Monday, July 4, 2011

Kickin' back on the 4th!

In an effort to finish up some UFO's before the big move, and taking a break from packing,  I did some work on a border for a quilt top I haven't touched in over a year. Nice feeling of accomplishment even though it is still not done..."progress" is an accomplishment in itself!

Hope you are accomplishing things and /or relaxing, doing what you want to do because you can!

Sew piecefully,
Barbie

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Ask not what your Quilting can do for you, ask what you can do for your Quilting!

Quilty Greetings!

I have contemplated blogging for some time now and Shawna from "1 Choice 4 Quilting" has given me the little push that I have needed! Thanks Shawna!

So a little bit about me...I have been quilting since 1975 when I was pregnant with my first child. I had been "sewing" since I was a youngster when my father taught me to embroider, and then I took every Home Ec class I could until I graduated from high school, which we'll just say for now was before 1975!

That first quilt literally went to the dog. It was Holly Hobbie fabric, and I had no clue what I was doing, starting with a center square...sewing another square to the top of that one...then the bottom...then a side...then the other side...and oh dear how does one sew the corner squares in?

Eventually I figured out rows would work much better!

In 1978 I was pregnant again and decided to try and find a class on quilting. In nearby Saline, Michigan I took my first class, on Log Cabins, the first of many since it was the only "real" pattern that I knew. This was before rotary cutters mind you, it was with the "new" Gingher scissors guaranteed to cut "straight" through several layers.

In 1994 I joined a class in Columbia, Tennessee taught by Karen Combs. Everyone in the class was making pink and blue quilts from the Eleanor Burns "Pioneer Sampler" book....mine was apple red, apple green, and yellow!

I have come a long way since those early days, I have so many friendships that have been made through all the quilts, quilting, classes, workshops, guilds, online groups, challenges, and longarming.... not to mention a "few" finished quilts!

I am in the process of moving from Colorado to North Carolina where I hope to take my quilting in a whole new direction. I want to see what I can do FOR my quilting and I ask you to join me on this journey ...more to come!

Sew piecefully,
Barbie

"Paisley's Blossoms"

"Paisley's Blossoms"
The latest baby quilt made for Abigail Paisley born 29 June 2011.