A little backstory on the fabric I used. A friend's grandmother, who happen to be a fabric artisan and quilter, left a bunch of fabric when she passed. About 4-5 months ago I spent several days sorting fabric and found bunches of pre-pieced swatches of fabric and I separated them out into this soft bag. With the aforementioned project I decided what better way to honor the memory of this special contributor to the stash, than to use her pre-pieced selections along with other of her fabrics and make scrap-tastic baby doll quilts. I ended up with four.
The interesting part about this little project(s) is that I am not accustomed to working with odd shapes and sizes. However, this is scraptastic right???!!! I just started putting them together. Once I got started on the first one, I realized I would have to do some trimming to get them squared to make the process a little smoother. I was able to generate these four pretty fast. It was good to work out of the comfort zone. That also means that at some point I am going to have to give applique a shot. I may do that when I start of a special operations seal that I plan to work on sometime in the near future. One other issue I ran into with these projects was seams. Lots and lots and lots of seams. However, I usually press all my seems open, and with premade pieces most seams were already pressed (mostly to the dark side). This allowed me to work with nesting of seems, which I found to be somewhat pleasant.
As mentioned in the previous post, I started a quilt for a buddy to "auction" off for his private/home school group. Tish finished it by doing a simple meander and a binding job. She will be posting pics soon. Needless to say, this was a pretty easy top to piece and a quick finish. I would certainly do the pattern again. It was called Cabin Fever.
The top photo is the completed top, the second photo is what was suppose to be both pieces of binding, however after consideration I decided to do a traditional instead of flange. The main binding is the predominate blue. and the last photo is the backing...a pieced civil war vintage fabric that I found at Classic Quilt Shop in Clarksburg, WV. Once done, I "cabbaged" as I call it, the remaining fabric after it was finished, for a possible future project.
Then I took left overs a created a block, I have two more laid out, but not finished.
I will finish these up and offer them for-sale at a local boutique.
I also have a few more complete blocks on A Bee Sampler Quilt-a-Long.
I also assisted in creating some blocks for the LQG for our raffle quilt this year.
With that being said, I am preparing to embark on a new adventure. I knew that I had a new temporary assignment, and through all the nervousness and tension, the time has finally arrived to take on the process. This week I have something additional to complete (that relates to my temp assignment). This will be a training process for me that will allow me to be a further asset to my agency, in a different capacity. I have a week of training next week (I will be helping in delivery of training that week). I am looking particularly forward to that week as it relates to special operations. Special Operations is a brotherhood that few will understand and even fewer will ever be a part of. Then the following week I start my 6 month temporary journey. This should make me much more promote-able. It will expose me to an upper level management/administration type position. Nervous as I may be, I am looking forward to the challenge.
Back to the quilting front....I am looking forward to my next projects. I have several projects on the burner....Fabrics waiting to be used....
This from my Leadership Training in NC.
And this which was a more recent purchase. This fabric spoke more to me than, I think, any other fabric I have purchased.
The following pictures are of the most recent project that I completed. It is for a close friend of the family/(actual) family. The colors ended up working well together and a simple Turning Twenty pattern that I stayed true to (this time). I can't wait to finish this one and get it to it's owner. It will be backed in Purple Moda Grunge and have a pretty bold purple binding. The "favorite" color was purple.
I went through probably 19 lay outs before I came to rest with the bottom one. The "squares" are actually a pretty vibrant violet, that didn't really show up as pretty as they are. I had one block that I put together in the second row wrong. I couldn't stand it, so I went back and fixed it. I really am happy with the final product.
Last but not least is a new semi-planned project. I had a student in my most recent class, that touched me personally. I don't feel at liberty to speak of details, but let us just say that there is a commonality that touched close to my heart. A wonderful soul entered my life and showed that people can and do change. Without a clear commitment, this person persevered through a tough situation and found a duty-full calling to persist and achieve graduation. They also found a respect for the duty to the job and to all people effected by the job. This person proved that they have potential as a leader and I rarely saw the person, not reading or studying something suggested during training. The unfortunate part is that they are not in the most desirable location to work. However, true leadership knows no bounds, and that success can be had/made anywhere. So this person, asked me about making a quilt. I try and commission as many projects as I can stand to work on, but this one is special in another way. If anyone is following WV, we are in the throws of a major state budget/wage increase battle. This particular location, though not a part of state, deals with my agencies "trusties" to speak euphemistically. The pay at this location is even worse. I felt compelled to make this one as a gift also....With that being said....let us examine the fabrics....
This was a new purchase!
Aside from the ones labeled as a new purchase, the rest of these are from the stash...the very back blue, in almost every picture is a shibori style dyed fabric that I made myself, that will make this quilt extra personal. I made it at last year's Quilt Bloggers International Retreat.
The reds will add a splash of color. I am thinking an overall HST theme or one like a cascade pattern I found. I have to research the cascade pattern to see if it will be big enough and I want this to be a large Lap or smaller Twin/Full for quality "Snugglishness" or Snuggle Factor. The Snugglish factor is probably one of the most important in a quilt....at least in my opinion.
I will likely, on my new experience, take a small HusqvarnaViking machine with me to work on this project and hopefully have it complete in short order. I know it will be received well and will be worth the investment of time, labor, and fabric.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
― Anne Frank
As I approach my new mission, I approach it as humbly as possible, knowing that any changes for the positive are because of what others bring to the table, I just "pray" that I am the vehicle to cause the change to come about. I also know that I am fortunate to have the opportunity to make an impact. I enter this project not expecting or trying to change anything. I am just there to observe and report my finding....make suggestions when reasonable, and provide a service as more of a consultant than an "evaluator" of sorts.
Those that read this, when you have time, over the next 6 months, send thoughts, prayers, good vibrations out my way to help me be successful.
In the meantime.....I will serve and protect!
In the meantime.....I will serve and protect!
As a hopeful leader for the future, I don't know where my life will take me, per-say....However, I do have a vision and a mission....and that is to be a leader that provides people with motivation to find their own vision and mission in the world.....Doing this in a way that does not harm or interfere with the rights of others....and make a lasting legacy... that my life will be remember because of the impact that I made on others. If quilting and teaching remain a part of that, then that is wonderful also. In my now almost 2 years of quilting, I have recognized that so many others have major talent that I'm not sure I can honestly reach in the quilting world. I enjoy developing blocks, making quilts, and giving them away. I am wonderful at color coordination too and enjoy the wonderful friendships, both locally and on-line that I have developed as a result of quilting. However, personal speaking engagements related to leadership and helping others... is where my passion lies.
You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.
Zig Ziglar
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/
zig_ziglar_381984
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/
You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.
Zig Ziglar
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/zig_ziglar_381984
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/zig_ziglar_381984
You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.
Zig Ziglar
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/zig_ziglar_381984
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/zig_ziglar_381984
