INSERT ALTERNATIVE TEXT FOR YOUR HEADER IMAGE HERE

Friday, January 25, 2013

Finding your path to productive creativity

When I'm inspired to create something it just flows through me like an electric current. From the start to the finish it's like I'm obsessed, no joke! The whole project can take on a life of it's own and my family will be left to starve and go naked because I can do nothing but work on my project until it's completed. Lucky for my family that I'm not obsessed with my current quilting project. I think that it's because of 3 things;
  1.  I've made a quilt with this pattern before, so no new challenge.
  2. It's a Christmas Themed Quilt, so I feel in no rush to complete it.
  3. And I've been sick off and on through this project and I feel as if that has knocked me off of my game. 
But the last couple of days has got me feeling inspired to work on it again. Not to mention the fact that I've got some NEW quilt ideas bouncing around in my noggin. Today, as I'm having my morning coffee, I'm suddenly intrigued by the design of my quilted table runner. The more I look at it, the more I wonder if I could adapt it to make a quilt top. Well it's time for me to brush off my math skills and get to work. Usually I put my two math maniacs to work on such a project (I like to have my family feel loved and needed) but today I think that I can tackle this on my own. Actually there are 2 different table runners that I want to adapt into quilt tops, yes I'm feeling rather ambitious today. I've got the PERFECT fabric for one of these ideas! Funny thing is, when I saw this "perfect fabric" I knew that it would be awesome to work with and the colors are so bold and striking that I HAD to have some of it! Good thing I bought 2½ yards of it!

I know that I had said that I want to take classes, any kind of classes, well I think that I found what I want to do... it's to take classes at my local quilt shop. No it's not a "quilting" class per say but a class on learning how to use the large quilting machine and to become certified to use it. How cool is that? These machines are very expensive and becoming certified to use one can save me hundreds of dollars on having my quilts "professionally" quilted by someone else and that can incorporate into thousands versus buying the machine.

Alright I've got to dust off my calculater and get out a pencil, note book and my tape measure, I've got to get some design work going on!

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Goals for the New Year

  1. To post more often.
  2. To take MORE pictures.
  3. To teach others how to quilt (I've currently got 2 students)
  4. To take classes- of any kind.
  5. To ride my bicycle MORE. I joined a seasonal cycling group last year (yes I really did). I had a blast too! 
  6. To be fit- I mean really fit! I go to the gym but I need to step it up and be more religous about it and my work outs.
  7. To be more open to trying new things- especially in the athletic department.
  8. To hand make at least 50% of the gifts we give this Christmas 2013
  9. To write more hand written letters to friends and family members.
  10. To do more design work.

Creativity for the New Year


Believe it or not, I've been very active in the creativity department (it's just that I've not been posting). I feel bad about not doing any paper crafting- then again ALL of my paper crafting stuff is still packed away in cardboard boxes since something that feel like for forever. All I can be creative with these days is either fabric or food. Since I made a fabulous Chocolate Mousse Cake for New Years Eve (I still need to get over to the food blog and post about that) I've just finished another quilt top and today I finished up a quick and easy project- a tote bag! I'm using my daughter as my model. The bag is made from two 1 yard piece of fabric cut to 35 inches square. The pattern can be found in the 2012 winter edition of Quilts and More magazine. The fabric used here was chosen by my daughter and if I do say so myself it's very Laura Ashely looking (living in Great British has been a good influence on her tastes). I love the liner fabric as well- very charming indeed!





A new Year and a New Scrapbook Nook


As it's now 2013 and my scrapbook nook is still under construction. It's a slow process but then again it's being built by my loving husband and by his own two hands. The 2 pictures you see above are the "closets" in my new much larger Crafting Emporium. All of my crafty goodness will be done in this room. The cabinetry is still to be selected (I'm going with white). My floors are going to be hand-scraped Bamboo and it's a dark brown. The bathroom is waiting for the flooring to go in before we call back the plumber and the electrician in install the remaining items (light fixtures, toilet and sink).