Update: February is Flying By!

Good morning, Friends! I’ve been a little lax on writing this week – I’ve been relaxing and enjoying our winter vacation and time is just slipping through my fingers. I thought today I would pop in and do a quick update on what is going on in my world, before February is completely over.

Quilting

I’ve done some piecing this month, along with a little bit of hand work. I finished the top using my Pink Paradise fabric bundle from Henry Glass Fabrics. I used my AccuQuilt 9″ Qube to make square-in-a-square blocks, filling in around the panel with some strips to bring it up to the correct size. I’m excited to get this beauty home and finish it up. I have a lot of fabric remaining – I plan to give away a bundle of fat quarters to one lucky newsletter subscriber in March, so make sure you are a subscriber! I’ll be attempting to use up the rest of the fabric on snap pouches and totes, then giving them and the quilt to a local women’s shelter. I’ve been looking for a charity to support with my quilting, and this feels right.

While I was packing I noticed this old improv experiment lying in a corner. It quietly caught my eye, and I popped it into my sewing case. It has been pulling me since I started, but for some reason it has not gotten any attention. This month I’ve made a lot more blocks, and I hope to finish the top this week. I’m really excited about this one – it combines a few different things I enjoy in an unusual style. I haven’t seen many other quilts with Improv and 2 1/2″ strip packs. The working title is Portals III, which isn’t really catchy. It is the result of a Quilt Lab experiment called “Do it 3 ways“, which I enjoyed. I’m planning to finish the quilt and offer it as a class in May. I’ve put up some Reels on Instagram demonstrating some of my technique.

My large Kawandi project is coming along. I’ve been stitching on it most days, for at least a little while. As I move closer to the center progress speeds up and also slows down. The rows are shorter, so it takes less time to stitch, but the bulk of the top is a little more difficult to manage. I also spend more time gazing at it, admiring the texture and deciding which scrap belongs in each spot.

Videos

My goodness, videos are still hard, but getting a little better. I had to film 2 super short bits for AccuQuilt, which they will be using in coming months. Videos for me take 20 days of agonizing, one hour of filming per 15 seconds, then hours of editing. I am getting better about doing things in one take, though. I’ve been using Instagram Reels to practice, and I don’t mind if they are a little rough. The funniest part of Instagram is that I can spend an hour putting together a 30 second reel on my account, and get 300 views. Seems great, until I look at Oscar’s account and the video of him peeing in the snow has 4,000 views. Somedays I wonder how many views a video of me peeing in the snow would get. Never fear – I promise to never, ever make that video.

QuiltCon

Have you noticed that QuiltCon has been going on? Lol. How could you miss it? It’s a little bittersweet each year to watch everyone immerse themselves in modern quilting without me. I quilted a piece for my friend Lenny, and it was chosen to be displayed. I’m so proud of Lenny – she got 5 quilts in this year! Lenny has been taking classes from amazing modern quilters for years, and it has been amazing to watch her skills progress. She’s really developing a unique voice in the quilting world. Check her out at Modern Stitch Witch, and be prepared to be blown away.

Next year QuiltCon will be held in Atlanta. I plan to be there. I’ve attended once, and I need to do it again. I miss it!

Teaching

I led my second meeting of the Creative Hand Stitching Journey this month, and it was fun. Teaching while on the road is challenging – it isn’t as easy as just grab some stuff and go. I need to give it more consideration next time. The March session will be so much better, as I will be in my studio again.

I’ve agreed to offer a trunk show and teach an in-person (!) class at Rebecca’s Reel Quilter’s Guild in June. I’m excited to get back to in-person events. They’ve asked me to teach Jelly Weave, which will be a fun quilt to put together in a day. The pattern for this one will be ready by then, with some larger versions, too.

Non-quilting

I submitted the final project for my first class at SNHU. IND299, Strategies for Specialization was interesting. I have spent the last 8 weeks explaining why I want to finish my degree and why I have chosen a BA in General Studies with a concentration in Liberal Arts. My analytical side appreciates that they make students do this – I know every class I’m taking and why I’m taking it. Each of the ten classes I need to finish my degree serves a purpose for me. My creative side chaffed at spending so much time on this topic – I knew what I wanted to do before I applied. I’m excited that Intro to Marketing starts next week. If my pattern and class offerings suddenly become irresistible, you know why.

Remaining To-Do List for February

• BOB BOM Tutorial – Ohio Star
• Finish Kawandi
• Class Offerings for March & April – I’m thinking I’ll do another machine binding and Kawandi
• Spend quality time with Jeremy – only 5 days of vacation left!

I’m so excited to be heading home at the end of the week. I enjoy spending lower-stress time with my husband, but I crave my creative space. Plus, I have two client pieces that have been waiting patiently for me, five more AccuQuilt projects coming up, and a big shipment of client work headed to me soon. And I want to be ready to spend some time with Irene Roderick’s Improv book when it arrives in March. Oh, and my March shipment from Blank Quilting should be coming!!!

How has your February been? I hope it has been full of things you love.