This 23 X 43 inch piece, "Magical Multnomah Falls" is the first project to be completed since my self-declared personal "Low-Buy" quest.  During my last epic sewing room clean-up, I became somewhat shocked and embarrassed by the amount of quilt stuff I have accumulated in a little over five years.  I know, sometimes you see pictures of famous quilters quilt studios with entire walls lined with their perfectly folded colored organized stash. I know that we need a good stash to stimulate our creative juices, but on more than one occasion, I have bought duplicate items because I didn't know what I had.  At least I like certain things consistently!  My stash takes up about 1/2 to 3/4 of a closet and I'd really like to whittle it away . As much as I like spending money on quilty stuff I don't like to waste money either and the thought of it going in a garage sale after I'm gone is just too much to bear.                                                  

This project used a pattern from Story Quilts that I've had since 2006. All of the fabric came from my stash, as did five packages of steam-a-seam lite, the backing fabric, the sheer overlay fabric and angelina fibers used in the waterfall, even the paints used to paint the rock fabric.  Unfortunately, it seems very difficult to complete a project without buying something to complete it. In this case, I bought 2 yards of batik for the border and succumbed to three spools of King Tut varigated thread.  Oh, I agonized about the thread because it was $18 for just a little bit of area, but after you've invested so much into a project, it was hard to settle for boring uni-color thread! Oh, I also needed to buy 1 more package of Steam-a Seam.  So, the total cost to complete the project was $34.  Not too bad and definately alot less than it would have been to go buy everything from square 1.  I learned the importance of looking at the back of fabrics, too.  The middle rocky area is actually the reverse side of some beautiful sparkly Micky Lawler Sky Dye fabric.  Oh, it killed me to turn it over and hide it!

                                                                                           

It did turn out pretty well if I do say so myself. The three dimensional waterfall is the result of a class from Quilt University last year on Waves and Waterfalls.  If you've never taken a class from them, I really encourage you to try them.  You are in classes taught by famous quilters with others literally from all of the world.  You attend class anytime you want to and take your time on the projects. With today's digital cameras and the internet, it works very well.  It truly is the best quilting education for the money I have ever participated in. Check them out at www.quiltuniversity.com    

This time, I really tried to pay attention to all the little details like blocking and perfectly square corners.  It sure makes a difference. Sharon Schamber has an amazing You Tube video on precise binding techniques. If you have never seen it, its another great educational opportunity.

I'm a great believer in lifetime learning and I love that quilting gives us so many opportunities to keep growing and learning and challenging ourselves. I'm looking forward to showing this piece at the Kootenai County fair, the Washington State Quilters Show in October of 2012, and next years North Idaho Quilt Show.  

It's totally been a blast to be a part of the HandiQuilter 2012 My Story advertising campaign.  I've met so many awesome people. This photo is of my HQ My Story roommate Michelle Banton and myself.  She lives in Massachusetts and her favorite quilt store celebrated her selection with a one week show of her quilts as a part of the HQ sales event.  Recently, we all received a schedule of when our ads will be in various quilting magazines.  Look for my ad in the:
February 2012 Issue of American Patchwork and Quilting
McCall's Quilting Special Projects in Stores May 15
Fall Quilt Sampler 2012
                                                                   April Quilter's Newsletter
                                                                   March Quilting Arts
                                                                   September Quiltmaker

And of course, check us all out in HUGE living color on one of the two Semi Trucks traveling to all the quilt shows. It just goes to show, it never hurts to try when these contests come out.   You never know when winning one will change your life.  I'm going to Sisters and MQX West. Perhaps I'll see you there...

OMG.  It has recently taken me about 20 hours to clean just one room in my house---my sewng room.  With all the activity around Quilts of Valor going on since late June...what with trying to keep up with and care and completion of 100 quilts of valor and a full time job and a couple of trips...my sewing room was not fit for human eyes. There were piles and piles and piles of scrap and fabric that needed to be folded and thread that needed to be put away. Rulers needed to be put back in their racks, patterns needed to be filed.  When I'm feeling creative, neatness (never a strong suit) goes completely out the window.  I took all those fabric scraps and used my AccuQuilt Go to cut 6.5 inch squares, 4.75 inch squares, and 2.5 inch strips. Now, the next step is a commitment to using all that valuable scrap!  Some time ago, a friend brought me some containers of scrap and half completed quilt works that her mother had purchased from the estate of a friend that died.  What an eye opening experience.  She who dies with the most fabric doesn't win, she just leaves a legacy of mystery..."What was she thinking?"  What was that?  Why didn't she finish this?"  It was just sad. Such a waste.

Have to admit that I love the freedom of buying stuff for my quilting habit.  We might not be able to justify a new pair of slacks, but we sure can justify another yard or two of material for our stash!  The people that market to quilters even estimate the value of the average quilter's stash at $3677.  See  http://www.quilts.com/announcements/y2010/QIA2010_OneSheet.pdf  for more interesting information about us.

With apologies to all my favorite quilt shops and web sites, I am going on a "low buy" program for the next year.  Can't do "no-buy"...not possible!  We've got a trip to Sisters planned in July! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to keep a diary on this blog about the number of scrap quilts I can make and about finishing my two large PITS (projects in tubs) and at least 5 other small kits.  I'll keep a running total of how much I am forced (note I say forced) to spend on making this all happen.  Would anyone like to join me in this endeavor?  I think we owe it to our foremothers, whose love of quilting was shaped by thrift.  Keep reading.  I'll keep you posted.  First scrap quilt will be for my mom!

Someone is going to get a quilt today who doesn't expect it at all.  He's my 58 year old brother-in-law. Life probably hasn't turned out as well for him as he dreamed when he was a young man. Life has had his challenges for him and he has chosen to stay home to care for his aging parents (my husband's parents) rather than strike out on his own. He goes to work every day at 3PM and then works until midnight. Then he stays up with my mother-in-law to make sure she gets her bath safely and see that she gets to bed safely at the time of her choosing - which is usually around 3 AM.  He is chronically tired and chronically stressed, as are most caregivers for the elderly.

Today, he should receive a box with a 78 X 90 paper pieced and pieced and machine quilted quilt in lots of color. He has never really wanted anything for himself that I am aware of. But, he always loved baseball and has many happy memories of time spent playing ball with his dad, who passed away six years ago. I've had the pattern, called "American Pasttimes" for years, waiting until the time was right.  Finally, it was his turn and we've kept it a surprise.  He's a very sensitive person and I hope the quilt helps him to know that we care for him and all that he does, though he may not hear it very often because his family is not the "touchy-feely" type.

Edwin Bliss once said, “The pursuit of excellence is gratifying and healthy. The pursuit of perfection is frustrating, neurotic, and a terrible waste of time.  

I wonder how many people have tried quilting and became discouraged and quit because their quilt did not come out perfectly.  I'm beginning to think that quilting might be similar to golf. A golfer can spend a lifetime learning all of the subtleties of the game and perfecting their swing and never achieve a perfect game. A breeze, a muscle twitch, a distraction, and the perfect game is lost. And yet, it is the desire to improve that pushes the golfer. There has to also be a tolerance for the self's imperfection that allows the golfer to continue. Although I don't understand the desire to smack a little white ball into a little tiny whole far, far away; I do understand that love of personal challenge and the joy of seeing improvement -- even if no one else sees it.

I have made more than 80 quilts and have yet to finish a quilt without a mistake somewhere.  Sometimes I look at the binding of my first year's quilts and cringe. Sometimes I look at quilts done previously and try to recall HOW it went so well because its a mystery to me now. I think the best quilts are combinations of skill and inspiration, AND mistakes, and sometimes, the thing that really seems to make the quilt special are the imperfections.  Any old computer can make a quilt.  I love my computerized long arm and use it all the time, but lately I've been adding a few hand guided swirls here and there just to make sure the quilting does not look too perfect. Perfect does not look good on quilts! What seems to make quilts beautiful is the wonky patch, the backwards swirl, the slight asymmetry. You can definitely tell a human quilt from a computer quilt and there is no doubt to me which is more beautiful.  

As someone said at the HandiQuilter retreat I attended in October... if you make a mistake once...its a mistake, if you repeat it three times, it's a design element! 

What do you think my fellow quilters?  Have you made a perfect quilt yet?  How many quilts did it take to get there??????


 

I'm proud to announce that this quilt, "Reminds Me of Freedom" was selected to be part of a traveling exhibit of Quilts of Valor.  It's hard to believe that its only been one year since a group of us from Hayden Lake Family Physicians decided to get together once a month to make these special quilts. In late June, I agreed be a local coordinator for the Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls area. Soon after, us North Idaho gals were tasked with making 270 quilts to award to members of the Idaho National Guard who were deployed for more than 1 year to the middle east. It was going to take more than a few of us to get that job done so I started the Inland Northwest Virtual Quilts of Valor group on Facebook. Wow! The lessons I've learned! The biggest lesson is that quilters are the most generous people in the world who will always come together for a good cause. Quilts of Valor are made to honor and give comfort to those who have served and sacrificed for our country in wartime. Its a wonderful cause. Check it out at www.qovf.org.  In January, approximately 45 men and women in Lewiston received their quilts and on February 12, we'll present another 175 or so to men and women at the armory here.  That's alot of quilts! I estimate that those 220  quilts took over 50 volunteer hours and $100 of fabric (at least) to make. 220X50 = 11000 hours  220 X $100 =$22000 donated fabric and batting.  WOW!!!!