The Great Stash Bust!

I spent the last two days in the studio cleaning up. 

This meant I put away all the fabric I used in the next book.  I had been stacking all the used fabric pieces in a special bin…well bins by the time I was done.  So that I could guarantee that a fabric would only be used once during the making of all 84 commercial fabric samples for the next Pieced Hexies Book.  Each sample uses a minimum of 4 fabrics, with some designs up to 6 fabrics….so you can see a whole lot of fabrics were used.

So the goal was to straighten up everything.  Shoehorn all the fabric back into the appropriate bins.  And take a deep breath.  And sew.

While shoehorning I ran across some old friends which have lived in the fabric neighborhood for years.

It is time to move them out of the stash and into a quilt.

First group to be removed.  The hand marbled fabrics.

This collection has not been touched in 10 years minimum.  Time to take action.

 

 

 

 

 

I started by cutting the pieces into 2.5” strips. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I remembered the huge pile of black kona “odds–n-ends” left over from all the backings of the samples.

 

Guess what!?!  These fabrics are going to land up as some crazy 9 patches….maybe to go on to live as Sisters Choice blocks…or something else.

But it’s happening!  That marbled stash is beautiful..it needs to live in a quilt for all to see! 

I challenge you to take a good look at your stash and find the hidden treasure that you have held on to for ages and cut if up and start to “move it out”!.

There is more.

 

This is the Civil War and 30’s stash.  They are up next for “moving out”. 

 

 

And then it’s on to this stash. 

 

This is gonna take awhile.

It’s one of those days.

You know the type of day, you wake up thinking I have not much to do and this day will be a breeze.

And then every turn you make unveils something else that needs your attention NOW and before you know it the day is almost over.  And you are exhausted.

Welcome to my day.

 

On Monday I finished my manuscript.  Well 95% of it.  There are a few more elements to go into it but until my editor does her thing and gives me a standing page count I am not sure how much room there will be.  So I will finish these elements by months end when I have an idea how many pages I may have.

 

 

But regardless.  The core of the book is done.  DONE!  My original due date was Oct 1st and in June I was given a new due date.  And I did it.  I am pretty darn proud of myself.  It was 32 days of a 12-14 hour days to finish it in time.  Thank goodness I had about 40% done prior. 

So yesterday I was walking around the house with absolutely nothing to do.  So what did I do.  I tackled half of those fore mentioned book elements. I think I have forgotten how to relax.  I remember relaxing in early January.  I don’t think I have since.  In fact I am not sure if I even remember how to sleep in.   This is sad.

Today I envisioned that relaxing that I passed by yesterday.  Didn’t really happen.

Tomorrow I am off to North Carolina at 6am to teach the Collaboration Celebration Retreat with Bonnie Hunter.   The retreat runs to midday on Sunday and the days will be filled with fun and sewing. 

Sunday afternoon Bonnie and I are taking off to spend a few days in her cabin in the mountains. We both need to just have a few days of nada.  

Cell phone service and internet will low key.  We think this will actually help.  We plan to just veg.  and sew.  and sleep.   and veg some more.

Why do I think we are going  get either nothing done or a whole lot done.

What do you think?

p.s. my new book will be out mid January 2014

A Winner, A Quilt, and a Tease

….walk into a bar….LOL.

Doesn’t that title just feel like a set up to a bad joke.

Well no joke in this blog. 

First a winner!

CAROL mom to Annie, Greta and Cadeau you are the Sit & Stitch pattern/fabric winner! 

Now on to a quilt.  Or rather quilt top. 

As I sit work on the illustrations for the next book I give myself incentive breaks.   For example:  When I finish this batch of 25 drawings I can peruse eBay for a $10 purchase or hold onto said imaginary gift certificate (gc), draw 40 more items and have a $35 certificate.   Or really push it and get a total of 100 drawings done for a $75 certificate.  But if I crack at $35 then it’s back to the beginning.  (note shipping is not included in said imaginary gc)

This helps when the days are long and tedious.

Last week I held out for the $75 gc….and I perused ebay. 

And this treasure came home.  And it didn’t cost the entire $75 even with shipping.  (see Paul I am saving money!!…lol)

 

 

 

The box arrived yesterday and I didn’t open it until I was done for the day. 

This provided the incentive to get done yesterday.  DOUBLE WIN!

 

 

 

 

Here it is in all it’s scrappy 30’s glory. 

I am in love.  I can’t stop looking at it and all the wonderful feedsacks in the Lemoyne Stars.

 

Yes those solids are ….ahem…”packers colors”…but I am choosing to ignore that right now and just concentrate on it’s lovely scrappy goodness.

 

 

 

I will be adding a 3-4” border around the edges to stabilize and make it easier to quilt.  I know it will be a solid but still debating the color choice.  I am considering turquoise.  Any ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK…blurry pic sorry. I can’t see to the find the one I took before sending this treasure on it’s way so this is swiped from the auction.

Side bar: also love ebay for quirky items.  Found this turn of the century Murad Cigarette Trading Card featuring Hendrix College.  This item is on it’s way to dear son for his office.  Image advertising a college on a pack of cigarettes in today’s world?

 

 

Now for the tease.

Tuesday a book goes up for giveaway.

Cathy a friend of mine really loves her copy….she has gone thru it already and made all the blocks.  And she is sewing them together into a quilt as we speak…err..I type. 

I will post a pic of her awesome quilt for ohhing and ahhing with the giveaway.  no pressure Cath. 

Enjoying a cool and dare I say brisk July day,

Things I never miss.

Yesterday I happened to enjoy two things I NEVER EVER miss.  So I thought I would share.

First.

MadMen. 

 

 

 

(NOTE I WILL NOT BE SPOILING ANYTHING>>>READ ON)

Absolutely never miss it. And by that I mean if I do miss an episode on Sunday night (rare) I watch it as quickly as possible on OnDemand before the next airs.  I never let myself fall away from Mad Men.  Even when some of the storylines frustrate me.  I hang in there.

I am thrilled that a long forgotten storyline was touched on in last night’s episode.   I was hoping it would be resurrected before the series end.  I would like closure. 

I am not one for seeing a movie twice let alone a TV episode.  I drives me crazy to “rewatch anything”.  But Mad Men will someday be an entire snowy weekend event where I plan to watch all episodes back to back to back.

The love of Mad Men is also shared by Emily.  In fact she is the reason I initially got hooked.  That first summer home from college she quickly caught me up on the series.  And then last summer she hooked me into Downton Abbey but that is another story. 

Thru the eyes of my daughter I see that this series opens up the discussion that many things in the world today are the same as it was 20 years ago when I was her age and even 40 years ago in the world of Man Men. 

Every generation likes to think the “times” are unique unto them.  But if we are honest.  It’s much the same just the wardrobe and music are different.  

Now onto my second never miss.

A new release book by Mary Kay Andrews.

 

 

The latest was released a mere 6 days ago and downloaded by 8am on release day to my Nook.  I held out for three days hoping to keep the book on my “to be read” shelf by June 18th when I hit the road again.   I failed.

496 pages later.

I finished it last night. 

A fun little chick read. 

 

 

Next up.

 

 

 

Revolutionary Summer by Joseph J. Ellis.

I like to mix it up like that.

 

What are some things you never miss?

 

 

 

 

Now two other things I am missing….Paul Jr. & Emily.

this may take awhile to get thru.

Lessons Learned

 

I’ve learned a lesson this month.  About myself.

 

It’s ok to ask for help.

That was a toughie for me.  I am very independent and don’t like to bother others.

But I realized sometimes I need a helping hand.

 

Actually I learned two lessons.

The second is that I need to be more direct.  Funny I know.  I am about the most brutally honest person out there.  …..well I do know someone more brutally honest than me but she will remain nameless. 

…..  err OK I know two….maybe three….  ok “birds of a feather thing I know”.  

 

 

 

 

     Back on track.

 

I tend to think “they know what I need from them.  They understand.  They will get it and come thru.”  When I need to just tell people.

And then I am hurt and disappointed when “they” don’t.   And it’s no one’s fault but mine.   I am learning if I need something from someone, or I need them to realize something I need to pipe up. 

I think I lost two good friends this month because I didn’t do this.  I just kept to myself my confusion and hurt about a situation that I know truly no one meant any harm it was just one of those “not seeing things from my perspective” things.  And finally when forced to face this fact I felt overwhelmed and extremely hurt that they didn’t get it before it grew into this situation.  And well I honestly don’t know where I stand now.  I realize there is a lot of hurt on both sides. 

So I am putting myself out there with my lessons learned. 

Sometimes it helps to write it down to when trying to figure out a solution.  

And of course there is always hexing to help the thinking process. 

 

Piece out.