wishes, true and kind

Fabulous Fabric Friday

2012-02-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like coming home tired from work and finding a couple of packages of fabric on the front porch!

I was instantly energized!

I knew the larger package would contain these lovely fabrics by David Butler (Curious Nature)

but I just couldn't imagine what Cindy (Live a Colorful Life) would be sending me!

A beautiful yard of Sis Boom fabric

because she knows I love Jennifer Paganelli (and cool colors).

Cindy -- Thank you so, so much! I am touched that you would think of me, and I think you know that this fabric has found a good home. It will be admired and petted until the day I cut into it for the perfect project. I think I have one in mind already!

Last night I had the fun of shopping at Fabric Depot with Monica and Heather.

One is crazy and the other is crazier. I'll let you decide which is which.

I decided to add some solids to my Swoon-along blocks.

And I couldn't stop myself from starting a collection of reds and whites for a Christmas quilt.

Heather teased me about buying too much fabric (what with Curious Nature on it's way to my house at that point), but it seemed to me like a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, so I just ignored her.

Don't expect to see this quilt started any time soon. I'm going to do Christmas in July at a sewing retreat this summer with friends and I'm just getting an early start.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Q & A

2012-02-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

Q: Are you swooning?

Why yes I am.

I decided to join Katy's Swoon-along, but have had a slow start.

I changed my mind about colors/fabrics, but finally chose these.

I could hardly wait to start my block so I could use my beautiful new smart iron.

It's amazing!

Perhaps it was my haste, or perhaps it was the still poor lighting in my work-in-progress sewing studio, but I made an unusual (for me) cutting error.

I cut out background squares in Kona White (on the right) instead of Snow (on the left) and had to start all over. On the bright side, I now have white background squares for the red and white Christmas quilt I keep thinking about.

Sammy didn't lose a wink of sleep over my problem.

Q: How is the progress on your sewing studio?

I can't stress enough that this will be an all year project.

Recent activity includes folding fabrics to reorganize.

But Sammy kept walking through the piles.

Most of my fabrics are now temporarily stuffed into drawers since my neck and back got tired from all the folding.

Q: How is your recovery from surgery going?

Today was my first day neck brace free. It's about a week early, but this morning I just couldn't face putting it on any more. The cervical fusions will still be growing/fusing till November 2012 and my spinal cord may not be completely "back to normal" until May 2013.

So basically I still have pain and other symptoms in my neck and left arm and leg; however, less than before surgery, AND

I am getting better every day.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!! They are much appreciated!!

In other news, I'm taking a wonderful class with a special friend,

and -- oh yeah -- I finished that first Swoon block (24" square).

Of course, some people have already finished their entire quilt tops.

I may not be fast,

but I'm slow :D.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Typewriters!!!

2012-01-20T16:15:00.000-08:00

...and other things of beauty:

Recovering from spinal surgery is slower than I thought, which means my quilting projects have slowed down, too. But I can still dream -- so I'm sketching and adding to my stash and getting a little handwork done.

I'm thinking about cutting up the cute tote bag and using that typewriter in a quilt!

What do you think?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

FINALLY!!!

2012-01-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

Last fall my sewing circle, The Sweet Hot Yams, was faced with two of us needing surgery. (Of course, a third Yam decided to go in for emergency surgery -- but that's another story. )
So they put their creative minds together and planned to make two top secret quilts to provide love and comfort to their injured friends.
I was the first lucky quilt recipient,
but I was sworn to secrecy until another Yam got her quilt early this morning.
So, drumroll please -- here she is in all her glory.
I've been waiting for two looooooooooooooooooong months to be able to show her off:

Isn't it just beautiful!?! I love this quilt so much!

Much love and many thanks to
The Sweet Hot Yams:
Elizabeth, Gabrien, Heather, Irene, Jen, Kristin, Mo, Monica, Sally, Shelley, Traci, and Violet.

Which Yam received a quilt this morning?
That's not my story to tell ;D

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Like a cool summer breeze

2012-01-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Last winter I invested in some of Jennifer Paganelli's Queen Street fabrics at Sew, Mama, Sew and lovingly added them to my Sis Boom stash.

I placed them all together right by the door of the office

(which was my makeshift sewing studio at the time).

I LOVE cool colors, so every time I walked by I eyed the blues and greens and purples. Sigh.

But I had a wedding to work on.

Then the wedding came and went and summer rolled around.

August was my month for the Twice Around the Block Virtual Quilting Bee on Flickr,
and I suddenly knew just which fabrics I wanted to use.

I chose primarily from the Queen Street line + a few other Sis Boom fabrics and others in my stash,
then threw in a few coordinating solids which were mostly leftovers from other projects.

The TATB VQB has been a pretty relaxed group.
The blocks get done - eventually - which has been perfect for me and my very busy 2011.

And so -- the blocks began to trickle in.

I just can't get enough of these gorgeous prints

and beautiful colors.

This lovely block on the top of the stack was made by Terri Harlan (Sew Fantastic).

And suddenly, summer doesn't seem that far off.

Thank you, Jennifer, for beautiful fabrics and quilty inspiration,

and for featuring me on your blog earlier today!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Endings and new beginnings

2012-01-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

I spent the last day of 2011 and the first day of 2012 spending time with family and working on bee blocks in my spare moments:

For Faith (Fresh Lemons)

For Sarah (Freckles and Fairytales)

For Lisa (Vintage Modern Quilts)

The blocks above were for the 2011 Twice around the Block Virtual Quilting Bee.

I also got started on a new Bee (Yamtastic Quilting Bee) and finished two blocks for Traci (Hip Fabric)

I just the adore the pintuck fabric!

One of my goals for 2012 is to slowly but surely get Molly's old bedroom converted into my sewing studio. There are still a lot of boxes piled up in there, but I've somehow managed to carve a little sewing space for myself and hope to put up a design wall soon:

I will probably be posting about this all year.

Today I put away all of the Christmas decorations.

I've been off work since I left for Haiti on December 16, but tomorrow it's back to reality.

Until then, here's another little look back at Christmas.

Two gorgeous Secret Santa gifts to me from Mo Bedell (Lime Gardenias)

Thank you so much, Mo! You're the best! The pillow happily resides on a rocking chair in my family room. I've already used the bag to carry hand sewing and a bottle of wine to the last sewing circle!

And I can't resist ending with this:

Molly and Peter's first Christmas tree.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Since last we met

2011-12-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

I'm not really sure why I stopped posting for so long or why I decided to start again. I just know that life has a way of moving so fast at times, and I often let myself get swept up in the momentum. Since last we met (a few highlights):

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) surgery. I'm recovering well - sporting some new internal hardware - and hope to be out of a neck brace by February 9.

I have also done a little traveling. I had an opportunity to take a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas and a bit longer trip to Haiti -- two quite disparate places.

Casinos -- pretty, but fake.

Carrefour, Haiti -- very real.

Both trips were like traveling to other worlds, but -- interestingly -- I actually felt more at home in Haiti.

I went with a team from Solid Rock in collaboration with Forward Edge and Grace International. What did we do?

Built one two-room house

Hauled rubble

Painted walls, gates, etc.

Fed a nutritious meal to over 400 children each day

Because I am still recovering from my surgery -- I was primarily on kitchen duty, and I loved building relationships with the wonderful Haitian ladies who do an amazing job feeding the children.

Despite the rubble and poverty, Haiti remains a very beautiful and colorful place:

I couldn't quite finish my Christmas gift to Monica Solorio-Snow (Happy Zombie) as a part of the Sweet Hot Yam Christmas party, so it went to Haiti with me and is photographed here looking out on the ruins of the former Grace Village guest house from the "hospital" where our team stayed. The applique fabric is Monica's line: Happy Mochi Yum Yum and the embroidery design is from Urban Threads.

The needle in the fist doesn't show up as well as I had hoped because of the silver thread, so I may have to try to outline it. I hope this is my first finish of the new year, and I really appreciate Monica's patience.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Modern Block of the Month

2011-07-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I recommended the book, Block Party, which turns out to be very timely because Sew, Mama, Sew! just started a Modern Block BOM, led by one of the authors of Block Party, Alissa Haight Carlton. I fell in love with the July block immediately, so I will be sewing along each month.

If you'd like to join in, go to the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog and/or check out the blocks on the flickr group as they start pouring in.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Sunday Stash: when it rains, it pours

2011-07-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

It's July 17, and it's pouring rain.

Don't tell anyone else in Portlandia, but I'm enjoying it.

I love opening the windows and listening to the sound of the rain.

It also felt very refreshing when I went for a run this morning.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be thrilled when the sun comes back.
But for now, I'm quite content.

It probably doesn't hurt that I've been sorting through gorgeous fabrics, bringing a lot of color into this rather gray day.

Just look!

Happy Mochi Yum Yum

I actually got to try mochi for the first time at a recent sewing night, and it is yummy!

My pretty little bundle of Happy Mochi Yum Yum FQs is tied with a strip of another amazing fabric line that is probably on its way to fabric shops even as I type this:

Peacock Lane

by Violet Craft for Michael Miller

And look at the adorable cuffed pajama pants that Violet made for me!

I can't close without a quick book recommendation:

by Alissa Haight Carlton & Kristen Lejnieks, with 12 improvisational blocks/quilts by the authors and

10 other incredible quilters/designers, including Jacquie Gering, Rashida Coleman-Hale, and Elizabeth Hartman. It's a beautiful book, full of tips and techniques, and absolutely loaded with inspiration.

I think I'll grab my copy right now, brew a cup of tea, and listen to the rain.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Afternoon improv

2011-07-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

I set aside some time this afternoon to catch up on some blocks for the Twice Around the Block virtual quilting bee. I had three improv blocks to do, so I started out with a little improv lunch for sustenance.

Jasmine rice, black beans seasoned with some chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, a little Yumm! sauce, avocado, an abundance of chopped tomatoes, a little sea salt, and a touch of Sriracha.

Duly fortified, I turned my attention to the blocks.

Alison (Starlit Nest) sent a variety of fabrics and asked for a block of any size containing snowballs and rectangles.

Terri (Sew Fantastic) sent these beautiful solids & nearly solids (tweeds and crosshatching) and requested an improv block of straight lines (squares, rectangles, strips).

Mary (My Life to Sew) asked for funky triangles, and I love how this block turned out.

This month's block is a court house steps for Lisa (Vintage Modern Quilts), which I'm also hoping to finish this weekend. And just when I thought I was so very close to be caught up in this bee, I realized that I have somehow skipped the month of March! Whoops! Did I mention that the people in this bee are amazingly patient?!?

Oh, and I started another "little" project. I am joining Penny's (Sew Take a Hike) Yoyo Along. Somehow, while sewing with the Sweet Hot Yams last night, I managed to only complete four yoyos in about four hours. At least I got a lot of fabric cut so I can have a nice portable project.

Somehow these just didn't seem to be as much fun as I was hoping they would be (probably because I was so tired after work yesterday). But I've always wanted to make a throw of yoyos, and after looking at this pretty little stack sitting near the sewing machine all afternoon, I think I've fallen in love with them again.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Road Trip

2011-07-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

About twice a month I get together with a crazy group of women to sew and quilt (Elizabeth, Gabrien, Heather, Jen, Kristin, Irene, Mo, Monica, Sally, Shelley, and Violet).
We started out as a "sewing circle" and evolved into the "Sweet Hot Yams" (SHYs or Yams for short).
I'm pretty sure that the story of how we got that name is not as interesting as the name itself, so we'll just let that go for now.
The Yams laugh, tell stories, hatch schemes, swap fabric and tips, and occasionally get a little sewing done. And recently we took a road trip to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Heather's trunk, with every available nook and cranny. including the entire backseat, completely filled.

Violet, squeezing Traci's serger into Monica's car at the last minute.

The set-up in Sisters -- inside

and outside:

I worked on two quilt tops:

And started a new project after a consultation from Elizabeth:

The Portland Modern Quilt Guild display at the quilt show was wonderful:

We also enjoyed the tent displaying work by the various teachers at the quilt show, including Tula Pink and Bari J., who hung out with us one afternoon and evening. It was so great to meet them and I had a blast with them at dinner.

Tula Pink's quilt

Bari J.

Bari J.

We also enjoyed having dinner one night with Rob Appell (so sweet and generous, and a few Yams were a bit smitten)

and spending a few minutes here and there with Valori Wells. Here is a lovely display of her fabrics in The Stichin' Post.

The Yams are already planning the trip to Sisters for next year.... if we can wait that long!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

SMS May 2011 Giveaway Day!

2011-05-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

First things first:

Molly and Peter were married on Friday night, May 20th, in a beautiful ceremony, followed by a wonderful reception. If you haven't tired of wedding news and pictures by now, you'll be in for a treat at a later date.
Well...
just to tide you over:

Molly and Peter taking a Pedicab to the reception.

Leftover flowers adorning my home.

But you're here for giveaway day, right? I thought so.

This is my third participation in the Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway day, and it's always a blast!
My giveaway item this May is a charm pack of Sherbet Pips, designed by the very talented Aneela Hooey (Comfort Stitching). Check out her latest blog post for pictures of her booth at Quilt Market and lots of ideas for using Sherbet Pips. For still more ideas and examples of how this pretty fabric looks in a quilt, check here (Chasing Cottons), here (Red Pepper Quilts), or here (Fussy Cut).

To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post.
Your comment must be connected to an email address so that I can contact you.
Shipping within the US only.
The giveaway will close at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on May 25 and will be chosen by random draw.
Whew! That gives me a few days to find the charm pack hiding somewhere amidst all the wedding paraphernalia!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Moments in time

2011-05-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

The days are going by in a whirlwind of activities and preparations. I try to enjoy every special moment, but they come and go so quickly!

Another lovely wedding shower.

A gorgeous tea at the home of beautiful bridesmaid Brittany.

A pinwheel party to make hundreds of pinwheel/rosettes for the reception.

Moving Molly out of her dorm room at Multnomah Bible College.

(I loved following Molly's car and seeing a stack of three quilts in the back window.)

Trying out the wedding hairstyle.

(Hair by Melissa at Bombshells, Beaverton, Oregon.)

Attending and celebrating Peter's graduation.

And in between it all --

sewing

and shooing away a pesky cat.

Fifty wonky log cabin blocks.

Smile.

And a big bag of leftovers for another project....

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Wordless Wednesday: Wonky Wedding Quilt Edition

2011-05-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Playing dress-up

2011-04-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last night brought another bridal shower and a fun game of dressing-up the bride - collage style.

Even the youngest guests got in on the fun...

Of course, it was pretty serious and important work at times.

Choosing the perfect wedding day look requires careful consideration

and maybe a little consultation from friends.

And the winner is:

Molly loved this dress (which she described as "Anthro-esque") and especially the diamonds. You should have seen the ring, which I didn't capture in the photo.

Molly comparing rings.

Other close contenders:

And the evening ended with another little dress-up.

Molly's new apron from Anthropologie.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Creating and giving

2011-04-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

As the tulips from last Saturday night's dinner began to fade this week, I tried to turn my attention to making wedding quilt blocks.

I've only gotten as far as just starting to cut the strips for the wonky log cabin blocks. My plans to make a couple of mock-up blocks last night were quickly tossed aside when I realized that I was going to have a full house for the evening. Michael came home from Oregon State University for the weekend (and I love, love, LOVE having him at home), and Molly and Peter came over as well (and I adore that they have been coming at least once a week). And Molly had plans of her own for the evening as she needed a little something for part of a shower gift for a friend and a birthday gift for another friend. She knew just what fabric colors and style for each friend.

And suddenly she was learning how to piece a wonky log cabin block and machine quilt! I told you I'd make a quilter out of her! I just didn't know it would be so soon!

Coasters!

Hot pad!

Perfect gifts for two special friends.
The coasters are from a tutorial by Flossie Teacakes.

I am so impressed by Molly's work, I just couldn't stop taking pictures!
Sewing with Molly is such a delight, and I love seeing her at my mother's sewing machine!

We always manage to make one hot mess in the process of creating.

And speaking of creativity, we continue to be blessed by the amazing creativity of friends and family. For example, a lovely gift arrived for Molly from her Aunt Ellen.

Taken right from the wedding invitation! Molly and I were so blessed by her thoughtfulness and creativity.

And then there was another amazing shower today by a lovely and gracious friend, Terry.

How beautiful is Terry?!?! And look at what she did with a syrup bottle to go along with a gift of a waffle iron.

So cute!

Terry also gave Molly these pretty place card holders, adding these adorable cards that she made!
I love this gift! The cards come in handy in all sorts of ways:

For the gluten free bride :).

Did you notice Terry's gorgeous apron, which was made for her by a friend several years ago? It reminded me of these very pretty aprons on display at Anthropologie. One of which may or may not make an appearance at a future shower....

A wonderful weekend so far, and there's still Sunday!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Pre-wedding creativity

2011-04-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

I am so fortunate to get to be part of a sewing group with some wonderfully crazy and creative women. I couldn't ask for a more fun or inspirational group of sewing/quilting friends: Heather, Violet, Irene, Mo, Monica, Traci, Gabrien, Kristin, Elizabeth, Jen, Shelly, and Sally. And they are so generous! For example, I recently received a lovely stack of Elizabeth's generosity when we all got together for a day of sewing and enjoying Irene's wonderful Tom Kah Gai soup! I had asked for any unwanted yellow or gray fabrics pieces for a wedding quilt for Molly, and Elizabeth brought me this stack of beauties all tied with a bow!

They are absolutely perfect and blend beautifully with the fabric stack I had already started (some shown on the right). I think by tomorrow night I may be able to untie the bow on Elizabeth's stack and start cutting! I also recently added these two fabrics to the mix:

Posh Paisley by Michael Miller and Sketchbook Flowers by Carolyn Gavin.

I am completely head-over-heels in love with the yellow, gray, and white palette!

Molly even came for part of the sewing day at Irene's and started working on these for the wedding reception:

Notice the fabric strips leftover from the gathered clutches?

I love all of Molly's handmade wedding ideas, but it is doing strange things to my house. The kitchen and dining room tables are covered with fabric and sewing notions (okay, nothing new there), but my living room is taking on a whole new appearance.

This is my coffee table.

This is my couch.

This is a corner of the living room, which I now refer to as Crate and Barrel Westside.

This is Molly at her very first shower (by and for "family"), in a lovely dress from Anthropologie. I think it's safe to say she was a little nervous to be the center of so much attention.

Then again, maybe it isn't so bad after all.

She had another shower last weekend at our church, Solid Rock, thrown by some very thoughtful and crafty friends (though one claims that she is not crafty but just very good at grunt work). Take a look at all their great ideas.

Welcome!

Lots of flowers and trees. BIG trees.

The "celebrate" banner was sent home with Molly. The letters were cut from crinkled up brown paper and are removable so that Molly can use it for a variety of future occasions. There are enough white flags to spell out "Happy Birthday." We are going to use it again at the wedding reception.

The food was all gluten and dairy free for the bride and absolutely delicious!

Best use of a screen door ever!

Cute initials that were also sent home with Molly along with dozens of the puffy little yo yos.

Molly and her flock of excited little girls.

While working at the church the day before the shower, Peter got a peek at the room before Molly did. And he described it perfectly as full of flowers, pictures, and all the things Molly loves. And on Saturday it was full of many of the people Molly loves. What could be better than that?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Savoring moments; enjoying the process

2011-04-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Hello, Friends! It has been so long since I have shared with you, and yet time is going by so quickly right now! And it goes by faster and faster every day!

My daughter is getting married! I know you know that, but -- WOW -- my baby girl is getting married! She has always been such a joy and inspiration to me, and now she is marrying the perfect man. I am overwhelmed with peace and by God's blessings!

Peter and Molly

I am trying to grab hold of every single moment and savor it!

Last night I hosted a special bridesmaids' dinner to honor Molly and her bridesmaids and so many other fabulous friends and family members who have been and continue to be so helpful (e.g., throwing showers, making crafts, hosting an address labeling party, etc.). What a joy to experience so much love and support and to be able to celebrate with those you love.

You may remember my little gathered clutch obsession from last summer.

Well, I can now make them in my sleep and hope you enjoy sharing a little in the process.

Soul Blossoms fabrics by Amy Butler.

Cutting and strip piecing fabrics (Soul Blossoms and Essex linen cotton blend in natural).

Prepared patchwork strips for front exteriors.

Gathering the Essex linen cotton blend (natural) for the front exteriors.

Press - sew - press.

It's all about the assembly line...

...carefully saving strips, for which Molly will find 101 uses...

...and sewing and sewing and sewing.
The gathered clutches are a modification of a tutorial by Anna at Noodlehead.

Molly "helped" me with the invitations by pretty much conceiving the idea and making them for me while I sewed clutches. In less than an hour she went from idea to invitations ready to be mailed!

The gathered clutches were stuffed with a few goodies (hand sanitizer, lip gloss, chocolates, tissues, an emery board, and a few mints).

My crafty Miss Molly also made these cute place cards (one of many uses of the leftover fabric strips).

Looks good! It must be time to pack up and go!

The Venetian Theatre and Bistro, Hillsboro, Oregon

Step this way...

Molly's beautiful tablescape
I mostly just watched and handed her things as needed.

Another use for leftover fabric strips: Molly tied a strip on each mason jar of white tulips.

Beautiful friends and family.

Lots of laughter!

The end of a perfect evening!

In other big news, guess who started a crafty blog!?!? Molly!
You can follow the wedding plans, events, and creativity here. And I plan on making a quilter out of that girl yet! You watch. You wait. You'll see.

With wishes true and kind -- Joan

Create! Days 24 & 25

2011-02-25T15:30:00.000-08:00

A week ago Friday, my husband said he was looking forward to the three day weekend. I just smiled and said that I was looking forward to my nine day weekend. Yes, I've had the whole week off and tried to squeeze in as much sewing as possible. In fact, the more days off, the more time I've spent creating (at the expense of other things). And my husband is such an enabler! For example, early in the week I served him a lovely, home-cooked meal by candlelight. Last night we had take out, bless his heart! I promise when I post this I'll go do a little laundry, a little housework, and actually get that roast in the oven that I had planned on serving last night.

We woke up to snow yesterday morning.

These first two photos were taken from my front door.

These last two photos were taken from the door leading to the back deck.

I've always loved shots of quilts in the snow, but either we don't have any snow, I don't have a new quilt to photograph, or I just plain forget to take advantage of the photo op. So -- I grabbed the quilt block I had finished on Tuesday, ran outside, and re-photographed it in the snow.

This block is a variation of a pillow made by Tacha in Issue 1 of Fat Quarterly.

In between sewing, I can't help but fold more fabric (a la Jeni).

Jeni even added me to her blog post showing neatly folded fabrics from reader's stashes.

Here are a few peeks at another little project I've been working on today.

And I started making hexies for Megan's (Lucy and Norman) Bee Hexed In block.

Megan asked for jewel tones, and I couldn't resist taking a picture of these jewels in the snow. I've been waiting all day for the sun to hit the back deck so I could take the shot, and I think it's been worth the wait.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Create! Days 9 - 23

2011-02-23T22:47:00.000-08:00

Oops! I really meant to keep up with the blogging end of this month of daily creating.... And now the month is almost over! At times I've found it really hard to sneak in even 15 minutes of sewing (and often feel that I should have made it 15 minutes of housework a day). Other days, just getting started has led to hours of stitching. Sometimes I've just worked on "creating" a more organized, functional, and attractive sewing space, and sometimes I've worked on a couple of special projects that I'm not able to share just now. And then there's the wedding planning....

The wedding colors are gray and yellow and white, and I'm still collecting fabrics. A few of these yellows actually read as fairly orange in this photo.

I've been gathering pictures of sewing studio inspiration on Pinterest and am carefully considering creative and functional ways of storing fabric. Of course, this often starts with folding fabric properly. Yesterday I came across this post by Jeni, with videos of fabric folding, which inspired me to give it a try.

So these piles

became these stacks.

I love it because all of the different sized cuts of fabric are folded into the same size/shape.

This is the best folding I've even done, if I do say so myself.

How do you fold/store your fabric?

Tonight I put the finishing stitches on this Bee Hexed In block for Brooke (april two eighty).

Hope you like it, Brooke!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Create! Day 8

2011-02-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a bee block to finish out one of my 2010 bees, but I think tomorrow night I will start all over from scratch. I'm just not feeling it! So besides spinning my wheels on that, I did some thinking about fabrics for the CHQ quilt-along and the Single Girl QAL. I am trying to pull fabrics that I already own, but I have such odd sizes of Kona Cotton solids, I just can't get the right amounts of any grouping I think I want to make. So -- I'll keep thinking about that....

For the Single Girl quilt, I think I will make use of my stash of Amy Butler fabrics.

These two photos show the same stacks -- just from different angles, so don't think I have more than I do (although I do have plenty). I'm more of a fan than a hoarder, as you can see, because I definitely use my beautiful Amy Butler fabrics.

Yes, I think a scrappy Amy Butler quilt will do nicely.

Now -- I just have about 33 templates to cut....

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Create! Day 7

2011-02-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

Today I accomplished little more than stitching a few hexies together and messing up my blog header so that I had to replace it.

Note to self: if you can't find your thread, check out what the cat at your feet is playing with!

Sammy can run, but she can't hide.

At least not very well.

But she stopped trying to lick my fingers while I was stitching!

See you tomorrow!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Create! Day 6

2011-02-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl? What Super Bowl?

Day 6 was very special because I got to go to Gabrien's house and sew with her and her mother, Linda. Irene even showed up -- finally -- and it is always fun to have her around.

Gabrien has a cute (and very functional) sewing room! I can't believe I didn't take any photos to share. I guess she'll just have to have me over for another sew day! I did manage to take this picture accidentally when I was looking for a photo on my camera, which shows that I did accomplish some hand sewing while I was gabbing with Gabrien.

And yesterday and today I spent a little time pulling fabrics for the next Bee Hexed In block -- hexies in jewel tones with black and white corner squares. I think this is what Megan has in mind....

Sewing tomorrow night will be a bit tricky since I have a class, but I'll find some creative time somewhere!

Hope your Super Bowl weekend was fun or productive or both!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Create! Days 3, 4, & 5

2011-02-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

On days 3 & 4, I accomplished little more than my 15 minutes of sewing, but on day 5 I was able to finish two bee blocks, with two more in progress.

Kelly's block

Solidia's block

It's a pleasure driving home from work knowing that I'll get at least 15 minutes of sewing in. And I'm enjoying that the days are getting longer again. This is 5:22 p.m. Thursday.

And tomorrow I get to sew with friends during the Super Bowl!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Create! Day 2

2011-02-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

When I got up this morning and got ready for work, I was really looking forward to sewing at the end of the day. But I had a physical therapy appointment right after work, and I left feeling exhausted. So I made dinner, mustered a second wind, and sewed this Twice Around the Block Bee block for Kim.

She sent these great fabrics and asked for a block with squares and rectangles.

I love the blocks she has received so far and am looking forward to seeing how her quilt top comes together. See you tomorrow!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Create! Day 1

2011-02-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

I realized the other day that I used to make much better use of little moments. Lately I tend to put off any sewing projects until I have several uninterrupted hours to dedicate (which does not happen nearly as often as I'd like). Then I remembered how I used to have blocks cut and ready to go next to the sewing machine, so that whenever I found 10 minutes here or 15 minutes there, I would sew up a block or two. So I decided that for the month of February, I would try to work on a quilting/sewing project for a minimum of fifteen minutes a day. Hopefully, I will log more time on many days, but at least I'll always get a little something done and feel that I'm moving forward.

Not long after I made that decision I read about Kelly's similar idea and joined her Create! flickr group. The idea is to do something creative every day in February and post it to the group. Check it out, and maybe you'll want to join in the fun.

With bee blocks and wedding projects, I should have plenty to keep me busy this month. And then I had to go and join two quilt-alongs! I just couldn't help myself!

CHQ quilt-along, led by Cherri House

Single Girl Quilt-Along, led by Nova, Katy, and Megan.

And, since today is February 1st, I started off the month with a bee block finish. Chris' (Izzy Inspired) block for Bee Hexed In is finally finished and ready to be mailed tomorrow!

And happiness is making the thread last until the very last little hexie had been sewn down!

Maybe another bee block finish for tomorrow night? Come back and see!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

How to have a studio open house

2011-01-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

I met Cherri at Portland Modern Quilt Guild and got to know her a bit as we were officers together in 2010. Yesterday afternoon she held a wonderful open house at her new studio space in the St. Johns area of Portland, which houses her new long arm quilting machine. It was a perfect afternoon of Cherri-style hospitality!

The studio is housed in this cool old building, Cathedral Park Place, formerly the home of Columbia Woolen Mills and then Columbia Sportswear.

Just outside of her studio, you get a little promise of the inspiration within.

The awesome sign is a gift from PMQG member, Jill, and was made by her husband from her design.

I've mentioned Jill and her business TabSlot before.

They make incredible templates, including this New Wave Template.

Once inside Cherri's studio, there is so much to admire and inspire.

Come in and take a look around!

These coasters were a gift from Megan.

Don't forget to grab a warm cookie and some ice cold milk.

And be sure to get a party favor!

Take a spin on the long arm. You can have a turn after Monica.

Maybe Jen will give an impromptu lesson on making a zippered bag.

Relax and enjoy yourself with quilty friends and family.

Thank you, Cherri, for sharing your beautiful space with us! You are such a gracious hostess!

Cherri presenting at a PMQG meeting.

It's time for me to head home, but what a beautiful drive it is!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

My physical therapist is trying to kill me...

2011-01-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

...and thank goodness!

In just a few short weeks my shoulder (that has been problematic for over three years) is almost pain free, and I almost have full range of motion once again. So........... we have somehow gone from shoulder rehab to working toward "Michelle Obama arms".

That's right, my physical therapist is somehow becoming my personal trainer, but again -- thank goodness! After babying my shoulder for the last few years, it feels good to be doing some upper body work again. But Lee has no idea how close I came to throwing up on his floor today after a long and grueling session on some sort of bicycle-for-your-arms thingy. Intense!

So, tonight I am feeling strong and capable of anything (we'll see how I feel in the morning)! I am also feeling proud of myself for putting together a great little outfit for a fancy dinner dance I'm going to tomorrow night. All in 1.5 hours on the way home from work. What do you think?

Dress and necklace 30% off at Ann Taylor Loft.

But since it's January, and I don't (yet) have Michelle Obama arms, I added this shrug from White House Black Market.

And these shoes (also from WHBM) which are just a little too big for Samantha. She does love a great slingback, though.

I was especially motivated to get my shopping done in a hurry so that I can attend Cherri's (Sew On) studio open house tomorrow. Her husband recently bought her a long arm and she rented what looks to be a fabulous space near her home. I'd so much rather go see Cherri's new studio and hang out with quilty friends than spend my Saturday afternoon shopping.

Here is Cherri's version of Elizabeth's Tokyo Subway Station, which was quilted by Nancy Stovall. And now that she has her very own long arm, I can't wait to see her work! Be sure and check out Cherri's brand new blog (link above).

Maybe I'll even have time in the morning to finish up some bee blocks like these works-in-progress:

And, yes, the wedding plans are well underway, thank you for asking. I'll probably start posting more details soon. Less than four months and counting!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

This just in! My fabulously sassy (and wacky) friend, Heather, is giving away some of Sarah Fielke's new fabrics--generously donated by the Fat Quarter Shop--on her blog! Hurry on over for your chance to win!

And now for a tiny secret -- just between us. I already have a little of Sarah's fabric, plus this adorable bird, made by Sarah from her fabric! See how cute!?!?!
Shhhhh! Don't tell Heather!

One quilter's (s)crap

2011-01-07T20:42:00.000-08:00

It was agreed over a twitter conversation that one quilter's crap is another quilter's treasure, so some quilting friends and I gathered together for our sewing night with bags full of fabric, notions, vintage finds, abandoned projects, and even completed handmade items and quilts. Sewing with friends is always fun, but this destash and share was a blast! Where else could you score a quilt made by Elizabeth Hartman, while also having the opportunity to model what I will describe as a Little House on the Prairie Dress (looking good, Heather!) or take home a cut of Sponge Bob Square Pants fabric. As usual with this crazy group of sewers, I laughed until my sides hurt, and I had to wipe away the tears!

I think everyone found anywhere from a few treasures to a large bag or box full. And we were all happy to see fabric and other materials on their way to being used and appreciated. I had my eye out for certain colors and textures for bee blocks (especially grays and oranges), as well as perennial favorites like Amy Butler. What do you think of my finds?

My bag, overflowing with fabric.

I couldn't resist more Party Dress by Mo Bedell.

Some miscellaneous stash enhancement:

I adopted a little unfinished hexie project from Heather. It's not like I don't have plenty of unfinished projects of my own, but I just may surprise myself and finish this.

I didn't bring very much fabric, and was actually pretty sneaky about slipping it in with other people's fabric (mainly Monica's). I thought mine was just too (s)craptastic! Next time I'll bring a couple of bags!

The best part of the evening was getting a beautiful quilt from Elizabeth. I just love it! Molly even promised not to "steal" it from me, but the cats are still making a case for it. They think all fabric and quilts belong to them!

New Wave Quilt

Thank you so much, Elizabeth, and rest assured, this quilt will be used and well-loved!

And oh so many thanks to all the quilting tweeps and peeps for a great swap and evening of fun: Kristin, Violet, Irene, Gabrien, Heather, Traci, Mo, Monica, and Elizabeth!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

New pillow for a new year

2010-12-31T12:14:00.000-08:00

My Pillow Talk Swap-4 pillow arrived while I was in California celebrating my in-laws 60th wedding anniversary!

My secret swap partner -- Nik Ramirez -- obviously studied my inspirational mosaic and/or Flickr photostream, and/or blog to know that the cross blocks and blues, greens, and grays would be a big hit with me!

A sunny morning and a lovely new pillow to end the year with. Sigh of contentment.

Oh, and she threw in some charm squares, a coffee sleeve, thread, and a produce bag!

Thank you so much for a great swap, Nik, and our fabulous hostesses, Heather, Kerry, and Nova, and swap mamas Tacha, Kelly, and Tami! Pillow Talk Swap - 5? I'm ready!

With wishes, true and kind and a happy new year to all -- Joan

Christmas miscellany

2010-12-26T17:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve day found me busy with last minute preparation and full of anticipation.

The mail brought me a Pay It Forward package from Sarah Fielke.

A lovely Christmas Eve surprise! Thank you, Sarah!

We had a delicious Christmas Eve family dinner at my sister's loft, and

then attended the 11:00 Christmas Eve service of our church (Solid Rock), which was held in downtown Portland at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. It was a fabulous way to celebrate and begin Christmas Day with family and friends!

Molly's fiance, Peter, spent the night, so it was a joy to wake up after a few hours of sleep to have him open presents with us. And then the extended family arrived to spend the day, from brunch till dinner, with a few margaritas in between. What a day!

(Table runner made years ago by my MIL)

The "kids": future SIL Peter, daughter Molly, niece Lauren, nephew Mark, son Michael.

Did I mention that it turns out my that husband is a pretty good liar. And the kids are in cahoots with him!

(1) He went shopping with Molly at 4:00 a.m. on Black Friday (I know!) and came home with a Cusinart Food Processor for her. I said that I wished I had known, because mine is so worn out after years of heavy use, that you have to hold the pieces together and push down on the whole thing just right to get it to work. Of course, he said that they only had a limited number, the sale price was only for a limited time, etc. I didn't think anything more about it, until I opened the package Christmas morning. The tag read, "Merry Christmas -- I lied!"

(2) He started emailing me earlier in the month about Juki sergers -- were they good, would I want one, etc. Then when I asked him about it, he told me that he had a chance to get one for an incredible deal, but that he had not had the time to respond during his work day and lost the deal to someone else. It was donated to a radio station fund raiser by a local sew and vac store with lifetime sewing lessons. It was an amazing deal, so it made sense to me that someone else got it before Steve. So, I was really surprised to get this (from Michael, Molly, and Peter).

So, apparently, I live with a bunch of liars. Thank goodness!

Just between us, I'm thrilled with, but more than a little intimidated by this beautiful machine. I can't wait for my first lesson!

Do you own a serger? Have you ever used one? What projects have you used it for?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Final finish of the year

2010-12-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

I finished my Pillow Talk Swap (Round 4) pillow yesterday, squeaking in just under the wire!

Molly can't believe I'm sending this off to someone else!

The pattern was adapted from Elizabeth's Hartman's Rain or Shine quilt in The Practical Guide to Patchwork, which is a fabulous book, by the way. My swap partner indicated that she loves lots of color, so I hope she loves Amy Butler's Love fabrics with the Kona Coal. It feels so good to have completed this project and sent it on it's way to my swap partner!

I also received a lovely, lovely package of goodies after winning a giveaway on Jennifer Paganelli's Sis Boom blog. Thank you so much, Jennifer!

And now I will turn my attention to the last few cooking and cleaning projects as I prepare to have the family over on Christmas Day.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

2010: The year of (mostly) unfinished projects

2010-12-18T14:04:00.001-08:00

2010: The year of (mostly) unfinished projects, originally uploaded by wishes, true and kind.

Perhaps 2011 can be the year of (mostly) finished projects.
Anything's possible in a new year....

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Winner: Sanctuary!

2010-12-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

The winner is:

Debb

of Debb's Dailies

These gorgeous fabrics have been sitting next to my computer so that I could enjoy every last minute that I had with them. In addition to being absolutely beautiful, they are also incredibly soft. But, they will be on their way to your home, Debb, as soon as I get your address. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

I LOVE Giveaway Day!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Giveaway Day: Sanctuary!

2010-12-13T05:49:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day!

I participated last May and had a blast with charm squares, so I thought long and hard about what I wanted to offer for December's giveaway...

In a wonderful, but hectic, time of year, I offer you the chance to find a little sanctuary in the beauty of Patty Young's Sanctuary, which I purchased from sweet Tisha at So Fun Fabrics on Etsy.

You have no idea how much I want to keep these for myself!

Four half yards (for a total of 2 yards) can be yours simply by leaving a comment below.

That's all it takes.

Dahlia Lama in Seafoam

Glass Tiles in Seafoam

Zen Garden in Gray

Seaweed Wrap in Seafoam

Don't you feel a blissful sense of peace just looking at these shapes and colors?

Giveaway Details:

The giveaway will close at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 17.

The winner will be chosen by a random draw.

I will ship internationally.

Please, please, please: if you are a "no-reply comment" blogger, include an email address in your comment.

Have fun exploring blogs and entering giveaways, and please stop by The Portland Modern Quilt Guild blog, where we are giving away a $30 gift certificate to Sew, Mama, Sew! and a one year membership to PMQG!

Did I mention that I LOVE Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day?!?!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Pillow Talk 4 Sneak Peek

2010-12-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

I hope my partner loves it as much as I do.

It's a modification of Elizabeth's Rain or Shine quilt pattern in Practical Guide to Patchwork.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

What's up?

2010-12-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

I just posted a blog giveaway for the Portland Modern Quilt Guild, so hurry on over and enter. Just one quick comment will put you in the running for a Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton charm pack or 2 half yards of Holiday Happy fabric donated by The Happy Zombie. There will be 10 lucky winners!

Come back here (and PMQG, too) on December 13 for Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day.

I just ordered 4 half yards of some gorgeous, newly released fabric for my giveaway. Any guesses?

I recently stumbled upon these OOP Amy Butler Temple Flowers fabric on Etsy

and just couldn't help myself. I wasn't even looking, so I maintain that these fabrics found me!

And I have been making progress on my Pillow Talk Swap pillow. It just may involve a modification of a quilt pattern from Elizabeth Hartman's Practical Guide to Patchwork, some Amy Butler Love, yo-yos, and a Kona Cotton solid (to be determined). My partner is not afraid of color, so color she will get!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Bee Hexed In

2010-12-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

I've been making progress this weekend on my Bee Hexed In blocks.

A finished block for Brioni (flossy blossy):

My favorite part of this block is the striped sashing between the solid blue strips.

Progress on and sneak peaks at my block for Chris (izzy inspired):

I'm just starting to pull fabrics for Brooke (april two eighty):

The block pattern for the Bee Hexed In group is based on Tacha's (hanies quilts) pillow cover pattern in Fat Quarterly, Issue 1 - Fresh Start:

These blocks require a little time, but I love putting them together. It's going to be fun to see how they look in all the different color palettes month by month.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Sunday!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday: fabric to die for edition

2010-12-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Packages out

Packages in

Oooooo. Ahhhhh.

Oh là là!

Swoon!

I had no idea when I ordered these OOP fabrics on Etsy that they were still on a sample hanger!

I feel like some sort of weird collector, but I just can't see myself using these fabrics!

Would you think I was weird if I left just hung this on the wall in my sewing room

(coming June 2011)?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Hello again

2010-11-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post! I knew teaching a graduate class at Portland State University, in addition to working full time, would be a ton of work and very time intensive, but --WOW! Plus, there's a wedding to be planned!

Somehow, a lack of time to sew has not translated into a lack of time to buy. This is the result of feeling sorry for myself for working overtime while friends frolicked at Quilt Market.

When I last posted, I was determined to catch up on bee blocks by the end of that week. Well, that didn't happen. However, I spent the last couple of days making bee blocks in between other holiday weekend festivities, and I'm very pleased with the results.

Bee blocks for Beth: She chose the pattern and the fabrics in the block on the left, I chose fabrics in the block on the right to coordinate with her choices.

Bee block for Dee: She chose the pattern and fabrics, which I enjoyed using. Each member of the bee is using different blue and green fabrics sent by Dee. You all know how I much I love blue and green!

Bee block for Lesly for her red and aqua snails trail quilt.

Bee blocks for Ruth, who asked for 1/4 log cabin blocks in the fabrics she provided.

Bee block for Frieda: She sent the fabrics and left the block design up to each participant, with a few stipulations.

Bee block for Claudia: She sent the fabrics and pattern for Ohio star blocks.

Bee block for Heidi: I finished this block before realizing that I should have made two blocks. Although I didn't have any difficulty with this block, I immediately made a cutting error on the second, so now need more fabric before I can make its twin.

Blocks ready for mailing -- a beautiful sight!

I also turned my attention to my Bee Hexed In group, which started in October. Brioni chose one of my favorite color palettes for her block.

Hexies in Waiting

A Canvas for Hexies

Bee Hexed In Block in Progress

This pile of fabrics will hopefully start turning into hexagons by this evening for Chris's Bee Hexed In block. Her palette of grays, browns, and other neutrals is turning out to be absolutely fabulous. You can see more Bee Hexed In blocks here.

Have you been keeping up with the Portland Modern Quilt Guild blog? Next month will be my last month as secretary. I haven't missed a meeting since our first one in Multnomah Village on March 18, and it is just amazing to look at how far this group has come in such a short time! Please read about our November meeting, which featured Kristin Link of Sew, Mama, Sew! and the Green Grocery Bag Challenge and ended with a fabric destash and homemade craft item swap and sale.

I'll leave you today with a few sneak peeks at our last PMQG meeting.

Seriously, this is just scratching the surface. Go take a look.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Pillow Talk (again)

2010-10-26T13:07:00.001-07:00

Pillow Talk Swap 4 Inspirational Mosaic, originally uploaded by wishes, true and kind.

My goal is to have current and overdue bee blocks completed and in the mail by the end of this week. Then I will turn my attention to pillows!

Yes, it's time for the Pillow Talk Swap, Round 4, which is arguably one of the best swaps on Flickr. So much gorgeous and inspirational work has come out of this group. I hastily put together this inspirational mosaic, but my mind is really swirling with ideas for the pillow I will be making for someone else.... I can't wait to find out who it will be!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Catching up

2010-10-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I had a beautiful baby girl. She took my breath away!

She was my first baby, and seemed to be going on 21 from her first breath.

I've been trying to keep up with her ever since,

and I've had the time of my life doing it!

Well, that baby girl is 21, and I'm still trying to catch my breath.

And now she is engaged!!!!!!!

This first picture of Molly was taken recently by her roommate in their dorm suite.
The quilt on the left was made for her by my MIL, and I made the quilt on the right with fabrics that she picked out many years ago. She made the apron she is wearing, and it cracks me up that she is wearing an apron while playing on her roommate's "antique" game system.

She is still hard to keep up with!

We are so happy for Molly and Peter, and have so much to celebrate!

This morning Molly and I went to a special bride's event at Crate & Barrel. As we looked at linens, she told me of an idea for a quilt design, and I am going to have a fun time fabric shopping with her to create that quilt in her head. Of course, once we talked quilting, everywhere I looked I saw colors, shapes, designs, and textures. We later found some great clothing for her on sale at Anthropologie, and the same thing occurred. We never have to look far for quilty inspiration:

So many ideas, and so little time -- as always. So, first things first. I need to do some catching up on some bee blocks. It's time to get that sewing machine humming along again!

Where do you find quilty inspiration?

Do you see quilts everywhere?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part Four B: Studio Art Quilt Associates

2010-10-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

My Blogger issues seem to finally be resolved, so I am very happy to present the last few gems from the recent quilt expo.

Pacific Sunset by Betty Davis Daggett, Portland

Portland's Welcome by Betty Davis Daggett, Portland

Quiet Retreat by Quinn Zander Corum, Portland

Approaching Spring in the Willamette Valley by Deanna Robinson, Eugene

I loved seeing the amazing work of the Studio Art Quilt Associates and hope all of my bloggy friends have enjoyed it, too. You can check out more of their work on their website.

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part Four A: Studio Art Quilt Associates

2010-10-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

In this continuing series of posts on the NW Quilting Expo, I am excited to present the work of Studio Art Quilt Associates to you.

SAQA is an international non-profit organization that was founded in 1989 to serve artists working in the art quilt medium, as well as teachers, collectors, gallery owners, museum curators, and corporate sponsors recognizing the importance of the art quilt. Jean Wells is a member, and her work was previously posted here. The theme was Oregon: State of Diversity, and I think these artists captured the sights and feelings of Oregon very well.

Robosaurus Rules the Airshow
by Suzy Bates, Beaverton, Oregon.

I immediately texted a picture of this quilt to my husband. Robosaurus was at the Oregon International Airshow in 2009, the second year my husband was Board Chair. He loves this quilt!

Tension
by Catherine Beard, Springfield, Oregon.
Juror's Choice

Marshland
By Linda Christiansen, Eugene, Oregon.

Thicket
by Bonnie Buckham, Vancouver, Washington.

Bike Oregon
by Shirley MacGregor, Portland, Oregon.

Ghost Trees, Whispering
Laura Jaszkowski, Eugene, Oregon.

Columbia Gorge View

by Christiana Brown, Portland, Oregon

Ethnic Diversity
by Vera Rogers, Day's Creek, Oregon

Earth Forms: Prairie Grass

Quinn Zander Corum, Portland, Oregon

Painted Hills (John Day Fossil Beds National Monument)
by Deanna Robinson, Eugene, Oregon

High Desert Aspens
by Gerrie Congdon, Portland, Oregon

Everyday Barns and Family Farms
by Karen Hanken, Medford, Oregon

My Oregon
by Catherine Beard, Springfield, Oregon

Winter of Our Discontent
by Kim Lakin, Portland, Oregon

December Sunset
by Shirley Jo Rimkus-Falconer, Independence, Oregon

Celebrating the Sunset
by Sara Shayne Miller, McMinnville, Oregon

I actually have more wonderful images from the show to share with you, but I've been having trouble adding images on blogger all of a sudden. Between transitioning to an iMac at home and a Dell laptop with Windows 7, I've been slowly learning to do some things differently. I hope you enjoyed these wonderful quilts from the SAQA, and I hope to be back soon with more.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part Three: Ann Johnston, Featured Instructor

2010-09-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Quilter, author, and teacher Ann Johnston loves to experiment with fabric dye. Her work is as beautiful as it is interesting, and was a real highlight of the expo for me.

Fallen/2006

Monoprinted dye on cotton sateen.

9 Blue Characters/2007

Machine pieced cotton sateen. Hand quilted by Oswego Quilters.

Arch #7 Freehand/2008

Whole cloth monoprinted dye on cotton sateen.

Striped Arch/2005

Whole cloth printed and painted dye on cotton sateen.

Arch and Circle/2005

Whole cloth printed and painted dye on cotton sateen.

Sand in the Wind/2006

Hand painted dye on cotton broadcloth

Writing Uphill/2006

Hand printed and painted dye on cotton broadcloth

Pencil and Ink Days/2007

Monoprinted dye on cotton sateen

Looking Back (double cross#10)

Whole cloth iron stained silk

Is it a Game?/2006

Hand painted dye on cotton broadcloth

Weathered Memories/2008

Balace #30: In between

Wholecloth iron stained silk.

Countless/2009

Hand dyed cotton broadcloth

Dragon and Phoenix/2009

Hand dyed cotton sateen

Ann Johnston

I love them all, but Sand in the Wind is my favorite. What's yours?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part Two: Jean Wells, Featured Quilter

2010-09-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that when I turned a corner at the quilting expo and saw a Jean Wells quilt, I immediately felt a rush of quilting bliss! If you are a fan of Jean Wells or have her book, Intuitive Color and Design, you know just what I'm talking about. If you don't own Intuitive Color and Design, then all I can say is, "Why not?!?" Jean is a designer, instructor, gardener, proprietress of The Stitchin' Post in Sisters, Oregon, founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, and the author of over 27 books. Seeing her quilts featured was when the quilting expo really started getting exciting for me.

Click on any of the pictures below for a closer look.

Landscape I

Colors of Provence

New York City Scape

Cross Cut II

Plum Envy

Firefly

Paradise in the Garden

Summer Celebration

Pine I

Stone III Pillars

Hidden Stone

Sticks and Stones

Mountain Rhythms

Landscape IV

Metolius I

Thank you, Jean. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You totally made my day!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part One: Quilts and Vendors

2010-09-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised by the more modern quilts and art quilts displayed at this year's show, and even more pleasantly surprised to run into two friends and Portland Modern Quilters, Tobey S. and Lisa P. Quilt shows are definitely more fun with friends!

Now, get a coffee, tea, or glass of wine, and sit back and enjoy some quilting eye candy:

France Fabric Foray with Fons and Friends by Bev Sheeley

Pattern: A Bouquet of Quilts by Rounds and Rymar

Primarily made with French fabrics from a 2007 trip on the Fons and Porter Tour de Provence. The border commemorates the French red poppy fields in bloom.

Anthony's City by Laura Newton
"Three Dimensional Design" by Katie Pasquini and "Optical Illusions for Quilters" by Karen Combs
Made for her son based on computer games and representing going down into an evil city.

The Cotton Club 19 year Anniversary Quilt by Cheryl Little
Quilted by Mom's Quilters and Karen Hanson
Made from 4" squares mailed to Cotton Club members from 10 counties the first 10 years of Boise Basin Quilters

History and Tradition by Judy Eselius, Quilted by Myrna Ficken

Venice at Carnival from the book, People of the Book

Piecing, machine applique, and fusing.

Optical Sun by Sharon Stern

Inspired by a visit to a quilt show in Tokyo.

Fracture by Bonnie M. Bucknam

One of a series of quilts evocative of landforms, based on the "V" or triangle.

View Toward Indio by Bonnie M. Bucknam

The Long and Short of It by Mary Kay Price
Machine pieced cottons, hand quilted with embroidery floss and perle cotton.

The Best of Show Award: Autumn Beauty by Barbara Shapel

The back of the quilt is the same scene at night and in reverse.

In the Playpen by Janice W. Hearn
Hand painted silk organza layered, fused, embellished with foil, decorative threads, and beads
and framed using Jean Wells' portrait method.
A small quilt.

Fall's Fire by Mary Arnold
Inspired by a careful arrangement of leaves that the quilt maker picked up off the street.

Details by Linda Reinhart
A small quilt

Mason's Guitars by Pat Busby
Made for a grandson's thirteenth birthday.

Me and My Shadow by Gail Stepanek and Ronda K. Beyer

Quilted by Ronda K. Beyer

Garden Scene by Mary Arnold
A small quilt, about the size of a piece of paper.

From Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan by Sally LeRoy
Pattern Design by Carol Bryert Fuller
Inspired by the book, The Book Thief

Converge by Mary Arnold

This quilt was made as part of the Hoffman Challenge. Unfortunately, the photo I took of the label came out blurred, so I can't make out the name of the quilt or it's maker. It stood out to me because of it's use of warmer colors with the cooler colors of the Hoffman Challenge fabric.

Stream of Consciousness Defies Logic by Debbie Gehman, Niskayuna, NY.
Also part of the Hoffman Challenge.

The Beauty of Metamorphosis by Connie Samara, Castle Rock, Colorado
Hoffman Challenge quilt.

Shangri-La by Judy Beskow, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Hoffman Challenge quilt.

Busy Bee Designs of West Linn, Oregon had a very tempting booth.

I just love a good Union Jack quilt (Busy Bee Designs - Victory Garden pattern).

I was especially tempted by little fat eighths of fabric that looked like refined burlap but was very soft. It turned out to be raw silk! I can't believe I didn't buy any!

The Stitchin' Post (Sisters, Oregon).

I have some of these Valori Wells fabrics in a cooler color way, but now I'm drooling for these warmer colors!

Thanks for staying till the end, but I have a little secret.
My three favorite things about the show were quilts by Jean Wells, Ann Johnston, and Studio Art Quilts Associates, and I haven't even shown you those yet! Stay tuned for Parts Two, Three, and Four.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Maintaining the balance

2010-09-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

I am working hard to maintain the balance of family, friends, full time job, being an adjunct instructor at PSU, running a pediatric treatment study group, participating on a couple of boards, quilting (including bees, quiltalongs, PMQG, etc.), reading, exercising, and spending an appropriate amount of time at the beach (which to me is as much as possible). And those are just the highlights. But, we are ALL very busy, and we ALL have the same amount of time in the day (not enough). No matter what we let go of or say no to, we all manage to fill our lives up. The trick is to enjoy the ride. Here are a few things I'm doing to thrive while maintaining the balance.

Exercise:

A friend gave my husband a guest pass to the Nike Employee Store. We've been given passes before, but this is the first time I've gone along. I was so overwhelmed at first that after choosing a new pair of running shoes, I just pretty much enjoyed watching the rest of the family filling carts. After some encouragement from my husband, I added some running socks, shirts, and jackets. And then, my new favorite toy --

Nike + iPod.

I seriously thought after this morning's run/walk that I would find out that I hadn't gone as far as I thought, but I was wrong! I actually went father than I would have guessed. Now I can use my running app, listen to music, and track my stats all at the same time! Does that count as multitasking?

I can almost feel my butt improving already (smile). Check out the Improv(e) Your Butt challenge to prevent or treat quilter's butt today. And if you're using a Nike + iPod or involved in the IYB challenge, I'd love to hear about it!

Sleeping like a baby:

Or a cat on a quilt. Hmmm. Must be all that exercise.

Spending time with family and friends:

-- especially if it involves sharing a meal together.

Lots of prep work:

I love my grad students already, even though I won't meet them for two more weeks.

Being inspired by fellow Portland Modern Quilters:

Elizabeth presents on fabric dyeing.

My friend, Tobey, shares her version of Kate Conklin's Wonky Donkey quilt.

My friend, Violet, shows off her beautiful quilt and fabulous label.

Check out the Portland Modern Quilt Guild blog, where I just posted all the latest from last Thursday's meeting.

Are you involved in a local modern quilt guild? How's it going in your area?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

The balancing act

2010-09-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

There have just been too many things to do, too many directions to go in, too much needing attention, and not nearly enough time to do it all, let alone do anything well. Sigh. I kind of hate that.

I've added new responsibilities, which means rearranging, making room, finding time, managing stress, maintaining balance....

It can be challenging, and it definitely takes a toll on any sewing....
I don't think I've sewed for at least 3 weeks. Oh, that was hard to type!
I didn't realize just how long it had been until I decided to sew a couple of blocks tonight, and the sewing machine wasn't in it's usual location. It is still packed up in it's case from a little sewing in Seaside.

Saddest picture ever! Not only is my sewing machine still packed up, but I photographed it in front of the quilt rack of shame: There are six unfinished quilt tops on it (and I actually have more -- gasp!). And guess what's piled up in the sewing machine's usual spot? Packages with fabric for quilting bees!

Here is a picture of the last thing I sewed while at the coast -- more AB blue and green cross blocks.

This poor, neglected project is moving ahead by inches. But at least it's moving -- somewhat.
I need a good weekend of nothing but sewing and catching up on blog reading, flickr, and twitter. Okay, better make that a week!
My apologies to all my bloggy friends, and I promise to visit you again very soon!

Somehow I'm managing to keep my head above water and a smile on my face, thanks to wonderful support from family and friends. And a little physical activity is pretty nice, too -- especially for managing stress!

I joined this challenge, hosted by Katie (Sew Katie Did) and Jacquie (Tall Grass Prairie Studio). Click on the picture above to read about the details. I got a bit of a late start, but am racking up the miles running and walking and have lost about 5 pounds.

How do you manage stress? How do you achieve and maintain balance in your life?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Everyday Inspiration

2010-09-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

I love books that show photos of the inspiration for a quilt. Think Cherri House's City Quilts or many of Kaffe Fassett's books. You know -- photos of stacks of wood or bricks, a tile floor, the tread of a tire.... Kaffe and Cherri have each made quilts with patterns and colors inspired by money. Money. The only inspiration I've received from money is to head to the fabric store!

And now, along comes my friend, Monica -- the Happy Zombie -- with inspiration from a lawn chair. Brilliant! The pattern is free over at the Moda Bake Shop, and you can actually make two at once!

Hmmm. Maybe lawn chairs are more inspiring than I thought.

And if you have a jelly roll or stack of fat quarters that you've been hoarding for the perfect project, how about joining me for Fat Quarterly's quilt-along.

I'm going to use my gorgeous Tula Pink Plume jelly roll. How's this for inspiration?

Yesterday I had a lovely surprise in the mail box. My angel clutch from the gathered clutch swap. It was made for me by Sudi-Laura (flickr name: Isaacsmama; blog: The Adventures of a Fabric Junky). Happy hedgies gathering apples and acorns in preparation of the Fall and inspiring me to smile.

Thank you so much, Sudi-Laura!

With wishes, true and kind, for a fun and inspiring weekend -- Joan

Spreading the love, Part 3

2010-09-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggy friends and quilty sisters, I hope to have something new to show you soon, or perhaps demonstrate progress on something not-so-new (which might be even more satisfying). But this morning I just want to point you in the direction of a must-read blog post by Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie Studio entitled, Igniting the Passion. The post is Jacquie's thoughtful and heartfelt response to the questions and discouragement of a new sewer/quilter by the very person who should have been an encouragement and inspiration to her -- her quilting instructor. It all started with a question about Wonky Log Cabins.

Molly's Wonky Log Cabin Quilt

Thank you, Jacquie, for so eloquently putting into words what has been in my heart and my mind.
To me, being a modern quilter includes a healthy respect for and finding inspiration from the quilters and quilts from the past as we continue to explore the possibilities in color, design, fabric, and style open to us today and support and encourage future generations of quilters.

Izzy (see Spreading the Love and Spreading the Love, Part 2)

Even though my mother really wasn't a quilter, she was a seamstress extraordinaire and always encouraged my creative efforts from drawing and painting to needlework.

Who has encouraged or inspired you as a quilter? How are you spreading the love?
I'm listening....

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Time flies...

2010-08-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

The older I get, the faster time flies!

After working most of June and July, I am finally enjoying about four weeks off, but it is going by in a giant whirlwind, with very little sewing accomplished.

I went camping with 300 women:

Yes, that's right.

Don't knock it till you've tried it :)

Solid Rock Women's Retreat 2010 -- camping on private property near Wilsonville, Oregon.

We called it, Camp Honor.

All the tents and other camping paraphernalia were set up before we arrived by the men,

bless their hearts,

so we could have fun

and learn a lot

and share with each other.

Three amazing women: Diane Comer (Solid Rock), Sarah Eggerichs, Joy Eggerichs.

Even sleeping in a tent in a horse pasture, I slept so well. I even slept through coyotes making sheep-like noises to sneak up on the goats (in the pasture next to the tent area) before they were chased away by the camp dogs. My husband called it:
Little Church Retreat on the Prairie.

Best Women's Retreat EVER!

After coming home on Sunday, I quickly repacked and drove to Seaside to spend the better part of a week with Michael (age 19), who has been working in Seaside and living in our beach cottage.

I had a wonderful time with Michael, despite coming down with a horrendous summer cold, and I got to have lunch with Monica (Happy Zombie). Monica is a wonderful person, and I'm so glad I got to spend a little one-on-one time with her.

I became quite overcome with emotion as I drove home yesterday evening -- I was leaving Michael, going home only to pack and leave again (with precious little time with my poor husband), and Molly had moved back to Multnomah University while I was gone. I cried as I drove and almost had to pull over. Silly, really, because I will see my husband on Monday night, Michael will be home in about a week, and Molly is only across town, and I will go see her new dorm suite on Tuesday. I deeply love and am so blessed by my family.

As far as quilting goes....

I've added many more blocks to this, but I don't even have time to download new pictures as I really should be packing right now. You're just going to have to take my word for it.

And I'm going to use this gorgeous Plume (Tula Pink) jelly roll in the Fat Quarterly quilt along.

Anyone care to quilt along? All you need is a jelly roll or stack of FQs.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Ready, Set, AccuQuilt Go!

2010-08-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

There are four fabulous giveaways going on in Blogland right now.

If you've ever wondered about the AccuQuilt Go, first check out Heather's (a la mode fabric) review here. Then, head on over to her blog to enter a giveaway to own your very own AccuQuilt Go system! And, while you're at it, head over to see Jackie (Canton Village Quiltworks), KarrieLyne (Freckled Whimsy), and Karen (Sew Many Ways) for more chances to win an AccuQuilt Go system!

Good luck!

Updated 8/26: Julie (jaybirdquilts) just posted a review here.