Around the World Blog Hop

I was tagged by Karen at Karen’s Quilts, Crows and Cardinals for the Around the World Blog Hop happening in Blogland.  I discovered Karen a while ago when she posted the most beautiful project:  "Redbird and Berries" for the Moda Bake Shop. In fact it has been so popular, she is now teaching a couple of classes on it in Ithaca, NY nearby to where she lives. That’s what I love about the NET – you can make friends around the World, learn so much, and see so much to inspire one. 

The point of the blog hop is to introduce ourselves, share what we do, how we do it, why we do it – you know that creative process that drives our quilting.  Then after posting our writing on this, I tag three other bloggers (they don’t have to be quilting bloggers) who have agreed to do the same. 

So let’s get started.  I’m Angie and I live in Southern California.  I’ve been sewing since I was six years old when my mom bought me my first sewing machine.  It was a toy one, but it did the job and stitched a pretty seam.  Wish I still had it, but we moved a lot in those days and sadly somewhere it got left behind.  Mom then let me use her Singer.  I should tell you my mom has been a professional seamstress all her life.  And at 88 she is going strong still doing alterations and whatever they ask of her – she says it keeps her in mad money and busy.  As life happened, I didn’t get into quilting until 1986.  My first project was two 20” pillows my neighbor talked me into making.  They were Virginia Reel blocks and the method was stitch and flip.  It went so well, I decided to do another project and like most beginning quilters, I thought nothing of starting a queen sized quilt for our bed.  I did get the blocks put together after cutting templates out of cardboard.

The color is off - more teal and pink.

  I didn’t pick the friendliest of patterns – lots of set in seams and triangles. Not sure but I think it was called Dove in the Window. Twenty-three years later I have yet to finish it. In those days everyone was hand quilting.  Here’s the back. 

Think I’m about two-thirds of the way done.  Some day!

As to the creative process, I've never thought about it much.  As you can see from my second project, I tend to find something I like and just start on it and try to learn something along the way( think leap before I look).  I like to make blocks, and I think making a flimsie is probably my favorite part of the process. After many charity quilts, I learned that I like to simplify the process wherever I can, not necessarily to make a simple quilt, but to make them faster.  I’m a promoter of the Quilt As you Go Method.  Here’s one of my first ones, and it came from a yard sale find of a bag full of fabric and this remnant of a quilt that had been cut up. I essentially had to take it apart and re-size the blocks and then put them back together again. One of my few with sashing.

Then a friend of mine gave me a pile of her orphan blocks she had made and I decided to give them right back to her as a completed quilt –

-  even the back turned out to be blocks she had made. Again a QAYG.  It was the only way I could have quilted it.

Then I did a BOM for a Yahoo group I belong to and also put that together as a QAYG.

I don’t often do the sash type of QAYG as you can see here in one of just a couple of years ago.

I just recently taught a class on QAYG – the simplest form – to guild members my latest charity quilt and it took only 4 hours to make - again no sashing.

With time, my creative process has sent me down different pathways, away from samplers for the most part.  I tend to want to make quilts now without outer borders or with an interesting border. 

What am I working on now?  I’m learning to quilt my quilts, became intrigued with hexagons and EPP (needed a sit down project to take when waiting somewhere), and in love with applique.

I’m finding with each pattern I attempt – there is always something I change to suit what I envision.

Okay, enough about me.  I want to thank Karen for nudging me to think about my creative process and I invite you to visit those tagged next Monday, Sep 8^th  ,  when three of my blogging friends will  continue this Around the World blog hop.

First, there’s Rhonda at Ravely1 who lives in Texas on an old farm homestead – such an artistic lady!  I first found her doing a search for chicken patterns for a friend who raises chickens. Hers are so cute, I had to go and read her blog.  She has some wonderful patterns that she shares with her readers.

Then there’s Susan at CQ4FUN in Knoxville, TN.  I love her book reviews of all kinds, her embroidery projects. Susan also has a wonderful BOM blog where you can find many ongoing BOMs for 2014 in one place.

And last, but not least, do visit Jennifer of Curlicue Creations who also lives in an old farmhouse. This one is in NC. She has such fun patterns (several published in leading magazines) and has an eclectic collection of quilt projects she is working on.  I feel very attuned to her process of quilting.

Again, these ladies will be sharing their creative process on Monday, Sep 8^th. Do go and see them and learn more about this trio and their creative process.  

I love to read comments, so please leave me one and I’ll come see your eye candy,read your blog/see your photostream, and reciprocate.

Bye for now and blessings!