CONTROLLED CHAOS -- THE STUDIO

 Since returning from Houston 3 weeks ago, my studio has been a mess. I have several projects going at once, things are heaped up everywhere. So it is not a pleasant place to work. Take a look:

The Cutting Table

The Q20 flat surface perfect for dumping stuff

Ironing Station and boxes I might need for shipping sales

Rocking Chair, another dumping spot

Right side of sewing machine

Left side of sewing machine

Cozy chair/dump site

The Design wall at the moment

Before I go any farther, I must make some order from all this chaos!

Several hours later... (because I used the time to cut up all the fabric needed for 20 blocks used in Pick A Petal and design a Baby quilt)

From the doorway

Cutting Surface ready to go, Disappearing Patchwork on the Design Wall 

Two more blocks for Pick A Petal ready to sew on the left side of the machine

Ironing Station all set, no more boxes on the floor

Wow!

Now I am ready to get to work. 

Pick A Petal, the 2024 FREE Block of the Month for Star Members of The Quilt Show has its' own tote, everything all together:

The Fabric Kit and optional Template Set--essential in my opinion

All together in their own tote

Another "MUST DO" Project is a baby quilt for my next grandchild. An alphabet quilt with a Winnie the Pooh back--my son loves Pooh so I bought this fabric more than 25 years ago. I dug it out today to find it is 60" wide decorator fabric, designed as panels. It will be the back and I won't be hand quilting this one:

The design I worked up in EQ8--the letters will be LOTS of colors

I will create a pieced back with these panels and Confetti will be the background fabric on the front of the quilt

Another quilt I have to get made right away is Antelope Canyon--Dit Dot Evolution.  I am teaching it locally at Southern Charm Quilting Huntsville AL March 19 and April 2, 2024. So this top is first priority:

There is one other project I am eager to make, the only fabric/pattern I bought in Houston--actually, I bought it at The Quilted Skein on my day trip to La Grange, TX. It was just so beautiful, easy, and on sale:

So there you have it.  My studio space is once again my refuge and I smile when I come in and see it looking like this. Chaos will return in time but for now, it's neat, tidy and ready to welcome me in.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

Controlled Chaos

 With Houston around the corner, and classes in full swing, my studio space is in a state of semi-controlled chaos.

I have two major quilts in active construction mode. Three classes in the next 6 days. A surprise extra bonus fabric for yet another garment, if I get time to make it. And all the usual house stuff, like paying bills, planning and preparing meals, etc.

Lest you think my studio is always neat and tidy, here you go:

I really should spend an hour putting something away but that hour hasn't materialized yet. So I just move things around when I am creating things.

Before I go to Houston I will make some order out of this chaos so I don't come home to this mess. 

The good news is the two major quilts are coming together nicely and I like what I am seeing. I'll be able to share those projects with you soon.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Favorite Things

 I did clean up my studio a little bit so I won't come home from Houston to a mess. 

There are a few special things in my studio I thought I would share. First, are two beachscapes I bought from my very talented friend, Eileen Williams. I love everything about these. The top one is 5" x 8", the larger one is 9" x 12".  Having shells and beads sewn on makes them so special, and I love the driftwood hanger on the bottom one. I don't get to the beach near as often as I wish so these help take me there:

Be sure to check out her beautiful work on her website: Fiber Art Quilts. She has had several gallery exhibitions this year so many of her pieces have sold. She has won numerous awards for her work over the years.  Read more about our lifelong friendship in this post: A Visit With Friends

The other item on my studio wall that makes me smile every day is this:

Garth Brooks, the inscription says "Barbara, sure love your boy--God bless your family, Garth". 

My son, Joshua Black Wilkins, is a professional photographer in Nashville, TN. A few years ago he was working on a shoot there with Garth Brooks. As it happened to be my birthday, I told Joshua to tell him his mother is a big fan. I have loved Garth's music from the beginning. During a break, Joshua did tell him that and Garth instantly asked for my address. A few days later I received a large box from Oklahoma. Not knowing anyone in OK, I was surprised and curious. It was full of all the merchandise sold at his shows. Lots of t-shirts, coffee mugs, key chains, stickers, all that stuff. Included was this signed photo. And a 3-CD set of all his music and a DVD of a big show. Pretty sweet and unexpected, for sure.  I hung this where Garth can watch me at my pressing station:

The Flying Geese quilt above is called Snowbirds by Jinny Beyer--I made it in 2000. On the left is a tiny twister quilt made by my friend, Ellen, in 2013. 

So, while I'm off to Houston, I will try to post a few simple posts about quilty things.

Be sure to check out the Tutorials tab above to find lots of helpful posts for quilting issues/techniques.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Pre-Houston Studio Chaos

 If a messy space is the sign of an organized mind, I am in good shape. Several projects are in various stages and I don't want to put them away:

There is more Secret Sewing I thought I was done with but something came up and I had to make 3 more blocks, the kind that are not easy but make you feel accomplished when done. Sneak peek:

I also began an "I Spy" quilt for my 3 year old grandson's "big boy bed" which he will move into soon--one block of 63 done is a start, right?

This is the annual pre-Houston rush to get LOTS done. I will be gone close to two weeks so there are bills to pay, clothes packing to plan, laundry to do so the suitcases can get packed, appointments for personal stuff like hair and nails, and the usual, annual doctor visits I should know NOT to schedule in October. Two weeks ago I got the booster shot so this past week I also got the annual flu vaccine, a must before going to Houston--that's just part of  my annual Fall routine.

At least I don't have any garments to make this year, I will be using prior year garments according to the schedule we have been given. 

Staging area for packing--those two suitcases will be full soon and I'll be on my way to one of my most favorite places, with great people, my favorite hotel, and good food. And the weather is usually the best in Houston in the Fall. 

International Quilt Festival will be extra special this year because the Special Exhibit "My Joyful Journey" will be on full display. Twenty-three of my quilts, representing some of my earliest works to the four Best Of Show quilts, and those that mean the most to me in my journey as a professional quiltmaker. If you come to Festival, I hope our paths will cross during your visit. 

For those who can't make it, I'll take lots of photos and plan to create an "e-book" when I get home.  More on that when it's all set.

Let's quilt. 

Barbara

So Much Stuff

 The "abundance of riches" that is my quilt Studio has begun to overwhelm me, again, so I have begun to do a deep purge again. So far, all I've been able to do is sort through some of the furniture that is storage and I have found plenty of things I didn't know I had. And since I didn't miss it, it can go.

First, I started with a large container of Batik fabrics, mostly fat quarters and half yards. A friend who loves Batiks asked me to keep her in mind if I had any I was going to part with. 

A quick count showed it came to at least 40 yards, and it filled a large tote bag to the brim:

An email to her got a quick response: $200 SOLD!

I also knew it was time to sell one of the 3 Featherweights I  have. Not the one I had painted Ruby Red, to celebrate my Ruby Jubilee quilt, that one stays in the family and I hope Stella will want it some day. A 1951 in great condition was the choice. The Sunday Sew and Sews were offered it first by email, and in moments it had found a new home, $400 SOLD!

With those items taken care of, I just started going through every drawer, every shelf, every flat surface that accumulates STUFF and have filled a few boxes with discards that will go to students visiting this weekend and the Sunday Sew and Sews in November. 

The very best stuff will be available for my next "invitation only" sale, that will happen sometime before this year is over--if COVID permits.  First, I need time to sort the 20' x 9' x 3' deep closets. Having done that a few times before, I know how much time it will take. But I am always so glad when it's done. Stuff I don't need can go to others who will be happy to get it. 

Just seeing how much neater and cleaner this small table is, makes me happy. And every shelf on the bookcase has been cleaned up and sorted out:

I would much rather spend my time creating quilts and there are quite a few waiting to be quilted. But this task has to take priority now. 

Soon, there will be Facebook Live presentations to make, showing the 2021 Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show. That's what determined this space needs some "tidying up"--boy, is that putting it mildly. The closets can wait--no one can see into them at the moment.

So, while my design wall waits, I'll be cleaning up.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Tidying Up

I did spend a little time clearing away the clutter in my studio and found:

The comfy chair

The rocking chair--and the top of this old table

 Now I will make a few more masks:

And quilt these 3 little quilts I unearthed:

I am still searching for the perfect idea for a Quilt of Valor, using the red, white and blue fabrics from Patriotic Pineapples. It might be a string quilt:

From Pinterest

 It might be Standing Strong, a design created for Quilts of Valor--instructions can be found at shabbyfabrics.com:

Or it might be this string quilt, Blended Scraps Block, in red, white and blue, from She Can Quilt.:

Making this decision is holding me up so I will decide and start before the next blog post. Stay tuned...

Let's quilt.

Barbara

What's A Quilter To Do?

We have lots of time. Most of us have lots of fabric, ideas, plans. So, what do we DO with all that?  If you are like most quilters being safe at home right now, you are spending LOTS of time on the Internet.

Having recently finished several projects, it's time to figure out what comes next for me.

I could keep quilting the Foothills Quilt:

 I could make more masks--since I am still trying out different patterns:

I could work on this project--BUT since it's a Leader/Ender, what's the rush?

I could START one of the NEW quilts I want to make:

1. Pieces of the Past in Purple
2. Western Sun
3. A Modern Quilt with Repro Fabrics
4. Another Quilt of Valor
5. An old block made fresh
6. One BIG Pineapple block
7. Or any one of several more I'm thinking about

Maybe, what I SHOULD DO IS--clean up this mess:

Pressing surface, mostly

Stuff that doesn't fit in the closet

There is a comfy chair under there somewhere

Cutting Surface, supposedly

Without the monthly meeting of the Sunday Sew and Sews, the studio has gotten really messy. Knowing they were coming once a month meant I put stuff away most of the time. They will start coming again, and I look forward to that day. Probably ought to clean up a bit starting today.

We won't even talk about the closets--it's past time to dig through those again. My friends call it an "intervention". It looks good for a bit then, sewing happens and it gets messy again.  See what I mean:

Studio Neat and Tidy

Closet Before and After

So, what did I do? First, I wrote this blog. Then I wrote the May 1 blog--I prefer to be ahead on the posts about Afternoon Delight.

Then: I started the clean-up process--one surface at a time. When the studio is neat and tidy once again, I will decide which quilt is up next, pull fabrics for it, and get started.

It is easy to get lost down the rabbit hole that is the Internet--we have SO MUCH to read and watch in the comfort of our homes. I want to spend this time making something.

Let's quilt.

Barbara