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