Bennington Museum and the Vermont Quilt Festival

In my time away from blogging I have thought…and thought…and thought…about a lot of things. Some thoughts are introspective and personal, some artistic and design related…all are pertaining to life. One thought path I have revisited over and again is where are we today? in respect to fiber creations––specifically quilts.
The Quilters of today have a plethora of tools, notions, gadgets and an abundance of fabric choices. Is that a good thing? I ask myself this question too as I have more than I need to bring my design dreams to creation. Several machines. Helpful tools. BIG items too. Enough fabric to clothe a village or possibly get me on an episode of Hoarders.
Please…hear my heart…I am not bashing or criticizing the quilt world nor fabric designers…I am just questioning.
Our fabric choices have led to fiber gluttony. Our final projects smack of the latest trends in color, style and technique. I love the newest fabrics. I love the designers and bloggers that are popular as well as the hidden jewels. I do know it must be hard to stay on top of the trends because they seem to be whirling past us like a category 5 hurricane. But I must ask, are we in danger of losing the unique in our art?
Previous quilting generations made do with what they scrounged and saved and turned those pieces of fiber into beautiful works. Items that made most of our hearts leap the first time we saw what their hands had crafted. Pieces that were laden with patience and time…that spoke history and told stories of joy and heartache. THOSE pieces are what captured us and made us want to know the stories behind the cloth and thread.
I know, they had to use what was available. Leftovers from clothing that was handmade. Pieces of clothing from a loved one no longer in their life. Fabric that once held food. Tattered wool from blankets. Today we don’t have to do it that way.

Gee's Bend Quilting Bee

Quilters also used their needles to give voice to the tension of their day… Women’s Suffrage, Slavery, Politics, etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewomensmuseum/

Yes, they had patterns that were popular but still so much of the quilter shined.
I ask you and I ask myself…. Do we, today, put meaning behind and put ourselves into, what our hands create? Do we tell a story? Do we give voice? DO. WE. SHINE??

©Coffee and Cotton

…And what is life? A crazy quilt;
Sorrow and joy, and grace and guilt,
With here and there a square of blue
For some old happiness we knew;
And so the hand of time will take
The fragments of our lives and make,
Out of life’s remnants, as they fall,
A thing of beauty, after all…
~ “A Crazy Quilt” by Douglas Malloch

Now that the Urban Home Goods Swap {UHGS} is done and my partner, Jamie, received what I made I thought it was time to show and tell. I started with the above sewn together strips. Then chopped them up.
Added a little embellishment


And Voila! A sewing machine cover!

Or is it buried under fabric?
Been a bit out of it with my lovely head so I am trying to focus my time on the projects I need to complete.

Having lived awhile in the Midwest {after leaving my City} I am use to feet foots LOTSA Snow but something about cold rainy weather chills your bones. That or I am turning Texan… Y’all.
I need some coffee… or cocoa… or a hot toddy… aw yes, I need to jump on a cable car going down Hyde St and jump off for an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco sipping it whilst watching the GIANTS WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS go by in their parade. Whoooooooo!!!! GO GIANTS!!!

This is a great scrap user-upper. I am going to make more.

Good Morning on You!
Did a little mindless sewing yesterday… that’s what I do as I plan {or procrastinate} bigger projects. This is an overdue gift for an anonymous recipient. A Rug. A Mug Rug. Everyone needs one! Every quilter probably has one… except me. I want to keep this but alas I will be a Mug Rug Martyr and gift it away. I love the Moda Bliss fabric!






Do you have a favorite brand / type of coffee or tea? For Coffee my fave is Ruta Maya Espresso Roast… roasted right here in Austin. I buy the whole beans.
My favorite tea is Numi Organic Jasmine Monkey King

I also love peppermint tea and chamomile tea.
Have a fantastic Friday Y’all! I will spend the weekend wishing I had a pass to the ACL Festival. Austin is ALIVE with live music and I can hear quite a bit of it from my yard.

Java Jive Manhattan Transfer

I was good… well at least I was better than Pam! She makes me proud! Such a great idea too… here I’ve been wasting my time by obediently entering all the online AccuQuilt GO! contests.
Here is my proof of the sweet, kind, honest person I am {no patterns, I just sew as I go}:
I made a small tote for my DIL. She requested plain and neutral as possible, small and no closure. I got a little fancier with the innards. Whose ta know? {click on all picks to supersize}


Oops… I left the foldover sandwich bag in there during the pic. That is NOT part of the fabric I used in the lining.


I also made another Kindle case for my daughter as I was worried her first one wasn’t padded enough and besides more is better when it comes to bags, totes, cases, purses…

Okay… queue the song…
It was going through my head all day yesterday … and dang, it still is!… While I was sewing. Not sure yet what I’m making. I’m not a great plan ahead type. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. Here’s a glimpse… of my sewing… not the seat O’ my pants… Now THAT would take up a lot of bandwidth!

Happy Monday on You! The weather here is soooo nice! It actually was in the 50ºs this morning.
I have a whirlwind of sewing planned. It HAS to get done. When I am in that mode I MUST have a music playlist {at bottom of post. Click on it to make it big and then click again}. Of course I always listen to music … it’s in my bones {see my self-centered list} and my likes are very eclectic. I love all sorts of tunage. Do you have a list you sew/quilt by? A favorite type? I am posting just one of my playlists. It is one of my “high adrenaline, dang I got a lot to do” versions, not my “calm yourself down girl!” versions Text only…cuz ya know how I ranted about sites that auto play music… although I have to admit there are a few sites that have great selections, like Heather’s…love it!

Here’s what’s on my cutting table and some stacks to drool over:
I LOVE the High Society by Khristian A. Howell for Anthology fabrics. I had a custom request for a hat with Henna-ish / Paisley-ish / fabric. I think this will be perfect. I am going to hoard the leftovers for some quilting…

I know I’m probably late to the Anna Maria Horner Little Folks Voile party…but OMG! It is such a wonderful fabric. Like buttah I tell ya! This is the Little Honey in Berry sitting on the top of my stack…

A few of my fabrics tagged for cycling gear…

Oh! Oh! I forgot to tell you I WON a giveaway from Kristie at Obsessive Crafting Disorder A nicey {heh} stack of Nicey Jane and also some custom note cards that are being created by Samantha over at Paper by Paper Dolls…

Also… I am making a dress for a sweet soon to be 5 yr old out of this fabric from A Little Sweetness…

Just a little more stash candy…

Okay here is my music playlist. {seriously robyn? 99 songs? couldn’t add one more??} Let me know if you sew/quilt/craft/etc to music and if so, do you have favorites?
Rock On my Fibery Friends! I’m off to finish up 80 or so hats and some other bicycle gear goodness for a show that is LESS THAN A FREEKIN’ MONTH AWAY!!! #panicattack

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