Cherry House Quilts

Book Review

In July I introduced an article about introverts, caring for them, nurturing them, etc.  I am an introvert, painfully so, but that's okay... I can live with it.  I found the sweetest book today at Half Price Books (I love that store).  The book is Halibut Jackson, about a shy guy, who can SEW!!!  If you have any shy (or introverted) little ones this might be an excellent book for them.  I bought the book...my little ones aren't little anymore (and, they've never been shy)...maybe I bought it just for me.  The art is beautiful, and the story a winner; I highly recommend this book. 

Isn't it great to have a three day weekend?  I begin it though with a bit of a heavy heart, Ashlee leaves on Sunday, and Melissa leaves first thing Tuesday morning.  They are following their dreams, and doing the things they need to do.  I can take comfort knowing that they are ready for this next adventure in their lives.  I am ready for the next adventure in mine...YES - I CAN DO THIS!

The Revolving Door

Lizzy, Melissa and Ashlee

Since June this has been my life...

Ashlee home from band tour, and college

Melissa gone to NY as a camp counselor for 8 weeks, 3 weeks nanny work in downtown Manhattan

Four day visit with Luke, Becky, and baby Alton

Lizzy home for a month (including 2 side trips to California)

Ashlee gone to Idaho - road trip back to Texas

Drive to Louisiana so Lizzy can meet Alton

Ashlee home

Ashlee gone to India

Ashlee home from India

Ashlee road trip to California

Ashlee home

Lizzy back to college

Melissa home from NY

Ashlee leaving for Logan, Utah

9/4/07 Melissa leaving for her first year of college...

The past 3 months have been pretty insane with all of the comings and goings, constantly dropping off or picking up someone from the airport - sometimes just a day apart.  But on September 4th the house will be suddenly silent; no more midnight runs to Sonic for cold drinks, no more urgent runs to the store for something, no more staying up all night talking on my bed, no more anything...just me, Mickey, Stella, Pumpkin and Pinecone.  Lots of long distance mothering though.  I'm not feeling sorry for myself - just a little shell shocked that this part of my life is over, and a new chapter will be begin.

Want or Need

When I was a little girl, I would tell my Mom that I needed something...she would wisely ask me if I wanted it or needed it.  She made me think, and examine the underlining desire.  When I examine my love and desire to quilt, I know that it is a need, and not just a want.  I need to create something of beauty, I need to make something of comfort for a loved one, I need to get rid of some fabric - so I can buy more fabric.  All legitimate needs?  Right! 

I have tons of scraps - I love scrap quilts!  Years ago the local quilt store would sell bundles of scraps, I would buy them all - $3.00 a bundle - what a steal.  These weren't just strips, there was actually yardage in there.  At some point, I had an intervention for myself (does anyone watch that show on A&E?) and realized that the scrap situation was completely out of control.  I had a plan...I would sort the scraps by color and put them in big grocery bags (paper, not plastic).  I cut everything in the bag into strips, and proceeded to make this quilt.  Not the best picture, but it will give you an idea. 

Fields of Gold 2005

Would anyone notice?

Well, if Thursday I was in my quilting groove, Friday I crashed and burned.  The bobbin tension was off, but I didn't realize the extent, until after 40 minutes of machine quilting.  The top kept puckering, and pulling, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was wrong.  The thought that kept going through my mind was, how could it have been so right yesterday, and so awful today.  Sounds like an analogy for so many things...marriage, work, child rearing, etc.  It just kept getting worse - so I decided (way too late) to turn over my work, and look on the back side of the quilt - holy cow - what a mess!  The tension problems had completely drawn up the thread (cause of puckering), my heart sank when I saw it.  For about 2 seconds I thought about leaving it, and I thought to myself "would anyone notice?"  I would notice, I would know, and I'd forever be afraid of a scrutinized examination of the quilting.  In case anyone is interested, 40 minutes of quilting, equals four hours of seam ripping.

Happy ending, the quilting is done, now for the binding.

This quilt - Sailor's Delight - another lesson in tension troubles - hours of seam ripping - but no regrets

Women's Work

Here's an interesting article titled The Threads of our Lives about the history of women and needlework.  The article discusses the various reasons we do, what we do...for survival, for support, for show, for sanity...times have changed some of our reasons for the work we do, and some haven't changed at all.

An AIDS quilt panel I made for a co-worker, the article states that this is the modern equivalent of an Album Quilt.

Quilting Groove

I'm down to the quilting on my latest Cherry House Quilts quilt.  The pattern is ready to go, I'll finish the quilting, do the binding, Lizzy will do the photo shoot, we'll get the promotional literature ready, and the pattern will be up for sale.  The pattern is traditional, and the fabric is contemporary - the best of both worlds, our signature Cherry House Quilts style. 

I find the best way to get into my quilting groove is to put on my little ipod shuffle that the girls bought me for Christmas, listen to my favorite artists...Sting (big sigh...Sting), Annie Lennox, The Gung Hoes, Guster, Chris Botti, and all my euro dance music...my kids roll their eyes at that one.  I can quilt till the thread breaks, or the bobbin runs out, or my shoulders cry out in protest.  I love it when it all comes together, and everything is working in sync.

Well, I've got to get back to it...

P.S.  Lizzy has gone back to school, and I miss her so much!

Present time!!!

So, I saw this lovely present on someone's blog a few days ago about a Christmas Swap...exchange...I wrote to the person running the exchange, and there were only a few spots left, but I made it in; and I couldn't be more excited.  It's not even about getting presents, so much as it is about finding the perfect present for what I hope is a new friend.  Lizzy and I have been scheming, and planning just the right thing(s).  The coolest is that the person that I have - I had visited her blog a few days before, so I was a little familiar with her already.  Yeah for Christmas time, Yeah for presents, and Yeah for surprises!!!

Creativity

Creativity - is it ever an issue for you?  It is for me...I think I get stuck when I think too hard, trying to reinvent the wheel, so to speak.  Here's a great article about kick starting our creativity...enjoy!

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_12_23/ai_n6125717/print

How to instructions

I love processes - all the steps required to complete a task.  It's easy to think of the end goal, but I have to work backwards to document all of the steps along the way.  Sometimes when I tell people I'm a quilter, they say ever so cheerfully, "Oh, you should make me one".  I think to myself..."you probably have no idea of all that is involved in making a quilt".  But the same is true for so many things; raising a child, training a puppy, learning a skill, goodness - even cooking dinner.  So many steps, so many choices. 

When I decided that I was going to begin my pattern company with Lizzy, I was amazed by all of the steps required to create a quilt pattern.  Creating a quilt at this point is like auto pilot for my brain... creating a quilting pattern is another issue altogether.  Each activity must be broken down into it's smallest element - no shortcuts or assumptions allowed.  I have a little sympathy now for the writers of those awful technical instructions included in all the build it yourself stuff found at the discount stores. 

Here's my latest quilt that I'm writing the pattern for...

Stella's delivery service

Well Stella is at it again...trying to right the world's wrong, one item at a time.  Ashlee came home from India for one day, enough to unpack, repack, and get a little sleep before hitting the road again.  She left a bag of stuff on the fireplace, and Stella felt it her sworn duty to return these items to their rightful owner.  The problem is that Ashlee's been gone so long that Stella couldn't remember were she sleeps, so all of the items that needed to be returned to her were put in the middle of the hall; she probably thought that it was safest this way.  She returned a bungee cord, a small eye shadow container, a pen...as she delivers these items she comes to my bedroom door, and says the equivalent (very loudly): Hhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, I brought you something, hhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy, just thought I'd let you know, I took care of this for you.  Once she was done delivering Ashlee's things, then she started delivering things for me.  A canning jar lid (?), and other misc. objects.  Every time she brings something, she let's me know...poor kitty, she must think we are so silly as to be leaving things lying around the house, and thank goodness she is here to keep it all straight for us.

I'm heart broken over the miners trapped in Utah - my prayers go out to the miners, rescuers, and their families.