Long overdue update!

 It has been so long since I posted and much has happened.

I finally opened an Etsy account, step one in a journey to sell at least some of the things I make.  I took the leap and bought an embroidery machine-it is awesome!  There is so much potential to be explored!  I have taken up knitting-channeling Nana?  I used to be mesmerized by the sound of her knitting needles clicking so rhythmically while I read-I can still visualize her living room.

I hope to retire Jan 2015-I am so tired of playing the corporate game and I want to have soem time with Gary to enjoy the things we’ve always talked about doing.  Here’s to living MY life 15 months from now!

Back in to family created hell

As of Feb 8, we’ve been thrown violently back in to family caused hell!  Mom has serious medical issues, Sherry and I are now forced to spend money we don’t have to protect a woman who we both agree was a horrible mother!  The up side, Sherry and I seem to be able to be friends after all these years!  So, my mother is still a huge pain but I may win a sister after all the crap is delt with!

What do I want to sew?

I decided I need to start a list of items I want to sew.  It may take several years, it may only take a few months-guess it depends on how serious I get about the sewing! 

So, here’s the list:

• Cover for the rotisserie
• Quilt for day bed-preferably finish the Hot Flashes quilt!
• Quilt for Annie
• Quilt for big bed
• applique sheers for studio
• Table runners for different seasons
• runner for Pa’s book case
• Wall quilts for cube
• Wall quilts for me!
• Lap quilt for living room
• Seat cover for bar
• Lap quilt to use downstairs
• place mats
• pot holders
• Free Motion quilt sampler
• Applique with pieced background-woven? plain blocks?

Will I ever be able to stop working full time so I have real time to spend creating something beautiful?  Or will I be stuck in a cube until all the creative ideas have been sucked dry!?

 

My perfect sewing studio

What do I wish I had in my sewing studio that I don’t have now?  What do I have that I love and want to retain in my future studio?

Have:

two big windows that let in light
studio is on the northwest corner of the house, so I hear the wind when it talks
TV and dynamite sound for my music/movies/shows
Computer and printer
Two big drafting tables that I can easily change height on
Three big bookcases to hold most of my books/fabric
Wall space for all the prints I love

Want:
more floor space!
Hardwood floors-easier to spot dropped pins, easier to sweep up bits of thread
Windows on 3 walls
Skylight
U-shaped work area in the middle of the room so I can walk around all sides
enough wall space to put up a 6×8 design wall
more open shelves for storing my stuff
wall mount speakers and TV so the stand isn’t using floor space
space to set up ironing station and leave it up
wall space to hold a board big enough to keep all my thread out where I can see it easily

Ongoing journey

OK, so I’ve made the blog public, hopefully it won’t come back to bite me down the road!

I need new clothes, but sewing new slacks over the weekend all I could think of was that I wanted to be working on quilting/free motion stitching!  But I still love the look of beautifully stitched classic garments, so the desire is still there to create them.

I feel as if I’m in a race against time-can I really retire soon enough to still be able to do the things I want to do, or will that evil fickle finger of fate prevent it!!!!  Why am I putting off doing what I want to do for the next 3.5 years-the magic number!?

Ideas-ongoing list

Things to make, try, explore:

1-Mini quilts-not stitched in the traditional manner, cut patches to finished size (no seam allowence) and stitch them to muslin using machine stitches, crazy quilt style.  Explore threads, make stitches show, try Invisafil so stitches are less obvious….

Too hot to create ANYHING

It’s been SO hot lately-way too hot for creativity!  Plus, I’m still waiting for my knee to heal-I did one of my usual graceful moves a couple of weeks ago and tripped taking the dog out.  My knee cap met one of the paving stones in the back yard full force, I thought it was broken!  Luckily that was not the case, it’s just very badly bruised and swollen.  There is a bruise running down my shin almost to my ankle from the force of the impact.

I’ve rearranged the sewing room yet again-all my fabric on book shelves where I can see it all at once.  I have a sheer hanging in front of it to protect it from Gary’s smoking.  Now I’m just waiting to feel like doing something creative again!

Moving forward

The decision has been made, whether consciously or not, and I’m moving forward.  Focus full on free motion quilting!  A new batch of beautiful jewel threads has been ordered!

Hot Flashes-quilting about to begin!!!!!

Finally, after many years, all the blocks are done for my Hot Flasher BOM quilt!!!  Here is a picture of 6 of the blocks, all nicely blocked to size and drying.

No question, this will be the brightest quilt I’ve ever made! 

Now, off to play with free motion quilting-need to practice.  I have my Hot Flashes to quilt, as well as my 2nd QOV quilt.

 

Picking a direction

There are a couple of directions I am drawn to, but I can only afford to focus on one-which do I choose?

Fabric dyeing looks like such fun, but stocking up on dye to really explore it is expensive.  Also, I can paint fabric with thread, but stocking up on thread is also expensive.  So, which do I really want to pursue?  When I sit quietly and ponder the two, thread always seems to edge out dye.  Probably because of the mess involved with dye-even if its low water immersion!

So-the other dilemma-my room is suffocating me because of all the “stuff” packed in it!  I need to come up with a better work table layout and a better way to store my fabric safely without being impossible to get to.  Plastic tubs just don’t work well.  I need to draw out a few ideas and look for affordable ways to make them real.