World Wide Blog Hop

Hello and Welcome to my edition of the World Wide Blog Hop!

If you’re new to my blog, I hope you’ll come back often. I generally post about my quilts, including English Paper Piecing (we have a monthly EPP linky party called HeLP on the 17th of each month), books (another monthly linky party called Bibliophile Files on the first Tuesday) and my cats (a weekly linky called Feline Friday).

I was nominated last week by Chantal – I can’t remember how long we’ve known each other now but I’m pretty sure it started with hexies. LOL! Be sure to visit her blog which is full of bright quilts and crocheted items, book reviews and much more!

1.  What am I working on?

I guess I have 2 main projects at the moment (but I'm always working on bits of other projects at the same time!). The first is to work on my ruby Beauty blocks from the class that I took with Bonnie Hunter a week ago.

 

Just this Saturday I made over a hundred more four patches and 150 more HSTs. This week I’ll put more blocks together to see how many more parts I need. Mom loves red so I plan to give this quilt to her (so far it’s a secret...shhhh!!!!). I measured their bed this weekend but I have yet to figure out exactly how many blocks I need. Maybe it’s best not to think that far ahead since, at just 6” for each block, it’s going to be a lot!

Zorro REFUSED to look at the camera.
I suppose he thought he would be in trouble since he isn't often allowed on my sewing table.

I’m also working on my Value Proposition hexie quilt along blocks. I’m behind because it’s school tax season and I run to the school every day during lunch instead of doing hexies. I’ll catch up soon enough. This is block #9. I’m doing them out of order so I have this block plus 4 more to catch up. In case you haven’t seen my previous posts, each block has a teal in it but the rest is scrappy. Gotta love scrappy!

2.  How does my work differ from others of it's genre?

I don’t know that I really differ from anyone else’s work. Janet will tell you that at times I have completely forgotten I own a sewing machine because I’m all about the hexies but I don’t think I do anything outlandish. I love color and I love lots of (little) pieces and I don’t like hand work unless it’s hexies. Go figure…I’m just like a lot of other people. LOL.

 

3.  Why do I create what I do?

Basically, quilting is my therapy. I can certainly tell when I’ve been away from my hexies or my sewing machine. I can get down right C.R.A.N.K.Y. I’ve somehow had lots of time to sew in the last two weeks and I feel like I’m on cloud nine, even at just an hour or two a night after working both jobs. I feel relaxed and ready for another long day.

4.  How does my creative process work?

I’m lost somewhere between OCD and ADD or maybe even ADHD at times. Even tho my “stuff” looks like a mess, I pretty much know where it is and what project it’s for. There are piles of pressed scraps to trim, baskets of partially finished zipper bags and mugrugs for upcoming craft bazaars, baskets corralling fabrics for a specific project, crocks of rulers and choco and underneath it all is my cutting mat, ironing board and sewing machine. I’m in piggy heaven. LOL.

Red & neutral on table are for Ruby Beauty Blocks.
Design Wall is always covered with bits of projects.
Plastic bins under the table Dad made me are the FQ stash, Bag is selvages.
Finished blocks hang on the end of the table while I wait to finish quilts.

When I work on a quilt I’m very methodical…preferring to make all I’ll need for a certain part of the project at one time and then moving on to the next part. On the other hand, I get bored working on a project and move on to something else for a while which leaves me with UFOs out the wazoo. Leader/Enders work great for me because I’m actually working on 2 kinds of projects at the same time but also because some of my L/E projects are made from scraps so I’m always mixing up the cutting with the sewing with the cleaning up. It’s a never ending battle of finding something to entertain myself. I guess it boils down to being more about the process than the finished product for me.

Curio cabinet holds hexie projects and L/Es
Green trug is full of scraps to trim.

Oh goodness, the last photo reminded me of a very important part of my so called process. 99.9% of the time I am listening to an audiobook while I'm in my studio. At the moment, I only have 2 audio books checked out of the library so I'm a little panicky since I usually have 5 to 10 out at any time. Hopefully when I swing by the library today I can stock up properly.

Well, that was a brief snapshot of me, now I would like you to visit a couple friends:

Denise and I have been friends for eons. We have a lot in common in our personal lives including tea parties, quilting, cats and hexies. It’s been a fun ride and I always look forward to hearing from her!

Missy is another friend that I can’t remember when or where online we met. She always has a lot of colorful projects, sews on treadle machines, shares yummy recipes and has a fabulous clowder of cats that she shares on my Feline Friday linky parties.

Be sure to visit Denise and Missy any time but definitely next Monday when they answer the Hop questions and link to more fabulous bloggers.