ready for piecing.

Every such pic seems to be just a pile of scraps, and seriously, that is what they are until time and attention put them together in a new way. I've heard many a person say how silly it seems to cut perfectly good fabric apart only to piece it back together. However, by the time I get most of these fabrics, they are cut and only the bits are left.

Reminds me of how it feels to jump out of a perfectly good plane. It is EXHILARATING, life-enhancing, adventurous.

Cats & More Cats -PP, that is

The more I do paper piecing, the easier it is. Oh sure, I still make the occasional slip and join a fabric where it is either facing the wrong way; one corner or edge is not long enough to cover the seam; or I used the wrong color for one of the pieces (caught that before stitching).

The project is at the 5th batik color for the cats and at the 8th row. I am learning so much about staying with the details and being in the moment.

Even with careful cutting, the sizes of each batik are just enough to make the required cat pieces. This particular batik is easier to cut because the fabric pattern has the same look and no fussy cutting is required. I do want to keep going with it now just in case I need to buy more fabric for a particular row. 

I decided, when I first started, that I would leave the paper on the backsides and take a night to clip threads, remove the paper and pin the two parts of each block together. Each batik coloring flows to the next, so I am happy with my selections so far. The next two rows will be the longest with 11 blocks each.

I've got some things down to a system to make my work easier. For instance, I've cut about 1/3 a yard of black to work with at a time. And I am learning which way it has to face (right side up or down) when it gets cut for the block. And in truth, I still look at the batiks before cutting because the topside is so very subtle on some of them.

Learning something new on my own sometimes is not the best way, the fastest way or the most productive way. However, with all the tutorials out there and others willing to offer suggestions, I am feeling so much more confident in this method.

I set learning Paper Piecing as one of my goals for this year, and while it is early February, and I do believe I have lots more to learn, my confidence has shifted. I am a paper piecing beginner. And I will keep going.

Another Sunday

Batiks on this Paper Piecing Project was the way to go for a beginner. At least I think so. I have the next row of color started. I do think it is best for me to have it out so I can work on it every day. Attention to a specific quilt is like giving attention to a relationship. If I leave it too long, then it takes more effort the next time around.

Things are familiar, and its too easy for me to take it for granted that I know what I am doing. People change all the time, and if we don't keep in touch, we each only assume we know what is going on.

And on the other hand, I want to keep working on my other projects the way I do, one step at time. I modified the pattern for this simple table runner. It is made of twenty-four 6" squares, so it ends up a little larger at 15 x 41. I am not going to finish it right away because I used Halloween squares and just wanted to see how it would work. Its almost like a costume party! 

I also worked on the Constellations quilt to get it ready for the next round to finish off the 49 Hourglass blocks.

With all the rearranging of fabric bins, what I came to see was that each bin needed a marking identification, especially the two that are colored and the contents in hiding. I took everything out and made more sense of it. The goal was to have the bins I use up front for easy access. 

My final project was to separate scraps in the pet beds and now one holds just 100% quilting cotton and the other holds batting scraps, which might not work. Its surprising to have one almost filled only six weeks into the year. I had no idea there was this much and it all had been going into the trash and ending up in a land fill. Making these pet beds turned out to be this year's environmentally sound practice.