My First Quilt

I thought I'd share my first ever quilt with you. It was hand pieced, hand quilted, and embroidered. It was made in 1982.

I did not have a pattern, I just sort of made it up as I went along.

Evidently I chose REALLY fluffy batting!   I think that was popular back in the '80s. It is 30 years old and it is still about 1 1/2 inches thick!

My next quilt? It was made about 17 years later (life got in the way!).

Organization - Virtual Bulletin Board

I am and probably always will be in constant pursuit of organization.   I've blogged about it several times before here and here.   My theory is the less stuff, the easier to keep organized, right?

I have a box filled with photos, sketches, and prototypes.   However, I find that they do me little good if they are hidden away in a box because I tend to forget about them.  I want to see them and be inspired by them.  What to do?   Make them digital of course!

I take a picture of each item and then upload all the photos to the computer.   Once I have digital images, I put them all into one directory on the computer.  The files in this directory will be displayed individually as my PC's background.  I also add inspirational photos taken at quilt shows, vacation, etc., to this directory.

On my computer, the path to define the background is start / control panel / appearance and personalization / change desktop background.   Disclaimer: the path on your computer may be very different!

Select the directory with the images and check each photo that you want to be displayed as a background image.   I have it set up so that the images are shuffled and displayed for 3 minutes at a time. Then the next inspirational image comes into view.  

Recycled Potholders

 We love tamales! One of the brands that we buy comes in a cotton bag. Hmmm...about the same size as a pot holder.....

The Art in Fiber 2012

My artwork is featured on the poster for the upcoming The Art in Fiber 2012 at The Copper Shade Tree in Round Top, Texas.

The model for this piece was a black Angus bull calf at my parent's ranch in Oklahoma.

17 Quilts Completed!

New Year's Day might just be my favorite day of the year. I absolutely love the promise of a new year; a blank canvas just waiting for me to fill as I choose.

Resolutions help me focus on the future and while I am not one to dwell on the past, I do like to take stock of the previous year. Sometimes I am surprised how much gets accomplished while I am busy dealing with everyday life.

I won't share my whole list but here are a few highlights.

• I finished 17 quilts in 2011! Who knew?
• I sold 4 art quilts and displayed my work in 3 galleries.
• I worked on an art quilt with a group of artists that I respect.
• I had quilts, photographs, and a haiku displayed at the Houston International Quilt Festival.
• I homeschooled 2 teenage boys.
• I drove three 1000 mile round-trips to visit my parents.
• I attended vegetable gardening classes.
• I spent time with dear friends.

Even if you don't do New Year's Resolutions, I encourage you to pause at the beginning of 2012 and write down 50 or 100 of your accomplishments from 2011. You might also be pleasantly surprised with all that you have accomplished.