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