Diving In, Again

Yesterday, I mentioned my UFO's so I thought I would give you a status update.

I have 3 antique tops that need borders, quilting and binding.  I will add the borders and binding but I am going to send these out to someone with experience in quilting vintage quilts.

One quilt that needs binding.

Nine that need to be quilted and bound. (The photo ran away on one of them.)

Two, with pieces and strips already cut patiently awaiting assembly.  One of these sets does not have a pattern with it so I have no idea what I was going to do.

One promise of a quilt to a friend.  She is mulling over her pattern choices and I hope she is a procrastinator or has a fear of commitment.

And then there is this:

A facebook friend sent me this image and wanted to know if I could replicate it.  Made from men's ties, it sells for $1,200.00 with the proceeds benefiting a great cause.  It is featured in Paula Deen's latest magazine.  Never one to shy away from a challenge, I told her, SURE!  Found and ordered a pattern on Amazon and the hunt began for men's ties.  There are 3 men in this household and their closets are no longer safe.

The kaleidoscope nature of this particular piece is spectacular.  I also think it would make an impact using red/white striped and green/white striped ties only.  I can't wait to start this.  Sorry UFO's.  You are going to be neglected a little while longer.

May all your wanderings be joyful.
Grace and Peace,
Suzanne

Sink or Swim, I'm Diving In!

With some hesitation, I am sticking my toes into the rushing waters of the world of blogging.  Adding my voice to the cacophony of cyberspace to swirl about like the drops of paint in a Spin-Art device.

Questions and doubts dart about and bombard each other in my head.  What makes a successful blog?  How often should I post something?  What if no one reads or follows me?  Isn't a blog a little, no, a lot narcissistic?  Should I have a cute-sy theme?  What if I sound like an ageing hippie who just discovered black lights?

I have decided the answers are not as important as the journey.  So, no theme.  I'll post whenever.  Topics will be random.  Yes, blogs are narcissistic but isn't holding a mirror up and looking into ourselves a worthwhile endeavor?  Who knows what I will discover about myself and the world around me.  And as for sounding like an ageing hippie, well, some things just can't be helped.

Here goes...
Having the chicken pox in the 3rd grade changed my life.  Well, not immediately, but eventually.  My mom had tried everything to keep me from scratching at those pesky spots...oatmeal baths, Caladry which flaked off all over the bedding, and gloves which were great at getting the flaky, pink stuff off my arms.  In order to keep my hands occupied and my mind focused elsewhere, Mom gave me her best pinking shears, a tape measure, a needle, thread, a stash of glorious fabric and told me she wanted me to make a quilt for my dolls.


I was mesmerized and went after that project like Chuck Connors after the bad guys on The Rifleman.  (He was so hot, wasn’t he?)  I survived the chicken pox and my dolls had a crudely constructed but very colorful quilt.  School soon replaced the quilt as my focus and I returned to the life of an average 8 year old girl.  But a love of creating and crafting was born.  Over the years, I have made quilts for family, friends, church, and even managed to sell a few to fund my fabric addiction.


Recently, several revelations and discoveries have prompted a renewed and re-energized passion.

• My niece, Alexis, found several antique (circa mid 1920’s) quilt tops at my mother’s.  They   were made by my great-aunt, Margaret Teach, who died in the late 1920’s at the age of 18.
• I love quilting.  Apparently, it is a part of my DNA.  I love the whole process:  the colors, the patterns, and the order.
• Quilting REALLY takes me to my happy place.
• I could probably finance an in-state college education with my fabric stash.  But don’t tell Kevan until after he graduates from Texas A&M.
• I have a whole bunch of UFO’s stashed away in plastic bins.  What in the world did we do to stay organized before plastic bins?  OOPS!  Guess that is another topic for another day.

• I need to complete said UFO’s before beginning anything new.

 This blog is getting a little long so I will come up for air and continue tomorrow.


May all your wanderings be joyful. 
Grace and Peace,
Suzanne