I was tagged for the Around the World Blog Hop by Susan of
Desertsky Quilting. The link will take you to Susan's post about her creative processes. I met Susan online about 18 years ago, through online quilt group at that time. We met in person when I moved back to Phoenix after completing grad school in Boston. We've remained friends over the years, and are always willing to get each other into trouble when out shopping or when considering new quilt projects.
There were several questions that came with the blog post directions, so I'll branch off of those to tell you a little about me and my design process.
If you read my blog on a regular basis you'll know that a lot of my work goes to
American Hero Quilts and
Sunshine Online Quilt Guild. American Hero's delivers quilt to wounded service men and women, Sunshine makes quilts that are given to kids around the world through a couple of different programs. There are many other projects though that I end up involved with because I make a lot of gifts.
1. What am I working on at the present?
Like normal there are multiple projects in various states around here. I'm working on finishing up the Block-of-the-Month that I've been posting on my blog and website and have the top almost half together. I have a finished quilt top for the mystery quilt that i'll be hosting next year. the finished top will be posted in December when the final step of the BOM is posted. Then there is the block robin waiting on borders to be put on. So far tho that quilt is being contrary and not telling me what it wants for the final border. So it sits in "time out" will i think about it.
This past week I've been sick and so didn't feel like working on anything where I had to really think about what I'm doing, so I worked on making some tote bags and a kitchen towel that have been prepped for several yrs. At least one of the totes and the kitchen towel will be a Pay-It-Forward gift for this year. The others may end up as gifts at some point or sold. Still more fabrics in my stash for tote bags, so I'll have some 'mindless' sewing to do for a while.
I've got several new designs, both blocks and quilts, in progress as well.
2. How does my work differ from
others of its genre?
If I have to classify myself, I'd say I'm a scrappy quilter or maybe a "multi-fabric" quilter. I do tend to quilts that use a lot of fabrics in the tones and colors, vs just one fabric in a color.
The wedding quilt I made for my nephew and his new wife is an example of this. The greens are about 2/3's scraps, but the remaining greens and the back fabrics are new ones. I lost count of how many different fabrics are in this quilt, but love how it turned out.
A lot of my quilt are definitely on the geometric side of things, but I do design a wide variety of quilt types. I participate in an online art quilt challenge every year and what I end up doing depends on the challenge each year. This year's quilt is shown to the left. I like to use more than just fabric in my quilts as well, this year's entry used shiny tulle and linen cross-stitch fabric as well as the cotton fabrics in the quilt.
My designs have ranged from paper-piecing blocks and quilts, to applique to pieced. Most any fabric works for me - except those that are muddy in tones.
I also to take part in swaps and round robins. the cat quilt to the left is just one example of one of my quilts from a round robin. I made the cat, and used rick-rack for the whiskers.
3. Why do I write/create what I do?
I create and design because I love it and normally it relaxes me. My doodles are most often ideas for new quilt blocks. I can't imagine not designing, even if a lot of it happens on the fly as I'm working.
4. How does my writing/creating
process work?
My creative process starts with graph paper (typically quadrille paper for ease of scaling) and various pens/pencils. I'll get an idea for a block and draw it out on paper to get the idea down. Once I have an idea of the block, then I'll switch to Visio and draw the block up in it. Visio makes it easy for me to make multiple copies of the block and then play around with quilt layouts to see how things go together. Once I'm happy with one or more layouts then if it is a pp'd pattern I'll create the sections in Visio and then print them out for use. Otherwise I'm "off to the races" and sewing away. =)
That's is my basic story and my creativity process. I'm sending you today to the blogs for three people whose work inspires me.
Claire is a friend that I met in the same online group that I met Susan. We've known each other for several yrs now, and have met in person several times at quilt retreats. And for a while we even lived in the same little town as i went to grad school at Purdue University. Claire is taking a Master Quilting class and her work in it is always fascinating to me. She will be posting on the 22nd on her blog
KnitNkwilt .
Sophie is another quilter that I've been blessed to be able to meet in person. I love her work, and she also is able to get me headed down rabbit trails that I hadn't intended to go down. My tea towel quilt (proving to be stubborn!) is an example of that. I love the tea towel pieces that she has done. You'll be able to find her post on the 22nd here at
Sophie Junction.
The last friend I'm sending you to is Deana. I met her online 3 yrs ago when Susan talked me into doing Deana's mystery quilt. I loved what she did with it, and the process has proven inspirational to me as I worked on developing my mystery quilt for next year. She is hosting a row-by-row swap these days featuring her designs. You can also check out her latest mystery at -
Daughters of Dorinda Mystery Blog.
Gratitudes -
1. For meds as I recover from acute bronchitis and an acute UPR and the latest flare with my ITP
2. For bosses who understand when I'm not working to 100% because i'm not feeling good
Meds are working good enough that I actually felt like sewing last nite. Finished up the swap block for this month and the final Christmas gift for Phx. 
In honor of Veteran's and all those that have served in the military here in the US and for other countries around the world, I created this memorial wreath. I hope you enjoy making it
So I had a few hrs today to get some sewing done before heading into the store to work tonite, and thought I'd get a few Christmas gifts made. Started with the pillowcases that I'd bought fabric for recently and some that I'd had on hand. 
The next pair went together just as easily........however it wasn't until I had them sewn that I realized that i'd reversed which direction I'd sewn the main fabric in - and that's not a good thing to do when it's a directional print you're working with. Now to decide if I should go ahead and give them as intended at Christmas (hmmmm, would the intended giftee care....or not), or just keep them for myself and then make another pair of pillowcases. 
Appliqued the Dresden Plate section down last night, and fixed the handle this morning. Instead of redoing all of hte handle, I just redid the top section where I made the goof. 
So much for making progress on a project before heading to work. Well actually I have made progress on the swap block I'm making, but realized as I was pinning the portions to be appliqued on that I'd made a boo-boo in color placement in one part of the block. 
The second reason is because my 2 scrap bins are big and filled to the top to say the least, lol. Both bins are 15" tall, 24" long and 17 wide at the top edge. And yes they are filled to the very top as the picture shows. 
I also decided to pull out the scraps of 30's fabrics and get them made up into tops for donation. So far, I've made 3 tops from the scraps and have only added background fabrics and a purple solid for a border on one....and still have fabric for at least one more top and maybe a second one...... I'm beginning to think these scraps will never end...........
Did manage to get some sewing done over the last few days after a quick flying trip to the Indy area to visit with one of my best friends and her family. Have been working with my UFO's and scraps, all things that I can do w/o a lot of thought going into the designs. 
Fall break is here, and except for working at the store this weekend and next (and the grading that I brought home!) I'll be able to sew this week. 
............Quilt! Well at least sew. ;-) And that's where I've been all weekend............at home and not allowed to talk. The doc would be happier if I had next week off as well, but given that's the week before fall break it won't happen unless I get dramatically worse or absolutely can't talk.
The first one started with a large piece of flannel with an alphabet print. With it I paired pieced yardage from some of the lime green scraps from my stash.
My apologies to everyone following my BOM in being late to post the October block. I'm running late in posting this thanks to being sick most of the month of September. Sad thing the block and pattern were done weeks ago, I just haven't felt good enough to get the pdf file created and everything uploaded to my website. =P 
I finished off the two swap blocks that I was making this month. One will be swapped (top block), and I'll keep the second one for myself (bottom block).
Finished up the swap block that I'll be swapping, and the one I'm keeping. Good thing I was planning on keeping the second one 'cause I definitely didn't manage to follow the pattern on mine....sigh............ And yes I do tend to do my own thing, but I really did mean to follow the pattern.....sigh......guess the tendency to quilt to the beat of my own drummer was just too strong....lol.
I'm in a Row-by-row swap that is looking like it'll be a lot of fun. An online friend is designing it and Deana does great work. You can find details on the swap Blog. And by scrolling down you can see the blocks that have been made in September by clicking here.
A few months ago, when Easter merchandise went on clearance at Joann's I picked up a free standing felt pouch. Meant to be used to hold whatever you wanted, I thought it might have the start of a fun idea for a quilty gift. 
Next up was continuing to add more fabric strips till all of the felt was covered. 
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I'm still working on finishing up some of the baby bibs that I've had in progress for years. 
Most every quilter has them.....those pesky orphan blocks that they just don't know what to do with. Odd shapes, sizes, patterns that didn't quite work out right, colors that don't work out the way we planned, or ones that we 'inherited' from someone else. I suspect for most of us they just sit in totes or boxes waiting patiently for us to be struck with inspiration on how to make the most of these gems in the rough.
I have my share of orphan blocks, I'll take them out every so often to look at and play with and think about what to do with them. Most of them have been stubbornly silent tho so they remain in my tote of orphan blocks. Occasionally though some of them will start whispering to me about what they'd like to be when they grow up. 
The September block for my Block-of-the-Month has been posted. 
....someone in a small group that I'm a part of posted a comment about the colors of blocks in the block robin - particularly the turquoise/pink half-square blocks. Her comment was to the effect that the blue really stood out among all of the other colors in it.
Two more blocks have been made for the block round robin. The replacement star was made with some of my fairy frost stash. It still needs to be bordered with more of the WOW that I used for the background to bring it up to 9" finished in size, but I need to find the WOW first since I used scraps for the background. 
