Being Part of Something BIG

Dear Lola,

I’m so excited.  I decided to take a job in a fabric store!  I am thrilled I was hired at Wish Upon A Quilt.  It’s a great little fabric store with a big, big heart.  I started shopping there a little over 4 years ago and met the owner, Cathy McKillip during her first week as the shop owner.  The minute I met Cathy, I knew she was a kindred spirit.  She runs her shop as an extension of herself – happy, bright and cheerful.  She welcomes everyone with a smile and amazing guest service.  She cares about her customers and it shows. 

I recently attended a Mystery Quilt Retreat she hosted in Winston-Salem.  We had a conversation and one thing lead to another and kismet intervened and here I am working in a perfectly heavenly place for a fabric lover to be!  I know, of course, that absolutely nothing of my paycheck will ever leave the store, but hey at least I’m buying local!

I started working at a perfectly wonderful time on the Sewing Calendar in my community.  The Quilt Carolina Event was poised to begin and I jumped right in and remerchandised the Notions Wall.  My coworkers said I did a great job and it was music to my ears! The newly organized wall was a big hit with customers too.  I hope to keep learning and contributing to this dynamic little shop.

During the event, we awarded prizes and had lots of happy customers to help. It was a wonderful week of fun and excitement. All in all it was a great reminder of just how big the sewing and quilting community is and just how much I love all the people connected to it through their love of fabric.

This past week, I was filling orders for our online customers.  I had the pleasure of cutting fabrics for customers in Hawaii, Australia and even South Africa.  I loved seeing what people purchase and how they cleverly choose great color combinations and find fabrics they have been searching for on the web.  We get to call and/or write to people to let them know how much we have on hand of the fabrics they need and it’s great to hear the little happy dances they do when we have what they need.  One lady was so happy she would finally be able to finish a quilt for her first grandchild; another lady had been looking for this one fabric for 6 months to repair a family quilt; while another customer was just desperate for some bright green “Maxine” fabric that said “Blah, Blah”. 

While filling a particularly large order that was going to the other side of the globe, I got all excited about having a hand in something big - not a big order - something BIG.  While I don’t know how the fabrics will be used, I know as a sewing enthusiast – they are likely to be turned into projects filled with love and hope.  I know the fabrics will be manipulated into works of artistry; they will keep people warm at night; they will delight some special person; they will adorn someone's home; and they will fill people’s hearts with joy and laughter (“Blah, Blah!”).  It all made me proud to be in the circle that is sewing and to have an anonymous hand in making someone’s day! 

Lola, it’s so easy to look at life through the blinders of our own small needs.  I’m glad I joined Wish Upon A Quilt so I can be reminded that the entire world needs fabric just as much as I do.  It’s a wonderful thing to be part of something BIG and to make somebody's sewing wishes come true!

Hugs and stitches,

Nothing Like A Little Mystery!

Dear Lola,

How fun it was to travel to Winston-Salem last weekend, stay in the historic Brookstown Inn, and spend 3 fabulous days with like-minded sewing enthusiasts!  Wish Upon A Quilt, my go-to quilt shop, hosted the event!  Cathy McKillip, the owner of Wish Upon A Quilt, is a dear friend and an amazing shop owner.  She knows how hard it is to set time aside for sewing, so she hosts a couple of retreats per year.  I think Cathy loves the retreats more than anyone because running her shop takes away a lot of her own sewing time. 

This event, my first, was a Mystery Quilt Retreat, and featured a mystery pattern by quilting rock stars, Swirly Girls – Susan Emory and Christine Van Buskirk.  These ladies are beloved by many of us for creating the Perfect Ten Quilt Pattern and others.  The Swirly Girls are fun, funny and clearly love what they do!  Who wouldn’t?  They design fabrics; develop patterns and notions; and travel the world spreading a little quilting and sewing love!  At the end of the weekend, we were all devoted “Swirlettes”!  They were even kind enough to pose for a photo with me!  Like them on Facebook!

Me and the Swirly Girls!

Each participant was given some instructions on fabrics to bring.  For example:  1 ½ yard of a focus fabric, 2 yards of a background fabric, 1 yard of fabric color 1, ½ yard of fabric color 2, etc…and the exciting part was not knowing what the pattern looked like!  It was called the Secret Square!  Don’t you just love secrets?  I know I do!

The event was held at the historic Brookstown Inn in the heart of Winston-Salem and the Ballroom for our cooperative sewing was beyond terrific.  We each had our own banquet-sized table, there were many cutting-height tables available, many pressing stations, lots of lighting, lots of treats, and more sewing enthusiasm than you can ever imagine in one room.  The event pricing was very affordable because it included the room, fabric, several meals and lots of goodies!  We had a wonderful wine and cheese reception on Friday evening.  They served the best little pumpkin turkey bites ever, hummus, veggies and cheeses.  And on Saturday we were served a yummy Turkey Pot Pie, salad and a White Chocolate Bread Pudding for dessert that was absolutely sinfully delicious – the best I have ever eaten! Kudos to Cathy for being a hostess extraordinaire.  

Each participant had selected unique fabrics, brought different sewing stories and came from near and far.  We were given our cutting instructions and then the real fun began.  The ladies in my bank of tables were a hoot.  A special shout out to Anita, Chris and Debbie!  Y’all are now officially my “Sewing Sisters”! We laughed and giggled like little schoolgirls.  We stayed up into the wee hours sewing, un-sewing (code for seam ripping) and laughing.

The Swirly Girls presented a trunk show of their totally new Swirly collection of fabrics called Poppy Love for Michael Miller and all the Quilts and Projects that are part of the 2013 Michael Miller Clubhouse.  They gave a demo on a new ruler they have created in conjunction with Creative Grids and Karla Alexander…. that cuts circles like no ruler I have ever seen before!  Wow.  They have also developed these fun, easy patterns that utilize circles in creative ways that seem fresh, fun and modern.  Saving up for my CircleSavvy Ruler!

I have already signed up for next year’s Clubhouse at Wish Upon A Quilt and believe me, so should you!  Each month you work on a block for a gorgeous, ambitious quilt that will be completed in 12 months.  As you know, I am working on this year’s Weekend Clubhouse Quilt in the Cabana color way, and it is my most ambitious project ever.  The great thing is that I haven’t been stressed about it all – I’m doing a little at a time and that makes it awesome and very doable.

Throughout the weekend, ladies worked on projects they brought and the Mystery Quilt too.  Some of the speed quilters finished theirs while chatty quilters like me got about half way through.  I had the absolute best weekend I can remember even though the quilt was full of Flying Geese (see my previous post about my conflicted relationship with Flying Geese)!  I am sew happy I bonded with lots of new sewing friends and felt great about all I learned.  I came home energized, inspired, and looking forward to attending my next retreat.   Here's a little video with some highlights from the weekend.

Hugs and stitches,

Modern, New - Where Do I Fit Into Quilting?

Dear Lola,

I recently attended the Sewing and Quilt Expo held in Raleigh, NC from June 21 – 23, 2012.  It was a new event to the Raleigh area.  Wow!  It was “sew” much fun.  I took 5 fabulous classes; watched countless in-booth demonstrations; viewed the Quilt Alliance’s travelling competition and exhibition Home is Where the Quilt Is; saw lots of my favorite sewing sisters; and walked until I practically wore out my shoes! 

How fun that my friend Sandi Shover won a really nice embroidery/sewing machine from Brother!  The event seemed to be well attended and the planners of the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo promise to return to the Raleigh Convention Center next year.  Yippee!

There were vendor booths inside the main Expo Hall representing far away places and local favorites.  The displays were inspiring and thought-provoking.  Anyone who attended would be hard pressed to say there wasn’t something for everyone!  I saw many new-fangled sewing tools displayed along side the tried and true.  It was great to meet new people and see local friends like Elegant Stitches.  The classrooms were filled with fancy new machines, video presentations and enthusiastic students from all walks of life.  The class topics covered a broad range of sewing and quilting including heirloom techniques, handwork, garment construction, traditional quilting and art quilting. 

I particularly loved and ultimately purchased some of the really cool rulers from Studio 180/Deb Tucker.  The demos are what really sold me on these rulers!  It was great to learn that my local quilt shop Wish Upon A Quilt carries these rulers too.  I know I will want more than just the two I purchased.  If I had only owned the Wing Clipper Ruler, I might had a much better time with my flying geese that I blogged about a few weeks ago! 

I broke down and bought myself a really good cutting mat from Martelli that was an excellent price for the show.  I have already noticed my cutting is “sew” improved by using it! I came home with a bundle of bright batiks that were graduated in color to use in my projects that I learned from Frieda Anderson.

Friday evening, I attended an event “Quilters Take Raleigh” to benefit the Quilt Alliance and won a gift bag from Free Spirit/Westminster Fabrics.  I got to meet some of the “Rock Stars” of the Quilt World including Jodie Davis, John Adams, Tula Pink, Beth Hayes, Christine Zoller, Holice Turnbow (sorry to call you a “Rock Star” Holice), and Pepper Cory.  The event launched a new project – “Go Tell It At the Quilt Show” and showcased stories of quilters, family quilts and the personal importance of these quilts.  Janice Pope's BFF Round Robin Quilt Story brought tears to my eyes.  The quilt is stunning and so colorful just like Janice!

John Adams of Quilt Dad moderated the panel in the discussion of “Trendspotting Across the Quilt World”.  While this seems like a fairly benign topic - This is when the conversation got heated and interesting. 

As someone who reads whatever I can about sewing and quilting, I have seen many articles and books lately regarding “Modern Quilting”.  I had no idea however, that there appears to be debate about the methods used by “Modern Quilters” to piece their quilts together; choose their fabrics, and ultimately quilt the sandwich. 

Judging these “Modern” quilts in shows and events creates some friction in the “Quilt World”.  It appears from the discussion that the “Modern Quilt Movement” is viewed by “quilt purists” as something that is not truly a representation of “real, authentic quilting”.  The simple, clean designs used by “Modern Quilters” were criticized by some members of the audience for failing to meet “standards” that have been used for judging quilts in shows for years.

As a relative “newbie”, I cannot speak to the rules of quilting, showing quilts, and the history of quilts, I can however let you know that I was disappointed by this heated debate about what really makes a quilt a quilt!  The whole event was intended to celebrate quilts, encourage documenting quilts and share the history of quilters and their quilts.  The Quilt Alliance is a non-profit organization looking for new members to help their mission.

I realize that quilters who enter their quilts in competitive shows need rules and regulations to make the contests fair for all the entrants.  All competition requires fair play, but when you add elitism to the mix – the competition stops being fun to watch!  The foundation of competitive quilting starts with the “newbie” or people like me.  While I doubt I will ever enter a serious quilt show, each quilt I make is competing with the quilts that came before it.  I am looking to improve my techniques and increase the overall technical difficulty.  Although I am sure there will always be some “quick” quilts in my mix for gift giving or charity.  I am, however, looking to compete – at least with myself!  I am sure there are other newbies out there who will eventually compete for “real” in shows and contests.

An oversimplified correlation to the heated discussion of the evening would be comparing and contrasting a painting by Michelangelo against a painting by Picasso - comparing a painting by Andy Warhol and Leonardo DaVinci.  These artists and their works all have a place in the history of art. Hanging them in a gallery next to one another helps us understand the entire spectrum of art.

Why not make our mutual journey into all that encompasses quilting inclusive?  Why not create a world of quilting that celebrates the simple beauty of creativity without animosity?  The collaborative spirit that is at of the core of what art represents should encourage all comers to leave any elitism at the door. 

I thought it was really amazing to have someone like Holice Turnbow in the same room as someone like Tula Pink.  I loved seeing the antique North Carolina “Cheddar” quilt presented by Brenda Brickhouse that has been in her family for generations right along side my dear friend Cathy McKillip’s very modern, Perfect Ten Quilt.  There is a place for both of these quilts in the same room at the same time. 

I am so happy that there are so many choices for me to make as a newbie.  I can learn traditional quilting, modern quilting, art quilting, and all the mutations in-between.  I can choose to do it by hand, or machine, or a combination of both.  I can dye my own fabrics, purchase them, or repurpose clothing items. 

Since, I am in my fifties, I don’t really meet the definition of a “Next Gen” quilter.  Some people seem to think “Modern Quilters” are “Young Quilters”  – so that rules me out of that category.  To be honest – do I have to fit neatly into a category?  Do I have to choose one type of quilting over another?  Can’t I appreciate all of it for the joy it brings so many others and me?  Quilts aren’t just for hanging in museums to be preserved; they are for covering our loved ones in beauty and warmth.  Quilts and quilting are reflections of creativity, self-expression, devotion to craft.  I don’t think anyone should ever act like quilting is some exclusive club that only allows perfectionists to join.  I’m guessing that even Michelangelo and DaVinci were beginners once.  Their art may have even been thought of as “Modern” once upon a time!

I am giving myself permission to love it all, encourage it all and learn from it all.  I’m glad we aren’t still sewing with bone fragments for needles and catgut for thread.  Thank God, we continue to improve and modernize.  As we expand our horizons, we can still embrace and revere the past.  We can keep one foot in the past, our heart in the present and our eye on the future.

Sew to sum it up – As opposed to being a Modern Quilter - I am a quilter in a Modern World – and I am NEW quilter as opposed to a YOUNG quilter AND it’s ALL GOOD!  Be kind to each other, being part of the collaborative spirit of sewing and quilting is good for the soul.  Every quilt can be a masterpiece to someone and every quilter can create their own personal masterpiece.  Quilting - ONE SIZE FITS ALL!

Hugs and stitches,

Lori

The Alternate Universe of Flying Geese

Dear Lola,

Flying Geese - I can honestly say, I was trying to avoid them.  The only geese in my personal experience are the Canadian kind.  They honk noisily, leave deposits in the most inopportune locations and stand in the road aimlessly whenever I am in a hurry to get somewhere.  My feisty grandmother used to tell me to go slow, follow the rules of the road and if no one is looking – run them over – there are too many of them!  It was one of those things grandmothers say to us that produces a nervous giggle.

Flying Geese of the sewing kind are legendary.  I have never heard a sister sewist lovingly refer to Flying Geese as a personal favorite.  I’m sure they are out there – quilters who enjoy constructing them, but I have never met one.  When Nancy, the leader of our Michael Miller Weekend Block of the Month group at Wish Upon A Quilt introduced this month’s block – her first words were, “This month’s block did not go together as quickly as last months block.  It was more difficult to cut and yes, it does contain 8 flying geese units.”  My heart sank immediately.

Could I survive in the alternate universe of Flying Geese?

The parallels between the two types of geese are glaring.  The honking (cussing) had begun, the nasty deposits (rejected and misshapen units) ensued and there I was standing in the road aimlessly going nowhere!  Help, someone please run me over!

I tuned my senses into this month’s set of directions.  I can read, ergo, I can win against these ghastly geese.  I read and re-read my instructions.  I constructed the blocks that were easy.  Saving the geese units for last – I had nothing standing in my way of success except 8 Flying Geese.  Believe me when I say – I was the underdog in this battle!

I measured twice, cut once, sewed a precise seam and still was not able to get my “Geese Unit” to match the unit in the instructions.  The clean smooth lines in the illustration were impossible for me to duplicate.  8 failed attempts ensued and I decided – to give up.  By the way, the giving up part was a good idea – it was midnight and I could no longer see straight, let alone sew straight!

I vowed to return in the morning with my “Geese Face” on – ready to take on these 2½ x  4½ inch beasties and their  2½ x  2½ inch minions.   The following morning after a hefty intake of coffee, I methodically approached my geese.  Sewing, trimming, pressing, and sewing in the same precise order.  My units still did not match the illustration, but I was confident I had followed the directions perfectly.  I began sewing my rows together and voila – my block was complete.

I had to laugh out loud though.  All the rejected geese units – lying discarded in my scrap bin – had been fine!  The difference in how my units looked versus the illustration – was the seam allowance!  The illustration shows an individual geese unit – as though it was already sewn into the row.  The honking (or cussing) that I had been doing – was for naught!

In hindsight, I was afraid of how to handle Flying Geese for no good reason.  As grandma had told me: Going slow, following the rules of the road and running right over them when no one is looking – is still good advice!  And by the way - it’s okay to giggle nervously!

Hugs and stitches

Sew Sleepless