An Adventure

 

This is one of the only two pictures I took at our last show... the first one in a year and a half.  

It was crazy.  We struggled to remember how to do it.  We struggled to figure out ways to change our booth to limit contact and maintain some distance.  We struggled with new ideas and new realities.  But eventually we loaded the truck and were on our way.  

Setting up was a delight.  We love this show and the producers.  They are helpful and friendly and work hard to make sure everything goes well.  It is a fantastic show.

Our set up time was late in the day so we were almost the last to set up.  To our surprise, we had an unexpected end of the row spot, giving us an open side which meant better air flow and a better ability for social distancing.  Of course we struggled.  It took awhile to figure out how to best arrange things to fit this space.  While it took longer than normal, we were able to set up our tables, tablecloths, displays under our properly weighted tent.

I need to note that our tent has been solid for all of the years we have had it.  We have the appropriate weights on each leg.   We use two concrete weights each about 25 lbs on each leg.  They hang and are secured to the poles.  It has withstood heavy rains, high winds and a severe storm where all of the tents around us were damaged or destroyed.  It is a good tent.  

We did not stock the tent,  We never do.  Our products are light, easy to carry and easy to put in place.   Our plan was to be up early, finish setting up and have leisurely breakfast while we waited for the show to open,  We secured it for the night and went off to enjoy a wonderful meal with our hosts and get a good nights sleep.  

At some point in the night I had a horrible dream where I was screaming at the show organizers for taking down my tent.  It ended when I had to apologize because there was a very good reason for their actions.  I woke up perplexed because the one thing I never do is scream at or berate show organizers or anyone for that matter.  

While getting ready, my husband came up and said, "there was a big wind and our tent is gone."  Not shifted, broken or bent.  Gone.  All I could think of was the potter in a nearby booth and pray that our tent had not damaged another vendor.  Truly, I was more horrified at that thought than anything else. I did spare a thought for all of the year spent collecting unique display pieces that would never be replaced.   I knew we had our stock secure and would be able to put together some sort of display.    But all those artists with glass and ceramic and fragile.,,

I skipped my ridiculous show shirt in favor of a work shirt.  I almost ran the block to the show.  There was a tent on the end.  I thought it was ours but as I got close, it was clear that there was a little pile of things beside it and our tent was, in deed, gone.  It was 200 feet down the street behind the row of tents in an empty parking lot.  Somehow, our tent with all its weights and sides and drapery moved that far without hitting or damaging anything.  It was crumpled and two of its legs were completely sheared off.  Almost like some one cut them off.  

It most likely happened because we were on the end of the row and our tent took the brunt of the initial blast.  All in all about half a dozen tents were destroyed and many more vendors either had damaged tents or damaged stock at the tents all shifted around.  Even the fanciest, heaviest, super weighted tents moved 6 inches.  It was a powerful gust.

The security crew was still on site and every single one of them came up and apologized that they were unable to stop it.  They took the time and carefully gathered up everything they could find from our tent and piled it up in the space.  

Remarkably they found everything but a few business cards that had scattered across the site.  Every table, tablecloth, suitcase and shelf.  It was amazing

My brother-in-law quickly brought us a tent from his business.  My husband started salvaging the pieces of the old tent and both of the offered pieces to others in the hopes that could use them to make repairs to their damaged tents.  I set about dumping sand out of my suitcases and setting up again.  

There were many blessings in the situation.  It happened at night when no one was there.  It flew behind the row of tents and didn't damage other booths.  It was wind without rain so there wasn't water damage to the booth.  The security team was thoughtful and went above and beyond to gather the scattered booth together.  We had a wonderful support team nearby to fill in and loan and help out.  And somehow I got out all of my hysterical and unhelpful angst during a weird nightmare and was able to face the initial shock with a degree of calm and was able to quickly get into a solve the problem mode.  So many blessings.

We were set up and open by the time the show opened.  We did not get our leisurely breakfast.  I did find time to change in to my ridiculous shirt.  We had a few missteps as we started because we were so rusty from not doing shows for so long and because we were so frazzled.  But we did settle down into our routine and had a good show.  

The only real problem was I didn't take any pictures.  No set up pictures.  No booth pictures.  No close ups of the new denizens or the new displays.  Nothing.

Next show is indoors and we don't have any things else scheduled for the rest of the year. 

PQ 12.6 AB INTRA: Crowded

 

My inner 5 year old is happy with the pink and lace.

 

My inner 12 year old is happy with the denim.

My inner environmentalist is happy with upcycling a messed up shirt into something useful.

My inner fashionista is happy with having something no one else will be wearing.

 

My inner quilter thinks we are nuts for starting on half in half square triangles the night before the challenge is due.

 

My inner old lady says what the heck. I always said I was going to wear purple.

And we all told the inner perfectionist to get back on that galloping horse 'cause we don't see anything wrong with it!

 

This week's Project Quilting challenge was AB INTRA, from within.  Well, there is a lot going on in here but what else would you expect?  

 This is an upcycled denim shirt made with lace and quilter's cotton. The wee small quilt in the pocket is a prairie rose block (from moda bake shop pattern).  It measures just under 4 inches square.  

 

PQ 12.4 CRAZY!

 Not much to say about this week's challenge.  The prompt was Crazy Quilt.  I've had this idea in my head for a while now.  So I decided to take this opportunity to make a prototype pillow.  

This is about 14 inches square.  It is made from scraps of minky.  That is why the colors are kind of whack.  I wanted to use the fabric type to see how it would work but I didn't want to cut into any big pieces.  So, I used what I had.  

I was going for monster faces on the digitizing but I think I ended up a little more cute.

 

I Followed the Snail's Trail! PQ 12.4

Busy Day.  Quick post.  

 This week's Project Quilting challenge was to be inspired by the traditional quilting block called snail's trail.  It is a pretty challenging block that has been giving even experienced quilters some starts and fits.  

I decided to follow the snail's trail to see where it would lead.  And look what I found!  The snail.

 Over the past year I have been working on understanding pattern design,  It is a non-trivial process.  This is really the first three dimensional pattern I have drafted with which I am some what happy.  I think the issues I have with it are more in the realm of sewing rather than in the pattern design itself.  I am pretty sure that once I shrink it down and hand sew it he will be just fine.  

 As it is, this guy is just over 9 inches long about a bit more than that high.  He is made from quilting cotton and stuffed with polyfil.  Just to be sure he meets the letter of the requirements if not the spirit he has some patchwork appliqued on his shell. 

Bearly There. Project Quilting 12.3 Virtual Vacation

 

 Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a true "cozy of last resort".  Well technically it is a mug rug of last resort.  

This week's challenge was to make a quilt that interprets the idea of virtual vacation, where you've been, where you want to be, where you actually are.  It was the perfect opportunity to pull out some of my 'travel' fabric.  I have a small set of cuts from Hawaii that my mom and my sister picked out for me when they were there a few years ago.  Since Spud 3 was known for his Hawaiian shirts it is a quilt project destined for him.  I also have a stash of fabrics picked up in Alaska on a trip with my sister, the mister and Spud 3. 

Our trip to Alaska was primarily a fishing trip for the spud.  My sister has taken all of the spuds to Alaska for their graduation present.  I just happened to figure out how to tag along one time.  It was a tightly scheduled vacation with lots of people and one car.  I figured I could finagle in one quilt shop during our travels.  I researched.  I really researched and settled in on the Quilted Raven in Anchorage.  It seemed the most Alaskan.  We had a few days there as we waited for my mom, my brother and my cousin, who summers in Alaska to arrive.  

So my sister and I ventured out shopping one afternoon.  We looked at art galleries.  We tried on mukluks.  We had a blast looking around and spent quite a bit of time in the Quilted Raven.  I carefully considered my options and I purchased a restrained amount of fabric and patterns.  

This table runner was made for a PQ challenge a couple years after our return.  It is from the that little stash of fabric.   

Much to my surprise, my sister declared the following day at I needed to go back to the quilt shop. I was happy to oblige.  I could look around again.  There was so much to see.  So we all piled into the car and went back to the quilt shop.  Much not to my surprise, after a very few minutes, my sister decided she was bored with the quilt shop and she and her husband went off to the mukluk shop next door.  

The mister and the spud found fabric.  They found lots of fabric.  They insisted I needed more fabric.  I ended up buying waaay more fabric than the day before.  It took up most of the spare space in my suitcase.  It really, truly wasn't my fault.  

So... I have a stash of fabric from Alaska.  I never had a plan for it.  It was purchased as blocks and fat quarters, a few yards here an there and a couple panel-ish cuts.  None of it is in my usual selection.  All of it is big bold prints with designs that need to be featured.  It has lingered in my stash for quite a while as one of those sets in need of a plan.  

 So I had fabric from Alaska where I have been and want to return and from Hawaii where I have never been but want to go.  Both fabrics seem destined for spud 3.  Fortuitously he was home this week.  So we looked at the fabrics and came up with a plan.  

North to Alaska.  North the rush was on.  

We decided to use the pack of 7 inch squares and one of the panel-ish pieces of fabric.  Spud 3 has an amazing eye for color and design.  He suggested we use brown as the sashing color.  Of course, my selection of brown was limited so.... off the the store to purchase what looked right.  And we auditioned them all.  We sent pictures to the mister to get his opinion.  We selected the perfect fabric and I got started.  

 

I had to do some math to figure out what size to cut the center panel so that the blocks all lined up and fit.  OF COURSE, there were 18 blocks in the pack and needed 22 blocks no matter what.  That meant I HAD to fussy cut four more blocks.  Those of you who know me, know that the two two things I truly dislike in quilting are fussy cutting and sashing.  Yep. This whole project depended on both of them!  

But I persisted. 

I love using clips to label each block.

I got everything cut and laid out and had to wait for the spud to approve the layout.  He can be very fussy about block arrangement and can see patterns that no one else will ever notice but will make the quilt over the top better when you follow them.  I carefully sewed the rows of blocks together.  I was extremely careful to make sure the seams were consistent so that things would line up in the end.  Things were going swimmingly.  And then.... 

My math was correct but I set up the story problem wrong.  Those  perfect 7 inch blocks actually finish at 6.5 inches.  Yep.  Amateur mistake.  So.  I had to figure out how to fix it.  It threw me for a loop and I lost a day. Then I had to work of the nerve to actually cut the panel down.  No way I could get a replacement.  Fussy cutting an order of magnitude worse.

I did get it done, with an assist from the mister.  I did get much of it pieced, just a few things left to do.  But by late Saturday, I knew I was not going to do the quilt justice if I pushed through and tried to finish it up.  This one is too special to risk making more amateur mistakes.  So I had to come up with the cozy of last resort.  

 

There were 18 blocks in the pack I was using.  Seventeen of them were gorgeous and graphic and wonderful.  And then there was the one that stood out like a sore thumb, or paw as the case may be.  This print was just plain awful in the quilt.  So I had to fussy cut yet another block.  ARGGGHHHH!

This little patch of paw prints was left over.  I decided to take one of the rejected browns, applique a bear on to it and make it a mug rug.  It reminds me more of Colorado than Alaska but as I am always going there on vacation it still works.  So.... Bearly There is my cozy of last resort.  

The real quilt will be finished in short order.  I want to have it ready for the spud to take with him when he heads back out.  

Bearly There.  PQ 12.3.  Virtual Vacation.  7 x 7 inch mug rug.  Raw edge applique.  Outline quilted.  Hand stitched binding.  Made near St Louis, MO. 

  

 

Nailed It! Project Quilting 12.2 Fussy Cut Challenge

 

Let me come right out and say it.  Fussy cutting is not my thing.  Now I will tell you, if you ask me, that I don't like fussy cutting because of the waste.  But the truth is I have limitations and I know it.  Not only do you have to position the fabric and cut it out properly but 99 times out of 10 if you waiver at all in your seam allowance you've blown the whole effect.  I do not like it. 

So when I saw that this week's Project Quilting Challenge was fussy cutting, I may have let out a few rude words like '2020'.   However, I set a goal to make something, preferably something other than a cozy of last resort, for every challenge this season.  So I had to do something.  Fortunately/unfortunately I have set another goal to use only stash and I already blew that one on the first challenge because I had to buy two pieces to make it work.  So..... I had to do this with what I had.  

Now I don't go big on prints and designs in my stash other than for magic bags.  The scale is very tiny on those so they don't make for a big statement in a piece.  And I wanted to make a BIG statement  I like to whine and complain about the challenge prompts.  It is just one of those things that amuses me.  I actually find the challenges I complain about the most, push me the furthest out of my comfort zone. They make me think hard and look at fabric in new and different ways.  This one was no different.  

I did have several different ideas for this quilt.  I didn't have a lot of time to pull it together and I was pretty convinced that even if I did go to the fabric store they would not have the perfect fabric for it.  I had to root through my stash to see what I could find.

 This Heather Ross Print from several years ago was on ridiculous discount at one of the big chain stores.  I bought the ends of the bolts of three different prints because I love Heather Ross and I knew I would find a project for it eventually.  Plus, I could tell the Mr that it was HEATHER ROSS so it was as much an investment as his Magic Cards!  

 

Now before you Heather Ross fans get all shirty with me you need to know that with the exception of the one PERFECT motif in the middle all of the bits in this quilt came from the cut edge and were already essentially destroyed before I mutilated them further.   But I did get that one perfect cut!  Nailed it!

This quilt is approximately 13 x 17 inches.  It has fast finish corners for hanging.  It is essentially a ticker tape quilt.  Each little attempt to fussy cut Chloe was stitched on top of the quilt sandwich with a few extra boxes thrown in for balance.  The binding is also stash fabric.  It was the best I could do since I already knew that the local quilt shops did not have the perfect gray gingham.  (I already looked for a a different project.)  The binding is hand sewn on the back.

I quilt near St Louis, MO. 

The RULZ of Quilting

 

 For any of you who are wondering...

There are only three rules in quilting.

1. Make sure it is structurally sound. (This can one can fly out the window if you are doing a wall hanging or art quilt.)
2. Done is warmer than perfect.
3. If you can't see it from the back of a galloping horse, it isn't there.

Any other RULE anyone tells you is just noise and can either be learned from or ignored.

Yeah, I might have an attitude. I respect and appreciate competition quilters. I admire the quilters who are able to match every corner, keep every point and make tiny perfect stitches. I aspire to their level of quality. I learn from them. 

 

However, it makes me sad to see quilters apologize for their work and point out tiny mistakes that no one else can see. Everyone should be able to enjoy the process and celebrate their successes and finishes. Few of us are actually doing this because it is essential to keeping our families warm.

 

And it hurts my heart to see self-appointed quilt police shut down the enthusiasm of other quilters. I was fortunate enough to have my first experience with an expert turn out to be incredibly supportive. I took my first effort to a quilt shop where the kind lady ever so politely explained to me how to match up corners. I was so green, I didn't even know that was a thing. When I asked if I needed to rip it all apart and start over, she said, "finish is up and move on, dearie. Learn what you can from this one and the next on will be even better." Had she treated me as I have seen some treat others, I would probably have trashed my first effort and never done another one. But she was kind. She was helpful. She encouraged me. And almost thirty years later whenever I am discouraged by a project, I hear her voice in my head saying " finish it up and move one, dearie." And so I do.