Quilt, Read, Eat, Sleep.... What Else Is There? discussion
Introduce Yourself!
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Hello from Angela
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Mod
Obviously, this group is in its baby stages but I think it will grow over time.
You sound like one busy lady! I've got a rather full plate myself - we're in the midst of a move due to losing our house and the need to live close enough to elderly and ailing relatives to be of some help. I have tried to do some stress relief quilting but with things in such upheaval it's very hard to settle down enough to even do that. Right now I'm sticking to my books as my stress outlet.
Looking forward to learning more about you!
Best,
Becky in Georgia
Mod
Obviously, this group is in its baby stages but I think it will grow over time.
You sound like one busy lady! I've got a rather full plate myself - we're in the midst of a move due to losing our house and the need to live close enough to elderly and ailing relatives to be of some help. I have tried to do some stress relief quilting but with things in such upheaval it's very hard to settle down enough to even do that. Right now I'm sticking to my books as my stress outlet.
Looking forward to learning more about you!
Best,
Becky in Georgia
Hi, JC! Do you mind sharing where you live? There are wonderful little quilting stores all over the place, most of which offer great beginner's classes. I imagine Becky & I both can look your town up on a map and use our "Quilter's Companion" shop directories to help you find some places.I know many people who say "I don't sew, I quilt"... because quilting really is much simpler. If you can sew a straight seam, you can quilt!
Now, JC... I just visited your blog, clicked on your picture, and found something that makes me even more excited about "meeting" you... Did I read correctly that you're employed in some sort of social services?Many moons ago, I was a social worker! I've been a full-time mom for nearly a decade and am now studying for vocational ministry.
Becky, it does sound like a stressful time in your life! My husband & I both came from farm families, and thought we'd always live down-the-road from our extended families. Six homes and three cross-country relocations later, I can say that even under the best of circumstances, a move is always stressful! Like you, though, I find books and fabrics are great outlets!
I think I sent you a private email, in response to your remark, JC. You should have a little tab in the upper-right corner that says 'inbox.' I think you'll have to enter your goodreads password to access it.I'm also on Facebook, if you want to find me there. Angela Meeks in the Dayton, OH, network.
Mod
So good to have you join us in this little group that is beginning to grow :-)
I agree with Angela that quilting can be much easier than sewing garments etc... I absolutely do not do well trying to sew anything that has to fit a human body but I do great with my quilting! My sister is just the opposite - she can make fabulous wedding dresses and any other style of clothes you could want but had no interest in quilting - but loves to receive mine made for her :-)
I recommend you consider starting with strip or string quilting using a paper foundation. The best description I've seen for this in addition to wonderful pattern suggestions is this site: http://quiltville.com/stringquiltingp...
I actually used old phone book pages as my foundation for a large full-size quilt I made last fall. I love making quilts this way.
Becky
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This should be THE month of the actual move but there is SO much to be finished in the basement renovation. I know it will happen but knowing we're on the final countdown and so much has yet to be done is difficult.
Becky
Hi, I'm Quiltgranny (Sharon) from Kansas/Missouri. I am a born and bred Kansan, and I still own a home there (didn't sell). Now, I live 13 miles across the state line in Missouri, and I'm loving having a smaller house and lower taxes! That means more fabric, right?I'm a young grandmother to 5 kids, wife to a hubby who is a double transplant (liver and kidney), avid quilter and reader. If you "friend" me on GR, get ready for a lot of books to be reviewed - I generally read one every other day or so. I've recently hit a string of stinkers, but right now I am reading A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Tolz.
I quilt traditional quilts, a lot of scrappy quilts, and I'm also an art quilter. You can see some of my stuff at http://www.redbubble.com/people/quilt...
I also put blocks together for folks who have inherited them and don't know what to do with them, and I also restore vintage quilts. I've sold a few of my art quilts - usually they are commission pieces. Other than that, I just make them as a creative outlet. I don't sew anything! Buttons, maybe...but that's like asking Van Gogh to paint your garage. LOL!
My blog is http://quiltgranny.blogspot.com and I'm on Facebook, too - Quiltgranny I think, even thoug I don't go there much.
Mod
I'm so glad you accepted my invitation and joined our little group! Your art quilts are GORGEOUS! I love them! I very much want to get into this type of art after we're settled. I've done collage and mixed media art for quite awhile but want to do work entirely in fabric.
Wonderful art and wonderful to have you here :-)
Becky
hello all, i'm liza. thanks sharon, for inviting me to the group.i've been quilting for 30+ years, the last ten years it's been my obsession rather than my hobby.
my weblog is at http://quiltifications.blogspot.com
i'm looking forward to getting to know you guys and learning about the kinds of things you quilt!
Mod
I have been quilting for 14 years. I had never quilted until after my mother died, 7 months after I got married, when my dad gave me mom's quilting fabric, her serger, and sent me to quilt camp that summer. Before that I did counted cross-stitch. I didn't understand why Mom liked to quilt, and she couldn't understand why I liked cross stitch! LOL! We, on another list, were trying to figure it out, but I think I met Sharon 15 years ago this October when an online quilt group to which we both belonged met F2F in Salt Lake City.
I taught high school English for 32 years but retired at the end of last school year, so I am retired! It truly was one of the best decisions I ever made. You would have thought that I'd never read a novel in all the time I was teaching. I read about 50 books during the first two months of last summer after I sorted through all the stuff I brought home from school. I would buy a book and if I liked it, I bought the entire series! I decided I never again have to read a book for the "inner, hidden, secret, deeper meaning", and I can read as much fluff as I want! For the most part I read mysteries, but I have read some really good general fiction this spring.
You would think that I would have done a lot of quilting this winter, but you would be wrong. Since we bought this house in 1999, I have used the downstairs family room as my sewing room and the bedroom next door as my study. The organization of my fabric was OK, but it was, for the most part, in Rubbermaid boxes on open shelves. I told Glenn, my husband, that I was going to have the sewing room remodeled. He suggested that I just have the wall between the sewing room and the study removed, and have the whole thing open as one room - so I did!
The remodeling started in the middle of February and finished the first week of May! There are still a few tweaks that need to be made, but I have moved back in. In fact, I just finished the move last night. I have all white cabinets, a gas fireplace, bamboo floors with radiant heat. I love it!
I did a lot of sorting, tossing, boxing for charity, and alphabetizing as I moved everything back in. For instance, I have probably 500 mysteries my sister-in-law gave me. I alphabetized them and put them in chronological order according to the series. I did the same thing with the LPs but according to genre. I had over 400 quilting books because I had all of Mom's. I went through every one of them and if there was the slightest possibility I might make a quilt in it, I kept the book, if not, I put it in a box. I took 4 boxes of quilting books to the local senior center for their quilt group that meets every Friday.
I also went through all my fabric. I had done part of this last summer. I pulled every piece that I no longer like or that was too small and put it in a box. Today, one of the Family and Consumer Science (formerly home ec) teachers, came by and picked up the fabric because her students can use it. I also found some fashion fabric that I gave her. In addition, I gave her Mom's serger. As for the fabric, on the sewing side I have upper cabinets with glass in the doors. I put all the big pieces up there. For the fat quarters and smaller pieces, I refolded them and have them store in some canvas boxes in the lower cabinet. I even had a big board made that sits on the counter top and has little metal legs that fit into little metal holes so it won't slide.
I still haven't started to quilt, though, because I ordered a Koala sewing machine cabinet and a cutting table cabinet in December. I knew they wouldn't start the actual work until February, but so far they've basically jerked my chain twice about when it will be delivered. Supposedly it was ready to ship 4 weeks ago and the shipping company would call. The Friday before Memorial Day we called, the order had just been sent, and the shipping company would call me the next Tuesday. It's now a week beyond that Tuesday, and I still haven't heard from them. Grrrrr! I'm going to call then tomorrow and see if I can figure out what the holdup is. I have received the peripherals I ordered as well as the 2 thread chests and the insert that goes around the machine bed, so I know they have done the work. I'm leaving next week for quilt camp (quilt retreat in most parts of the world), and I'd like the cabinets to be here before I leave!
That's probably more information that you needed or wanted to know, but I've never been accused of having nothing to say! LOL! When the cabinets finally get here, I'll post the link to the pictures I've taken from beginning to end of the remodel from sewing room to quilting studio.
Judy
What a delight to read your introduction, Judy! I'm especially touched by the way your quilting helps keep your mom alive in your heart. My mom talked me into taking my first quilting class - and for her, it was a hobby she picked up to fill the void left when my hubby & I moved 1100 miles away with the only grandbaby.
Mod
Thanks for inviting me Sharon, my two passions all in one place!I'm Jan Andrews from Santa Rosa, CA (wine country north of San Francisco). I've been married to Mike for 13 1/2 years and between us we two have daughters ages 31 who introduced us and urged our relationship on back in the day. We also have sons, his 30 and engaged and mine, 28 and single. My daughter has given us 2 grandsons, 2 & 4 and we have 2 very spoiled Miniature Schnauzers.
I've been quilting since I was in my early 20's (1974-ish) and prefer traditional quilts to make, but like to add non-traditional twists to them. I'm VP of my quilt guild and a member of 2 mini-groups as well.
I've been addicted to books ever since I learned to read and some of my fondest memories are of trips to the library with Mom followed by a stretch out on the bed to "have a story." My parents were both English/Journalism majors (Dad was a newspaper editor and publisher), so they always had books stacked on the nightstand, just like I do. My husband calls me a book-slut because I'll read anything, anywhere, anytime. He may be right, but I read better books than he does....LOL.
I'm glad to be a part of this group!
Hello everyone!My name is Jaci (pronounced Jackie)and I live in Rapid City SD. I'm Judy from NE Wyoming's niece who has posted here before. Never been married, no kids, and have a dog named Buck, who tests my nerves pretty much every day.
I'm originally from Sturgis, which is about 25 miles northwest of Rapid City, and returned to SD in the fall of 2007 after being in CO and WY for the previous 13 years. While I was gone, I lived in Broomkfield, Aurora, Denver and Parker CO and Casper WY. I enjoyed the "big" city, but couldn't stand that it took me over an hour one way to get to work each day. So, I moved to Casper WY where it only took 10 minutes. I have worked at a nationally known financial institutuion for the last 12 years and am currently a Business Banker. I enjoy my job quite a lot.
I'm new to quilting. The lady that my aunt mentioned she can "channel" at times tried to teach me how to quilt while I was in high school, but I wanted nothing to do with it. My aunt helped me get started again a couple of years ago, but I still didn't see the fascination and only got the quilt top done of a quilt that we worked on together. Tonight, however, I just finished my frist quilt that I did all by myself with a little internet help fromj Judy and the help from the ladies at the quilt store. It's in the wash right now, so we'll see how it turns out. I made if for my cousin-in-law who will be having their 2nd child in July.
What I love most, is to read. Ever since I can remember, I've had a book in my hands. There are times when I can buy a book and be done with it by the end of the day and there are times where I can read multiple books in one week. My aunt and I pretty have the same taste in books, so we swap alot. I mainly read mysteries and fiction. One of my favorite authors right now is CJ Box, who is a Wyoming author who writes about a game warden in WY. I've also discovered knitting mysteries, culinary mysteries and crochet mysteries which are quite interesting.
Anyway, that's about it for now, I look forward to talking to you all!
Jaci
congratulations on completing that first quilt jaci, and welcome to the group!
Mod
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I've been reading since I was three and I guess you could call me a classic bookworm. I started quilting when I moved to Nebraska in 2002 and found myself signing up for a beginner's class in hope of making a friend. The class paid off - I found a treasured friend and a hobby that 'stuck.'
I'm working on my Master of Divinity degree right now, so most of my reading time is spent in assigned texts for my various courses. Consequently, I also have very little time for quilting, and a whole lot of projects simmering on the back burner.