January, 2022
Since we moved full time to our downtown Chicago condo, about 5 Christmases ago now, we have changed up our holiday decorating game. No more 6 foot tree. We still get a real one, but we usually get it from in front of the liquor store a few blocks away, carry it home it a grocery bag, and set it up on top of our media cabinet. I’ve adapted the scale of the ornaments, though the color scheme is still a little random, but the tree skirt just hasn’t been right all this time. It’s a quilted version from several years ago, but every year the colors just don’t look quite right.
Well, I didn’t get around to it BEFORE we set up the tree, or even WHILE the tree was set up, but for some reason as soon as we took the tree down, it became a real priority for me, so here it finally is. It will be a real treat next year.
Holiday sewing has been a pre-occupation for years. I guess it started when my aunt hand-crocheted Christmas Stockings for my brothers and I. Later, when they married and had children, someone had to carry on, so I started to make ribbon-woven stockings.
Then, some years later, a hairdresser I went to in Atlanta took on sponsoring a holiday party for a kid’s residential treatment center, and for several years I sewed 50 Christmas stockings every year. That has led to a huge stash of scraps, which I’m now working my way through to using as table runners and assorted other items that will likely get into my Etsy shop this year. Here’s hoping!
January, 2022
One of my personal themes for 2021 was “do it or drop it”, so I was particularly mindful of Works in Progress. At the same time, I had the chance to start a lot of new things, and learn a lot of new techniques from teachers I have never had access to before (yes, a COVID silver-ish lining).
Several months a go I took a class in curved piecing from Carolina Oneto, and left with a pieced square that was my first experience with this modern adaptation of English Paper Piecing. At the same time, it was a chance to experiment with transparency – something I’ve done a lot with paint, not so much with fabric.
After the class I got a little ambitious and finished another 11 squares (rectangles, actually), then puzzled a little over what to do with them. Finally, just before the end of the year, the setting strategy fell into place. I ran out of time and batting to get the quilting and binding done before the end of the year, but the batting is arriving this week, so hopefully the momentum will carry me forward.
November, 2021
November has been our digital nomad month for several years now, one of the perks of both of us being self employed, which we remind ourselves of often. We have to, because many days we remind ourselves that being self employed is the same thing as waking up unemployed every day if you don’t put the right spin on it.
Our retreat of choice is the Panhandle of Florida, specifically a 30 mile stretch between Panama City and Destin that is blissfully devoid of many highrises. It’s a quiet time, at least until Thanksgiving weekend, but the perfect place to replace our urban walks with beautiful beach walks, and lots of time to work or play on the comfortable balcony.
I’ve written this month about the curated collection of project I brought along – here’s summary of the progress made:
- Quilted table runners all bound and threads clipped – they could still use some extra quilting
- Changed my mind about the pattern I wanted to knit – cotton yarn can be tricky – but I found a new one and am about 70% finished, well maybe 50%
- Two malas made except for the final attachment – found out my tassels didn’t have the top loop I prefer, but I’ve ordered up replacements, so that will be a quick fix. Two more fully designed but not yet in process
- Some water color and collage play, even some sketching, but no where near the daily practice I still hope for
- Paper pieced curvy blocks all finished – next step will be pressing and blocking, then figuring out the setting
All in all, not bad.
Also made a trip to the local quilt store – trying to support the local arts economy – and found out they are closing their bricks and mortar in 3 days! Not sure if it’s the economy, or just a desire by the owners for a more manageable day to day life. As a lifestyle entrepreneur myself, I know that exit strategies aren’t always clean.
I’ll miss this place, and have fingers crossed it will be available to us again next year, and we will be available to take advantage of it. Grateful though, for my Chicago home to get back to that still gives me light and a view of water all the way to the horizon.
August, 2021
I love living in Chicago, but I do miss my Atlanta quilting community. Several years ago, a small neighborhood bee I was part of decided to try an experiment, combining a book club with our quilting challenge. To keep it manageable we picked a 12 x 12 format. This is a little piece I made after we read a book called The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell.
12 x 12 was a popular size for a number of challenge groups, and every year a local organization called the Southeastern Fiber Arts Association held a 12 x 12 pinup show for all fiber artists. The book club quilt challenge didn’t go on for very long, but SEFAA’s 12 x 12 pinup show has persisted, even going virtual during Covid.
June, 2021
I recently spent a delightful afternoon taking a class from Carolina Oneto (#carolina_oneto) learning this modern version of the English Paper Piecing technique applied to creating tranparent effects. I’ve worked with transparencies with paper and fiber, but this was my first time in fabric, and also my first time with EPP. I’d mostly seen it used with hexie projects, which impress me but don’t tempt me to try.
Carolina is from Chile, living now in Brazil, and the students were from around the world. Just one of the silver linings to the pandemic – putting teachers like her within reach of students around the world. I’m so grateful so many of them made the effort to amp up their on-line presence.
