Year of the Quilter

Hello Everyone,

Here I am, back in the saddle (so to speak) and creating again. Life was not condusive to quilting, knitting, or playing in my planner much the last six months. My two sons have been keeping me busy. I am now planning my quilting and knitting in advance, which brings me to this.

----> 2017 The Year of the Quilter <----

What is this plan I've devised? Well, simply put it's about quilting with the patterns and materials and techniques I know, and trust me there's LOTS of each in my stash/head! I have planned the general things I want to accomplish this next year. It all might be too grand, or maybe be too lean, but these are things I want to do to help me find balance and clean out my studio a bit. 

There are so many yards of fabric and yarn, books and magazines of patterns, and techniques for assembly in that poor small space. I have a sewing machine I haven't touch in way too long and a NEED to sew or knit or make!

2017 is my year, The Year of the Quilter, and also my last year in my 30s. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis, maybe I just want to show my husband I do more then curate a collection of materials that border on a serious fire hazard, but this year I want to make more.

I have a manta for YotQ:

Be a Maker. Use the Stash. Practice your Craft.

So simple. This is a dedicated choice, by me and anyone who wishes to join along, to make with what I have. The patterns I have, the materials I have, the knowledge I have. Some of my work will be derivative, (hehe I have a special project for this), and some of it will be WTF? originals.

I am going to try. It may not be pretty or I may end up with some great gifts for friends and family next December, but I will make the effort. 

Who's with me?

Making Modern or Modern Making

What is "Modern Quilting"? Am I a modern, contemporary, or traditional quilter? Do I have to be one of just those three? Can I just be me?

There are over a dozen different established definitions of "Modern Quilting". They are put forth by national guilds, local guilds, sewing circles, publishing groups, and individuals. I am not adding to that I am just wondering why quilting is being defined at all. Isn't it really about people making and loving what they make and sharing that with others? When did we get into the nitty gritty of 'How much white space' and 'All the technical quilting' and 'Did you use designer fabrics or generic'? It's all very cluttered and specific for something that is supposed to be simple and free-form.

Once you move away from defining the movement and start trying to pigeon hole quilters into it or it's fellow styles, that's when the panic sets in. Am I modern enough? I really love this novelty print but it's too contemporary... How do I change this traditional block to be better? These insecurities are infuriating! We are making quilts, not preforming brain surgery.

If you love that cute kitten novelty print then fussy cut it to bits. Maybe you frame it into a Ohio Star you found on Pinterest with some solids to highlight the bows on the kittens, or maybe you just checker board those pieces together with some ombre solids. If you love it then it will be perfect, no matter what, and yes it's modern.

We are living in 2016, and part of the current definition of "modern" per Merriam-Webster is ":based on or using the newest information, methods, or technology" so provided we are talking about a quilt you have conceived, pieced, quilted, and finished in the last 10 years or so, it's modern!

Just be you, just have fun, just let all that clutter and talking and labels go. See something you like, give it a try. Can't figure it out, look for a pattern. Find a different way to create the same effect. Paint with thread. Paint with paints. Make your quilt huge or make a thousand and one mini quilts to cover every inch of wall you have. Make a quilt using just techniques, tools, materials that people say are not allowed or are wrong. Who says they're wrong? The Quilt Police? Ooooo, scary.

The people that don't like your work won't follow your progress. They won't appreciate the time and love you put into something. They will always judge, so just let them. It is the same principle as 'be yourself'. Well, let them be themselves and don't let their weight drown you. Cut that line, metaphorically, and live for yourself, in this modern age, and quilt.

I have been stewing this in my head for too long. I needed to get it out so I can make room for something else. Something better. There are too many WiPs up in my studio to be completed and I had to wonder why. Why haven't I finished this or that? Why? Because I was afraid it wasn't good enough. Forget that I LOVE the colors, fabrics, patterns, and design of each of those projects, I had set them down out of fear.

Well, today I take them back up, one by one, and finish them and keep them all to myself. I will hoard the beauty and the love for just my family (and maybe my Instagram family) to enjoy. I will not let the pressure of another's opinion, good or bad, sway what I put of myself into these projects.

I am a Modern Quilter because I am quilting today, right now. Later all...

Organization and Realizations

Over the last two months I have come to some realizations in my life about how I want to be. These are born from watching what's going on around me in my home, my community, my nation, and on the world stage. So much change...

Change is a good thing but I believe that you need to realize it's there otherwise you will be unable to move with it. When we first brought my second son home there was one night that my older son had a mild panic attack. He wasn't able to adapt to the change of having a baby in the family as readily as his father and I, and so his little brain did a small reboot. We managed it, we learned from it, and we haven't had a repeat performance yet. I say 'yet' because you never know what's coming and with kids there's always a 'yet' peeking around the corner ahead.

I will be changing this blog. I want it to be cleaner, more engaging, and current. I have made the conscious decision to participate in a limited number of electronic and analog media, let my FOMO [fear of missing out] go, and be more present for my husband and children. I am still passionate about the subjects I've featured here before, but it's not my main focus right now. I want to show you what is and how I am expressing that, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

The New: Bullet Journal, Get to Work Book, Quilt Pattern and Instructional Writing, Calligraphy and Handwriting, and Surface Pattern Design.

The Old: conservation, knitting, quilting, and sewing.

The Out: Facebook and wasted time on/with electronics, procrastination...

500 Instagram Followers

It's been a slow week which culminated in snow here in Denver. Yes, I said snow. The second earliest snow fall in recorded history as a matter of fact. We got up this morning and excitedly checked, then all stood quietly at the window watching the little white flakes float down from the sky. It was so beautiful.

Before I get to the my big news and the giveaway, a little about other crafts that I worked on this week.

First up are the key fobs, one for myself and one for little boy. The materials for my fob came from Issue 11 of Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine. This magazine is from the same publisher as Mollie Makes and they are my favorites from the UK. I plan to use a pattern set from one of the previous issues for my Urban Home Goods Swap later this year.

The second fob I made using some team logo fabric I found at Joann Fabric. Now, I am more a fan of certain players then of a whole team with the exception of the Seattle Seahawks. If you follow American football at all then you know that being a Seahawks fan living in Bronco country is a hard thing right now. Enough on that though, little boy wanted this fob so badly, so I caved and made it for him. It's been two days he's had it on his backpack and already I have heard from one of other parents asking where I got it, so I can see there will need to be some in my shop soon.

I also made these quilt hangers. They are super easy just double sided velcro glued to wooden clothes pins. Since none of my quilts have sleeves, finding ways to hang them for photos has been a creative challenge of its own, but now all I have to do is strap the clothes pins over the banister/branch/rod, clip in the quilt, and away I go. Below are two quilts of mine, Paper Hearts completed at FRMQG Retreat in Feb. 2014 and one of the first quilts I ever did, Roman Blocks, both making use of my new quilt hangers.

Finally, my big news is I have hit 500 followers on Instagram! 

This is amazing and awesome and just cool cool cool. It means so much to me knowing that so many people, both friend and complete strangers, find what I am doing interesting. Thank you all, your attention is greatly appreciated!

In celebration I am doing a giveaway on Instagram. All you have to do is take or tag a picture of your favorite finished object from the last 500 days (so since May of 2013) with my name @ayragon and #500IGfriends . I will pick a winner next Friday, Sept 19th 2014, and send out a happy mail package with some fabric and thread and miscellaneous goodies. I take so much inspiration from all the great images on Instagram that I want to give back to those that lend me their advice and that online window into their lives.

Block Number 37

Just a quick update for all, I finally made a Number 37 block that is 6.5" square. I updated the workaround posted over the weekend and below is an image of the finished block and the other two.

Also, here is the finished block and the 4 1" HST that were extras. I see I may have to make a fourth block since my greens are very close in value (center block). (Sigh) No rest for the weary.