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 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.

whew!

Well, I have made an enormous dent in the basement! I was expecting my stepdaughter and her boyfriend this weekend, but because of some circumstances beyond our control, they won't be able to visit. On the one hand, darn it, we were looking forward to the visit (not to mention they'd be taking the rest of her crap back home with them) on the other, I don't have to be in quite such a rush. It was pretty overwhelming. 

I've also been working on the play I'm in, a stage adaptation of Terry Pratchett's fantasy novel, "Guards! Guards!" I'm playing the Librarian of the Wizard's University. There had been a magical explosion at the U one day and it turned him into an orangutan. He decided he liked being an ape, and has never been turned back into a human. It's a very physically demanding role, but one that has been more fun than I could have predicted. I've also gone down a size since we started rehearsals at the end of July. When you spend most of your evening squatting, your thighs get nice and trim!

Unfortunately, this particular theatre company has no budget. I'm making my own orangutan costume, which is fun, but it's a lot of work. They tried to find some costume feet and hands for me, but my latex allergy reared its ugly head within moments of me trying them on. I do have some pictures which I will post soon. I'm just not on my regular computer at this moment to get them. Hmmm... There's that costuming thing again...

I went to my niece's baby shower and they really liked my gift. What I did was wrap the completed hexagon flowers and made her give them back to me at the end of the day. I've finished one more flower and started another. Once the show opens, I'll be able to get back to work on it in earnest. 

One thing I plan on doing as part of getting back to work on the Grandma's Flower Garden quilt is to show how I prepare the hexagons. I'm hoping to film this so I can add video to this blog. We shall see what we shall see... 

I've also been looking at how my basement is currently laid out and what doesn't work (most of it) and what does (hardly anything) for a design studio. I've been sketching and measuring and plotting and stewing. It's got my head spinning most of the time, lately. I'm a glutton for punishment. I'd really like to not spend a bunch of money to set this up. I already spent almost $500 having the old furniture and some other crap removed. It was totally worth it, though. I had to call 1-800-Got-Junk, but it was so worth every penny. I've also made several trips to the thrift store - to drop off stuff, not buy anything- and I now have room to organize the things I do want to keep. I'm really no where near done, but the progress that has been made is huge. My mom is coming to visit next week for the opening night of the play and she's going to be so surprised! I've been telling her what I'm doing, but she hasn't been able to come up to actually see with her own eyes. I'm pretty excited! I'm getting closer to having a home business!

Big changes behind, big plans ahead!

Hey, I really like camping!

I feel kind of bad for having not wanted to go camping last weekend, but it was really relaxing and refreshing. 

I was really inspired by all the colors around me. Vivid greens and blues of the trees and the lake, sun-bleached stones and wood. Everything has a special sparkle in the woods. 

I went fishing with my guys and actually caught the first "keeper" of the weekend. The iridescence of the fish is amazing, the sun glittering on the water is, dare I say it, thrilling. Also sunburn-inducing. Note to self: Even thought it's early in the day and you think you'll be back before you're too exposed, put the dang SPF on.

For the first time in ages, and I do mean AGES, I felt relaxed. Calm. Serene. I discovered I'm pretty good at making a campfire. I can bait my own hook (I'm still working on the removal of fish from said hook). I can drive a boat. Last weekend was full of discovery. I did things I've never done before. I even removed a clam from its shell and caught a beautiful Sunfish using it as bait. Of course, the shell is beautiful inside. 

I took photos of textures you don't always see or notice in the city. I've been using them as the basis for some fabric designs. One I'm especially proud of is of some lichens. I played around in photoshop and the effect is one of watercolor impressionism. Like a Monet. I began playing around with pixelation, color fades, adding and subtracting elements. 

I also began to think that the campsite (on Lake Peavey) would be a really beautiful place to photograph my products. We're going back up this weekend, so I'll have a talk with the owners and see if they're cool with that (and I don't know why they wouldn't be). 

I also designed a line of star fabrics for next summer. I normally hate the star shape. It has become trite, in my humble opinion. But I'm hoping my designs will have enough of a spin on the oft misused geometric shape to make it seem exciting. I also based the different color-ways on different American cities. So it's still "All-American" <eye roll>. That part makes me cringe. Not that I'm not patriotic. I'm very much so. I just don't like how some people use that term. 

Anyway...

I really used this weekend to soak in the beauty of nature and my family and to meet new people. I accomplished that and much more. I even got a couple of flowers done for the baby quilt. Then I went off on my design tangent in my journal. Well, that, and I didn't want them to smell like campfire. I love to sit on the smokey side and get the smell in my clothes, but I don't think I should present a gift that smells like campfire. Though nothing would make me prouder than to have my great-niece wrapped up in the blankie I made for her while she's sitting at the fire pit in my sister's backyard.

Lillian...

Finally got over to meet baby Lillian and give her the quilt I made for her. She snuggled right in...

Clockwise from top right, my friend, Laurel, Dutch, Lillian, and me.

"Hmmmm... I think I like this blankie!"

"Yes. Yes, I do!"
Sorry the photos are so blurry. She was in her bouncy seat. 

It felt really great to be able to give her something I made. 

In fact, I think I'm going to see if I can't finish the floor quilt (Scrappy McScrapperton) for our neighbors. They run a day care in their home and they have a couple of little babies. Though I personally think it's fun for everyone. 

I've been battling the good ol' fibromyalgia since last Thursday, and not getting too much done by way of quilting, housework, everything. It's going to set me back a few days. Usually about twice as many days as I'm knocked out. I've tried to keep moving, but the weather has been so oppressive, and it really effects my flare ups. 

On the up side, my husband and I were approved for our RV loan, so we'll be able to travel a bit more with the boys. We pick it up this Thursday, which is also my hubby's birthday. I can't wait to travel the country and see quilts and trinkets from all over. I also can't wait to make quilts for the beds. There's a queen size master bed, queen sofa bed, full size in the dining nook and four bunk beds in the rear. Obviously, we won't need them for all the beds, but I'm looking forward to making them just the same. I'm already planning on taking the machine wherever we go... I hope my husband realizes this...

Well, stay cool, stay hydrated, stay creative! Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

More poetical inspiration...

Today's poem by William Wordsworth has such wonderful imagery I wanted to share it. I hope it inspires your art.

A Whirl-Blast from Behind The Hill 

A Whirl-Blast from behind the hill 
Rushed o'er the wood with startling sound; 
Then--all at once the air was still, 
And showers of hailstones pattered round. 
Where leafless oaks towered high above, 
I sat within an undergrove 
Of tallest hollies, tall and green; 
A fairer bower was never seen. 
From year to year the spacious floor 
With withered leaves is covered o'er, 
And all the year the bower is green. 
But see! where'er the hailstones drop 
The withered leaves all skip and hop; 
There's not a breeze--no breath of air-- 
Yet here, and there, and everywhere 
Along the floor, beneath the shade 
By those embowering hollies made, 
The leaves in myriads jump and spring, 
As if with pipes and music rare 
Some Robin Good-fellow were there, 
And all those leaves, in festive glee, 
Were dancing to the minstrelsy. 

William Wordsworth 

photo by Bella Fortuna

Above is a photo by one of my facebook friends, Bella Fortuna. She takes amazing photos of nature. I keep telling her she should send her stuff in to National Geographic. Her photos of insects are so perfect! I keep thinking I'll make an art quilt of them one day. She took a picture of a dragonfly that almost looks like it has a little smile. And she captures birds most beautifully. I just thought this pic of a lagoon would work well with Wordsworth's poetry. 

I made a label for Lillian's baby blanket, since we'll be presenting it to her tomorrow - yay! I started out trying to embroider it, but my skills aren't up to snuff on that. I got out my pink acrylic ink and painted it. I can paint much better than embroider, at least for now.

I have to stitch it on, obviously, but this is what I have so far. Later today I'll post some progress/process photos from the Grandmother's Flower Garden. I needed to replenish my supply of hexagons. I had many cut and all the freezer paper was cut, but still needed to be ironed on (which I did last night) and I started basting the pieces. I'll take some photos so you can see how that goes. 

For now, have a beautiful day! If it's sunny where you are, go get some vitamin D. Take pictures, take notes, get your creative juices flowing!