Sewing Room!

Or, as Cynthia tries to get me to call it...My Studio. Sewing room sounds functional. A room where "stuff" gets DONE! At least it does sometimes. Studio sounds more artsy, an adjective to which I can't relate. My dad taught math for 50+ years; my mom was a real-deal artist and taught art. Oddly, I didn't inherit any of those genes. Having them sure would make quilting easier for me. I've said several things in my youth that have come back to bite me in the butt. "What's the point of exercising when we're all gonna die anyway?" And now I need exercise just so I can get outta bed in the morning. And, "I won't everrr use math so why do I have to study this mess?" Sure would be nice to be able to accurately calculate the blocks and fabric I need for a project. Ugh. Doubly troublesome for Daddy as not only did I miss his genes but he was also my math teacher!

Back to my sewing room... About a year ago (already?!?) I purged and cleaned, got new shelving, wrapped fabric on magazine boards, sorted by color and collections, and designated drawers for fat quarters and precuts. It looked like a fabric store. Allll the pretty colors!! It looked great! For about a day. Then I began a project. Then I acquired more fabric. And more fabric. (It was on sale!) Then I saw Jenny Doan make a wonky star quilt so I needed to get the right fabric for that, right? And there's no room for the new roll of batting. *sigh* It doesn't help that I'm a lot like Pigpen from the Peanuts comic strip from Charles Schultz.I'm messy, to say the least, and probably have my own dust cloud. There is now a healthy stack of fabric that needs to be wrapped and shelved. Dangit! Sew? Or straighten up the room? If you know me at all you know which I'll choose. Haha!!

Kaffe and Tula have their own shelves. They'll probably be there from now on because I can't make myself cut 'em. I just hold them and love them and talk to them about what pretty quilts they would be if I could cut them. Then back on the shelf they go. There's also a grunge section but I'm able to cut grunge, so I get to (I mean, have to,  - oopsy!) restock that shelf.

My sewing room is my happy place. Well, my sewing room and my recliner. My favorite thing to do in the world? Rainy, cool day...Aggie football on tv...sewing...Cookie on her doggie bed under the ironing table. Man, oh man. Heaven! [Oh my. My favorite thing to do sure has changed since my twenties! Lol!!!]

The way I see it... if the sewing room is clean you ain't sewing. So, get in there and make a mess. Have fun! And remember, life is short/buy the fabric.

-Angie Clemons

[Some days it's more difficult but always trying to] Choose kind

Snobs

I realized at the last guild program that I'm in a group with a bunch of SNOBS! Yeah, that's right! Snobs! Thread snobs. Fabric snobs. Ruler snobs. Notions snobs. Machine snobs! Pattern snobs! Seems we all have our favorites that we swear by and are willing to defend to the death. Well, okay, maybe not to the death but we really like what we like.

I feel bad. You see, I played along...but I was afraid because I have a secret. I agreed, "Yes! Superior thread! Woohoo!" At other times I have said, " Yes! Moda fabric! Kona! Mostly Freespirit! Yes yes yes! " And when we're discussing where to buy fabric I'm nodding my head in agreement that we should ONLY buy quilt shop fabric. Then I go home to my secret...discount fabrics, cheap thread, off brand notions, and free patterns. *gulp* Don't get me wrong, I have a ton (too much!) of the good stuff, but I'm definitely guilty of trying to save a nickel. I understand the premise that you should only use quality fabric if you're putting in all that time and effort to make a quilt. I also understand being thrifty. I like to splurge on fabulous print fabric but then use Hobby Lobby or Joann solids to stretch it. Lol! I like to piece with Coats&Clark but quilt with Superior.

My goal when making a quilt is to make something that someone I love will love. My quilts aren't for hanging in a museum but for covering someone I love to keep them warm. The show quilts are fabulous and I am in awe of my friends who are that talented and committed to the art. I just don't have that kind of dedication. The beauty of quilting is that there's room for every kind of quilter. Beginners, competitors, art quilters, modern, traditional, and me (a combination of the labels). The quilting community is, for the most part, a welcoming and encouraging group of people.

The thought of one of my quilts being judged in a show freaks me out. Show & Tell gives me the vapors. But something one of our members said last week gave me pause..."If you don't enter your quilts in shows there won't be quilt shows. " (Cheryl Moore) Yikes. That would be awful! All that beauty and inspiration no longer available? Noooooo! Something to think about fo sho.

I hope you're enjoying this perfect quilting and sewing weather! It's too hot to do anything that doesn't involve air conditioning and being indoors. I look forward to seeing what you're working on...either at a meeting or...dare I say...at a quilt show!

Choose kind...

Angie Clemons

Dyeing for Sew Day!

Some of the guild members did some fabric dyeing at yesterday's sew day. They lost their marbles during the marbling process and ended up with numerous lovely pieces of uniquely dyed fabric. It really was cool, and great that the guild makes these opportunities to play, experiment with, and learn new aspects of our craft! They had fun and I appreciated the opportunity for puns about dying and marbles. They must have loved the puns because they were dyeing with laughter. 😂  I didn't participate. 1. It's messy. 2. It was hot outside. 3. I was afraid I would enjoy it. You see, I'm one of those people who, if I'm into something, will have to acquire every tool, book, dye, gadget, and fabric that anyone even mentions I might need. Case in point: my sewing room full of every ruler, precut, fabric line, rotary cutter, scissors, book, pattern, and machine someone mentioned I might need for quilting. First thing I did when I got home was order the led light strip like Mendy had on her machine. Wow! It was bright like a mini landing strip! I can't wait till it gets here on Tuesday. It's a sickness. 

Three of us actually sewed on sew day. I chain pieced some HSTs from a kit I purchased from Bluprint after Cynthia mentioned I might need a membership (one of three kits purchased). Curses on her! It had been awhile since I chain pieced. What a great way to completely zone out! Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Until my bobbin ran out of thread. I ran 2-3 pieces through before I noticed. Aggravation!!! I won't go into what might have happened or been said, but everyone in the room knew my bobbin was empty. Oops.  No, I didn't cuss, but they knew. At first I found it irritating that my Pfaff beeps when the bobbin gets low but now I'm spoiled to it. My "travel machine" somebody told me would be helpful to have so as not to mess up my home machine, doesn't beep. I'm never satisfied. 

Really cool things from sew day:

*  Listening to the excitement and discussions of learning from the group dyeing fabric. There were rookies and veterans working with the dye and it was fun listening to the exchanges of information and ideas when they came in to cool off and clean up.

*   Sewing with Mendy and Janis. Just...sewing with friends. I love it.

*   Seeing Kate showing her finished quilt top. An example of what it's all about. Kate hasn't been quilting very long and to see her progress and the pride on her face is FUN. I love that this group is so encouraging and supportive whether you're a beginner or lifetimer. 

*  Having two used-to-be members re-up their memberships, and two potential new members come check us out. Thanks, Janis for being a great ambassador to the visitors.

*  Laughing. Lots of laughing. An atmosphere of learning and creating with a group of friends who want nothing more than to see you enjoy what you're doing and have success doing it. I almost tear up thinking about it. What a gift.

As always, we missed the ones who weren't there Saturday and hope everyone can attend next time. Sew day really is Sew Fun! *giggle*. That is sew cheesy!!!! Lol!

May your bobbin be full, may your fabric be pressed.

And know that our Guild is always the best!

-Angie Clemons

Choose Kind (even if you have to chew your tongue outta your own head sometimes) 😁😇

Sewist, Quilter, or Both?

I'm not sure what the official definitions are of sewist and quilter. I grew up when anyone who sewed was a seamstress (back when men didn't do home sewing, or if they did it wasn't talked about). I like "seamstress" as I have had quite a few seams that caused me stress! Sewist and quilter are definitely more inclusive. These words open the crafts/arts to anyone without worrying about a label. Well, except the quilt label which, I've learned, is kind of a big deal. 

I enjoy the heck out of making quilts! As I've said before, quilting feeds my soul by providing creativity and purpose in my life. However, I've had opportunities to use sewing skills for other things that were unexpected and useful. Curtains, of course. Who hasn't made a curtain? Or maybe just us poor folks are curtain makers. Lol! Some other projects have been:

* Tiny panties. My great niece CeeCee was a micro preemie and didn't catch up to the growth charts for a few years, unlike her other development. She was potty trained but the smallest panties were a size 2. I altered them to fit the tiny hiney and she was so happy to have big girl panties and not pull ups.

* Tiny baseball pants. Same niece for t-ball. I also resized her size small tshirt.

* Wedding party clothing for family weddings. Ack! That wasn't nerve racking at all. (Lie.)

* Halloween costumes. Yu Gi Oh characters, bride dress for my nephew, Frozen guy, Kick Buttowski, a dress for one of the emotion characters from a movie, and more. Some of the costumes could have been purchased except my great nephew wanted his dad to wear a matching costume. Costumes available in a kids medium don't come in an adult 2X. Ha! The bride dress was also for that nephew. They're realllly into Halloween and costumes.

* Falsies. Yep. My friend fought breast cancer for years. The prosthetics were painful so I made soft ones, then modified tank tops by adding pockets on the chest to hold "them." It allowed her to keep some femininity and minimize the discomfort. She eventually lost her battle.

* Underarm pillow and bag to hold drain tubing for my cousin to use after mastectomy. The patterns for both are on Pinterest if you know someone who needs them. Both added much comfort post surgery.

* Weighted blanket. My neighbor's dog is terrified of thunder, fireworks, and gunshots. July 4, New Year's, and storms reduced him to a shivering mess. I read about weighted blankets helping children so thought it might help a dog. They're a little spendy so I made one using plastic pellets and an old denim shower curtain. It has changed this dog's life. No more shivering terror! 

* Before retiring from Tyler Junior College athletics department, I repaired countless football, baseball, etc, uniforms. I saved the taxpayers hundreds of dollars. You're welcome! Lol!

Those are just a few of the ways I've used my sewing machine for good and not evil. Lol! I would love to hear about your unique sewing experiences if you have any. Or share your best quilt making story. Y'all inspire me!

-Angie Clemons

Choosing kind (one day at a time!)

Press *pause* on your creativity, please...

I just finished replacing a zipper and hemming two pair of pants for very good friends. I don't mind the occasional favor for buddies because I get paid back in spades.  The only time I resent repair requests is when I'm in the middle of a quilt project. I don't like having to pause my creative process to hem pants or whatever. And if it's a difficult alteration or repair I tend to procrastinate doing it, but I can't make myself do any other sewing until I finish the task I committed to. Ugh! (You know, when I write this stuff then re-read it, I realize how crazy I am. Ack!) I'm obviously not a quilter who has multiple projects in progress. Makes me nervous! Lol!

The friends who ask for clothing alterations don't sew. Not even buttons. It boggles my mind. Here are comments from non-sewers that are personal pet peeves:

*   Would you mind fixing this broken zipper? It won't take you but a minute!

*   Would you hem these pants for me? Thanks! Oh, I need them for tomorrow. It shouldn't take you but a minute!

*   My kid has a ton of tshirts! Can you make her a t-shirt quilt? It doesn't have to be fancy so it shouldn't take much time.

*   It costs how much for quilt supplies? Wow! I thought you could just use some you already have on hand.

*   Can you repair this rip? All you have to do is cut this, sew that, turn it wrong side out, then sew it from underneath. (WHAT?)

*   My gosh! Why do you have all this fabric? You're a...a...a hoarder! (Like that's a bad thing!?!)

*   Why do you have so many sewing machines when you can't use but one at a time? 

*   You sew??!? My grandmother sewed.

*   Can you teach me to sew this weekend? It can't be that difficult.

*   Can you teach me to sew? I'd like to make my daughter's prom dress to save money. 

*   If you love me you'll make me a quilt. (POOF! You're a quilt!)

My list of people for whom I will do alterations is very short. Verrrry short. I figure all of us who are sewists  have the same type of list, although I do know a few quilters who know nothing about garment construction and can avoid the alterations trap. 

Back to my friend with the broken zipper. She's very set in her ways, a bit OCD, and traditional style mostly tailored. This was the second repair on this zipper. I told her I would try to figure something out, to which she laughingly said, "Maybe you can just put Velcro instead of a zipper!" When I called to tell her I had completed the repair she was so excited to get her favorite pants back! She laughed and asked if I used the Velcro. I got quiet and then asked, "Were you kidding about using velcro?" * long pause * I knew she would never wear velcro'd pants but I let her think that was the case until she came by today. Lol!! She wasn't nearly as amused by me as I was. *giggle*  And I'm the woman who recommends kindness! *another giggle*

I'm signing off so I can get back to piecing and quilting. Woohooo!

-Angie Clemons

Choose kind! (Do as I say, not as I do. Lol!)

Fan Girl!

When I first began quilting I spent hours watching video tutorials on youtube, pinterest, and tv. Love of Quilting (Fons and Porter) on PBS, Leah Day fmq videos, Midnight Quilt Show (Angela Walters), and the queen...Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company. My interest faded a bit on the first two but I am locked in on the latter two. Still.

I stocked up on precuts. I worshipped at the altar of half square triangles (in all five methods of sewing and cutting). I completely bought in that Quilting Is My Therapy and threads are my meds (Angela Walters). I would giggle and think to myself... "Yessssss. They are." For months I couldn't get "Hello my quilting friendssss" out of my head (Leah Day). Annnnd now it's back in my head. Grrrrr!! They made it all sound so easy! Surely I could do this quilt thang. And so it began...

BUT, just to be sure I was on the right track, I took a beginning class at Mineola League of Arts taught by Cousin Nancy (Gibson). It was an eye opener. I had to iron the fat quarters. I had to line up selvages and cut straight lines. Uh!?! And all with no wine or popcorn! Biggest lesson I learned? You can't use all medium color prints or you can't see the piecing. There were butterfly, windmill, and 8 pieces of pie blocks but it all just looked like a bright pink flower garden. I. Learned. A. Lot.

The video tutorials are great but they can't hold a candle to the helping hands of my friends in the TMQG! There's as much or more quilting knowledge in our guild than there is on youtube. And it can answer questions. Live! In real time! Lol! With snacks! I don't even have to ask anymore. It seems the guttural growls and pained moans I make when frustrated at myself, my sewing machine, or a sewing technique are a dead giveaway that I might need a bit of assistance. They speak, or at least can interpret, my language.

Now I'm a conglomeration of "stuff I've learned." To know how far I've come I'd have to show you my first quilt and that ain't gonna happen. I live by the words of my she-ro, Angela Walters..."Finished is better than perfect." Is that not the best? "Free your mind and the rest will follow!" (En Vogue lyrics from the 80s) Lol! 

Come hang out with us on Sew Day. You'll see. 

When the world around you isn't kind, you can be. Always Choose Kind.

-Angie Clemons

"Finished is better than perfect. Finished is better than perfect. Finished is bet..."

A Group

In my perfect world I would make all the decisions and people would happily do what I tell them, and all of my choices would be perfect and correct. Since my world isn't perfect and I can't even get the best of my friends, or family, to buy into my plan, I'm in a constant state of trying to get along with people who function differently than I. Some days are real beatdowns! Lol! 

When I retired I needed to choose something I enjoy that would fill my days, be productive, and provide an outlet for creativity. Daddy had always stressed productivity and Mother was, as an art teacher, all about creativity. I was also leaving a workplace that was my social network. Turns out the saying "out of sight out of mind" is a real thing. Work friends are not necessarily life friends once the common bond is no longer common. So...I needed some more friends! I wish I could remember how I learned of the modern quilt guild but I can't. I got my friend Dee to go with me to our first meeting and we ended up joining. 

So here I am, a non-joiner, joining a group. Whewww. Joining is way out of my comfort zone. I'm still adjusting after two years. It's probably that old "my perfect world" thing. I'm learning. Slowly. It's easy to sit back and criticize or complain, much more difficult to jump in and provide help to leadership by suggesting solutions for things with which I disagree. Pfffft! The most difficult thing for me is acceptance that I'm not calling the shots, will never call the shots, and shouldn't call the shots. Lol! My other struggle is the realization that it's up to me to get along with others in the group, and that not everyone is going to want me as their bestie. (Even as I write this I'm wondering why ever not?) I don't want to become the Debbie Downer of the group, and I don't want to be the one sitting alone because all I do is complain. I would be creating my own hell! I'm learning to play nice with others. My first grade teacher is probably thinking (from the grave) "finally!" I guess this rambling paragraph is about personal accountability for where and how I fit into the group. I'm the only one on God's green earth who is responsible for my happiness, successes, or contentedness. Pretty sure I just made up a word. 

There are many benefits to belonging to a group with a specific mission. I've learned so much from my creative and talented friends! I have purpose (making quilts), I have creativity (making purdy quilts), and I have new friends! WINNING!

When you're choosing what to be...choose kind. And don't forget to be kind to yourself while you're at it!

-Angie Clemons