The Big Sort

Yikes!! Like most everyone else, I have too much stuff. Sewing stuff, book stuff, paper stuff, household stuff . . .you name it. I feel like I'm smothering, even though I've managed to stuff most of my stuff out of the way. Every time I think about dealing with the stuff, I make another quilt instead. I've been prolific in my sewing, but stuff keeps piling up! Here's my basement pantry/storage room, for instance.

Yesterday, I attended a class at my friend, Debbie's, on how to get organized. The teacher was Mary Fisher of Sort N' Release. She's a sweetheart and a huge inspiration on how to get organized. I went home with a head full of ideas. Although I wanted to dig right in, I started last night by planning my strategy (90 minutes).

 Mary's "TACKLE" approach is great for those of us who love to make lists, so for each room and storage area in my house, I listed: current use, goal use, challenges, and opportunities. Then I made a commitment to spend 4 - 8 hours each week getting organized. I can spread it out over the week or get it all done in one day. The rest of my time can be guilt-free sewing. Yippee!

I'm going to keep myself on track by blogging about my progress. This morning I started the "Big Sort" in my basement pantry/storage room. I discovered boxes of books, tapes, CDs, and sewing/craft things that I had been wondering about. After 2 hours of work, here's what my new space looks like now. That's my decorated Christmas tree in the garbage bag, the fans that will head to my bedroom when the weather heats up, and the garden hose that goes outside soon.

The stuff I hauled out of there is sitting in the middle of my basement floor in categories. I'm feeling energized to do more tomorrow. My goal is to finish the pantry end of the storage room I worked on today.

 Mary will be presenting her approach at the South Minneapolis Quilters Guild in October, so my plan is to be totally reorganized by then. More later!

My Project Runway Challenge

I love Project Runway and have always wanted to do a challenge of my own. I thought it would have to do with quilts, of course, but the challenge I took on related to fashion. My sister, Nancy, is active in Habitat for Humanity and asked me to doctor up her little red dress for their annual dinner. It needed to relate to construction yet be sexy, chic, and danceable.

Nathan and I went to my local hardware store, Settergren's, and settled on several sizes of stainless steel washers. I attached them to the front of her dress with silver metalic thread. Turned out to be easier than I thought, but it was still putzy.

The final result was surprisingly beautiful. Someone would have to tell you that the embellishments are hardware. For her clutch handbag, Nathan suggested spray painting a couple of air filter masks and attaching a chain. Very cool. It opens like one of those little coinpurses that you have to squeeze open. We added other embellishments: a bracelet made from stainless steel links used for key chains and a hose clamp posing as a ring. And earrings. I almost forgot the dangly earrings made of more washers and little stainless key rings. I'm taking orders for those!

Nancy says that out of 900 or so attendees, she had the best dress. And that was according to the other guests. Score one for this Project Runway devotee!

It's A Mystery

I just got home from my first mystery class at Glad Creations . . . what a blast! It was like a mini retreat except that you get to go home and sleep in your own bed. People even cook for you (at local restaurants).

I would love to show you some of my finished blocks, but they need to remain a mystery for everyone else who will be attending the class or doing the mystery by mail.

What I can show you are the bright, happy fabrics I used. The background fabric is called "Giggle Feathers". (Eat your heart out, Georgia.) They all came from my stash, so that makes me even happier.

I had so much fun sewing and visiting with old and new friends that I think I'm going to have to make Glad mystery classes a habit!

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

I'm finally making progress on my Sylvia's Bridal Sampler quilt. And only because Nathan pushed me to continue when I stalled out. He did it by making some blocks for me, printing a sheaf of paper foundations, and putting together a bunch of kits with the pieces already cut and ready to sew.

I got help from other quarters, too. Nancy pieced several blocks for me in exchange for appliqued blocks from me. And then at quilt club, folks helped me out by tearing out paper foundations.

Whew! What would I do without great friends like that? I'll tell you what. Go without a Sylvia's quilt for the New Year's show at Glad Creations, that's what!

Seeing Stars

I have a passion for Lone Star quilts . . . . I just love making them! I've been making one after another this year, which might explain why I haven't posted anything for a very long time.


I am so thrilled to have won a blue ribbon for this Lone Star. I created it as a tribute to the first residents of Minnesota.
This quilt features a morning star sacred to the Lakota and floral motifs used in Ojibway beadwork.

Judy Remiger's machine quilting pushed this quilt into first place at the Minnesota Quilters show in June.

A closer look of Judy's quilting reveals many Native American motifs, and enhancement of the appliques and printed beadwork.

My passion has in turn led to teaching others my little tricks for making Lone Stars. I am a perfectionist, but a lazy one, and that has allowed me to find streamlined techniques for creating a Lone Star that lays flat and has all it's points matching.

Here's my latest Lone Star. This time I used batiks and added a bit of piping between the star and the first border.

As you can see, it's a work in progress. I just finished marking the top for quilting and have pin-basted it. I'm excited to see how this one turns out.

This fall I will once again be teaching my favorite techniques at Glad Creations. It's so much fun to see all the amazing looks we achieve with different fabrics. I can't wait to see the new crop! My next Lone Star class starts in a couple of weeks, so come join me at Glad Creations!

Bosca's Got a Brand New Bag

Isn't it cute? I whipped up this little bag for Bosca so that she can carry her plastic "clean-up" bags. It's about time she earns her keep!

This comes from a Lazy Girl pattern called "Maggie" that I got at Glad Creations. This is the larger of the two sizes offered and may be a bit big for Bosca. I'm going to make a smaller one just like it that will still hold four newspaper-sized bags.

The tiger print is perfect for Bosca's coloring (and sometimes her temperment). Since she loves cats, I lined it with a matching cheetah print.

Now I want to make her a backpack. Hey, Lazy Girl, got a pattern for one of those?

I'm Scared

My sister-in-law sent me this photograph of coffee beans. Supposedly, if your right brain is developed enough, you can see a man in the beans. For real.

If you see the man in less than three seconds, your right brain is more developed than most people. If it takes you up to a minute, your brain is normal. Between a minute and three minutes? That means your right brain is operating slowly, and you need to eat more protien. If it takes longer than three minutes, you need to start challenging your brain with more of these brain puzzles. All according to real doctors.

I've been staring at these beans for hours, and I still don't see the man. I've squinted, covered one eye, stepped back for distance, examined up close, looked away for a while and spun back quickly to catch the man in the beans. I've tried emptying my mind of all expectations of what he should look like. I've considered that my sister-in-law is putting me on, but she wouldn't do that.

Once in a while I think I see a mustache, but then it disappears.

What does this have to do with quilting? EVERYTHING! Creativity flows from the right brain. I strive for creativity in my quiltmaking. What does my creative future hold if I can't see that little jerk in the beans?

(Does anyone else see him? Everyone?)