Anyone who knows me as a real life quilter and designer has likely been present at one point or another when I have hopped up on my high horse and paraded around the quilt studio proclaiming that I would never use EQ (or similar software) because it is cheating. Ah, the good old days when I was so far superior to so many quilters who had succumbed.
It's really no secret that I bought EQ at Market in the Spring; after all, it isn't like I insisted on wearing a paper bag over my head when I visited the booth. Jen Eskridge, who was a new found quilt designer friend and someone I greatly admire, convinced me that yes, it was of course cheating, but I totally had to own it. Then she appealed to my cheap side by offering to let me in on her bulk purchase, and I let my inner bargain hunter take over. I share all this to prove that Jen Eskridge is an accomplice in this situation, and I am far from completely at fault. I may have pulled the trigger, but she totally drove the getaway car.
Until last night, though, despite owning it and having had it installed on my computer, I remained an EQ virgin, unsullied by quilt design technology. And therefore still on the far superior bandwagon. But at 9:14pm on 10/23/10, I fell off. Hard.
It is totally cheating. And it is totally awesome. After one evening of playing I feel like a whole new world has been opened, one in which there is hope of designing a quilt start to finish in one day (or, dare to dream, an evening) rather than the current painstaking "idea to conception to quilt shop to design wall to mini-tantrum to writing to more writing to attempting to draw diagrams in publisher to finally 2 to 3 months later an actual pattern." I feel like putting free patterns on my website may be possible if I can design things quickly; I won't be so invested in them by the time they are written that I can't just give them away for free. I feel like when Quiltwoman.com asks designers for quick turn around stuff, I have a fleeting hope of submitting something. It's a whole new world, and I have Jen to thank for convincing me I belonged there.
Not that I plan to rely on EQ exclusively. I love seeing things in my head and playing with fabric til I get it to look like that picture too much to go directly to it every time. It's how I do some of my best work and I don't see myself changing that completely. But I am starting to see how I can work in some EQ to enhance, rather than stifle, my design technique, and that excites me.
Thanks Jen!
Quilting Hottiedom. It's not a look. It's an attitude.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Please think "50s music" not "way annoying mystery solving dog"
"Shoeby Dooby Doo"
EvaPaige Quilt Designs
Now and then the name for a new creation comes to me long before the actual design. And then the pressure is on...create something to fit or lose the fabulous name forever. This time it was a little bit a fabulous name popping into my head and little bit wanting to expand upon one of the applique shapes from "Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Puzzle Quilts" - the shoe block. Add in a little do-wop music courtesy of Pandora and here we are. Have I mentioned Pandora rocks?
Time and again at shows where my "Ode to Imelda" (and sorry, but that hands down is the best name for a quilt EV-AH!) mini quilt from the book is displayed, people adore it, but like all normal women, they want more shoes. They want heels. They want boots. They want flip flops. Some even want sneakers. And because I live to make quilters everywhere happy, I took their desires on as a challenge and created "Shoeby Dooby Doo", adding six new styles of shoe like "Here Kitty Kitty", "Kiss Me, You Know You Want To", and "Flip Flop Fling" to the already fabulous pump now named "Coffee, Tea, or Me".
Fun machine applique shapes to mix and match at will, the freedom to embellish however you choose, and it's fat quarter friendly! And if you follow the directions properly (which I know lots of you don't always do, and don't worry, I'm not judging), you won't even have to piece the backing! So get to sewing that fantasy shoe wardrobe for yourself or your favorite Imelda-esque friend.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Fun with Fabric - fun for whom, exactly?
You know those moments where you hit upon a great idea and say "I will set the world on fire with this one. I must act upon it immediately", even though the better part of you is saying, "Sleep on it first, for the love of God. Sleep on it"? Yeah, those moments are such fun to look back on with the knowledge of experience.
A bit over a month ago I was innocently emptying my second graders' backpacks and found a form asking for volunteers to teach enrichment classes after school one day a week for one hour. Because I often do this mundane backpack emptying task while the girls are doing homework while I make dinner while it is indeed cocktail hour, I feel there must have been an adult beverage present when I said to my husband, "I should do this. I can teach a class to 1st and 2nd graders where we can make no-sew projects and I can work down some of my stash. We'll call it Fun With Fabric and dadgumit it will be a blast and a half. Sign me up! Girls! New spelling word to work on - dadgumit. Now where is that wine bottle?" To DH's credit, he hid his eyeroll well.
Flash forward, three classes now under my belt out of the six scheduled and I wish to kiss the feet of every teacher, dance instructor, Girl Scout leader, Sunday School teacher, etc my daughters have had, do have, or will have in the future. And I only have 12 kids, all girls, mostly very sweet and sometimes well behaved if a bit quick on the potty humor, all very enthusiastic, many of them, including my own two, really loud, all competing for my attention and magical scissors for one hour and I wonder if I will survive the next 3 classes. I truly do not know how teachers do it, and I am in desperate need of ideas for teacher Christmas gifts which will show my true adoration.
Anyway, despite being a bit overwhelmed by the intensity of excitement from my adorable students, I do have to say it is going fairly well, even as I am certain I won't be running the class again this school year. Or possibly ever. The first class we made fabric frames, where we wrapped fabric strips around a wooden frame and then jazzed it up with some jewels. Note how fabulous my sample is.
Here is where I should be able to say "Note how adorable and stunning Paige's is", but alas I cannot, because the project was so very special to her that it has already been lost. Suffice it to say mine was better anyway.
We also made some refrigerator magnets out of the same materials (fabric and jewels) using small tiles that were my kitchen backsplash in a former life. Reduce, reuse, recycle, peeps! Even if it means having to redo your entire kitchen so that a few kids can have a craft project! Note Eva's gorgeous creations:
The second week, we made Halloween placemats from fabric strips (maybe I should have called the class "999 things to do with fabric strips") woven together that I then ironed between two pieces of Heat n Bond vinyl. Each girl got to pick a pumpkin, ghost, or witch hat to decorate it with, too. I do not recommend this project, adorable as it is, for a group of twelve 7 and 8 year olds. Too much waiting for turns with me and my iron to get the vinyl on, clearly every last one of them had had an entire bag of candy for lunch, and weirdly, not one of them knew how to weave. What are my tax dollars going toward at this school anyway? Is the art teacher focusing solely on having the kids use her lifesized Alex Rodriguez cardboard cutout as a model for sketching? (Totally kidding Mrs. D. We adore you and forgive your Yankee-loving transgressions. In theory. ;) ) But really, am I the only one shocked that they didn't know how to weave? Mental note: check investment portfolio to make sure I am not heavy in those potholder craft kits.
In any case, they turned out cute despite all the insanity. Admire them here as best you can in this fuzzy photograph, because I will never run this particular project again.
Today, day three (we're half done! Happy dance!) we made tooth pillows from fleece. After last week, I shuddered to think how many of them might not know how to tie a knot. That wasn't the biggest problem, though. The problem was that most of them have lost all their teeth already. When I told them I was 8 before I lost my first one, I thought I would have to scrape them up off the floor. Lucky for them, the tooth pillow will make a lovely gift for a friend or younger cousin. They turned out cute, with minimal fussing, but unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of one. You'll have to take my word for it.
So now I have three more classes and am not sure what projects to do next. Any suggestions? Sanity tips?
A bit over a month ago I was innocently emptying my second graders' backpacks and found a form asking for volunteers to teach enrichment classes after school one day a week for one hour. Because I often do this mundane backpack emptying task while the girls are doing homework while I make dinner while it is indeed cocktail hour, I feel there must have been an adult beverage present when I said to my husband, "I should do this. I can teach a class to 1st and 2nd graders where we can make no-sew projects and I can work down some of my stash. We'll call it Fun With Fabric and dadgumit it will be a blast and a half. Sign me up! Girls! New spelling word to work on - dadgumit. Now where is that wine bottle?" To DH's credit, he hid his eyeroll well.
Flash forward, three classes now under my belt out of the six scheduled and I wish to kiss the feet of every teacher, dance instructor, Girl Scout leader, Sunday School teacher, etc my daughters have had, do have, or will have in the future. And I only have 12 kids, all girls, mostly very sweet and sometimes well behaved if a bit quick on the potty humor, all very enthusiastic, many of them, including my own two, really loud, all competing for my attention and magical scissors for one hour and I wonder if I will survive the next 3 classes. I truly do not know how teachers do it, and I am in desperate need of ideas for teacher Christmas gifts which will show my true adoration.
Anyway, despite being a bit overwhelmed by the intensity of excitement from my adorable students, I do have to say it is going fairly well, even as I am certain I won't be running the class again this school year. Or possibly ever. The first class we made fabric frames, where we wrapped fabric strips around a wooden frame and then jazzed it up with some jewels. Note how fabulous my sample is.
Here is where I should be able to say "Note how adorable and stunning Paige's is", but alas I cannot, because the project was so very special to her that it has already been lost. Suffice it to say mine was better anyway.
We also made some refrigerator magnets out of the same materials (fabric and jewels) using small tiles that were my kitchen backsplash in a former life. Reduce, reuse, recycle, peeps! Even if it means having to redo your entire kitchen so that a few kids can have a craft project! Note Eva's gorgeous creations:
The second week, we made Halloween placemats from fabric strips (maybe I should have called the class "999 things to do with fabric strips") woven together that I then ironed between two pieces of Heat n Bond vinyl. Each girl got to pick a pumpkin, ghost, or witch hat to decorate it with, too. I do not recommend this project, adorable as it is, for a group of twelve 7 and 8 year olds. Too much waiting for turns with me and my iron to get the vinyl on, clearly every last one of them had had an entire bag of candy for lunch, and weirdly, not one of them knew how to weave. What are my tax dollars going toward at this school anyway? Is the art teacher focusing solely on having the kids use her lifesized Alex Rodriguez cardboard cutout as a model for sketching? (Totally kidding Mrs. D. We adore you and forgive your Yankee-loving transgressions. In theory. ;) ) But really, am I the only one shocked that they didn't know how to weave? Mental note: check investment portfolio to make sure I am not heavy in those potholder craft kits.
In any case, they turned out cute despite all the insanity. Admire them here as best you can in this fuzzy photograph, because I will never run this particular project again.
Today, day three (we're half done! Happy dance!) we made tooth pillows from fleece. After last week, I shuddered to think how many of them might not know how to tie a knot. That wasn't the biggest problem, though. The problem was that most of them have lost all their teeth already. When I told them I was 8 before I lost my first one, I thought I would have to scrape them up off the floor. Lucky for them, the tooth pillow will make a lovely gift for a friend or younger cousin. They turned out cute, with minimal fussing, but unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of one. You'll have to take my word for it.
So now I have three more classes and am not sure what projects to do next. Any suggestions? Sanity tips?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Quilts featuring white blocks with snazzy blue sashing....
It's probably been done to death - a list of favorite quilting tools on a blog. But I personally haven't done it, seeing that my blog is only a few days old, so there. And with the recent admission by several friends of a childhood crush on Captain von Trapp, "My Favorite Things" just keeps dancing in my head and will not let go until I list my own favorites. (For the record, while CvT is quite dreamy, I was more of a Rolf girl, myself - who wouldn't love dancing in a gazebo in the rain with the love of their life? Until he declares loyalty to Hitler, anyway. Then the fantasy abruptly ends.)
Anyway, sure all quilters and designers have their own favorite gadgets, notions, tools, etc. Being a low tech sort of chick myself, my tools might not be as upscale (read, expensive) as some, but I hope you might try one or two! So now, in no particular order, my favorite quilting things:
1. My cutting table. It was designed and built by my darling husband in one weekend about 10 years ago, after I had had a particularly horrible series of events happen to me almost all at once and he just wanted to make me happy. The memory of his wanting to do such a lovely thing for me is only part of the reason I love it. The other part is that it is huge. An army of small children could play hide and seek among all the sterilite containers of fabric on its lower shelf, and the top is big enough for one of those enormous cutting mats plus an ironing area, plus plenty of room for several UFOs and my current projects. It isn't fancy, but it is awesome.
2. Alene's Jewel It. Anyone who knows me as a quilter IRL knows that I am fairly obnoxious about my love for this stuff. One might think I get kickbacks from the company the way I can go on and on about it for 15 minutes at a time, complete with demos if the conversation even remotely warrants. One would be wrong. My love is pure and unadulterated by payback. And yours will be too if you try it. For embellishment of beads, buttons, bows, baubles, and even things that don't start with B, you cannot find a better glue. It dries completely clear, holds just about anything, and is, as I like to say ad nauseum, like hot glue only cold. Making it ideal for kid projects that require more than Elmer's as well.
3. The Shape Cut ruler. It's not new. But it's awesome. I will admit I haven't tried the Accu-quilt Go! system, but loving my shape cut doesn't make me feel like am missing out. It's great for cutting any basic quilting shape (and comes with instructions on how to do so) and especially great for making strips of random sizes without having to think. Most people don't do that often, but I do in a couple of my favorite designs, Pick Me! and Syncopated Ribbons. So to me it is invaluable.
4. Pandora.com. My husband and I got turned onto this website recently and do believe it is brilliant. You plug in any musical artist or genre, and pandora creates a never-ending playlist around that theme especially for you. While Joe prefers Hank Williams or Conway Twitty while he works, I personally would rather poke holes in my eardrums with my pins. So I comandeer the computer and problem solved - soon I am slicing fabric and gluing on crystals to the dulcet sounds of the kids from Glee or Daughtry instead. Awesomeness.
5. My sewing machine's needle threader. Truly, I do not know how I survived before I had a machine with this completely invaluable device. Answer - I was younger then, and could see. Now I am on the downside of 40 (although not by a lot, mind you) and without the needle threader I am certain I would spend more time finding the itty bitty teeny weeny hole in the needle than actually getting any sewing done. Sometimes I break a thread just for the joy of rethreading it.
6. Monday mornings. Before you go throwing rotten tomatoes at me, try to see where I am coming from. All weekend long I am chasing children, answering random questions such as "Mom, can we go for a bike ride then hike a mountain then do a craft then plan my birthday party then stay up all night?" and "Can you please drop everything to study the calendar intently with me for the next 3 hours?," and am generally crazed without even a moment to quilt, contemplate quilting, or think straight. Now, I absolutely adore my family and 99% of the time (well, to be totally truthful, probably 85-90% of the time) they are nothing but joyous to be with. But by Monday morning, I need peace. I need quiet. I need desperately to piece in quiet. And I get to do that at 8:37 every Monday morning. I heart Mondays.
7. Wonderfil verigated thread. I've tried others, I love this one the most. It just seems to like me too - it doesn't break on me, and it comes in a huge array of colors.
8. My guild membership card. I joined Squanicook Colonial Quilt Guild (more affectionately known as The Squanicookies) in 1999. I was practically a baby then, as was the guild, which was about 70 or so members strong. We've grown to about 200 now, and it's still a place where I can feel free to be creative, be myself, and quilt my face off. The array of talent in this group is incredible and I have learned so much just by being with them.
So there you have it - my favorite things about and for quilting. So what would you add? Sound off below!
Anyway, sure all quilters and designers have their own favorite gadgets, notions, tools, etc. Being a low tech sort of chick myself, my tools might not be as upscale (read, expensive) as some, but I hope you might try one or two! So now, in no particular order, my favorite quilting things:
1. My cutting table. It was designed and built by my darling husband in one weekend about 10 years ago, after I had had a particularly horrible series of events happen to me almost all at once and he just wanted to make me happy. The memory of his wanting to do such a lovely thing for me is only part of the reason I love it. The other part is that it is huge. An army of small children could play hide and seek among all the sterilite containers of fabric on its lower shelf, and the top is big enough for one of those enormous cutting mats plus an ironing area, plus plenty of room for several UFOs and my current projects. It isn't fancy, but it is awesome.
2. Alene's Jewel It. Anyone who knows me as a quilter IRL knows that I am fairly obnoxious about my love for this stuff. One might think I get kickbacks from the company the way I can go on and on about it for 15 minutes at a time, complete with demos if the conversation even remotely warrants. One would be wrong. My love is pure and unadulterated by payback. And yours will be too if you try it. For embellishment of beads, buttons, bows, baubles, and even things that don't start with B, you cannot find a better glue. It dries completely clear, holds just about anything, and is, as I like to say ad nauseum, like hot glue only cold. Making it ideal for kid projects that require more than Elmer's as well.
3. The Shape Cut ruler. It's not new. But it's awesome. I will admit I haven't tried the Accu-quilt Go! system, but loving my shape cut doesn't make me feel like am missing out. It's great for cutting any basic quilting shape (and comes with instructions on how to do so) and especially great for making strips of random sizes without having to think. Most people don't do that often, but I do in a couple of my favorite designs, Pick Me! and Syncopated Ribbons. So to me it is invaluable.
4. Pandora.com. My husband and I got turned onto this website recently and do believe it is brilliant. You plug in any musical artist or genre, and pandora creates a never-ending playlist around that theme especially for you. While Joe prefers Hank Williams or Conway Twitty while he works, I personally would rather poke holes in my eardrums with my pins. So I comandeer the computer and problem solved - soon I am slicing fabric and gluing on crystals to the dulcet sounds of the kids from Glee or Daughtry instead. Awesomeness.
5. My sewing machine's needle threader. Truly, I do not know how I survived before I had a machine with this completely invaluable device. Answer - I was younger then, and could see. Now I am on the downside of 40 (although not by a lot, mind you) and without the needle threader I am certain I would spend more time finding the itty bitty teeny weeny hole in the needle than actually getting any sewing done. Sometimes I break a thread just for the joy of rethreading it.
6. Monday mornings. Before you go throwing rotten tomatoes at me, try to see where I am coming from. All weekend long I am chasing children, answering random questions such as "Mom, can we go for a bike ride then hike a mountain then do a craft then plan my birthday party then stay up all night?" and "Can you please drop everything to study the calendar intently with me for the next 3 hours?," and am generally crazed without even a moment to quilt, contemplate quilting, or think straight. Now, I absolutely adore my family and 99% of the time (well, to be totally truthful, probably 85-90% of the time) they are nothing but joyous to be with. But by Monday morning, I need peace. I need quiet. I need desperately to piece in quiet. And I get to do that at 8:37 every Monday morning. I heart Mondays.
7. Wonderfil verigated thread. I've tried others, I love this one the most. It just seems to like me too - it doesn't break on me, and it comes in a huge array of colors.
8. My guild membership card. I joined Squanicook Colonial Quilt Guild (more affectionately known as The Squanicookies) in 1999. I was practically a baby then, as was the guild, which was about 70 or so members strong. We've grown to about 200 now, and it's still a place where I can feel free to be creative, be myself, and quilt my face off. The array of talent in this group is incredible and I have learned so much just by being with them.
So there you have it - my favorite things about and for quilting. So what would you add? Sound off below!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
We're getting there!
Okay, so I still can't figure out the slideshow gadget, probably because the word "gadget" in a technology context is not really in my vocabulary, but at least I fixed a few things without having to call in the troops, aka Jay my computer guru.
Welcome to the Quilting Hottie Haven! I've been wanting to write a blog for a while now, but never was sure I would have enough to say on a regular basis that was even blog worthy. I still have no idea of the answer to that question, but I'm jumping in anyway. As I say in the welcome message, this blog is where I want to have fun with all the Quilting Hotties out there, and I know you are out there because I know so many QHs personally! Feel free to grab yourself a button on the left side of the screen and add it to your own blog or website. It should link back here, and I will be happy to link your site as well if you wish.
Check it out, enjoy, tell me what you think! I'm off to de-jam a printer, get ready for my guild meeting tonight, and maybe even take apart the vacuum to find out why after I vacuumed part of my studio this morning it began smoking. I do lead a fabulous life - thanks for wanting to share part of it!
Welcome to the Quilting Hottie Haven! I've been wanting to write a blog for a while now, but never was sure I would have enough to say on a regular basis that was even blog worthy. I still have no idea of the answer to that question, but I'm jumping in anyway. As I say in the welcome message, this blog is where I want to have fun with all the Quilting Hotties out there, and I know you are out there because I know so many QHs personally! Feel free to grab yourself a button on the left side of the screen and add it to your own blog or website. It should link back here, and I will be happy to link your site as well if you wish.
Check it out, enjoy, tell me what you think! I'm off to de-jam a printer, get ready for my guild meeting tonight, and maybe even take apart the vacuum to find out why after I vacuumed part of my studio this morning it began smoking. I do lead a fabulous life - thanks for wanting to share part of it!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Yeah, you'll have to give me a while....
I so want to blog. I really do. But computers and I, we just really don't get along. What should take the normal person 4 minutes max to do, like figure out why the heck my title and description are all in a column on the side when that is not how I think I have it set up, will I promise you all take me 2 weeks to figure out. But I am determined. I am woman. I am hottie. I can do this. So just stay tuned.....
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