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August 24, 2010 There is a new
cat at Mary Huey Quilts. Left behind when some neighbors moved, after a two week trial I decided to call her "Mya"
and we made a visit to the vet. I shared what I knew -- a female about 2 years old, had a litter in February
-- how soon can I get her spayed? The vet examined the cat and then confided in me that "he" wasn't pregnant
and he is neutered and so I've changed his name to "Willie". He's exploring the yard every day checking out
the best place to "chill" and learning the advantages of living with a woman who has lots of fabric!
June 21, 2010 What
do you do when your gears are slipping, when you feel like you are in a fog, when you've lost your focus? I munch!
Unless of course, I can remember that is not good for the overall state of things. Going for a walk or a bike ride or
cleaning up a corner of the sewing room works much better! It pulls my brain away from the frustration of not knowing
what to do next and usually brings me back to the center of things where I feel like I'm ready to move forward again.
(Pause) Okay, now the laundry is hung out to dry -- am I centered yet? No, but I'm feeling calmer. There
are things to be mailed and it's nice out, so perhaps riding the bike to the post office will help . . . I'll be back! Okay, I'm blaming my lack of focus on the high humidity! I do try to keep sewing
during the summer. Yes, I have a big flower garden and enjoy being out there, but I hate to lose the technical skill
level which comes from not stitching every day. Moving my sewing machine out onto the patio is one of my strategies
since I really just like being outdoors. I've done quite a bit of machine quilting out there! And this summer,
I have a couple hand stitching projects going that I can do outdoors either in the sitting area on the front porch or gazing
at the flower beds in the backyard. I'm using BIG STITCH hand quilting on a piece I made several years ago (there goes
another UFQ!!) and have started hand piecing an apple core charm quilt. I still keep a daily log of the stitching
I do and after 3 years, I can tell you I've finished 114 projects! That includes my knitting, but it's pretty
impressive isn't it? So I urge you to find a way to
keep stitching all summer in a relaxing way that will increase your enjoyment and lift your spirits as you stay productive!
January 9, 2010 A new year, a new decade!!
Weren't we just wondering if our computers would make the transition to a new century? The new year sets many of us
to resolving and reorganizing and wondering why we do it -- it seems like it didn't work last year so why bother trying again.
I think it's worth trying again because it always works to some degree. My sewing room finally made the transition to
a workable space and I have finished more projects in 2009 than 2008 and started fewer (I think). So I've challenged
the group of special quiltmakers I mentor to develop an inspiration system in the next 5 months. System and inspiration
may seem like incompatible words, but I believe that is I can keep all those little inspirations in one place, they'll be
accessible more often to me in the future -- so I need a system. I have no idea what will work for me yet -- that's
the point of the challenge, but I do like to collect photos and quotations and sketches of things that catch my eye.
For a start, I've been looking for a "pretty" journal or book where I can write ideas I want to remember. Julia
Cameron, the author of The Artist's Way says that if you put what you want out into the universe, an answer will come
. . . . . and today it did! Even better, it's something I already own and love. It's the beautiful engagement
calendar from last year featuring photos from Monet's gardens at Giverny in France!! I scarcely used it because I've
found that a larger format (and ugly) datebook works better for me at this point. So why not use it as a journal?
The photos inspire me and I love studying them. There's space to write and I can ignore the dates if I want. I'll
erase the notations from last year if I can and cover up the ones I can't by pasting in photos and sketches I want to save.
I've even made my first entry! It's a list of thoughts I've been having about machine quilting as I quilt the double
wedding ring quilt I mentioned in October -- they are good thoughts and I'd like to be able to review them before quilting
my next piece! The list will become an entry on the IDEA page here on the website in the next couple days. I think
the other part of my "system" is going to be one of those pretty hard gift boxes -- it would be easy to
put clipping and such in one place with it and fun to poke through it in the future. Finally,
I've decided to make a note in the "calendar" journal every time (I hope) I learn something new -- today's is "parsnips
and parsley root are not the same even though they look alike". Keep quilting!!
October 27, 2009 It's one of those golden fall mornings -- the sun is shining through the last leaves of
fall and the breeze is coaxing them off the branches. The colors of fall always inspire me! I love looking at
them and being out in them!! I have a large collection of fall fabrics and at least half a dozen fall quilts -- interestingly,
they represent the largest subgroup of finished quilts I own. Last evening my creativity quilting group talked a
little about why we finish quilts and two reasons seemed to be at the top of the list -- a deadline (which I use mercilessly
as a strategy) and an emotional connection with the quilt top (that must be why I have all these finished fall quilts).
Of course, you may be able to come up with other reasons -- maybe you are one of those lucky gals who just moves right
through one project at a time -- I don't understand it, but I admire it!! I'm currently working on a gorgeous Double
Wedding Ring quilt using one of Marti Michell's template sets. I'm offering it as a workshop during the 2010 Lake Farmpark
Quilt Show (3/3 & 4) -- it's going very well and I'm
enjoying the process. The tricky part for me is that when I'm enjoying the process, I get whipped up and start thinking
about all the other things I could do. Thus by the end of a very satisfying afternoon of piecing I can have the fabric
pulled and ideas sketched for another project or two -- fun, but distracting because it pulls me away from something and I
lose my focus and I end up with another UFO. Well, it's good to have these little awakenings. We'll see if it has
a positive impact. By the way, I did finish the redo of the sewing room!! And it's great -- wondering why
I didn't do it or rather I should say "finish it" long ago!! And I'm thinking I should add that to my yearly
list of "finished" projects!!!
| From beige to blue!! |
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| Fabric back in place |
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August 21, 2009 Where did
that summer go? My neighbor's children started school yesterday?!? I am currently knee-deep in reorganizing my
sewing room . . . . for about the hundredth time. But this time, I'm painting it pretty colors that I like -- abandoning
the pinkish beige -- putting up new curtains, a stable work wall, and hoping to get everything in there that has to do with
sewing. . . . . . . okay, almost everything. It also mean letting go of some things -- there really is more than
I can use. So a few more projects went into the charity quilt project box, about 20 lovely books went into the "for
sale" box, and I did a little fabric culling. One of my recent strategies is to use fabrics that are
already on hand for backings. Recently, I wanted a black backing but didn't have any large yardage of a black.
So I went through my black stacks of fabric and pulled all the pieces that I don't like too much. I ironed them
and laid them out on the quilt top to figure out the simplest way to organize them into a backing. By using three
yards out of the stash, I eliminate some fabric that I don't like anymore and can spend the cash I saved on new fabric
that I like for another project! (Plus there is the little frugal, self-righteous feeling I get from using something
on hand.) But back to the sewing room rework -- my friend Marsha Dingeldein came over and helped me for a
few hours on Monday -- not only was the extra set of hands helpful, but her perspective on things kept me moving
and focused!! I still have one wall to paint and lots of stuff to move around, but I can see progess!! It's
my hope that a prettier and tidier sewing room will add to my pleasure in working in there, increase my output,
and keep my spirits up!! So the task for this morning is to put the "unfinished" projects back onto their
shelves and maybe I'll let go of a couple!! I encourage you to get your sewing area tidied for the fall sewing season,
too. Perhaps you have a quilting friend that you can swap time with and help each other! Happy piecing!!!
June 26, 2009 Lovely June
is almost over and the heat of July is close at hand. My sewing room can be rather warm which means I'm less likely
to go up there and work. Good thing I have a dining room!! I just move the current project downstairs if it's
too much upstairs. Some of you know that I spent most of the month of March hiking in New Zealand. Early during
the trip, we visited a botanical garden gift shop that was selling locally made wallhangings using fabric printed in New Zealand
with native birds and plants. It set off a successful mini-quest and I brought 6 fat quarters back which have been
"relaxing" on the cutting table. But last week, they came to life!! The Quilters Development group I
mentor has wrestled with the challenge of "working in a series" for most of the 8 years we've been meeting.
Being a slightly stubborn person, I'm determined to find a way to help all of us experience this approach to
creativity, so I'm forcing everyone to focus on this for the summer. Of course, that means I have to perform as
well! So last week, armed with my idea of doing something inspired by the ferns of New Zealand, I went to work.
While I didn't get the results I intended, I have started not one, not two, but three small pieces inspired by the fabric
I brought back. It was very exciting to see how quickly the ideas evolved and ripened into auditing layouts
on the work wall. I still have some sewing to do and I expect them to evolve more, but once again I realize
that having a goal when I head for the sewing machine is what keeps me moving. Perhaps you aren't as goal oriented,
but to keep enjoying your skill as a quiltmaker, you need to recognize what it is that draws you back into
it and moves you forward. Take some time in the next week to think about that and then write it down -- now
use it to keep yourself motivated. Don't let your enjoyment take a back seat to all the busyness of your life.
That pleasure renews you and enables you to cope with life!! Happy piecing!!
May 7, 2009 Spring is in full bloom!!
I get so distracted at this time every year by my passion for bird watching that I have to remind myself to do some piecing.
Everything suffers -- the house, my friends (unless they are birding with me), my work. The sound of a bird can have
me off-track in less than 10 seconds. I exhaust myself and at the end of the day, I sometimes can't remember what
birds I saw because I've been out in the field so much the sightings all begin to run together. But's it's
only for the month of May! It is said that one of our best strategies to manage "ageing" is to stay active
physically and mentally -- engaging with nature addresses both of the areas at the same time. To enjoy nature, you have
to go out into it -- it has to be walked through or followed around, it has to be climbed up to or knelt down to. That
fulfills the physical aspect of staying active. And in spite of engaging with nature for all my life, I still make new
observations -- and those observations usually stimulate my curiosity and that means I have to find some information -- either
by searching out a person or a book -- I might even have to read. So now I've achieved mental stimulation.
And it's generally an inexpensive quest which is good these days. The experts also urge us to minimize our stress
levels and I've found it only takes me 15 minutes or less of sewing at my machine or walking outside to calm down and
begin to relax. We don't have to be in a park to enjoy a walk. I walk the same route in my neighborhood daily
by myself and enjoy watching the changes -- not just in the houses, but in the gardens and lawns -- there are frequently new
things to be seen. This spring, I've discovered where the neighborhood Cooper's hawks are nesting, enjoyed the
neighbor's lawns littered with violets, discovered a rabbit menage (did you know the female breeds again on the day she
has a litter?), and experienced sparkling sunlight burning through a morning fog. If you want to learn to appreciate
nature in a more intimate way, I encourage you to take advantage of all the wonderful programs offered by the local county
parks systems in Northeast Ohio. You are on-line -- Google it and pick an afternoon hike at a nearby park -- walking
with a naturalist will help you learn how to pay attention to the marvelous variety that surrounds you. Well, the
birds are calling to me, so I have to go, but I hope I'll encounter you on a path somewhere this spring!!
March 4, 2009 Spring is at hand -- I've started
to stalk my yard looking for blooming snowdrops and nearby parks on the prowl for returning birds and skunk cabbage!!
I don't have to tell any of you how welcome those first green shoots are to our winter weary eyes. For a closer
look, I urge you to join your local park naturalists in Lake, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Summit Counties on spring wildflower walks
and bird hikes. All the park systems have a variety of free or reasonably priced programs that will provide you with
a new insight to the wonders of early spring.
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| Snowdrops brighten up the leaf mulch in my garden. |
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| The flower of skunk cabbage. |
February 17, 2009 I have the ideal office set-up
for working in the early morning! My desk sets square in the middle of an east facing "wall" of 3 windows
and I can see my entire backyard. The bird feeder area is a glance to the left so I don't miss any of the comings
and goings there. As the seasons progress, I can follow the sun's daily progress from north to south on the horizon
and back. In warmer weather, I can see all my gardens from here and enjoy their variety and color. Of course,
it also means I'm easily distracted by events such as the Cooper's hawks making their almost daily passes through
the yard and if an unusal bird shows up, I'm out of here! My little early clump of snowdrops has been blooming for a week and when the snow melted -- PILEATED
WOODPECKER!!! Okay, I'm back -- sorry for
that interruption. Now where was I? Oh, yes, when the snow melted, there are lots of bulbs poking up and
the cages my daughter, Alison put around the edible shrubs are doing the job. The forsythia buds look good
-- I may bring in a couple branches this afternoon and force them into bloom. Can't wait for the flowers!!! I spent time in early January tidying up the sewing room. I've put everything
back where it belongs (and am trying to do that more regularly), I've thinned out some things (just finished a UFO
and will donate it to the Lake County Steelheader's Ball auction), and even threw out a few things (though I have
to admit, that is very hard for a recycler like me to do). I can see the floor again and move around the room with ease
(okay, there is one pile I'm stepping over). When the room is tidy, it's pleasant to be in there,
so I'm up there every day stitching on something even if it's only for 1/2 hour. There are currently 3 projects on the active work agenda -- a set of log cabin blocks for a new
sample I hope to have on display at the Lake Farmpark Quilt Show vendor weekend (2/28 & 3/1); an additional flying geese
border to elongate a new version of my Seasonal Medallion pattern (check out February's IDEA page addition); and
a small scrappy Civil War set of blocks. I'm chain piecing the log cabin blocks that were cut with Marti Michell's middle
size Log Cabin Ruler. The scrappy Civil War blocks are also serving as the "sew-off's" between
each step of the log cabin chain piecing. Instead of using a scrap of fabric, I piece the triangle sets together
or whatever step of the blocks is next. The scrappy blocks are almost finished and the flying geese units
will be the next bunch of "sew-offs". When the log cabin blocks are finished and set together, I'll
figure out how to set together the Civil War blocks and move onto that project. By the time, the Civil War blocks
are set together into a little top, the flying geese units will be finished and ready to add to the Seasonal Medallion quilt
top. Working like that isn't for everyone, but it serves
me well. It eliminate the boredom I experience when I'm doing the same thing over and over. If I control the
boredom factor which is part of my personality, I think I get the end of a project more often. It also eliminates the
"wheel spinning" I often experience when I finish a project and can't decide what to do next -- which is ridiculous
intellectually because there is always at least a half dozen projects waiting in the wings. Something to think
about!
November 11, 2008 Well those of us on the northeast
edge of Ohio had our first dose of winter snow Monday! There are little remnants of the colors of fall in my garden,
but soon that will be gone. Time to get to work in our stash and color the world with all that great fabric we've
collected. I'm trying to finish a couple fall quilts before I move on to anything new. There's one to
bind and two that probably just need another afternoon of quilting -- somehow I have to convince my head that it's as
exciting to finish something as it is to start something. If you check my teaching schedule, you'll find an open
house day in December when I'll help you bind a quilt -- then you can give it for a gift or enter it into the Lake Farmpark
Quilt Show. Speaking of the show, the classes are listed on their website and registration begins on Monday, 11/17.
Brochures are in the mail and should be arriving this week. Have you visited my idea page yet? What do you think?
I just posted the second idea for a log cabin quilt using Marti's terrific rulers. The next project will be for
a pack of those charm squares the fabric companies are selling now. And four of my patterns have new photos!
I worked with Dan Fox of Lumina Studios to produce photographs that show more detail -- be sure to look at the large versions.
I hope to have all the quilts updated by the end of winter. I've done a new version of my old Holiday Baskets pattern
and am writing an addendum with a tablerunner variation. It will be ready in December -- if you'd like
to order it, send me an envelope and $1 and I'll send a copy to you as soon as it's ready! And I had such a
good time teaching it last week for the Streetsboro Quilt Guild's fall workshop that I'm going to offer a workshop
this winter using the pattern.
September 8, 2008 It's
a lovely day here in Northeast Ohio and I keep wandering outside to enjoy the soft air. I can justify it because I'm
setting out the last few plants that have been patiently waiting on the patio this summer to be added to the flower beds.
There is a little troupe of orange sulphur butterflies enjoying the New England asters and playing dodge-em with a large praying
mantis who has set up shop in the foliage. I hope he doesn't get one of them! Fall is a time of soft
light as the sun moves south, the soft sounds of crickets everywhere, and the warm hues of the color wheel dominant the landscape
and my quilting! I've taken out the bulging box of fall fabrics and am eager to start a new piece with them -- maybe
one of those pumpkin patterns I hoard!?!
But as we move toward the Harvest Moon, the full moon of September, I know that I need to hold
back a week. I've shared my theory with some of you about the impact of the full moon on my body and brain
-- it's not good. For the past year, I've been refining a strategy to manage my state of mind during
the waxing of the full moon each month. About 5 days before the full moon, I focus on 6 basic points to keep the
good vibes rolling.
1. Eat healthy -- no junk food in the house (or hide it at least). 2. Walk or ride the bike when agitiation begins to set in (and it
always does). 3.
Focus on finishing projects -- do not start any new projects. The idea here is that it feels so great to finish
something and that boosts my morale and my state of mind.
4. Do something pleasant and enjoyable every day! Again this is designed to lift my spirits -- cup of my favorite
tea, bubble bath, bake biscotti (it's not junk food), visit a friend -- you get the idea. 5. Keep the daily goals minimal -- I try to
stick to two -- at the end of the day, the list is done!!
6. Do something nice for someone else -- that always make me feel good. Might be a phone call, or write a note
to someone I don't see often, share something with someone.
After a year of taking this approach to my crabby, irritable time of the month, it's getting
easier and I'm refining some things to keep the momentum going. Recently, I realized I often feel overcommitted
at that time of the month. So I've plotted out the "full moons" on my 2009 calendar and am trying to be
more conscious of how much I plan for that week before and after the moon. I'd like to eliminate that overcommitted
attitude since it has a negative impact on my state of mind.
Maybe I'll pull out a fall checkerboard quilt top next week and quilt it -- the best of two
worlds -- I get to play with fall fabric and I get to finish something! I hope you are looking forward to the coming
of fall and all the opportunities it presents! Enter content here
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