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.
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.
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.
________________________________________________
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.
No matter the reason you put off working on it, no matter how displeased it made you feel at times, a finished project will stir your heart when it is completed, if for no other reason than it is done.
A productive week! Three quilts finished, as well as finally finishing the silk I’ve been spinning on-and-off for months. I share these completed projects in this week’s vlog. I also have another English Paper Piecing block to share. It is called the Gemstone Star and can be downloaded below.
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?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week I have three English Paper Piecing blocks to share.
Simply joyful projects do more than just keep the hands busy, they cleanse and refuel the mind.
This week I have two simple flowers to share. They can either become decorative mini pillow ornaments, or they can be applied to a fabric square for use in a bigger project.
As I prepared for this post, I received a notification alerting me that today is the 12 year anniversary of my blog. It is fitting that the quilt block I am sharing today is called the Rolling Star because despite the chaos of life, my blog keeps rolling along.
Over the years, I have posted as the inspiration strikes rather than following any schedule or routine. Recently my posts tend to correspond with my vlog content, but every so often the pithy blog emerges from a meandering thought I feel is worth sharing.
Regardless the inspiration for my posts, I hope that they find their way to those who need to see them. For even if just one viewer finds value in the content, I feel the effort has been worthwhile. Of course, it goes without saying, the true value these last 12 years has been achieved in the record I have created.
Best wishes to all who read this blog post. Thank you for joining me as I roll along this meandering journey!
Pithy Ponderings 