Showing posts with label blocks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blocks. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Fabric and Fabric and Fabric

I was at my favourite LQS on Monday.
And as I perused the aisles, touching this, oohing at that... I got to wonderings.....


What is it about us quilters...?

we see GORGEOUS prints.... 






we coo and sigh, and pet them, and (or, is that just me??)




 keep them neatly, tidily folded sitting quietly on our shelf.
Until...



We catch that creative bug...the gleam in our eye....standing tall in the doorway of our creative space...rotary cutter in hand....

And we get the primal urge to rip and tear and shred....(sorry, just me??)


We pull out the fabrics, slap 'em down, and then slice them up sideways and frontways until we re-attach them with other pieces of fabric...




...To make one big beautiful piece of fabric made of the many.
...beautiful pieces of fabric, with such juicy designs....then you draw and SLICE them up and reattach them. Kinda like making a really pretty, non scary Frankenstein. Kinda. Then you mess with colours and patterns and then reattach it all and make a beautiful piece of art that will keep you warm.





That's what I love about sewing. Gives me such a thrill to say "I made that."
Taking a giant piece, cutting it up, and then creating something entirely new.

 What is it about sewing that makes you tick?!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Sooo tired!

What a fun day!

The HBBA Show at the Timken Centre in St.Thomas was a happy day. I finished and displayed lots and lots of quilts, and met lots and lots of wonderful folks today! (And, re-met several people I hadn't seen in YEARS!) All in all, a great day. But I'm exhausted, and soon off to bed.

Today I heard a lot of people comment on how beautiful the quilts are, and how they wish they could find the time to quilt. I would smile and reply, Find the Time! It's so worth it. It really is. But...I also warned people...it's addictive! (It's not a hoard of fabric. It's a stash.Really. And I need it all.)  I love to quilt. Even when it's the most frustrating ... I love it. It's so peaceful, and I can focus on creating order out of chaos, one block at a time.:) So I say, Do it! Find the time, and face the challenge. You'll be so glad you did.

And if we were chatting today at my booth : YES I can do a Scooby-Doo quilt....YES I Can (hopefully) repair the quilts that I was asked about, but we'll have to see the state of affairs first....and  ..oh yes...I will be glad to make T-shirt memory quilts .....oh and to do the grunt work on the piecing together of the cut out blocks for the lady whose daughter is going away to school.

Some photos from today:
Adorable (if I do say so) Twin sized Sailboat Quilt

"Little Boats Should Keep Near Shore" a quote on the fabric by Benjamin Franklin

"Fairies in the Window" Lap/Toddler Quilt
Upclose view of the Fairies in the Window

Upclose view of the Fairies in the Window

Twin Sized Checkerboard Quilt

Vintage Look scrappy Baby Quilt

Superhero Baby Quilt!

Ooh La La Baby Quilt

"A Walk in The Woods" Lap sized Stepping Stones quilt

Have a great night, and enjoy Sunday!

Best,
Shannyn

Thursday, October 20, 2011

I love MAIL!

These days; all it seems we get in the mail are bills and flyers. But I have a secret confession.


    I love mail. I love receiving it, I love sending it, I love mail.


AIEEE!!! There it is. My horrible confession.


Maybe it started as a kid when in 4th grade we started Pen Pal programs with kids at another school in the US, and then continued over the years corresponding with friends made at summer music school; who knows. I just love getting mail.



There's nothing more homey and perfect than having your coffee on the front steps in the sunshine reading a hand written letter from a far-away pal.

But that trend has fallen by the wayside with technology for the most part. I do like to send postcards and letters when I'm away; I used to send buckets of letters home all the time when on tour; and I have an extensive collection of post cards that I kept over the years from people and ones I kept that I never sent (just for the pictures).



But Ebay. Ah! Ebay. Magical wonderful Ebay. NOW......you can have delightful packages sent to your home!

And today I received not one but TWO packages of sewing supplies ordered online!

I live in a small town; with one shop that sells fabric and notions. Needless to say; sometimes options are limited; and grrrrr that the closest "big" shop is about 40 mins away. Sigh. Oh yes of course we have the W-mart like everyone else but they're good for very little other than the basics. 

Yes, like all of you I have done the HOLY CRAP I'M OUT OF WHITE/BLACK thread at the eleventh hour; and quilckly thrown a coat over my pajamas and raced down to the big boxers on the edge of town to grab what you need.
     (Come on. You know you've done that. And then you found yourself wandering aimlessly through the aisles wondering, "do we need that? Of course we do." And then ending up at the checkout with socks, needles, thread, two boxes of hamburger helper, and a plastic pink basket you're sure you need).

But I digress.

So today I got TWO parcels in the mail!! I'm super excited. I had ordered the replacement blades for my Olfa rotary cutter; I have the 60mm one which is the BEST tool ever; and I couldn't get the blades anywhere locally. And I saved a ton on Ebay; even with the s&h. 


And the second package was my yummy fabric I've been waiting for....yay.Some gorgeous black and white patterns,(yay Bunny fabric!) and the rich brown and neato green squares I've been waiting for.

Not sure what these are going to become but I'm super excited for the green squares......can't wait to see what that tells me to make! They're already in 2 inch squares and so the work is already half done for me. I have some blues and reds already in the Quilt Cave that'll be perfect with it...GAH!!

 Don't get ahead of myself here.... I have enough UFO's for now without making more...laugh.....I have a rail fence quilt for myself that I have to pick the basting stitches out of; the backing shifted on me and it's all wonky. So...ack to sqaure one again after the stitches come out - gotta retape it and reposition the whole thing. But that's a quilt for me and I'm gonna finish my commissioned quilts first.
 

Okay. It's a grey and rainy day which is perfect for staying in and working. I've put off for far too long today what needs to get done TODAY... my class is tonite and I *have* to finish their scripts! And I want to cut out some more blue and white blocks for D's quilt....
So much to do!
There is one more package of fabric due to arrive any day now; it's fabric for a Christmas gift....woot! Can't tell you for who though....:)