Real Happiness

"To get a dopamine "hit," make something that pushes you to the furthest edge of your ability, where you're not only focused but learning and perfecting skills."

This is a quote from a wonderful article.  I had never heard this before but it is true for me.  I was in my "studio" yesterday and it was so relaxing and healing.  I love making these placemats.  I would offer one word of advice.  Plan Ahead!  I used raw edge applique for these trees.  I am not sure I will do that again.  I thought it would be easier than piecing.

Also added a border to the Starry Nine Patch #2.  I found this fabric in my stash,  sort of a orangy pink batik.  I wish I could remember where I got it.  I am almost out and I love using it. When you put the nine patches together you come up with some very interesting combinations.  I pay very little attention to arranging them.  If two patches that are alike end up next to each other then fine.  You can see that happened a couple of times.  That just adds to the patchiness (is that a word).

Here is a close-up.  I am having camera issues.  Something happened to my trusty Nikon Coolpix.  The camera store says the lens is broken but I have no idea how that happened. 

 
 














I have had the print in the background for literally years.  I really want some placemats for myself.
I pulled these fabrics to use.  I have no ideas yet but pulling fabrics is fun.

Tonya mentioned this book and I could not resist.  Believe me I was not disappointed for a second.  The quilts in this book are not only gorgeous but so so creative.  I am sure the women that created them experienced a "dopamine 'hit'".  I don't usually enjoy reading commentary about quilts but the one by Joe Cunningham is so interesting.  He points out wonky components of several of the quilts.  It makes you look at them in a new refreshing way. 

So square!

My aunt told me she was cutting squares so not to be left out I have been cutting squares from my scraps.  I thought I would go one step further and not just stuff them into a box but sort them according to predominant color.  I can tell you that I now get it.  It makes it so much easier.  I also got some cool boxes from Target.  I feel so organized!!

I am making a baby quilt for a friend of my daughter-in-law that is on her traveling team.  I have used this idea before,  make random nine patches and stars.  I also inserted squares of a fabric she selected with some of the places where they had traveled. I love the way this is turning out. It is on my design wall.  I like to leave it for a few days to see if I want to move anything around.   I stole this idea from my aunt.  It is so versatile.  I can't decide on a border. 

This is the back,  last year they traveled to Asia and she wanted something to represent the time they spent there.

My other daughter in law fell in love with the placemats I made for the boys and she wants some for her house.

Working on small projects is very satisfying and I love doing houses.

This is the set up in my sewing room/studio.  In the background you can see my new design wall with the starry squares quilt on it.  I can sew, cut and iron without getting up from my chair. 

When I moved things around a couple of months ago I bought a table from Overstock and put my sewing machine on it.  I lowered it and put the quilting table on it to give me a big flat surface. 

I find it so relaxing to be engaged in creative pursuits.  I try to look at what I do and not compare.  I feel that you can lose focus if you start comparing.  It is hard not to compare with all the great quilting ideas on the internet. 

A quote that I find very meaningful to me.  Does this speak to you too?

Courntey Carver:  It's usually when I don't know exactly how to do what I am doing that I do my best work.  Don't let process and perfection get in the way. 

Overflowing

This is how I am feeling these days. I am overflowing with ideas.

IDEAS > TIME!  A little of my math geekiness comes out sometimes. 

I finished this quilt top over the weekend.  It is a very interesting pattern with lots of possibilities.  It was fun although I generally like being more liberated and free form.  I enjoy using a pattern but it is so much fun just to start and see where you go. 

I see all these folks organizing their fabrics and I just had to join in.    It seems most folks organize by color but what other ways do you use to organize your fabric. 

I would really like to combine all these fabrics into one area but I don't see that happening right away. This pie safe has some of the first fabrics that I started with 5 years ago.  I really enjoy going back through my stash and remembering what I did with each piece.

I saw someone who made some I Spy placemats and I cannot remember who or find the post.  I LOVE making Tonyas letters.  If you have not tried it please do.  Pick up a copy of her Word Play Quilts if you don't already have one.  I need to work on my W.  Making letters/words is addictive.   These placemats are for my house.  I would really like to make them some more and make the letters smaller.  There is a lot you could do with this idea.

The back is  a fun  fabric my daughter in law gave me a couple of years ago.

 

I am really getting into this placemat thing.  I have some houses I made a few years ago and I have never done anything with them.  I am wondering how they would work in placemats.  I also want to explore negative space.  I also have a quilt to make for a co-worker of my daughter in law.  

See what I mean,  more ideas than time!

I talked to my aunt the other day and when she has a few spare minutes she is cutting squares out of her scraps.  I really need to do that but I am wondering how other folks store their squares,  boxes, bags,  what?  Also,  what sizes do you cut or do you cut various sizes.

Do you or don't you?

Do you make New Years Resolutions or don't you?  Do you assess the last year or don't you?  I notice a lot of bloggers showing all the quilts they made this year and it is very impressive.  I lost my mother in 2011.   Someone else is living in her house for the first time since 1962.  I didn't go to her house on Christmas Day for the first time since 1962.  But as they say you have to keep on keeping on. 

I made 14 aprons for Christmas.  This is a group of friends I have had since the second grade.  We all started at a brand new elementary school in the second grade.  My oldest grandson will go to that school next year!  They are wearing the aprons I made them.  We are all very different but respect those differences and are great friends. 

I also made my two precious grandsons smaller aprons.  Notice their aprons are Tar Heel aprons!!

I did a little quilting after I cleaned up the Christmas mess.  My daughter in law has a Relay for Life team and she asked me to make a quilt to raffle off.  This is a pattern from Esch House Quilts.  She was offering this pattern for free at one point.  I love it.  





Happy New Year to all.  Someone commented the other day that it was amazing how much a comment from someone you had never met meant.  I almost said someone I do not know but I do feel like I know many of you.  I do appreciate all my blogging friends.