Have you ever started a project and it kept getting bigger and bigger and took over your life? I'll bet you thought I was talking about a quilt project! How about a home project? What started out many months ago (like in the fall) as a "one room replace the carpet" project has turned into a whole downstairs renovation mess! I miss my real sink, the dishwasher but the thing I miss the most is the garbage disposal. We are currently washing the dishes in a plastic overflow sink.

What does this have to do with quilting? Ever notice how your environment can influence you? We usually hear about the breathtaking sunset or the amazing landscape that inspired a design, a color scheme or just the creative process.

Environment can also have a negative impact. Because our little renovation includes most of the first floor (literally- we replaced all the flooring!), the whole house is still a mess. The are no picutres on the walls, the rooms are not back to gether, there is stuff everywhere including the garage, the basement, the kids' rooms (if they try to come from college for the weekend, we will have to clear them a space!). It is a little overwhelming, almost depressing. It looks like we have lived here for 2 months not 13 years. So I think this weekend a little decorating and stuff management is in order. Maybe then my house will be an environment that supports the creative muse, not one that seems to suck the life out of it! Wish me luck!

I could say that its been a while, but then I say that everytime! To be honest, I am spending so much of my time with my "day" job, that I have not had time for the job that makes me happy- my quilting.

We did finish our quilts made with the Cambridge Square fabric from Northcott. I really like the design. Elizabeth made the one from the brown fabric and I did the blue one.

We have lots of projects in the hopper-

it's very exciting! I just wish there were more hours in the day.

Off to finish some directions. And wait for the snow that is supposed

to blanket us tonight.

Kate

What to post??

I can't believe I have not posted in almost 2 months. Part of the problem is that I always worry about what to write. Oh well. No more . I will write about what is going on. yesterday we were supposed to go to Boston to see our son who moved there. But since it was supposed to snow, we decided it was not a good day to travel three hours up and back. So, what to do with time I didn't plan on having?

Well, since my fabric did not come from Northcott yet (I am designing a quilt with their Cambridge Square line and can't wait to start sewing!), I decided to "clean up". I have stuff in my tiny sewing area from many years ago- I still have a quilt magazine from 1983! So, I purged. It was actually great. Sometimes you need to simplify. Too much stuff can just be overwhelming and it feels great to open up some room. It is almost as if, by cleaning up the space, I have cleaned up some creative space internally as well.

Of course, I may have some adjusting to do. I am saver. I have clothes in my attic that I wore when I was 18 years old. My children are now all older than that! And my daughter, who is very small, can't wear any of them. Not only are they out of style, she is a different shape than I was. The same size, just different. So throwing out stuff is hard for me. But it is good. And I have made some space for new stuff! (just don't tell hubby that part!)

Off to make some more space...
kate

New stuff

Isn't it fun to work on new stuff? I often find myself abandoning an old project in favor of a new one. Does that mean I have quilt ADD? Often I have 2 or 3 or more projects in the works at once. I say that is because they are all in different stages of development and I can sew, or write or design depending on my mood. I think I have made some good excuses for the fact that I am fickle. A project that had me going great guns last week may get left behind for a new one this week. Luckily my quilt fickleness is not a statement about my whole life- I have been married 26 years (is that possible? Does that mean I am old?) and have worked as a nurse in home care for almost that long. Though, I have moved around to different agencies. Oh well. Nobody is perfect!

I leave you with a little taste of what I am currently working on- a quilt design for a shop hop here in CT. (Of course I was supposed to be working on finishing a tote bag pattern but the fabric from this quilt was calling me!)

Keep quilting! Kate

Quilt Market

Wow! What a week at Quilt Market. We have been back almost a week and I am still trying to catch up on my sleep! Market was fun, tiring and inspiring!

The first day of Market was kind of slow, steady but slow. Then each day it got busier. We met a whole bunch of really nice people- especially Jane Spolar from Quilt Poetry in the booth next to us and Lynda of Primitive Pieces in the booth behind us. And the ladies from Weeks Dye Works and..and...and.. the list goes on. What fun we had meeting new people and seeing old friends. Though we never got a chance to really walk around and see all the beautiful quilts.

We have lots of new ideas and lots of things to do in the next few weeks so stay tuned. We'll try to give a preview of work in progress as they develope.

After Market ended, we stayed an extra day and took a class at Festival. It was a fabric dyeing class- we dyed silk, and silk screened and painted.. it was so much fun. It was something neither Elizabeth or I had ever done so that was great to learn new techniques.I am still trying to decide what to do with my little pieces of dyed fabric- maybe a journal cover? I am a book freak- those who know me, know I like to carry some sort of journal with me all the time. Just in case I need to write down an idea, or sketch. Hmmm, I'll have to work on that.

Quilt Market

Greetings from Houston!
Yesterday was the first full day at Market- we taught a schoolhouse class called Wall hanging Wednesdays. That was a lot of fun- we talked about our wall hangings series and gave out some ideas for promoting classes. It was very well received- and we had standing room only in our classroom! What a hoot!

Then last night was Sample Spree. For those of you who have never been to Sample Spree- it is quite the experience! At 6pm- the lobby outside the ballroom was getting full and Sample Spree did not start until 8pm! When the doors open- what a rush! Stand back! We didn't stop for almost the whole two hours. In the past, sometimes we have gotten a chance to walk around and see other tables, but not last night.

On to Day 2- the booths open today. The sun is coming up and it looks to be another beautiful, sunny day here in Texas. If we get a chance to go see some of the quilts, we'll take some pictures.
Kate and Libby

Quilt Market

Quilt Market is just around the corner and Elizabeth and I are working like mad to get ready. We will be in booth 2213 this year. We have 4 new patterns and our new bumper sticker.
Got to go make samples for Sample Spree! Should be fun!