Middle of May seemed like a good goal for reaching new milestones, or at least moving three projects along. It was a good plan, but not one that makes for easy vlogging/blogging. Quilting, Spinning, and Dungeons and Dragons are rather unusual topics to blend into one update, but hey, they bring me joy so here we are.
The patterns for the EPP blocks can be found in the section “Patterns to Download” here on my blog.
Today I did something a quite different. Not only do I share my age, my educational background, and a good deal of my upbringing, I also share my emotional response to the realities we face as a crafting community in light of constricting markets, borders, and liberties.
I did not get “political” even if some may think I did. I went historical, and I shared how my close connection with my grandparents has helped me through past difficulties, and how I hope it will help me through the ones we face now.
The brutal cold of the last few weeks encouraged me to finally post my Frosty Fortitude English Paper Piecing wall hanging (table runner) project. It was a delight to make, and I hope others will find it something that inspires creativity.
When the knowledge others possess makes you feel foolish, the solution is to seek knowledge. To rail against those with knowledge might make you feel temporally better, but the world will now know you are as foolish as you feel.
The word quilt can mean simply a blanket. However for some, the word is intertwined with memories of a cherished grandmother who provided warmth and a hug through a patchwork creation of love.
The language of quilting, is both simple and complex. It is a craft developed around a utilitarian skill, but unlike its fiber cousins, weaving and knitting, quilting can mean the entire process as well as the specific skill of sewing together the quilt sandwich.
The word quilting describes the task of sewing together two or more layers of fabric, with the modern quilt usually having two layers of fabric sandwiching a middle layer of fiber called batting or wadding. However, historically, the process often was used to bind together many layers of fabric in order to create a dense fabric structure used for armor.
The term quilting has also become synonymous with the process of making a quilt. Piecing the patches of a patchwork quilt is less often used. It is easier to say, “I am quilting,” and have yourself understood than it is to say, “I am piecing,” or “I am doing patchwork”. Plus, not all quilts are pieced or constitute patchwork. Whole cloth quilts and comforters are examples of quilted items that would not require piecing and would not be called patchwork. Plus there is also a category of quilts that are tied or tufted. These are still considered quilts by many (especially when they are patchwork in nature), but these have no quilting stitches.
So what is in a word – the word quilting? Is is just another English word that causes many to shake their head over the confusion of the English language? Or is it a word that is fluid, adaptable, and timeless? It can mean many things – different things to different people, and also many things to one.
In my dictionary it has many definitions. Including the following one.
Quilting is the process of making a hug.
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This week’s video shares a few more of the quilted items under construction in my home at the moment, as well as a couple finished quilts. I also have another patchwork block to share.
Trying a new pattern just for the fun of it. Windmill was inspired by a block in Barbara Brackman’s book Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery. I was drawn to the windmill image the block created. I added two center applique circles to emphasize the imagery.
It’s been eight months since I posted the first of thirty blocks designed for an English Paper Piecing sampler quilt. Today I share the final four blocks in the set. I will begin assembling them into a quilt top, possibly resembling this rendering, in the next few weeks. Then the hand quilting will begin.
The blocks I am sharing this week are called:
Glimmering Star, Double Tulip, Rising Sun, and Prudence Penny’s Compass.
💜There are times when we can feel a bit unwound, much like a messy pile of yarn, but sometimes we have to embrace the chaos before we can find the calm💜
As I approach the 4th anniversary of my YouTube vlog, I have been pondering how much has changed since posting the first of my videos. What started out as a simple way to share the spinning journey of Tour de Fleece during a socially isolated time has evolved. My early videos were short, spinning content with background music for greater enjoyment. The camera only caught my profile, and I never spoke. Gradually the content changed, and I gained the confidence to speak directly to my audience.
Much like this blog, my vlogs have been a way for me to share my thoughts, as well as the things that bring me joy. Short content has been replaced by longer videos, and the podcast format seems a better fit than making how-to content. My following, while small, has been loyal and has grown steadily, albeit very slowly.
Whether short or long, my videos seem to fall under the umbrella of Unwinding with Fiber and Fabric, the name of my podcast. I feel it is the right time to change the name of my channel to better reflect the content. The name is still a mouthful, but one that will hopefully be easier to find, or share.
This blog will not change, nor will my Facebook and Instagram accounts, although those accounts might change in the future. For now, I will remain Pioneerlady at Pithyponderings (pioneerlady_at_pithyponderings), because a name is more than just a title or description of what we do. A name is part of who we are.
A charted path can help us get to where we want to go, and it can provide us a sense of control in a chaotic world. Yet, there is something to be said for occasionally leaving the charted path and bravely taking an unplanned journey into the unknown.
With the completion of my dedicated sewing-crafting room (notwithstanding the need of a fresh coat of wall and ceiling paint), I find myself recognizing a shift has occurred. While I don’t believe the sewing room is the catalyst of this change, I do think it symbolizes the change that has occurred within me.
It is as I begin to really use this dedicated space, a space that brings me joy and comfort, I realize more fully that I have changed.
Change doesn’t usually happen overnight, but sometimes the awakening to the change does feel abrupt. We go to bed one night only to wake up the next morning to realize the journey we’ve been on has led us to our destination. What then, we ask ourselves? Do we meticulously map our a new destination, or do we allow ourselves the freedom of following an uncharted path, even if only for a short while?
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This Week’s English Paper Piecing Block – The Triple Star
In a world were the pressure for perfection is ever present, the quest for success can overwhelm us, thus causing our creative mojo to get lost somewhere along the journey. This is often the case when we are creating to meet the demand of others, but it can also be the case when we are creating for ourselves. The scale we use to measure success, sadly, is seldom one we create ourselves, thereby placing us at the risk of becoming overwhelmed when our efforts fall short of an unrealistic norm.
As creators, or makers to use another term commonly used in social media, we rely on our creative mojo to keep our inspiration flowing and our ideas vibrant. Our ability to keep creating often relies heavily on our feelings of accomplishment, and therefore how we determine success is instrumental in our ability to create.
In my video today, I ponder the notion of success and the question of whether my latest project is a success. I determine success is achieved when three criteria are met – functionality, structural-soundness, and joy. We are makers not machines. Variables in our creative efforts are part of what makes our product unique and desirable. When we hold onto this knowledge, we can better keep hold of our mojo even as we pursue success.
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This week I have three English Paper Piecing blocks to share.
Pithy Ponderings 