First quilt of the year…kind of.

This quilt was intended for the Dear Stella fabric challenge at Quiltcon in 2013. Once the deadline for the quilt show passed I lost momentum and got distracted with other pretty, shiny quilty things. In October of this year I decided to contact a local long arm quilter, Gina Pina, to see if she could quilt it before Christmas. Lucky me! She could. I was able to finish the binding recently and last night showed it off at the Austin Modern Quilt Guild's show and tell. I also handed it off to one of the guild members organizing the San Saba County Quilt Show, which is taking place in a couple of weeks. The one thing I didn't do was take some photographs of the entire quilt. That's going to have to wait until after the quilt show. Once I have them I will post them and share the inspiration behind this quilt. 

I've gone back and forth over the years when it comes to decorating for Christmas. I think it depends on how busy life is at the time. My interest in Christmas has grown over the last couple of years since becoming a mother. It's difficult to ignore any holiday, but Christmas seems to the one that cannot be overlooked. My oldest (he's 3) actually came home from school one day before Halloween and asked me how soon until Christmas. (Time is a lost concept on kids.) I explained there were other holidays we needed to celebrate before Christmas. I then began to regularly reminding him Halloween, All Saint's Day (Day of the Dead), and Thanksgiving needed to happen before would be putting up a Christmas tree and begin observing Advent. Fortunately/unfortunately a child's memory is short and usually tunes in on what is in front of them. We made it through those holidays, plus election day (a holiday of sorts depending on who wins) and Veteran's Day, and the month of December barreled in as our Thanksgiving hangovers subsided. Let the decorating begin!

We hung things, decorated trees, and even started making a few things, such as an Advent calendar. The calendar is still a work in progress, and my goal is to finish it by the time Christmas arrives. (Advent calendar WIPS below.) Over the last couple of years we have added a new tree to our decorations. We now have six. I'm not sure how this plan will work out long-term, but so far it's been successful. This year we put up the vintage tree we found in the cedar closet of our old house in Pittsburgh. It seemed appropriate to bring it with us when we moved, so we could keep a little Pittsburgh with us. It doesn't make up for being away from our wonderful family that lived right next door, but it's sweet, sentimental, and beautiful. (I've posted a couple of trees, including the one to the right featuring my architect and oldest kiddo.) With the tree came vintage glass decorations, and I hung up as many as I could. I hope to add to the tree next year - maybe some hand-beaded  and/or felt garland and a tree skirt. I've made a commitment to my making schedule to add at least one handmade item a year to our Christmas decor, and right now a tree skirt for this tree is high on the list. 

Speaking of handmades, tonight is the Austin Modern Quilt Guild holiday party. We are supposed to bring a handmade sewing accessory for the white elephant gift exchange. I put together a little table mat with pockets to go under a sewing machine and a matching pin cushion. (see pictures in gallery below.) Of course, I waited until the last minute to put something together. Fortunately, the guild had a Pinterest page with some examples of gifts we could make. I liked the quick tutorial from How Joyful to put my gift together and wrapped it with some Christmas-themed fabric. Who doesn't like reindeers and Winnebagos? I'm still getting to know the guild and its members. So far I like everyone I have met, and they are a very talented bunch. I have a feeling there will be some lovely white elephant gifts tonight.

Stay tuned for some embarrassing family photos we took as we tried to capture that perfect family shot for our annual Christmas card...

I know we are all busy people. "Busy" is a terrible excuse for my lack of blogging and creating for the last 8-10 months. I'm hoping now that we are relocated and gradually finding a family rhythm I will be able to get into my studio space, set it up, and return to making quilts, clothes, and whatever sparks my fancy. 

My hands haven't entirely been idle. They've been holding my adorable six month old son, coloring and crafting with my brilliant three year old, packing and unpacking houses, hugging dearly missed family and friends, and sometimes very late at night, when I have a moment of quiet, working on this sugar skull embroidery I picked up from Kat McTee. Once the eyes are finished, I will flourish it with French knots. I'm close to finishing it, and I hope to pick up one of her newest embroidery kits. This one will likely end up on our dia de los muertos wall. I'll post more photos once it is complete. 

I'm hesitant to make some loud statement here about being a better blogger. I don't want to disappoint myself. However, I will try. Writing about making and the beautiful things I see in the world encourages my creative process. It can also help me stay in touch with my wonderful friends from the City of Bridges. (I miss those ladies.) I guess I will just have to see what happens.

Til the next time... 

On December 19 Sherri Lynn Wood officially announced her improv handbook would be published by Abram Books in spring 2015. The offical title is THE IMPROV HANDBOOK FOR MODERN QUILTERS: A Practical Guide for Creating,
Quilting, and Living Courageously, and I cannot tell you how excited I am about the release of this book. There have been several great introductory guides to modern quilting in the past few year; however, there has been a gapping hole for improv enthusiasts. [personal opinion] We only have to wait a little longer.

In addition to annoucing the release of the book Sherri is looking for some volunteer contributers. Details and sign up information are available through her blog posting here. Check out the post regarding the historyof proposing the book and what it will contain. I think it will fill every improv quilter with joy and excitement. I know it did for me!

I feel like I have spent the past few months (maybe the year, or really two)
rethinking and retooling my understanding of the word "making." For the past few
years I have largely defined myself as a maker, especially a quilter. As my life
is filled with the responsibilities of my family and research-intensive day job I feel like I have
had to get more creative with how and what I make.

Fortunately there are creative elements to my job as a prospect researcher. Everyday I am asked to uncover information- some of which is difficult to locate- and I must engage my creative mind to map my way through the Internet and various databases to answer questions and formulate strategies. All of that experience as a reference librarian has really paid off. (This is where I should give a shout out to Sandra Toze, who taught my reference class in graduate school.) To me, my day job, which I really love, is a varation of making.

At home sitting down at my sewing machine on a daily basis can be a challenge. I am blessed with a husband, who supports and appreciates the work I make. He is always happy to watch our son, who is only 2, so I can sneak down to the studio to get in some proper sewing time. When I have a special project, commission, or deadline, my husband takes on additional responsibilities around the house in order to let me finish and never complains. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for his support. (He's a creative, too, so I think he's naturally inclined to understand.) I was able to pound out a few pairs of trivets (one set is featured above) for Waldorf's Winter Fair raffle recently thanks to him.

There are times, though, my heart tells me spending time with my son is more important than an hour of sitting in front of the sewing machine or playing around with improv work. This is where my definition of making has really changed. Spending time with my son is an incredible opportunity to make and create- it just doesn't necessarily involve a lot of sewing right now. (Perhaps when he's older, and I can trust him with a needle.) For now we color, paint, build with Legos, and mostly cook and bake. Our son has literally had his hands in most of the food we make, and I love it. I try to photo-document what I can on Instagram and Flickr. I've loved cooking and baking for several years, and being able to make food with our little boy has furthered my appreciation for the craft. (Yes, food is a craft!) I can't help but think all of these making activities are teaching our son how to approach life in a creative manner. In that respect, I feel like my definition of "making" has really grown because I realize I am [hopefully] making another maker with each thing we do together.

I've been keeping my hands busy since we launched the inagural members' show for the Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild. Putting the show together took a lot of my precious spare time, so I am starting to get back to projects I put on hold. My time is still pretty limited because of the demands of my job at the museums (it's the busiest season, we are relocating, and co-worker on mat leave) and  putting my family, especially my two-year-old son, first. I've grown to dislike this phrase, but it really is "this season" of my life.

While my son napped on Sunday we pulled out the refrigerator we reclaimed from my husband's grandparent's farmhouse. This is a part of our on-going kitchen renovation, which is about 90 percent finished. (Finally!) I was able to get it cleaned up and scrubbed down with wire brushes to remove rust and loose paint. Before kiddo woke up I even got the first coat of paint on the sides. In the next couple of weeks I will repaint the entire thing and possibly add some red stripes for fun. After the refrigerator is installed we will only have finishing touches left over, like trim work and some painting. It's been a fun journey taking on such a large renovation project, and I'm appreciative the husband let me lead the way with the overall design of the space. My love of color takes a lot of trust!

As for quilting projects, I am almost finished with a quilt for my nephew Ivan. (I will post photos when it is finished.) There's a story to this quilt - I started it last year for his first birthday, and now it looks like I will have it finished in time for his second birthday, which is this weekend! Better late than never, right? I feel bad it has taken me so long to finish the quilt. 2013 has been a lesson in time management and simply accepting I can only get so much accomplished in the span of a day. It's also been a good lesson in my inability to please everyone, but that's a story for another time...

In addition to finishing up ongoing projects, I decided to start fine tuning my free motion quilting (FMQ) skills. This weekend I put together these two practice blocks for a class I'm taking on Craftsy. This is my first class on Craftsy, and it is with Leah Day. I'm curious to see if I will be able to learn her techniques while watching her on video. I've only taken in-person FMQ classes, so this is a new adventure for me. Fortunately, I can work on the class lessons for as long as I want, whenever I want. This is good considering how full my life has been these past few months. And, of course, if will remain full, since we are expecting another baby in spring 2014. I will be sure to post pictures of my progress as I work my way through the class. I may need some encouragement and advice from my FMQ buddies.
Cheers! Jodi

It's been about two weeks since I completed and delivered Josiah's quilt to my friend, Renee. About a week or so before then she had contacted our book club group to see if any of us had any baby items we could spare. Renee is a dear soul, who often gives of herself to pretty much anyone she meets. She just has this open, incredible heart that leaks joy and generosity. In this particular case, she and a group of people from her church were throwing a baby shower for a fellow church member in need. We only had a few baby items we could part with, so I asked if I could make a quilt for her baby. I love making baby quilts because I like the idea of every baby having something made especially for them to keep them warm at night, for tummy time, and at times something to chew on. Babies are special, so why not a special quilt?

With limited time before the actual shower and very limited sewing time I knew I had to do something easy. Fortunately, I had some fabrics in my stash I thought would make a compelling quilt using my personal, more traditional quilt favorite, the  nine patch. My need to finish the quilt was solidified when I learn the woman had to deliver her baby early. I'm happy to report Josiah, although born premature, was in pretty good shape. He had to spend a few weeks in the NICU, but he was in very good hands. Keep both of them in your thoughts, though. That's a rough way to enter this world.

I used one of the green Moda cross weaves and the green/gray plaid designed by Malka Dubrovsky along with some scrap gray for the quilt top. Piecing this was a breeze, as was making the backing. I've been working exclamation points into my backs for a while because I like the ideas of quilts making a statement! I did a simulated plaid for the quilting, which took more time than anything else. As for the binding, I had purchased Stockholm sometime last year because I thought it was an attractive modern fabric. I never had a purpose for it, and I'm happy some of it found a home here. It tied the front and the back of the quilt together and added an additional print to the overall design. (Personal note: I love orange. It's one of my favorite colors to incorporate into my quilts.) It's also nice when one of your favorite fabrics in your stash finds a home with worthy individuals. Making this quilt reminded me how much I love making quilts to give away to those in need. I should do this more often.

I disappeared again, didn't I? My absence has been well-intentioned and hopefully I will be posting more frequent updates over the course of the next months. It will depend on how busy my day job keeps me. If any of you have ever worked in the non-profit world, you will know this is the busiest season. And, for those of you who know me I would rather spend my precious spare time making quilts than writing about them. 

Earlier this evening I posted several photos of recently completed quilts to my Flickr page. Please take a moment to see a couple of baby quilts, a table runner, and more photos of these two quilts featured in this post. We are still working on our quilt photography set-up; therefore, some pictures are better than others.

These two quilts are currently featured in the first-ever Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild Members' Show, which had its opening reception this afternoon. The show will be on view until the end of October at the Gallery @ Main at the Carnegie Public Library Oakland (Main) branch. Our guild is very fortunate to have this opportunity to display our work. It is a mix of more than twenty mini-quilts, which were a part of our "Pittsburgh Mini-Quilt Challenge" and thirteen larger quilts. Please take some time to see the show if you live in the Pittsburgh-area. We should be posting photos to the guild website and Flickr page in the next fews days, too.

'58 Carnegie International is based on the cover of the 1958 Carnegie International catalog. The Carnegie International is hosted by the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the 2013 exhibition kicks off the first week of October. The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are dear to me, as is the mid-century modern aesthetic. When I first saw the cover of the catalogue I knew I had to try and replicate it, and, it seemed most fitting to make it for the show's mini-challenge. 

Family Circus was made using Sherri Lynn Wood's Modern Mood Quilt-a-long, which our guild took on as our first guild-wide challenge earlier this year. I have done a little bit of writing about this quilt here on the blog as it became a labor of love. It challenged me in many ways and helped me start thinking differently about my quilts. (It also reaffirmed my desire to take a class with SLW, my one regret from QuiltCon.) The zaniness of the fabric colors and overall piecing of the quilt represents the topsy-turvy adventure that is my life. We constantly feel like we are on an adventure in this house, and we are certainly enjoying the ride. The quilting is a mix of hand (using Pearl cottons) and machine. I lost count of how many thread colors I used, but there are several shades of blue, red, gray, orange, and yellow used through out. The quilting was very time intensive because I wanted it to be densely quilted. Had I not run out of time I might have done a little more here and there, but overall I am pleased with how it turned out. 

Til' soon! - Jodi

Last Saturday I spent the day in Herndon, VA attending the Not Fade Away conference presented by the Quilt Alliance. This was the first educational conference the Quilt Alliance has offered in many years, and I was happy to learn they plan to present a similar conference every two years. The Quilt Alliance is an advocate organization for the preservation and documentation of quilts. They have been responsible for the development of The Quilt Index, Quilters' S.O.S. (Save Our Stories), and Quilt Treasurers. The focus of this conference was to educate those interested in quilting (i.e. quilters, collectors, historians, and curators) on the importance of capturing the story behind the quilts and the quilters who made them. There were morning and afternoon workshops focusing on quilting and social media, properly photographing quilts, self-publishing, and labeling. Personally, the two highlights of the conference were the keynote presentation, which was presented by Janneken Smucker, material culture scholar and Amish quilt historian, and the closing session on historical quilt research presented by museum curators, including Marin Hanson, Curator of Exhibitions, International Quilt Study Center & Museum (IQSC&M). Both were unique opportunities to peak into the challenging and interesting world of curatorial research for those who aspire to work professionally in textiles and craft, such as myself.

There were many things to take away from the conference, and I have continued to ponder the information I gathered while there. Obviously after hearing Marin Hanson I want to make a trip to Lincoln, NE to visit the IQSC&M. The new building design by Robert A. M. Stern looks amazing, but I'm aching to see the collections, especially the Ardis and Robert James Collection. I also continue to wonder how many modern quilters label their quilts. I wonder if modern quilters think about documenting the process of designing and making a quilt. Is a blog post with a few pictures enough? (These thoughts are put in the context of the modern quilter, but they apply to all quilters, makers, etc.) Should we be telling the entire story? And, when we choose to record the documentation of our quilts virtually, how do we intend to maintain that information once we no longer blog or God forbid stop quilting?

I admit I haven't always labeled my quilts. Going forward it will be one of the last steps I take as I finish each quilt. As well, I need to quit being so lazy about documenting my work. Photographing them isn't enough. I need to take the time to write out each story, including dates, which fabrics I used, etc. Over time I won't remember the details of every quilt I make, and the documentation needs to become a part of the process. The owner of a quilt is bound to have his or her own story about the quilt, but the first chapter of a quilt's story should come from its maker.