Woohoo............

Over the last year it hasn't seemed like I was able to do much in the way of quilting.   Between FT grad school in the spring and summer, then starting to teach in the fall of 2012, working a PT job, completing the next to the last course for my master's degree, and working on commissioned sewing there just wasn't time for quilting.   This of course was much to my frustration.     I did manage to get a couple of blocks designed and submitted to QuiltMaker for two different issues of their 100 blocks from Top Designers.      The first block was not accepted, but I just found out that the second block has been accepted and will be in the fall 2013 issue.   Later in the year there will be a blog tour and I'm planning on doing a post for that to show the block and how it can be made, so I won't be posting a pic of it now.

The block that wasn't accepted I'm planning on using as the start of a quilt that I'll use as a mystery quilt on either my website on here.   Haven't decided that far ahead though.   I'm hoping that I can work this in the first part of the year, but it might wait until this summer because I'll be going nuts with my final semester in grad school.

Meanwhile this year it looks like a lot of my sewing will once again be commissioned sewing as I work to get all of that made up and outta my hair.   I am thankful for it though because it has helped pay the bills.   I'm also working on ideas for what I want to do for my Pay-it-Forward gifts this year.   I've got some ideas but nothing concrete in mind at this point. 

I'm also thinking about what I want to do for my quilt for the Stretching Art Challenge that I've been a part of for 10 yrs or so.   I love being in the challenge because it always challenges me in my designs and I like being able to continue growing as a designer and quilter.

Gratitudes:
1. Only one more semester before graduation!
2. God's perfect provision that is allowing me to pay off some of the smaller bills.

Got to Quilt!

Most of what I do here at home these days seems to be tied up with getting homework done or working on commissioned stuff that I have piled up here......but everyonce in a while I just gotta do something quilty so that I don't go nuts...lol. This weekend was one of those weekends when I needed to do something quilty, of course I had to work on my homework first and get the urgent stuff out of the way first. The next 5 weeks will be crazy busy trying to finish off projects for school, but the end of this semester is in sight.

After that I pulled a piece of fabric that had been in a pile of smaller pieces of fabric that I'd inherited after an online friend passed away a yr+ ago. It had been one that I had not been sure of what to do with. I finally decided to use it as one of the two fabrics in a wonky 12 patch block design. I'll post the pattern for the quilt in a bit so that any of you who read this blog can make it if you want to. Eventually when finished the quilt will go to Sunshine Quilts in Bev's memory.

Meanwhile I've pulled a bunch of orphan blocks that work together to put together as a quilt for American Heros. Just need to get some of them trimmed up and then I can start laying out the blocks to see how they'll fit together. =)

Gratitudes:
1. This semester is starting to wind down and the end is about 5 weeks away now.
2. PT is helping my knee feel some better! Slow but sure seems to be the key to healing of the torn cartiledge.

Surfacing....

Seems like forever since I've been able to post here, much less actually quilt. =( Grad school and work have been keeping me busy to say the least. And things don't look like they will slow down anytime soon. Starting next week I'll be observing at the school where I'll be student teaching and am supposed to be teaching 2-3 hrs a week as well. Student teaching starts in the Spring and goes for 10 wks. Still working on the commissioned sewing as well.

I did get to do some quilting though in August when I scrambled to make a sample quilt using the block that has been accepted for publication in Vol. 4 of QuiltMaker's 100 Blocks From Todays Top Designers. Pics of the quilt will be posted later after the magazine has been published and is for sale.

I do have to say that I am very happy to have had the block accepted for publication in the magazine because one of my long time dreams is to have my patterns published. Finally decided that this was the year I was at least going to try to accomplish this. Have designed a quilt pattern that I plan on sending in to see if I can get it published.....just need time to actually put it together and quilt it. Am hoping to get that done by the end of the year. And am also working on my design for submittal for volume 5 of the 100 Blocks. =)

At the present time I'm waiting for info back on ordering wholesale copies of the magazine (have the opportunity to do so since my block is in it). Sent out an email to various lists asking how many, if any, would be interested in buying a copy from me and having me sign it. Am now trying to decide how many copies that I am willing to order. So if anyone reading this wants a copy - let me know now so i can add you in to the total that I'm looking at getting.

Hopefully tonite I'll get a little bit of time to work on my top for the Dorinda mystery...am three rules behind on it. But at least I know what I want to do for the first one of those. =) I also need to get the binding onto my niece's quilt so that I can get it finished off and back to her.

Gratitudes:
1. Wonderful, cooler temps here!
2. God's manifold provisions in all areas of my life

Going crazy...........and excitement

Life has been a wee bit crazy this summer with three summer school classes in two sessions. Have also been doing a lot of commissioned sewing these days - scrubs, muu-muu style tops and dresses, and a few quilts. Have what seems like a ton of commissioned sewing yet to get sewn up still here as well. Needless to say I haven't gotten a lot of quilting for me done with everything else going on. A couple of the quilts that I was commissioned to finished for a friend are shown in the pics below. Work at the store is still happening as well. One of these days i might actually get caught up on all that I have to do here........

But the excitement for me the last week has been that the block design I submitted for publication in the Fall 2011 issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks from todays top designers was accepted! It will be in the issue that goes on sale mid-November 2011. Getting my designs published has been a long held dream, and one that I decided to go for in the midst of all the craziness instead of just talkin about it it. Now I'm working hard to get a sample quilt made so that it can be photographed for publication in the same issue. Will work on that next week....have the fabric, and know what I'm going to make. =) And have the design drawn up for my next block submission as well....just need to get the sample block made for it.

Gratitudes:
1. For a long-time dream coming true.

2. for all of the opportunities for extra income that God has provided.

In Case Anyone Wondered.....

..........what kinds of things I'm doing in some of my labs for technology education. Basically the lab projects are the kinds of things that once we are teaching will be having the kids do. For example, in my teaching manufacturing technology class in the first few labs we've used the laser engraver, an injection molding apparatus, metal bending setup, among other things.

I'm enjoying it all and am glad that I'm able to be in this program. =)

Finished school design project!

Woohoo, finished my part of the group design project for my technical design and communication class tonite. Am so glad to have this done. Project will be going back to school tomorrow. As a group we decided to design a possible solution for the problem of how to transport aid received by those people in developing countries in times of natural disasters. To this end we designed and built a prototype pack and frame to make transporting aid easier.

Yours truly got to make the pack because I was the only one that knows how to sew in the group, much less knows anything about designing anything to be sewn. the pack is made from flourescent Orange vinyl. The vinyl is the type that hanging outdoor signs are made from. And while not as heavy as some vinyl is, it was still 'interesting' to work with, not necessarily fun though!

Gratitudes:

1. For my machine behaving for the most part while sewing on the pack today.

2. For the odds and ends of fabric and batting that I have and how they help to block the drafts of cold air from antique windows that are not snuggly fitted.

Phooey.....

Still not feeling good this weekend, altho the allergies seem to have settled down to laryngitis at the moment. Could hardly talk yesterday, was so much fun when I was working with fellow project members at school....Not! Thankfully it doesn't hurt, just don't have much in teh way of volume. And even more thankfully - I don't have to worry about presenting a mini-lesson tomorrow in my construction technology class because mine is already done!
In between working on homework this weekend (still to do today - write a paper due tomorrow nite, and study for a midterm test that is tomorrow afternoon), I've been working on UFO's with an online group that I'm in. My post yesterday shows some of what I've finished this week. And the pic in this post shows the 11 quilted postcards that I finished embellishing iwth flowers and final edge finishing this morning. Still have 9 more of these critters in turquoise & Black, greens, fuschia & black, and org & black to finish off. Still thinking about how to embellish them..... Next up on the plate will either be the next batik block or doing the button hole stitching on the green quilt w/yellow flowers.

Gratitudes:
1. For friends who are always there to support me no matter what happens.
2. For my parents safe return from their latest trip.

Blocks 14 and 15

Finished off Batik blocks 14, and 15 - and finished the yellow batik scraps for now. Still have a few left but not enough variety to make another block with. Found that I had enough browns to make one final 4" finished block center, and that is made, but haven't decided what block (will be#16 when finished) to make with it yet.

Will do that this weekend in between working on altering the waistband of a new pair of jeans (gotta take them in 3" so that they fit me). It's taking me longer than I'd like to get the seams ripped out because my hand keeps going numb and when that happens it doesn't like to work too well. =( I need the jeans to wear to my construction technology lab on Tuesday morning 'cause we'll be outside working on building a shed. And I don't want to wear my good work pants to do that! Gotta get busy on homework today as well.....got oodles of it including a lesson presentation to be written in powerpoint, visual aids to be made for the same lesson, a CAD drawing to be finished (2/3's done), a paper to be started, and a mid-term to study for. Doesn't that all sound like a fun way to spend the weekend? Meanwhile I continue to wait for the broken windows in the apt and the motor in the heater to be replaced....sigh.....

Meanwhile, here are the pics of the three latest blocks.














Gratitudes:
1. For more hrs the next couple of weeks at work
2. for the ability to alter clothes so they fit when needed

T-8 days and counting.....

Only 8 more days here in N. Tx before the trek to IN begins. Hard to believe that I start classed on the 23rd of August.....where does the time go?

I've been finishing up projects that were in various stages of progress over the last few weeks. Pics below are of the most recent quilt tops that I've finished for American Heros, a couple of tops that I plan to finish and sell, and one for Sunshine quilts.

Gratitudes -
1. Broken tooth doesn't hurt, and the dentist here believes that it will hold till I get to IN and can get an appt with a dentist there....and he thinks it can be salvaged, ultimately ending up with a crown on it. =)

2. For the provision of the student loans!