Quilting Nona

Around the World Blog Hop

I was invited to take part in this blog hop by Shelley of Cora's Quilts.  Fairly new to quilting and even newer to blogging, I can blame attribute all my new found skills to this wonderfully talented woman.  I've known Shelley for a while now (well, actually all her life - yup I'm her mom)

So let me tell you a little about me:

I've been married for 40 years to my high school sweetheart (I know, sappy but true).  I also have two sons, three grandsons and one granddaughter.  I can't remember a time when I  haven't had at least one handiwork project that I was working on. I have wonderfully fond childhood memories of summer visits and afternoons spent sewing and crocheting with my grandmothers.   My mother taught me to knit and embroider and at soon to be 90 she is still knitting!   It was my daughter, however, who taught me much of what I know about quilting and I'm having so much fun sharing the love of this craft with her.
 

What are you working on?
I try to limit myself to three different project catagories at a time: Seasonal, Quilt Alongs/ Blocks of the Month Projects and what I call Pop-ups.

From the blogs I follow I have a sense that having a  stack of UFO's is a common quilty thing; and here I thought I was just a very undisciplined person who get bored fairly quickly.  I wise quilter once shared some wisdom about UFO's, suggesting that you purchase  5 or 6 boxes and place a UFO in each box.  The theory is that you refrain from starting a new project until you have completed a project from one of your boxes.  Well  . . . . I've tweaked that theory just a little.  I drool over those pinterest pins of crafty rooms with boxes and boxes all lined up on cutely painted shelves.  Needless to say, I've acquired more than a few boxes and bins.  Whatever season/holiday of the year we are approaching, I have a bin for it with partially finished projects.  Sometimes it takes me several years to complete something out of one of those seasonal boxes but I look at it as Quilting in the Season . . .  kind of like decoration for the holidays.  If I finish the project before the holiday/season, GREAT!  If the season passes before I finish, back in the boxes it goes till the next year.

I just might get this bound this fall!

 

I recently came across a quote that said "A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars".  I love that!  Eventually my 'Quilt Along and Block of the Month projects' will give me a 'quilt for every bed at the Stout house.  Currently I'm working on a Spring Sampler Quilt Along featured at Cora's Quilts . I've used Vin du jour  by 3 Sisters for Moda and I'm just about ready to start sewing those block's together.  This is the first sampler I've made & I didn't think I liked samplers, but I've just loved making these blocks. Here are a couple of my favorites:

'Pop-up projects' are those quick little must do ideas that just pop-up.  It usually turns out to be quick little things that I often stay up into the wee hours of the night trying to finish up before the next day (sleeps overrated any way!)

Jamie's 1st Birthday Banner

How does your work differ from others in your Genre?

I think of myself as a novice quilter and while I have a fairly keen sense of what my genre  isn't, I'm not sure I know what my genre is yet.   I often wonder is there anything new  left that hasn't already been done in quilting?   Of the few things I have designed, I  found  similar quilt projects afterwards.  Here is one of my favorite baby quilts that I designed and made for a couple of avid Cleveland Brown fans and their little guy whose name is Teddy III

 

Maybe one way I differ from some quilters is that I tend to avoid sending my quilts off to a long arm quilter.  While I don't have a Long Arm quilting machine (yet), I feel like sending off a quilt takes away from calling it  completely 'my own' . . . weird I know . . . but the quilting of a project is just as exciting to me as choosing fabrics or quilt patterns.    No judgement on my fellow quilters, I'm all for team work. Probably just a weak attempt on my part at justifying the expense of acquiring a long arm quilting machine.

Why do you write/create what you do?

Remember those special times I mentioned spending with my grandmas as a child? Those women are long gone now but picking up my Nona's scissors or seeing Grandma Helen's notes in her quilting book or running my hands over the cherished pieces of their handiwork connects me now in some way with them.  I guess a simple, corny answer is that I create because it is part of who I am . . . it is a connection to my past and maybe a part of what I leave for those who will come after me. It brings me joy, it is calming and relaxing.  I love the whole process of coming up with an idea, finding just the right materials and gifting the finished product.

How does your writing/creative process work?

I'm somewhat embarrassed to say it is a bit primitive, not very orderly and  sadly in need of some refinement (although it's working for me now).  An idea pops into my head and I scribble a few notes, draw a few sketches, buy more fabric than I need and when it's complete I throw all the notes in a binder sleeve or file folder thinking someday I'm going to learn how to use that quilting computer program I have.

Well it's been fun answering the questions, thanks for inviting me Shelley. If you've stumbled across my blog, thanks for spending some time here. I'd love to hear your comments and check out your blog.  So please be sure to leave me the link to your blog.