2009 quilting has begun!

Like it or not I had to go back to work. The same feeling a lot of people have when the vacation ends. So what have I been doing the last few days? Setting priorities of course. First was this quilt that must be finished by February. I thought I could finish it in only a day or two. It's driving me crazy!! I like the effect of the shadows and the box but it feels much too busy.

So I tried a different background. I'm not sure I like that either.

So I tried a different border. I don't like that either.

After a lot of agonizing; I put that aside for awhile to think of other possibilities. I went to the machine and quilted to get my mind flowing in the right direction. So here is the first finished quilt of 2009.

A close up of the quilting. Unfortunately these are the only pictures. It's been picked up already.

So next was opening the boxes that arrived before the end of the year. 5 arrived in one box and one in another. These are marked onto my waiting list as having arrived.

Then it was on to doing end of year inventory. Threads are the most time consuming for me. As you can see I have a bunch of threads.

While doing the thread inventory I decided to clean up the thread display wall. It had gotten out of whack during the rush. The color tags on the wall weren't right anymore because some colors are no longer available. I made some new tags.

I want to change the thread wall to something different..... someday. Maybe a closed cabinet? I'll see what I can come up with as I ponder options.

So the next quilt is on the machine waiting for me. I also have two custom made tops that must be frog stitched and made over again. My fault actually, I was so rushed during the xmas season that I made mistakes. I know better than try doing things much too fast. Thank goodness for forgiving customers!

I had wanted to reorganize the studio, reorganize my webshots, reorganize my blogs, reorganize my kitchen, make some window quilts, make some organizer boxes, make some cardboard furniture, spend time with my kids and grandkids, spend time with some friends....... there is more but I don't want to bug you too much. Needless to say these things haven't happened yet. The overflow of work that didn't happen before xmas has taken priority over lots of things. All I can do is all I can do. I have 3 1/2 months before the next rush season begins... maybe I will get some of these things accomplished by then?

I want to thank the people who sent me well wishes the last few days. I read the messages this morning. It made my heart feel good to know there are those who wished me well.

I'm back home after another surgery and bunches more antibiotics by IV. The second surgery was to drain more of the infection from the area. It wasn't drained enough the first time.

I'm on an antibiotic regimine for the next few days and have an appointment in the morning to remove the drain tube.

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I have doctor orders to not quilt for a few days. I'm to rest, which is what I would do even without doctor orders. The after effects of anesthesia always keep me in a semi sleep stage for several days before it completely wears off. I'm not going near any machinery until the effects are completly gone and I feel safe to operate it. No sense in me taking a chance on sewing or cutting a finger because I'm not fully aware of what I'm doing.

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Since I can't quilt for a few days I'll work on some things that require non-lethal tools. First thing after my appointment tomorrow I'll make phone calls. My jaw and throat are much too sore to talk right now. I need to explain the situation to my customers. I'm sure some of the customers will be willing to give unquilted tops as xmas gifts and bring them back to me in January to finish.

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My quilt came back from Innovations. It didn't get any ribbons. Why am I not surprised? Most people want to see a quilt that is so heavily quilted that it can almost stand up by itself. They also want to see the quilting more than the fabrics. I'm different. I like the quilting to be almost invisible so that the actual fabrics and design of the quilt are the showcase. I like using almost perfect matching thread so that the quilting gives texture but doesn't really show other than that. Oh well, there will be other contests and other opportunities to win a ribbon.

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I think its time for me to go lay back down.

I went back to the fair yesterday. I had had several people tell me there were ribbons on my quilts. My daughter took me there so I could take another look. I swear.... when I was there on opening day there was not any ribbons on my quilts! Or at least I didn't see them. These quilts were hanging in different places on opening day too. Originally this quilt was next to my friend Yvonne's quilt... not next to a round rug.



This quilt didn't have a ribbon either on opening day. Or at least I don't think it did. I'm beginning to doubt my own eyesight now.

This next picture is of the winner of best of show in the textile department and also received the LAFTA award for ? I'm not sure what the award is for. Somebody's idea of "quality" art. The award was supposed to be given in the art department and wound up being given in the textile department instead.

I entered a quilt wall hanging in the art department for the first time because I was asked to enter a piece as support for the LAFTA efforts to improve that department. (Louisville Area Fiber and Textile Artists) I'm also a member of this group. Right this moment I'm almost afraid or ashamed to admit I'm a member. I believe in the concept of the group but I also find the internal politics of the group very troublesome for me. Thank goodness there are other members who feel the same as me about the internal politics.

LAFTA offered a special award of $100 to entice entries in the art department. Believe me.... I've tried getting into some of the LAFTA sponsored art shows. My quilts are not the "quality" of art work the powers that be want in the shows so I stopped trying. They always keep the entry fees even if the entry doesn't get accepted into the shows. I can't afford to keep trying when I know it's going to cost so much to be turned down.

I see no reason to enter a piece in the art department next year either. If the LAFTA award is going to be given anywhere in the fair; why would anyone be enticed to enter the art division? I'd rather take my art work to the textile department where it feels most comfortable. My art quilts feel best when they get entered into either the original design or the open technique classes. At least in the textile department my art quilts will have a chance of winning a ribbon. And..... my quilts are appreciated for what they are..... my art and my techniques.... not somebody's idea of "less than quality" art.

Hmm... as I sat here type-talking; I remembered something I had come to realize many years ago. It goes back to the history of quilts and textile art. The art community doesn't consider quilts as anything but something to cover a bed. One day someone in the art community decided that a textile art piece could be considered a quilt if it contained three layers stitched together. But not the other way around. Quilts cannot be textile art because quilts are not artsy enough.

So the art community started entering art pieces into the quilt shows for the prize money offered. Over the years the quilt shows have accepted these and created separate catagories just for textile art type quilts. At the Nashville show I even saw one piece of painted artist's canvas that was quilted. But; to my knowledge and years of visiting art shows.... no actual quilt has ever been accepted into a textile art show. The art community still does not consider a bed quilt as a piece of art. No matter how skillful the technique and no matter how beautiful the maker does a design.... a quilt will remain just a quilt in the art community.

Ok, I think I've type-talked enough this morning. Once again I'm going to work hard at getting back on schedule. Before I start in the studio though, I'm going to put pictures in webshots of the fair quilts. I didn't get pictures of them all. Only as many as I could before my daughter got "bored" and wanted to leave.

State fair complaints

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How would you interpret the following statement? I should explain that this description is written as a class description..... not listed in the textile department rules.

Professional Quilter classes

Professional - For the purposes of the state fair is defined as one who engages in an activity for monitary profit such as hand or machine quilting, teaching or instruction, or engages in retail or wholesale of products pertaining to the art of quilting.

Entry into this department will be an acknowledgement of professional status and will prohibit entry in other classes. Entries in these classes will not win points toward sweepstakes.

Did you read it as anyone who quilts professionally MUST enter that catagory? Or did you read it as anyone who WANTS to enter that catagory should declare themself a professional?

My own personal interpretation of the statement was that if a person WANTED to enter that catagory they had to declare themself a professional and prove it by indicating they earned money from quilting.

The textile people read it differently. They read it as anyone who earns money even remotely from quilting MUST enter that catagory only.

So it boils down to a WANT or MUST interpretation.

It hurt my feelings because I was stripped of all my ribbons this year. All because of how it could be interpreted. I think I'm all over the hurt now and I want to do something to improve the fair for next year.

The catagories I entered.... original design and art/pictorial were not a part of the professional division. I entered the way I thought I should for the catagories. So now that I'm being forced to enter the professional class I can't enter those type quilts anymore. I must either start making quilts to fit that catagory or stop entering.

If I don't enter anymore what will I be saying to the quilters who like the fair? Did I stop entering because I was hurt and upset? Will anyone realize I stopped entering because the quilts I create can't be entered anymore? I love the fair!! I've always encouraged others to get their entries in so we could have a mini quilt show right here in this area. I would love to see more participation.... not less.

There is another problem with the professional catagory.... one that will eventually cause even more problems if it hasn't already. They lumped the professional hand quilters in the same class as professional machine quilters. They also require a person who runs a quilt shop to be professional too. Even if the shop owner does not make quilts for a living. I see a dozen different problems that are about to arise from this professional status catagory.

I was also given a challenge...... "If you think you can rewrite the rules and catagories to make everyone happy..... without increasing the number of classes.... and without increasing the number of problems.... we will consider using it next year." It was not an official challenge. Just one given to me by someone involved with the fair.

Now THAT'S a real challenge!

I'm very much willing to take that challenge and give it a try even if it wasn't official. Hmmm.... just how would I go about making the fair a really nice event to enter? I haven't a clue at this point. I've never been involved with writing catagory or class descriptions. In fact I've never done anything for the fair textile department other than enter quilts myself and encourage others to enter too.

I've thought about this challenge and I realize I can't fix it.... if I don't know what's broken. No problem can be resolved until someone knows what the problem is in the first place.

I'm asking for your help. Send me your fair complaints!

Here's your chance to grouch and complain to your heart's content about the fair textile department! Let it loose! Tell me absolutely everything that causes a problem for you at your own fair and how you would change it if you could.

You can send me emails either publicly or privately... with or without your name. A name and contact information would be nice.... just in case I don't understand what you tell me. You can send your complaints to me through snail mail too if you want. Email me and I will give you my snail mail address. I simply want to know what every complaint or problem is from as many people as I can possibly contact.

Once I get those complaints and problems in my hands I can begin to condense everything into one useable guideline. Am I making my idea understandable? I'm never sure how what I write comes across to others.

What I am doing is simply accepting the responsibility of gathering information and putting it into a useable and easily readable format to present to the fair board. So instead of the board members having to read 1000 complaints about one single topic.... I will have the topic written once and tell them there were 1000 people who said the same thing. Maybe if the fair board is not overwhelmed with soooo many things to read or screening sooo many phone calls they will be more open to changes. Get the idea?

How will I use the complaints about other fairs? Well, the idea is to put those into a condensed version of potential problems. Things that might happen because they have happend in other places.

Ok, I think I've stated my project and how you can help me. I'll end this post and hopefully get lots of replies over the next few weeks. I think the deadline for sending me your thoughts should be October 5th. This will give me plenty of time to get it all read and condensed before the deadline to present it to the fair board.

Thank you to all who are willing to help me with my project. I look forward to reading what you write.

Here is another finished quilt.... almost. I still have the binding to do on it. A very large quilt that took two days to quilt.



I did a flower design in the 9 patch squares.

A leaf and flower design in the sashing.

A simple outline of the flowers and petals here.

Just as I was taking this one off the machine I heard a lot of chirping and chattering from the birds outside. I thought maybe a cat was wandering around to set off the protective instinct of the mother birds so I went to investigate. Not a cat.... it was a hawk. It's sitting on top of the light pole.

I did manage to get this fair entry quilted and bound. I have it pinned to one of my design walls being blocked. When it dries it should be very square. Well at least I will have a couple of entries this year after all. Thank goodness this one was small and didn't take long to quilt it.

I did a cross hatching on the border and found it had some fullness and pulling areas in it. I went back and did more stitching to take up all the fullness.

I'm slowly making progress to getting back on schedule. I had to eliminate several "me" things from my "to do" list. I think my apprentice will start the first week of September. It will be a welcome relief to have someone here to lend a hand with the things I need to get done. Maybe next year I won't have to eliminate so many of my "me" things.

I'm headed off to start on the next customer quilt.

Well its been a busy 3 day weekend for me. I like to include pictures in my blog so here are 3 of what I'm currently working on. Making a design work is always challenging when the seams don't line up.


When the area to quilt is also very small it makes the design choice even more important.

With a little thought and creative machine movement the design works.

I hope to finish this quilt today and have more detail pictures tomorrow.

Over the weekend I finished the binding and sleeves on my fair entry quilts and watched the baby. I still have one fair entry to get quilted if I can. If it doesn't get finished that will be 3 items I don't enter. I love to enter the woven rug catagories but this year I just couldn't get any rugs finished. Both of the rugs I wanted to enter are still on the frames waiting for me to get around to working on them.

Yesterday I was all set to have an energy audit done on my house. I sat and waited for the man to arrive. About 10 minutes late he calls to reschedule for next Monday. He's feeling kinda poorly but will come if I really want him to. YES! by all means... reschedule!! Please don't bring any sickness around me. I'll catch it...... I catch everything.... and I don't want it.

Well, that meant I could get onto the machine after all so I started that quilt. I'm so far behind on the work that any time I can put into quilting helps. With that said... I'm headed for the studio to get started.

I managed to finish the quilt with the difficult thread. It worked out much better for me to turn off the stitch regulator. I didn't get quite as many skipped stitches with it off.

This is the quilt.



A close up of the sashing.

A close up of the block done with line dancing.

A close up of the piano key border.

I added this to the corner for her. I try to add a little special surprise item to all her quilts because she is such a good friend.

Whew! It's been such a hard week for me. I try to keep myself working on the machine so I can get caught up...... BUT LIFE KEEPS GETTING IN THE WAY. Just when I think I'm making progress there is something to come along to take me away from my goal.

August is always the hardest month of the year for me. Many things happen in August that seem to take all my strength to get done. I'm usually gone a week this month so its a short work month. The big junk day happens in August which means I can finally get some broken things out of the house. I can't get any of the lazy men around here to help carry stuff to the alley. I must do it myself.

The fair starts this month which mean all my own entries must be finished this week. I have a couple that still need binding and sleeve attached and one isn't quilted yet. It won't get entered. The customer fair quilts were finished a couple of weeks ago.

I have an energy audit scheduled for Monday which means I have several things to do before it can be done. The weekend was going to be my time for getting ready for the audit. But.... my daughter needs me to babysit Saturday so she can work. Daycare is closed on the weekend. Looks like Sunday is going to be a rush... rush.... rush kind of day.

In all this rush to get life things done; I don't know when I will find time for quilting. Yet.... it must be done if the bills are going to get paid. I usually don't schedule many quilts during August because I know its a busy month. I'm still working on June and July quilts.

For a long time I've thought about how nice it would be to clone mayself so there would be two of me working. Two people get soooo much more work done than just one. Well, the alternative would be to have an apprentice. Looks like my wish is coming true!

I had a call a couple of days ago from a very nice young lady that wants to learn the business of machine quilting in exchange for helping me with things I can't seem to get done. I met her a few years ago on a bus trip to Nashville.... or was it Paducah.... no matter.... we got along great.

I didn't have time to call her yesterday to tell her I'm ready.... if she is. I was too busy finishing the quilt to make a phone call. I'm going to call her later today to talk more about it.

She wants to come over one day a week to help with whatever I need in exchange for watching and learning. Neither of us know if it will work out but I'm certainly willing to give it a try if she is. I'm excited at the prospect of having someone help. I kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel for getting caught up around here.

I know she doesn't have the experience to do machine quilting yet. She will learn that over time. It's the other things that she can help with that mean the most. For example sewing while I'm pressing and pinning. Or helping sort fabric donations. Or cutting and organizing fabric ready for piecing into charity quilts. I can think of lots of stuff I need help doing.

I may not get back onto the computer again until Tuesday. Computer time and tv time sure can eat up work time. I try to stay off the computer and away from the tv when I'm in a rush. Time for me to get started.... the work won't get finished as long as I sit here type-talking.

Today's finished quilt. It took two days (12 hours each) to quilt this one.


The owner wanted grid lines on it. The lines are not meant to be straight or even. She wanted the look of random.


A close up of the back.


I have a good friend who will be stopping by my blog for the first time today. She wanted to see pictures of these quilts.

This quilt is leaving me next week. I most likely won't see it ever again as it's donated to Mayor Jerry Abramson's Derby brunch as a fund raiser for the Farnsley-Moorman House. For those of you who don't know.... that's a restored mansion from the colonial days of Louisville. It's a nice tourist attraction. This one is called.... Let's walk.


This is my guild challenge quilt for this year. It's finally finished. This is actually the first time I have posted a picture of this one. This is before the quilting. It's called.... I love you too. I was given permission by Mary Engelbriet to reproduce one of her paintings into fabric. It will eventually be donated to a charity though I'm not sure which one yet.



This is a close up of the faces.


This one is also leaving me in about two weeks and I won't see it again either. It's donated to the New Hampshire SPCA after it competes in the Machine Quilter's Expo. It's a fabric challenge quilt. This one is called.... Adoption Dreams.


I've discovered I really like doing fabric challenges. It's something I could get hooked on very easily. I may look around to see if I can find some more to do. But.... not just yet. Work is calling me to the studio so that's where I'm headed.

I finally finished an easy quilt. Yeah! I pieced it myself in the design requested by the owner.


4 pieces of fabric sewn together....


With these symbols appliquéd in the center. Circle Lord square dance quilting on it.


But.... like everything else I've done lately... there is a problem.


Well, heck! I clean the bobbin area after every bobbin and do a really thorough cleaning once a week. I've yet to figure out where these little dust bunnies hide in there.

I sent in my entry for the MQX Pet Pourri Fabric Challenge. There aren't any rules saying I can't show it... so here it is....


Here is a blurry close up.... sorry, I still don't know how to operate my camera very well.


I think I could become addicted to fabric challenges. After the show this will not be returning to me. It has already been donated to the NHSPCA as a fund raiser quilt. Yup, another charity quilt. I'm also working on one to be donated to our animal group here. Same design, different fabrics.



The design is my interpretation of the MQX Pet Pourri logo. Sign.... if only I could do nothing all day but create art quilts like this. Isn't it the wish of every quilter to do nothing but create quilts? Well, since I can't create all day, my customers all provide me with a blank canvas for my other passion.... machine quilting. And... I do have one of those waiting for me right now.

Seven steps of fate???

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Here is today's finished quilt.


It has a pieced back too.


This is a close up of the quilting. The fabric is all about cats but I didn't have a cat design that would work really well and the customer didn't want paw print meandering.



The rest of this post may get a little lengthy as I explain the seven steps of fate.

A couple of days ago I had made up my mind to not enter any juried contests anymore. I was content with the decision. I know I can still create quilts and art without entering contests. One of the contests I had decided not to enter was MQX because it had gone to being a juried show.

I wasn't discouraged about my work. I was simply understanding that taking full shot photos of a finished quilt is impossible for me. I don't have the space or the set up for taking photos. I don't know enough about using my camera or about the best way to take pictures. I don't know how to make my old computer transfer images to disk either.... even with a new cd burner installed on it.

Yes, I do a fair job of putting photos on webshots or in my journals but its not the same as what is required for entering juried contests. I don't have the money in my budget either for paying a professional photographer like some are doing.

I think fate is telling me to think again about my decision. A series of events have taken place the last couple of days which cause me to believe I should give it one more try with MQX.

First - I get an email from LAFTA (the local textile artists group I belong to). They have a class next month on taking digital photos for entering contests and transferring them to disk. It's at a college campus close to my house instead of way out at the edge of the county somewhere. I can get there by bus in a few minutes instead of a couple of hours. The class also fits into my budget nicely because its free. I thought to myself....what the heck...I can always use more knowledge....so I signed up.

Second - this arrived in the mail. I had completely forgotten about it. What is it?


Its the challenge fabric for the MQX Petpouri this year. Most of my customers already know that my favorite charities are ones that help animals. I've been donating quilts (in this area) for a few years. Receiving this fabric really tugged at my heart.


Third - This also arrived in the mail. Its the new issue of American Quilter. The magazine you get by being a member of AQS. In it were our guild challenge photos for getting second place this past August at the Nashville Show. Now really! You think I care about getting into a small local art contest when I can see my quilt in this?


Fourth - as I sat to take a closer look at the challenge fabric a design popped right into my head. Usually I have to think and contemplate a few days before a design takes form. Not this time. It was all right there in my mind.

Fifth - as I was cleaning up the catch all corner of my studio, the tripod for my camera kind of lept out at me. It had been buried beneath some stash fabrics and books for a couple of months.

Sixth - I started doubting myself. I thought...Gee, I don't have enough time for starting another quilt right now. There are the Christmas quilts to finish. The organizing to do. The vacation. The other quilts I'm already committed to doing. I simply don't have the time. I take a look at the MQX booklet, the deadline for entering isn't until March 1st. In the life of a professional quilter that's plenty of time. Then I get a phone call from a customer. She has not been able to finish her 4 quilts. Can I please move her name to the end of the waiting list? Gee, that's 4 to 6 extra days of time.

So I go back to cleaning the catch all corner.

Seventh - And what happened? In my effort to clean up the corner, out popped the perfect fabrics to put with the challenge quilt fabrics.

Ok, is there any doubt now? I've had every obstacle to creating one more contest quilt taken away. I simply must at least try. Now if only I can keep my design a secret until after the deadline for entering....hmm....

Rejection letter

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I got my rejection letter from Form Not Function yesterday. It was only a week late. I had entered these two and another one I don't have a photo of right now.




I do believe that will be my last attempt at entering any juried show. Getting into a juried show is simply not worth the expense. I create quilts because I enjoy making them.

I originally entered that contest because I wanted to see what my work would look like hanging in a gallery next to artists. At the time I entered; I believed this to be important. But you know what? That isn't really all that important anymore.

The best gallery in the world is the wall of my grand children's bedroom. Or that of a homeless man walking down the street with a quilt bedroll hanging from his shoulder. Or seeing a quilt I donate raise money to benefit a charity in some small way.

So I will continue to make quilts. I will make them because the urge to create comes upon me...not with the intention of getting into a juried show.

My quilts will be appreciated much more by those who receive them than those who run a quilt show. My quilts will get love from the homeless families, the elderly lonely, the very sick, the children, the charities who need an auction item, the animal charities, and family members.

So with that said....I'm headed off to the studio to create today.

New Glasses

Yesterday I went to pick up my finished glasses.


I still can't see. This is so frustrating! In the left lens I can see perfectly. In the right lens I can't see a thing. Looking through both together it's a blurry mess. The glasses were checked with the prescription and they are the way it was written. So first thing tomorrow morning I will call for an appointment with the eye doctor again. Maybe he can see where the problem is. One thing is for sure, I'm not giving up! I've paid far too much money to not be able to see properly. If these don't get fixed right.....I will bug everyone to death until they are fixed. Other people get glasses that work so why shouldn't I?

So after picking up the glasses my daughter took me to buy a new camera.


I also got a tri-pod for it.


I consider a camera and tri-pod a necessary piece of equipment....if....I plan to enter contests. Almost all contests require photos on disk as part of the entry these days. Owning a digital camera is the easiest way to be sure the pictures are good, instantly. So the next thing I have to do is figure out why my computer can't put photos on the disks. I have a new cd burner but it doesn't work right.

I also bought printer ink for my computer printer. I saw them on sale 15% off, plus I had $3 coupon off each one. This should keep me supplied for awhile.

Ok, enough for now....I'm going to spend a little while catching up with what is going on in the MQR ring then do some cleaning.