If I choose to look at the glass half full, then overall it's been a good week.
I completed these two new scrap quilts...
The one above, (which I have named "Railroad Crossing #2) is from one of the layouts I was considering in this previous post. It uses the same block that I designed for this quilt, (which I finally decided to call "Railroad Crossing") but laid out differently.
And the one below is made mostly from the scraps left over from the quilt above...
This one I am calling "Back Roads Detour".
I've been working on a PDF pattern for both of these quilt blocks, but I keep coming up with so many design variations, and ideas for other quilts, that my head is swimming with the possibilities.
So for now, I am just continuing to explore and play, and taking lots of notes!
All I can say is that it feels good to be making quilts again... I think I burned out for awhile, and also felt a bit confused as to what to do when my hands seemed unable to do all the hand quilting that I had been focusing on for the last few years. But now I am rediscovering the joys of free-motion machine quilting and feeling very inspired!
And speaking of machine quilting...
Check out these fun little "Stained and Scorched" mini quilts that I did for the new June/July issue of Quilting Arts Magazine.
Vivika Hansen DeNegre, the editor of Quilting Arts, saw my blog post on using lemon juice to "dye" fabric, and asked if I could write an article about the process for Quilting Arts. In the article I show step by step photos outlining how to get these results.
And while you are at it, look for the new Summer issue of Sew Somerset, where I was asked to contribute a how-to article for making my Embroidered Houses, which I first made a few years back.
Issues are hitting the news stands and craft stores now, so if you don't already subscribe, be sure to check them out next time you are out and about!
So that's why overall it's been a good week.
But with all that sunshine, a little rain may fall...
Or in my case... Hail... of biblical proportions!
Did you happen to see the Nightly News last Thursday night?
One of the top stories nationwide was of the freak hail storm that hit Berks County, Pennsylvania
which just happens to be where I work.
Hail which was the size of golf balls and tennis balls, (yes, I said tennis balls!) stormed through the area leaving thousands of cars, homes and businesses damaged.
Pictured above, is part of my windshield, and below...
My poor car! Pocked marked and cracked from head to toe, even my emblem got ripped off of the hood. Now we wait, with so many others, to see what insurance decides. The car is most likely totaled, due to cosmetics, but mechanically runs just fine. We are considering keeping it, and just driving it until it falls apart. What the heck... with a car like this, no more worries about car dings and getting scratched. It simply is what it is! Kind of liberating!
The truly miraculous thing is that in despite of so much damage to cars and businesses and houses...
despite hail so deep that they had to bring out the snow plows...
no person seems to have been actually hurt, only things,
and that is something to be truly thankful for!
xo
12 comments:
Oh. My. Goodness!!!! I'm so relieved you're okay but your poor car!!! I was just saying to the hubs it'd be really horrible if it started hailing while I was at work! UGH.
On a happier note, yay on getting back to making quilts!!! And being published! :)
What the HAIL!!! Man o man that's horrible. Yes, so glad you weren't in the car!
Your new series looks awesome...so glad you refound the fun in FMQ...now I need to master it!:)
It's great to read that you're newly inspired again. I so enjoy seeing what you make. So much of your work highlights its texture. Now your car fits right in. I will look for the articles. Congratulations!
Oh no what a mess...poor car. It is a small miracle no one got hurt in that storm!
Congrats on getting your quilting mojo back....mine has left me but I am hopeful it will return like yours.
Happy Sewing
The quilts are lovely! But Holy Hailstones, Batman! Your car! Well, it's just lucky that no one was beaned with one of those ice balls.
oh, i love these quilts!! i have always loved the feedsack era prints and these designs are just fabulous!!
my best friend lives in oley, but works in reading... her windshield and car are a total mess. (ironically, it's the third windshield she's replaced in this same car!! dumb luck!)
so glad no one was hurt. all the best... and yeah... run that think into the ground!!
of course, by think, i mean thing!!
Congratulations for having two articles published! That is fantastic! That poor car! I think I would keep it too and get a kick out of people's reactions when they see it in the months to come after their hail storm memories have begun to fade.
Oh, I forgot to say those scrap quilts are great! The colors are fun and the results are spectacular!
Good grief! That was crazy hail.
I didn't scroll down to the bottom of the post before. What a great month you're having, aside from the hail. I must seek out the magazines.
I enjoyed your article about your Embroidered Houses in the newest Sew Somerset magazine. I need to practice embroidery because i think it is so pretty, and I'm not very good at it.
WHOA! That is some serious hail! My goodness. I can't decide which of your scrap quilts I like better! I might be partial to the backroads detour. Great colors. You are so creative!
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