Quilters Like Authors an Analogy

It's Sunday afternoon and I am taking a well deserved rest....supper is simmering, my exchange student is doing his homework, and my house is tidy.
Very early this morning I finished reading the latest book in the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer!  

Mr. Archers' books are not written fast enough for me, unfortunately I am one of those who cannot seem to put an Archer Novel down until it has been read from cover to cover on the day I open the cover and read the Prologue.   I am sorry I didn't make myself put it down and treat myself to this series in portions, but, I do this to myself all of the time!
Since being introduced to the Author and his particular writing style, in the mid 70's with his first novel, "Not A  Penny More, Not A Penny Less"  followed by "Kane and Abel"   I have read every book written by Mr. Archer and in truth I never seem to tire of his storytelling.    His style of writing keeps me page turning until its' ending and then as is usual for me,  I am sorry I read it so quickly.
This latest book "Be Careful What You Wish For"

finished with another of Mr. Archers' cliffhangers.  The 5th book in this series is not due to be published until 2015.  Darn, it is simply isn't fair to have to wait so long to read the next installment of the Clifton and Barrington families.
Are you an avid reader?  I read 3 books on average a week and am running out of those brilliant Authors who write in the style I so enjoy reading. I so enjoy good fiction! 

To me a quilter is like an author, dissecting the plot (pattern) and painstakingly putting it back together, piece by carefully constructed piece.  Then when it has finally been pieced together as in a Quilt Top, the characters are able to stand on their own merits as does a quilt.   I imagine it is as much an adventure for the author as it is the reader and so as it is with the quilter. 

A quilter explores which quilt block(s) to piece together, which color pallet to chose, then painstakingly assembles the quilt.  Block by block, row by row, choosing the setting of the blocks also becomes an adventure in and of itself, should it be straight rows, or should the blocks be set on point, the all important quilting motif and all the while not too certain if your going to like the end result when the top has finally been assembled.  
This is how I felt when finally I began piecing a quilt from a pattern I had discovered in a McCall's Quilting "Quick Quilts" magazine from 2000.  When first I made the Quilt from a pattern designed by Linda Augsburg Stirratt which she named as "Autumn Nights".

PICTURE FROM THE MAGAZINE

Actual Magazine Cover

My rendition of that quilt turned out to be as beautiful as the one made for the magazine, and when it was completed I was very excited and thrilled I had made the correct fabric choices for it. 

Last year I was asked to make something for another fundraiser and while trying to come up with something which I thought might generate some worthwhile funds, I dusted off this pattern and set about constructing the top. 
I confess while I was in the piecing phase I wanted to rewrite the pattern by adding something different to make it my own,  so I changed the border design, thereby making it a bit different than the one in the article.  I was not happy while it was in the construction phase, I really thought I was lacking oomph and not nearly as nice as the pictures of Ms. Stirratts' quilt.  When I finally finished it I managed to like it,  I wasn't as thrilled with this one as I was when I actually made the first one.   
While critiquing it I discovered that to my way of thinking my focal fabric (the main character) should have had more color and movement.  However, in the end, when I finally saw it hanging, I agreed I could allow myself to like it just a bit. 

This is why I like to think Quilters are in some ways similar to being Authors.  Setting the plot and planning the main characters, then adding the supporting cast and giving them a life all of their own.  Choosing color, texture and how to set it before adding the final chapter of the Borders and how it should be quilted and then the very important ending, the binding.    
I am not certain many will agree with my analogy, but, it is what it is. 

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today, in some small measure I hope what has been written will be of some useful meaning to you. 

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.  ~Mary Engelbreit

Great Weather, Good Friends and Fabrics

Wasn't yesterday (Saturday) a very pretty day?  I enjoyed my day thoroughly because one of my most favored 4 legged fur friends Buddy

came to stay for several hours while his Humans were on a short trip.  It was so lovely we spent the best part of the day out of doors and when we came back, together he and I watched the 3rd round of the Masters.  When Buddys' humans returned they brought with them a very special treat and a surprise gift for me....and don't you just know it was fabric!!!!!  What a fantastic beginning to a wonderful weekend, great weather, good friends and fabrics, what more could a quilter want!

Buddy and his owners had spent the last three months down south in the warm climate and surroundings of Arizona and of course they chose the most gorgeous of fabrics as a gift for me, so I am going to share these with you today!

"Fabulous Felines" by Laurel Burch

"Flying Colors II" by Lauren Burch

"Kokopellies" designer Unknown

"Fiesta" by Lorilynn Simms a part of her Salsa Picante series

Another  from Laurel Burchs' "Fabulous Felines" Line

I have since been dreaming of what I can use these wonderfully bright and cheerful prints in!  It is wonderful to have such generous and thoughtful people as friends.  Least ways, this special  fur friend Buddy and his Human owners are on the way to becoming very friends. 

Can you believe it, I turned down an invitation to go out for a meal this evening!  I know the Masters won't finish at supper time, and to have watched it these past four days and not to watch the finish would be so unfair.  My favorite player is still in the tournament, so, I sincerely want to sit here and root for him.

Near time now to turn on and tune into the last round of the Masters, so I'll wish you a wonderful Sunday afternoon doing whatever it is your doing and hope you'll come and visit with me again. 


Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's All A Matter Of Perception

It seems like it was only yesterday when I was wishing for spring and summer to arrive!  It has been raining since last night and very heavily all morning and into the afternoon.  The summers of my youth just do not seem to be happening anymore, or could it be my memories are failing me?  This morning near 10 a.m. it could have passed for 9 p.m. that is how dark it was.  It has done nothing but rain for most of this summer around here and I am not liking it, how about you?

Have you noticed, the stores are showing fall fashions and pushing brands for back to school, reminding people that it won't be long now before the new school year begins and praying the profits rise before the onslaught of the Christmas season which will in all likelihood begin to appear in commercials this coming October....already I have seen ads for Christmas in July - like we all have an abundance of ready extra cash to throw about.  Yea yea yea I will take a dozen of those and a gross of the other.....Why not a back to giant back to Quilting sale for us quilters?  I'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?
However, I am remaining calm about the whole Christmas thing, what about you? LOL

I guess you could say it is all a matter of perception!!!!

More than likely come mid November I will be in a panic because I never followed through to complete the so called plans to put under someone's tree..

I tidied up my sewing area, set the two tops I have completed aside to be sandwiched and quilted sometime later (they call this procrastination) and set the scraps neatly away in their containers and while doing that came across a very pretty remnant I found last year.  Now I realize I should finish those two quilt tops, but today I just don't feel like working on them so gave myself permission to begin quilting a huge piece of this fabric for a new project.  I am one of those who cannot afford nor have I come across any decent sales on pre-quilted fabrics so I must make my own and knowing I have control I can quilt that piece any way I choose.  
DO you quilt your own fabrics before turning it into something deliciously fantastic to give away?  I so enjoy quilters who go all out and are creative with their quilting.

Leah Day of "The Free Motion Quilting Project" is one of my quilter heroines....she is so inspirational and motivates me to try new and different ideas while learning something new at the same time.  If you have not visited her blog, you can visit her by clicking here.....She's such fun to follow!!!!  

This is the colorful piece I am working on.  Bright red, gold, purple and black with hints of white, isn't it wild?  Wild can be useful and am thinking a large tote!  Time to make some more totes and other baggie items.  I believed I still have inventory, but no the bin is empty. 

Do you shop for those unusual pieces of remnant fabrics?  I simply love hoking about a remnant bin trying to find that one of a kind piece I may never have seen before. Sometimes I walk around a very long time before I feel ready to pick it out and begin working with it, it is like I just said, I got this piece last year and have seen it many times when in the fabric drawer but just never found that idea for it. 

Look what I just found on Facebook!!!  Isn't she just so cute?  LaCrosse anyone?

Time to say cheers to you for today and I hope your day is turning out to be very pleasant and enjoyable no matter what it is your doing.  Do your best to make it HAPPY.

Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon.  A happiness weapon.  A beauty bomb.  And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one.  It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air.  Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas.  And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight.  Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in.  With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest.  And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination.  ~Robert Fulghum