Quilting in the snow

Well, it is finally acting like winter. We had a small dusting of snow on Thursday, and it has been snowing lightly for a few hours this morning. Town is very quiet, and it is peaceful. I do hope that the guy who is supposed to be shovelling shows up soon though. I have been in poor shape all week and I don't want to do it myself. This is exactly the kind of weather that makes me want to make hot chocolate or cider and hand quilt all day. Perhaps after I finish the work I have to do I can work on the Quilted Mediation piece. I finished the outlines earlier this morning while I was having coffee and I am liking the design. It is quilted with a brown thread, on a light lavender color fabric. I will now begin adding other colors, with dense fillers by hand in selected areas. Combining the idea of thread painting and the sculpting effects of hand quilting on a semi puffy batting. I really want to work on this now, instead of the other things I should be doing.

Guild last night

Pushed myself to go to guild last night. Happily I was not the driver. About half way through the lecture - which was really good, the dayquill gave out. I am in poor shape today. I have been doing boring paper work most of the day, and have hit the wall. I probably should be working on the quilt I basted yesterday, but I want to use a decorative stitch that is only on the machine I have at home, so that will have to wait. My head is not clear enough to work on too much right now, so I will ramble on here for a few more minutes and hope that my most recent shot of caffeine kicks in.

I have been thinking about my work, not the class samples, but the Artwork. I do have a few things that I can say consistently, I like wonky or free form style piecing, I love the texture provided by hand stitching, and I like the dimension created by quilting with a puffy batting. Thematically, nature serves as my inspiration, specifically, the little things, bugs, plants, critters, and the more unusual the better. It does feel like things are starting to have a more consistent feel. However, the usual trouble is getting time to make more. My resolve to spend time every day in the studio has been shot to H**l this week as I just barely make it through the work day. I have been mostly able to hand quilt a bit each day though. Even if it is only during commercial breaks in the show on the TV, it is still something.

Hand Quilting to the Rescue

I was feeling awful this weekend. The "bit of a cold" I had when I posted last turned into a full blown mess over the weekend. I overdosed on liquids, including home made chicken soup, tea with honey and lemon, and grapefruit juice. Between the caffeine in the tea and the amount of liquids, I slept poorly. I couldn't trust myself to do the cutting on the next quilt I am working on, but I could work on the hand quilting sample for the Quilted Mediation project that will be put on the shoppe schedule in February. As I worked to cleanse myself of the blasted germs, I twice fell asleep on that piece. But with hand quilting, as long as you don't poke yourself with the needle it is rarely a problem.

At any rate, I am feeling much better. I care not if it was the tea, or if it was the Quilting, but I did get alot done, and I like the after effects of the quilting much more than the tea.

Just what the Doctor ordered

It's been a tough week creatively. My back has gone out and I have been fighting some kind of cold. The last few mornings have seen me with scratchy throat and trouble getting going. The same seems to happen when I let myself relax after dinner, so I have been pampering myself with lots of good hot herbal tea, a long soak in the whirlpool tub, and going to bed early. It seems to be holding it at bay. I do have the fabrics picked for the next project at the shoppe, and have designed the quilter's mandala for the Hand Quilting Meditation workshop that will run in February, but that all represents very little actual sewing.

Perhaps that is exactly what is really wrong today. I know I am a better person when I get daily time with needles and thread, a therapy sewing session is needed. Maybe that is just what the doctor ordered.

Stale Shaving Cream?

Over the last few days, much of my studio time has been in organizing, I did however find that painters tape on a home made silkscreen does not hold on for very long. Also that shaving cream can go bad, or actually the stuff in the can that makes it foam can give out. There is lots of liquid left in the can that I have, I can hear it. When I tried to get some out, it looked like milk and was runny instead of fluffy. I can't remember now who it was but someone on location on QATV used shaving cream with acrylics through thermofax screens. Anyway, fresh shaving cream apparently works much better. I will let you know if I get better results any time soon.

New website

As far as I can tell, the new website for the shoppe is live. Now to spend some time getting the word out. I have it networked to face book, and hopefully it will go smoothly to transition from the store blog on blogger to the one on the new website. I'll maintain both for a little while, and I will keep this one too, as I find that I discuss different things here. check out the new site and comment there or here to let me know what you think.

www.villagefabricshoppe.com

Moving a bit faster now

I finished the Buggin Out quilt top last night. It looks good, and I'm trying to decide on a border fabric. When I brought it to the shoppe and laid it out on the tables, it looks really small and I'd like to make it bigger. It is amazing how some bright color and a good accomplishment can help the mental state. I am finding it easier to keep positive today. Hubby is still sick, still don't know what is wrong with the car, but I am feeling better.

The discussion on the Quilt art list has turned to word of the year. I know it sounds a bit conceited, but I think that my word this year is SELF. I need to work on my personal vision, connecting with my higher self, and branding myself ( in the marketing sense, not with a hot poker ) I have struggled with creative block, low energy, and frustration alot over the last year and this year, I will not let others pull me down. I will value those things I do for myself, including yoga and meditation, studio time, playing guitar, and learning to say no to things I don't need to do. I had been thinking this for a few days, and today I got a free numerology reading that stated that 2012 is a personal year numbered one for me. This means a concentration on one's self and new beginnings will be fruitful for me this year. Not that I follow these kinds of things slavishly, however this coincidence seemed to be the universe telling me something. So 2012 is the year of Diana. Watch out, here I come!!!

A slow start

Ok so here I was, ready to get 2012 off to a really positive start, determined to be excited, thankful and creative every day, and wouldn't you know it, on New Years Day, and out of state too, my hubbys car malfunctions. We were on a side street, in a friends development, about 2 blocks from his house, and the car made a weird noise. Hubby pulled over and stopped. We called our friend and walked to his house. The car has now been towed back to our own mechanic, but we still don't know what is wrong. This may be the end of this vehicle, and with no cash to get another we are down to one car until things turn around.

So here is me trying hard to be positive, at least we still have my car. Thank goodeness that the car didn't decide to have trouble on the highway with all those trucks whizzing by, and many great big thanks to our friend for driving us home on New Years Day. Here's to 2012, throwing me challenges already.