Around the World Blog Hop

Kristy Daum from St Louis Folk Victorian has tagged me to participate in the Around the World Blog Hop. You can see her post here.  Thank you, Kristy!

The Around the World Blog Hop is making the rounds of the quilting blog-iverse and I’ve gotten to know many quilt bloggers better through their blog hop posts. Everyone is encouraged to answer the following questions.

What am I working on?

I’m currently working on several confidential projects for a guild challenge, potential publication, and gifts. Since I can’t show them right now, here's a project completed within the last few months, "Big Print Beauty." This was made for a lecture about working with large scale prints.

Big Print Beauty, 75" x 90"

 

Also completed recently are these charity baby & children's quilts:

Charity Baby Quilts

 

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I’m not sure it really differs at all, except that I work from my own designs, rather than other patterns. My quilts are somewhere between traditional and modern. I like piecing rather than applique; smaller projects like baby and lap quilts that I can manage to quilt myself; and walking foot or simple meander quilting.

I prefer to collate my own fabric palette rather than use complete collections. Don’t get me wrong - I admire fabric designers for their talent, I and lust after all the gorgeous fabrics out there. But personally, working from all one collection would be kind of like cheating for me – all the color choices have already been made.

I’m currently using these fabrics plus a few more in a project:

Current Project Palette

Why do I write/create what I do?

As far as creating quilts is concerned, I’ve been in love with fabric and design (formerly apparel design) since childhood. It’s always been part of who I am. I spent as much time as an 8-year old making doll clothes with as much enjoyment then as I now spend in my studio making quilts.

I started the blog to connect with the larger quilting community, and have made some wonderful blogger friends along the way. I get the best input and encouragement when I share my process and especially when I share oopsies and failures.

I write patterns because it seems I have a knack for it, and I enjoy the writing process as much as making quilts. Maybe it’s the combination of tactile textile creativity, spacial engineering, and word-smithing that uses all the parts of my brain. Whatever, I just enjoy it.

Here are a couple of tutorials on the blog:

Charmed Snowballs - Tutorial here

Chain of Love Baby Quilt - Tutorial Here

Last year I submitted a book proposal to AQS featuring a block technique I developed. AQS accepted my proposal, in their 32-page booklet format, featuring my blocks and several quilts using them. My manuscript, photo samples, and quilts were delivered to my editor in May. My little book should be published sometime in 2015, but they haven’t given me a date yet.

How does my writing/creative process work?

Do I have a process???!  Sometimes it’s just playing with ideas to see what develops. Sometimes I’m actually quite surprised! I play in EQ7 a lot and I play with fabric on my design wall. I make notes while I’m cutting and sewing; and I write up what worked. Other than that, I don’t really think I have a “process.” 

What I do have is decades of sewing experience including a degree in fashion design, professional apparel patternmaking experience, and more than 15 years as a color specialist in fashion and footwear product development. So some of my “process” is just experience and a good understanding of the progression of steps.

Sometimes the results are terribly disappointing, as with my churn dash debacle earlier this summer, and the “ugly baby quilt” saga. They’re all learning opportunities! My hope is that by sharing my failures and what I learned from them, someone else can benefit too.

Thank you for visiting today! To continue the blog hop, I’m tagging:

Casey York at Studiolio. Casey is a super talented member of STLMQG and bee-mate in Sew Bee It, and she has a book on modern applique coming out in October. Casey also will be lecturing at Quilt Con. Check out her website on September 15 for her Around the World Blog Hop post.

Also linking up with Patchwork Times, WIP Wednesday, Friday Finish at Crazy Mom Quilts, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.