The Long Summer...

I suppose I'm like a lot of people when I say I didn't get done all the things I wanted to accomplish over the Summer months. Blogging regularly, for instance. Setting up my design studio, for example. Exercising... oh, the list goes on. 

I have a perfectly legitimate reason. I have developed some sort of strange neurological... oh, let's call it "disruption". In a few days, I'll be heading to Mayo Clinic/Hospital in Rochester, MN for some testing. Basically, what has been happening to me since 3rd May are muscle spams not unlike what one might see with MS - Multiple Sclerosis. However, since there aren't MS specialists in my immediate area and I haven't been able to get a definitive diagnosis from local neurosurgeons, I'm venturing to Mayo to see if anyone there can figure out what is going on. I've already had several MRIs over the Summer and did a couple nights in hospital mid-May, but no conclusions have been made as to what is making my hands, feet, face, and occasionally even my back, twist into stiff contortions at their own whim. 

It doesn't always hurt, sometimes the "curling" is simply a neutral position (often in a sort of "Rock on!" heavy metal devil horns way, though sometimes I have to apologise for inadvertently flipping the bird), but there are times when the pain is excruciating and exhausting. Most of the time, however, it looks worse than it feels, though it does put a damper on a lot of activities. For example, I haven't used the hunt-n-peck method of typing since high school, but I'm getting pretty good at it!

I've been trying to keep positive over the last few months. I mean, we know it's not cancer. We know I have a stagnant lesion on the right side of my thalamus. We don't know why I'm having these spams on an almost daily basis. They started when I was in a fairly stressful situation after a build up of several other stressful situations, but I've been under worse stress in my lifetime, so why now and why this particular physical reaction? 

As you can imagine, the not knowing is really bothering me and, by extension, my family and friends. I can count myself fortunate that I do have a good support group around me. I have been able to go on our family camping trips. I have been able to work on a few sewing projects (yep, still picking away at that baby quilt). I've even managed to finish a few things (nope, not that baby quilt). I went to my 25th high school class reunion and danced the night away and I even took my boys to the opening day of the MN State Fair.

But as I get closer to my Mayo appointment(s), my trepidation increases. It doesn't help that I'm anticipating a spinal tap, and not the fun, Michael McKean in Spandex variety. I'm not even sure how long I'll be there. My only consolation (outside of family and friends) is the notion that I'll soon have a name for whatever this is (besides "that little effer in my brain") and can then plan a course of healing/management. A plan that moves forward, for no matter how hard I've tried to keep things going as normally as possible, the unknown lurks large and, frankly, has held me from doing a few of the things I'd ordinarily jump into without a second thought. I've been able to push beyond my fibromyalgia for performances (then be absolutely spent afterward), but the spams are different. I can't seem to "mind over matter" them the way I could with fibro flare-ups and I there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when they'll hit.

Anyway, I'll keep on truckin' as usual, and hopefully it won't be too long before you hear from me again. Next time with good news.

The etsy site is up!

I finally got my poop in a group long enough to publish a few items in my etsy store. www.etsy.com/tequiladiamonds is now open for business! I didn't post any pix here because I want you to go to the store!

I'm going to confess, I'm super nervous about it. Whenever you do something creative, you worry about what other people are going to think of it. If you don't, you need to talk to a doctor about that. However, I got over that hurdle and I'm continuing to add to my inventory of things I can make and put into the shop. Home business is underway!

Today happens to be beautiful and sunny, so I'm going to take full advantage of that and go outside. It was snowing a bit this morning, and I was starting to feel pretty sorry for myself that I hadn't seen the sun in a while. I'm going to go fix that situation. Have an amazing day, and don't stand in your own way!

I'm Baaaaack!

Yeah. I had a busy winter. Between school, holidays, and a production of Cabaret, I lost track of a lot.
One thing I decided was to not go back to school. It'd take too long at the rate I was going. Not that I didn't do well (I aced Textiles) or didn't like it (who doesn't love to learn new stuff?), but I simply can't afford to go full time and, since I was starting over with a new degree, going one class at a time would get me done in about 20 years. Please. I got sh*it ta do.
I also put myself on self-imposed semi-retirement from the stage. If I'm going to do this other thing (I'll get to that soon) I need to take time away from performing. Cabaret was particularly physically demanding as well. I would have a dance rehearsal one night and then spend the next day in bed from the pain and fatigue of the Fibro. It's fortunate that I don't have a day job because a lot of cast mates got sick, but I managed to not get sick at all. I think a lot of that is due to my being able to rest during the day.
But now I'm getting restless. I'm anxious to get started on the Next Big Thing.

Tequila Diamonds.
I've done a lot of prep work, mostly R&D and some massive soul-searching trying to figure out how I want to move forward. What is my purpose? My Mission Statement? One thing I know is that I want to take one thing, and make something totally unexpected from that thing. That's really the underlying philosophy to Tequila Diamonds. Making the ordinary extraordinary.
I've narrowed it down to a few items (comparatively few, I should clarify). I have the fabric line, I used some of those images and made some items on Zazzle (jewelry, stuff like that). I even sold a Happy Harriet tee-shirt!
Anyway, I've set up a few goals. I've taken pix of some things I've already made. I'm going to set up the etsy site in March. My hope is to use the money from those items to fund my new fashion line made from my fabric designs.
I've sketched and colored, manipulated fabric and practiced my stitching. I'm going to be working as a stitcher on the next production going up at Bloomington Civic Theatre (where I just did Cabaret), which will provide more of a learning environment than going to school. It'll also pay a little bit, so I can put that toward supplies.

So, yeah, not a lot of quilting going on. I'm still pecking away at the hand sewn quilt I've been working on for my great-niece, but no new quilting projects have been started or even thought about for the moment. If the quilting was why you were reading, I'm afraid the future posts will be disappointing. However, if exploring creative outlets and starting a creative business is something you're interested in, stay on dah boat!

stupid link...

Okay, on my last posting the link to my Spoonflower page didn't work. I'ma try again...

Tequila Diamonds

Let me know if this one works, 'k? Bye! Muchas smoochas....

real quick-like...

Here's a link to my Spoonflower shop.

Tequila Diamonds Spoonflower Shop

Please go visit and get inspired to make something from one of my fabric collections. They're even offering wallpaper! Be aware that I have not approved all of my designs for use as a wallpaper. In fact, I have some public designs that are not yet for sale but will be in the near future. I'm such a tease.

On the other hand, I have purchased some yardage of a fabric that I intend to keep private and use for my clothing line. I'm almost done with the first dress. I just need to hem that baby and I'll show it off in class tomorrow! I'll post pix of it, too, I'm sure...

Yesterday was the Mid-term exam for class and I think I did alright. I know I'm currently getting an "A", so I'm not too worried. I'm pretty much the Hermione Granger of Textiles 1433. Can't help it. I find the subject matter interesting. I also turned in my first term paper regarding the labeling of "green" fabrics. I hope that one came out alright. I'm never sure about papers. I tend to use big words and I'm afraid they'll think I'm being pretentious. I just like to write well and use the lexicon to my fullest capabilities. Gee whiz!

I have nearly all the additional hexies for the baby quilt cut. I had to run out for some additional fabric but found some that matches what I already have. I thought about intentionally choosing a slightly different shade, but went with the match. Baby Claire was born 11-3-12 at 12:03 a.m. My goal is to have the top done by Thanksgiving and the full quilt by Christmas. Not a lot of time, so I'm going to get off the computer and sew!

Happy creating!

I won an award!

For being the world's laziest blogger. For real. I have thought about it nearly every day, but getting to the computer was hardly on the reality agenda.

First off, school is amazing. I should say "class", because I'm only taking the one, but I'm really enjoying it and have met some truly awesome people. I was having a hard time downloading my textbook, but I finally got it to work this weekend and have been catching up on my homework. Luckily, most of our work is done in class.

Baby still isn't here, which is good, because the blanket is no where near done. However, I did decide how I was going to connect the flowers and have been working away at that.

Here are step-by-step photos of the process by which I prepare the fabric for making Grandma's Flower Garden.

I try to start at the edge of the paper. I always manage to get off center, though. Fortunately, it's not a terribly big deal if I do. You'll see why later.

I use the inside of one of my templates as a guide. 

Make a full page of hexagons. Then simply cut them out. I usually cut them into ziggy-zaggy strips then cut the cross lines. Seems to go pretty quickly. You can even use the ones that have wonky ends (see the left edge above) if you feel good about your basting skills.

Then I use one of them as a guide to make a cardboard template to use on the fabric.  I've made a quarter inch seam allowance. The cardboard sheets that come inside fat quarters are really handy for this (and a thrifty re-use, too!).

I used a white washable fabric pencil to trace the shapes onto the fabric.

I used my rotary cutter and a ruler to first cut all the diagonal lines, then the the connecting lines...

...which made this cutting process quick as well.

I counted out the number of fabric hexagons and gathered enough freezer paper hexagons to go with them and headed to the ironing board.

The nice thing about freezer paper is that if it irons on crookedly... 

...you can peel it off and try again.

I've found that, if I lay out the pieces thusly, the ironing on of the freezer paper goes rather quickly.

In my next blog, I'll show you my quick basting stitches. I can really tell with which pieces I started out, because the basting stitches are all ferkucht.

News!!!

Once I get into production of a show, the writing of the blog pretty much shuts down, so I apologize.

That said, I have one weekend left of Guards! Guards! and then a weekend off, and then.... (here comes the really awesome news!)

I'm going back to school!

I'm going to the Art Institutes International of Minnesota in their Fashion Design program. I still have to wrap up a placement exam and we're still waiting for all my transcripts from the other schools I've attended, so I can't register for class just yet, but I'll start on October 1st. I'm only going to take one class at a time for the moment, it'll be easier to pay for and because of my theatre schedule through July of '13. I don't want to overload myself right away. Perhaps when I'm done with the show in July I'll see about adding a class or going full time.

I've wanted to go back and get my degree (in Theatre Arts) but I'd have to either go back to La Crosse, WI and go there or start all over with a different program. Why? Because I have basically every credit in my major field of study completed and hardly any of my core curriculum done. Whichever school I would be attending locally, I'd have to take the majority of program-related courses where I plan to graduate. That would mean retaking (and paying for) a crap-ton of classes I've already passed. Even if I decided to switch from a performance major to a technical major.

So, I looked into art school. There aren't too many design schools here in the Minneapolis area with a fashion design program, but Ai just started one last year. They also have a film production major, so I'll still be hanging out with and making connections with people in my industry and I'll be able to learn those design skills that simply aren't taught in your basic theatre classes. Or they are, but not in any great detail.

I'm still working on my niece's baby blanket and I'm going to set up a time to take photos of my progress and how I do the preparation. I had wanted to make a video, but I don't really have a location that'll work for that, so I'll just take photos so I can stop putting it off.

That's the exciting news du jour!