Lost Dreams and Goals, maybe?

I have a great number of quilting/textile art blogs that I enjoy reading and those bloggers inspire me when working with fabrics. I feel proud to even have good friends that have had great success in the quilting world. But today I was reflecting back on my life and the goals and dreams in my youth; thinking that most of those goals and dreams never came to fruition. I felt a little sad, like maybe I didn't try harder or wasn't dedicated enough or maybe I just don't really have 'talent'.

Then my cousin posted a quote on facebook  "Today, may there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be -unknown"

pics to help with my wordy post

It made me reflect on why and how I came to be where I am today. A mother, a wife and a friend; who loves to play in her sewing room without limits and deadlines and free to experiment to my hearts desire. And yes, maybe I have to work full time in a field that has nothing to do with quilting or fabrics, but it helps pay for them!

blocks for Grannies gone wild swap

And you know maybe I didn't become a well known textile artist in my younger days, and it's ok that I didn't get to run that fabric dying business I always planned on, and waiting until my late 40's to have a quilt in a quilt show isn't so bad after all!

blocks for Grannies gone wild swap

Aging doesn't normally bother me and the thought of getting older actually seems somewhat enjoyable - thinking of the future and new experiences. Dreams and goals change and evolve, even some are no-longer desirable just as I change and evolve into the person I will become.

You just never know, I might have different dreams now and maybe they just might come true!


PS: thanks coz, I love ya girl!!

Out of white fabric

Back to working on the guild challenge (madrona road) this weekend.

I have it pieced to this point, but have ran out of Kona white fabric and I sooooo want to add borders to this mini quilt I am at a stopping point.

I used Silly BooDilly's tutorial but changed the block dimensions and added a smaller off center star in the negative space. I think I want to name this mini quilt 'Star Light, Star Bright' as the larger star seems to shine brighter than the little one. Until I can get to the LQS - which will more than likely but Tuesday as my work scheduled tomorrow is crammed full of excitement (not) - I will have to set this aside.

This just might give me the time I need to finish the LOVe pillow I started in the demo at the last guild meeting. 

Sneak Peek: What I'm working on right now.

What a mess

Trying to get organized. Using comic book cards to create mini fabric bolts, see here at Smashed Peas And Carrots blog.

More later on my wonky Stars mini quilt and LOVe pillow..

I am in morning or is that mourning...

So I am weird, that's well known!  I am in that state of mourning - ' a period of time during which signs of grief are shown'. You know wearing black, depressed, dark under eye circles, and want to sleep all day - oh wait that's all the time...

I guess I am the only sad lonely person on this earth that has nothing better to do than watch a creepy, futuristic, weird, fantasy, what the heck TV show........... Fringe

I've put off and waited, cause I just wasn't ready. Always saying 'maybe tonight I'll watch it.'. No couldn't handle it, but now it's just been far to long, I have to face up to it. OK, you at least gotta say Joshua Jackson is not so hard on the eyes. And John Noble soooooo reminds me of a modern Vincent Price!

I have held on to the last two episodes of Fringe until tonight and I am soulful watching them now, oh my :(

Sneak Peek: What I'm working on today

Working on a challenge and just not feeling it yet.

The Madrona Road Challenge is officially over but our guild has extended it until March 9th. 

Being the procrastinator I am I have left it to the last minute to get it ready. I haven't been a big fan of this color way, but after seen all the great things in the flickr group the creative ideas started.

Oh hey- happy Valentine's day tomorrow!! 

Public Speaking is not like riding a bike

I've given lectures and taught classes on beginning quilting many years ago and even in my early 20's I did demos for the local craft stores on the weekends introducing customers to the wonderful world of crafting and painting. I haven't had the pleasure of teaching in - uhmm let's just say a few years - BUT it's not anything like riding a bike...

I was asked to do a demo/lecture/make-and-take for our local quilt guild (ECMGQ) Saturday and I did alright the first half  which was the lecture/samples part although I did mix up the order in which I had originality practiced, I do believe everyone was interested and stayed awake even if they all where staring at me wondering if the trembling was a start of a seizure.

Then when it can time to do sewing demonstration I was all thumbs! I even used the rotary cutter incorrectly - very lucky I didn't cut my thumb off!! Twice I placed fabric in the wrong place and played it off as 'Do you see what I did wrong here?" I just couldn't get it together.

After the sewing demo part everyone went to their machines and started creating blocks. This is when I think I shined - can I say that after what I just told you?!? I love the one-on-one approach to teaching, this is where I feel the most confident! I really enjoy seeing the smiles when the student gets it.

I really need to work on my confidence and demonstration skills before doing this again, but in the end I did have a lot of fun and made so many new friends!!!

As you can see here we all had a 'LOVELY' time - pardon the pun :)

the 'LOVe' pattern can be found here by Kelby Sews

Sneak Peek: What I'm working on today

Getting samples ready for the paper piecing demo on Saturday.

What does Carl Sagan have to do with quilting?

Years ago I loved the PBS mini series "Cosmos' and it's host Carl Sagan, watching Carl walk though space and environments just thrilled me. I was captivated by his voice and  inspired by his knowledge. It's that geeky-ness in me that is still to this day in awe over the universe and all it's beauty! (and I hate to admit it but I even had a tiny crush on Carl - knowledge is sexy ya' know!)

So still I haven't explained how Carl and a quilt could possibly be related - but it's this love of the universe and our world's beauty that inspired me to create this quilt. You may remember this post Something at least something at the beginning stages of the design. All the EPP hexagons are hand appliqued and the quilting is free-motion on my home machine that mimics the movement of the spirals.

I did finish it for the Kona Solids Challenge, and it has hung in our dining room as the 'Un-Named' quilt for almost a year now. I have decided to enter it in the 2013 Emerald Coast Quilt Show and Retreat, this will be a first for me. I am somewhat of an introvert, and this is a little bit outside my comfort zone. But with the help of our quilt guild ECMQG I have been slowly learning to handle people viewing and critique my quilts.

I ran in to a friend and fellow guild member at a local quilt shop and she encouraged me to enter it in the show, otherwise I would have never dreamed of doing this. We talked of how it's good to see different styles of quilting art and how the design process is so individual. Then we started discussing the labels or definitions that so many feel the need to place on quilting styles, as in 'Modern', 'Traditional' and so forth. We both agreed that labels can be limiting, and that the best way to describe our works are ART! - but I digress... more about labels and pigeon holes another day. 

I have named this quilt 'Cosmos' even though I want to call it Carl ;)  - I wouldn't say its my best work, but it is my most favorite quilt because it is 'me' and inspired by my love of science.

So I guess in a way you could say this is 'Cosmos' - My personal voyage, and it's only just begun!!


If you want to learn some amazing things or just watch a few episodes you've seen before
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage or IMDb info on Cosmos.


"The cosmos is also within us, we're made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos, to know itself. " - Carl Sagan

Sneak Peek: What I'm working on today