first one done

photo.JPG, a photo by Rachel @ 2nd Avenue Studio on Flickr.

well, my first Charity Quilt for the year is done. Its not bound but its off the quilter and trimmed.
Im happy about that. I need to be quilting a couple of these a month to stay on track. I've been slacking. Doing other things and other projects. I used this as a practice piece for my Sticks and Stones Quilt that I'm about to quilt.

What I'm working on today

What I'm working on today, a photo by Rachel @ 2nd Avenue Studio on Flickr.

Im loving all this color. It's got zip, zing, pow!
Ive just thrown the blocks up on the design wall and Im working away. Some may have to be edited out (sorry henna garden, I love you but maybe not for this project), but over all I'm excited to see where this goes.
Quilters Rock!

Edit! Redo! and Revisit!

So, I had been working on these letters. Using some of my favorite fabrics, it was going gang busters. Then, BAM! I realized I didn't have enough room. It wasn't working, Some letters were too thick and others, as my skills grew or by luck, were artful and delicate.
I sat and looked at it for a couple of days and came to the conclusion that this project was shelved. Oh I'll go back to letters and may even do this project but I need to edit my out the losers and remake a fair portion.
I do this alot, start a project, learn a skill ( like letters) struggle with it, then drop it.  Going back a while late later and finally finishing something happens too. 

So this is on my pile... I'll cannibalize it for parts I'm sure and the strings I have can go back to the string drawer.  And once I've processed the lessons learned, I'll return to letters and make something I'm proud of.
I had a ceramics teacher who was a fanatic about editing. He thought it was wasteful not to recycle projects that sucked. Why fire and glaze something that in 2 months your eyes would outgrow?
Now that I have a several years of quilting under my belt I can more clearly see the my own need to edit my first tries. To get the fluff out of the way and get to the better quilt that is lurking behind that fluff. I struggle to find that space that captures whimsical improvisation and artful piecing, while leaving out that clunky forced look of homemade crafting. 

So now you what I'm not working on. What am I doing?  Playing with some Liberty Scraps, going to the dog park, hanging out with my elder,  playing with 60degree triangles and teaching classes over at Modern Domestic.

Quilters Rock!

I like to quilt in the dark

I like to quilt in the dark with a side light so I can see my marks. This is going to be awesome and soft. So soft is the Chambray in lavender., a photo by Rachel @ 2nd Avenue Studio on Flickr.

with a side light so I can see my marks. This is going to be awesome and soft. So soft is the Chambray in lavender.
I'm back quilting, I've been able to spend some time in my studio. This week I was able to get in a couple nights worth of sewing.
My Elder is back to independence, My Hubs is feeling better and finally my energy is back up after my Dental Adventure. I get sutures out in 2 weeks and feel pretty good.

I finished my Hubs Xmas present, just in time for his birthday. Groan, isn't that the way it goes sometimes? He isn't upset, so I'm okay with it too.
Ive decided this is THE year to finish up UFO/WIPS or get rid of them.. so this is the first. And there will be more, many more. Tucked in around New Work, Charity Work and Paid Work.
Im clearly overly optimistic and over scheduled but Who Cares?? I'm going for it!

Quilters Rock!

A New Dog

 

Well its 4 months almost since I posted. That long really? yup. err I have no good excuse. Nope non at all.

Lets see; .. 

I finished the the above top and have been quilting it for weeks. I think I've been working on it since October.  Wha?

I started another top.

A  letters quilt. 

I've made some baby charity tops.

There was the week I got the flu and the week it took to get better. 

Holidays and hanging out with my friends. 

Teaching Frame classes over at Modern Domestic.

But mostly, Ive been hanging out with my Mom and our new dog Dieter Diaz.

I'm also micro blogging over at InstaGram quite a bit - @2ndavestudio, that's me so if you want to follow me there, that's where I am.

As I get things finished, and do more than walk the dog, lunch with my elder, and sew projects in process I'll be back posting.  

Quilters Rock! 

100 Quilts for Kids - Final count 2012

 

Well, I have 14 quilts ready to go. Less than I hoped but it's something.  I have lots of rec's  and tops made so I expect I'll do better next year.  I also didn't count the 3 we did as a group at the Seattle Meetup. No body has seen those 3  yet and they won't get handed in on time.

I'm entering them into the 100 Quilts for Kids Linky Party. I've already entered 2 of them and this is my third and final entry. I'm not entering 14 times.  That seemed like over kill. because I'm lazy.  Last year I won a great GC, this year I just wanted to play along  again. I don't expect to win anything.
Sarah over at the linky has the odds in her favor, she killed it this year!

I keep a book of my charity quilts. I number them and document where they are going.  4 of the quilts this year were partially made (the tops) by others.  The other 10 were made by me alone. A few of them are small for stroller or carseat or as changing pads.  3 are whole cloth practice quilts.
These quilts are #68 -81 since I only started documenting a few years ago.  I wish I had the follow thru to photo every Charity Quilt effort but I just can't get motivated to shoot and edit every one.

All the quilts get a "care label" stamp or actual label  and some get a 2ndAve Studio stamp, but not all.

Here is my hope for the quilts:
 That babies and youngsters get to live,  play, cuddle and enjoy them. That they help create for children a safe environment of healthy love and calmness so they grow and learn. All the quilts that I have been finishing lately will be going to the Children's Relief Nursery. They help at risk youngsters get the best and healthiest start in life.
now to bed!
Quilters Rock!

Almost Friday Almost Finished

2 more tops, a photo by Rachel @ 2nd Avenue Studio on Flickr.
Well, there has been quite a bit of posting this week. Lots of finishes and Blog Post making. Tomorrow I go in for dental work - I'll be getting some bone graphs and prep done for implants. 
My father was stone toothless by 40, my teeth have been a problem most of my life. I had my first bad tooth/abscess at 7 or 8. Dr. Aber sat me down and told me to take of my teeth and maybe just maybe I'd be able to keep them.
 I'm skidding into 50 - with most of my teeth... winner winner chicken dinner...   with brushing.. 
But I'm going under the knife to get some more chewing surface. When you lose chewing surface, the other teeth are under lots of pressure to perform. 
I'll be down for near a week - Thank Goodness its soup weather.  I'll be eating lots of it I bet. Mixed with mashed potatoes to not be too runny.  
On to the Quilts:
I finished the 2 tops in picture above . Both kinda "boy" - seems I like to make "girl" quilts. Its true, I love flowers and "girl" motifs like sewing notions and patterns. 

 Along with the tops, I finished these 4 quilts and trimmed them. They are ready for binding. 
I hope this next week finds you well and happy.  I'll be recovering but happy. Wish me luck and sedation. Be back soon. 
Quilters Rock,