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Videos are on the horizon...

Well, I am slowly emerging...as I realized last week, The PHOENIX is RISING.. A dear friend was hired to film a series of how to videos...and guess who they chose as the subject...yup...yours truly. 

A screen test was done....and it was approved...and we proceeded to film 12 different videos covering a range of sewing topics...so http://www.cocktailsandthread.com/ is born.  Although as of now, it is linked to this blog until I unveil my new image and logo...smiles.

I am waiting for the green light to link the videos...until such time...this was one of the set ups...smiles...notice how cool and cozy this looks...and when you see the other set up, you will see bright and cheery...it was oh sooo much fun to do...can't wait to share...smiles... This was just before I got the new machine...smiles...

The Process in Pink

Well it was a late night...and yes I have substantially completed the quilt.  I must say it turned out a bit different than I had originally envisioned.  Yeah to the GGI.  This is the first created for a someone in need of cheer.  It was a different mental process.  I only pray that I am able to deliver it...I am sure that I will...smiles.

Anyway, as to why it was different.  I guess I was thinking about the person more, and wanting to make sure that it would provide joy, hope, comfort, etc.  Actually, it turned out that i jumped into the Free Motion on the newbie...and did pretty okay for the first ever feather set....So that made me smile...I drew a chalk spine and then realized I went off of the path...smiles...I guess I shall never learn...

Anyway...I began with strips in varied widths.  I then sliced and diced and restitched again.  I then said okay, lets focus on completion and quilting...so i did the inside out stitch (is that what its called) instead of binding.  By the way, binding is not my favorite past time.  So I did that...and then stitched in the ditch...and then just went to town...so view the process below...smiles...Still have some quilting to go...but hey here is the Process in Pink.

Process or Finished Product?

Last Friday the Queen B herself, BumbleBeans, asked the question "Is it the process of making or the final object that makes quilting your joy.....Process or Finished Product?  This got me thinking.  I am indeed a Process person.  I actually went through my unfinished tops and thought about why they were not finished..  Here are a few..

Go forth and quilt you say.  Yes, I know, very simple.  Yet, I realized its a process mentality.  I enjoy the process of selecting the fabric and the colors.  Challenging my color schemes, making fabrics blend, where they were not intended... I feel a song coming on.. 

Color... the Final Frontier. These are the continuing voyages of the starship Quilterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new fabrics, to seek out new fabric and color forms and new combinations, to boldly go where no person has gone before.

And sooooo I enjoy the process.  I have these tops, I enjoy the process... Now, I am working on a love for the quilting process.  For now, I get anxious when i sit to quilt a top.  Unsure, when I envision what I want the finished quilt top to look like.  My mission is to remove all anxiety and feelings of unsurety, and just start finishing a bunch of stuff.

In the spirit of the process pledge.  See my next mental process.  This was a selection that I made with a special person in mind that is not doing so great....so send forth the GGI's to ensure that I design and quilt in an expeditious manner.

The wavy yellow is the backing....I am looking at a weekend completion.  Wish me luck.

I touched it..I am using it....The Quest has begun..

The Quest to become an expert machine quilter.  I was recently reading an article in this months "Quilting Arts", that talks about practice.  Apparently it takes 500 hours of doing something to become proficient in it.  I know from my other readings that it takes an whopping 10,000 hours to be considered an expert.  So, I am going to dismiss the past few years of machine quilting, and consider logging my hours from my brand new machine. 

Yes, I know, I should credit the endless hours of sewing, piecing, and quilting on my other machines, but this one is like sewing on  a cloud (when compared to the other two machines).  It just feels wonderful, smooth, easy.  I am still experiencing a snafu or two, user error of course.  But that is the beauty about learning a new machine.  So what you see above is my first attempt at machine quilting with a free motion foot on my new machine.  There are any number of mistakes, but whose keeping tabs.  I am not, any more...

While sewing last night, I had to remind myself to breathe...I found myself holding my breath as i went along, and when not focused broke 2 needles on my safety pins.  So, I realized, I am not perfect, and although i love this fabric I will just quilt away and love the final product.  It was a very freeing thought.  I must admit, it made things a lot easier.  I am learning to listen to the machine, to know when it needs dusting, more thread, etc.

And so the journey begins.  I have to find some counter of sorts so I can record my hours.  Well, I began last night with 2 and half hours.  Only 497 and a half to go for proficiency.