Infiltrating the Quiltmaker Magazine 2014 Scrap Squad

 Big exciting news!

I seriously have no idea how they make that change color, but I am in awe.

 On Tuesday of last week I found out that I made the cut, and will be a member of Quiltmaker Magazine's 2014 Scrap Squad, and proceeded to run around the house screaming with joy until I realized 1. I couldn't tell anyone yet. and 2. Does anyone even know what that is, and will they care? Allow me to finally gush my joy, explain what it is, and dadgumit you WILL care!

If you don't know what it is, allow me to quote Diane Harris, my new BFF and the Interactive Editor of Quiltmaker: Scrap Squad is "... an elite (aside - don't think that word doesn't totally make me guffaw and freak out all at once) group of six people who are passionate about scrap quilting—who've also indicated willingness to use Quiltmaker patterns for some great scrappy quilts in the coming year." I've virtually met all of the other members: Margaret Kennedy, Buff Jones, Nadia Wilson, Emily Bailey, and Louisa Robertson and I think we are going to be a force to contend with - or at least one that has the QM offices jumping to satisfy our every whim. 

We'll all be given the same pattern from each issue in the coming year, six in all, to do up in scraps, and the quilts and the processes we used will all be used for online publication and marketing on the Quilty Pleasures blog. (I've linked a recent Scrap Squad post so you can get an idea of what this is all about.) As a scrap quilt lover/all one fabric line quilt disliker this is SO up my alley! I can't wait to see six different scrappy versions of one featured pattern every two months.

I first heard of the existence of Scrap Squad when I was at Market last spring, when Anne Wiens decided to make my day and attend my Schoolhouse to introduce herself to me as a follower on FB and infer that somehow I was sort of famous, thus awarding herself BFF status for the moment. Anne was a member of the 2013 Scrap Squad and was there to meet some of her fellow SS-ers, and when she described to me what the SS was I could not think of anything that sounded more fun in the entire world.

So I immediately began stalking Quiltmaker in all ways I could think of: I joined their FB page, I got a subscription to the magazine, I sent in a block for consideration in 100 Blocks, I read Quilty Pleasures regularly. Would I have done all of these things even if I HADN'T known I wanted to make sure I didn't miss the opportunity to apply for Scrap Squad? Absolutely. And I encourage each of you to do all these things too because I have discovered that Quiltmaker is quite possibly the most down to earth and fun group of quilt magazine peeps ever. Really.

Eventually applications were being accepted, and I applied using the only methods I know I can rock - snark and sarcasm mixed with my genuine love of scraps and scrappy quilts. I knew enough about the QM people by then (see? My stalking had a method to its madness) to feel like they would respond to the real me, and amazingly, they did. I might not do well in mainstream corporate America, but in the quilting industry we get to do whatever we like and label ourselves "creative." Who can't love that? In any case, my dastardly plans worked, and I was awarded a coveted spot on the 2014 Scrap Squad and could not be more honored.

I immediately went to work reorganizing my scraps. Thankfully they weren't too bad, as since I went to this bucket method a few years ago they tend to stay pretty well organized, but a couple of buckets needed to be switched for size purposes. Therefore I must ignore the actual labels on them and use my eyes to see what color they are.
 

I forsee a brown and pink quilt in near the future. Or green.

 So then came the request that can strike fear in the hearts of the most brave amongst us - "Please send us a head shot for use on the blog." Lordy. The only one I had was two years old and I figured they deserved better. I knew I would have to rope a kid into taking a photo of me. I got my hair cut (the things I do for Quiltmaker already), changed my clothing into something presentable, slapped on some makeup, and handed the iphone to Paige, who took quite a selection of photos before we got something presentable. Behold the horror show.

First we tried some against "Greta's Kaleidoscope", which hangs on the wall above my family room couch. But the lighting was bad so I turned pink. Plus I had to stand on the back of the couch and look down at her, which was terribly unflattering.

Someone give me the name of your plastic surgeon so I can have my eyes done. Those lids look 98 years old!

This is blurry as I was midair about to fall off the back of the couch. Does this job come with disability insurance?

Could have been cute if not for the pinkness. And the fact that I look totally cheesy.

 So we moved into the front hall, where the light was a bit better and one of my favorite versions of "Syncopated Ribbons" hangs. I struck a pose.

And totally struck out.

We got close on this, but I'm looking a little hesitant. As that isn't a word one might use to describe me, I decided to keep going.

There's really just no excuse for this one.

Finally we got something. Looks like me, and I can live with it. 

Paige wanted to show off how easy it was to take a decent photo, and I snapped these right in a row, which she then showed to her sisters saying "Look. I took some work photos, too." Note how SHE does not take a bad photo. It's maddening, really. Well, okay, maybe we do have to consider cropping as what is with her hands? Lordy.

 

Anyway, I'm just happy we got something and thrilled I don't have to send something out into the world that looks like the "Before" photo used by a plastic surgeon.

Lastly, on this morning after the Golden Globes, congratulations to Barbara Forslind, my winner of the "Golden Giveaway" from last night on my Facebook page. Barbara won some fabric featuring these weird characters wearing bizarre ball gowns and some golden thread, along with a couple of kid prints.

It was a very last minute giveaway idea, so I didn't put it on here, and I hope you'll consider joining the facebook page if you haven't already. Wouldn't want to miss it next time!


Thank you for allowing me to share my excitement. I'm eagerly awaiting my first Scrap Squad assignment and can't wait to share some of the projects with you, both here and on Quilty Pleasures!