Works In Progress Wednesday

I have so many many many things I'm doing at once, I feel like a machine. I am a machine. I like being a machine.
After work yesterday, I spent a few hours at the downtown studio again and finished up another quilt top and basted it. (Insert amazement here.)
That's two quilts ready for stitchery. Makes me squeal with delight.

Yes. The Summer Sampler Series I started last summer will be finished before this summer! I like this photo, the angle lets you ignore the not perfect alignment of the blocks. I didn't do that bad of a job, but you know, if it's the tiniest mistake, I see it.

Anyway, I look forward to doing a bit of stitching on both tops this weekend.

I also am working on a super special custom doll for the daughter of a very good friend. I've redesigned my patterns again, attempting a more child-play friendly design. And new eyes, no more buttons. PLUS this darling child has a passion for dressing, so I'm making this doll some nifty outfits! I'm so thrilled for the challenge.

I've got some great doll inspiration these days. I pulled some fabrics for the doll itself and below is the beautiful fabrics she gave me to incorporate as I wish, though I already know I'm going to make some fabulous little dresses to start!

Doll body fabrics

Dearest Friends contribution.....simply cheery

I leave you now with a view of my table this morning. Happy Creating!

Link up!

Persistence Chases Gloom

I've been quite busy. The end of February brought about new business ventures. I opened a studio with best friend Roach in the Life Arts Building downtown. The photo above is from our opening night during March's Art Walk. There were tons of people. Even those who wanted to steal $1 items. Lesson : leave nothing at pocket height. Sad but true.

Aside from that, I've been working steadily. Odd. But it's working. I have space to work on a large white wall, (Yay! for a huge 15 ft. design wall!) a place for photographing the finished projects and display them. But really I've immersed myself in finishing things.

And starting things of course.

While painting the studio walls of all things, I get the itch to start another painting.

                     

Random yes. Highly enjoyable project to accompany my time. Yes.

And another. In all fairness, I just started this one on Saturday. Coming along nicely. I'm going to do a bit of Mola applique on this i think.

Also, as of this evening, this project from last summer is finally all pieced together. I decided on a solid white for the borders. And I admit, I did it kinda free form. By eye. The blocks aren't really all the same size. It was an experiment from start to finish. But I like the look of it, very crisp. 

I did a quick three hour work shift at the downtown studio and was able to piece the backing and get the whole think basted. Whew. 

I know. It's a lot. It FEELS like a lot. Continuously. And its an awesome feeling to close my eyes and think of all the things I've made today.

I used my first lap quilt "Worldly" on the balcony to watch the sunset at the studio and beamed with happiness in what I'd made.

Quilting = Love

I leave you with the design wall. The purples and tans will unite like wind etchings. The skull will get more English paper pieced rose stars and say something poetic. 

This is why I get up everyday.

-manda

Clearings

I've been spending my time trying to tackle all the half finished projects i have piled around the studio. It's a lofty attempt, but I've been making good headway. And the rewarding feeling of finishing something is excellent fuel to the creative fire. So this weekend, I finished the last four blocks of the Summer Sampler QAL i started in...duh, summer, and with such good intentions.
But with a huge sigh of relief and a beer of course, i am celebrating finishing all twelve blocks! Whoo hoo! This quilt i started with the idea of making something for myself finally, and i still love it. This is the first all solid quilt and how addicting! I have since added to my solid stash heavily i tell you.
I still have to edge most of the blocks in black to square them off at  12 1/2 in., then i think i will still add more black in boarders around each block.....
I haven't even begun to think about the back or the quilting details.

The best part about this quilt.....all the paper piecing. I'd never tried that before, and the results were amazing. I'm kinda obsessed with the option of precision and paper piecing can fill that craving.
Though many of my blocks are not perfect, they're so close it hurts! And especially on my first go of it. Sooooo in love with paper piecing!

Very easy and with amazing results!

Happy Sunday and Cheers!

xOxx Mammalia

Lost in Days

I have finished cutting all the fabric for the remaining six blocks of the Summer Sampler Quilt. I'm determined to finish it before i go back to work.

Which is looming right round the corner. Three staff training days, eight hours each, then my last weekend before school starts on the 29th. This summer has flown by.

And i'm not sure i have too much to show for it. At least i can say that i've been happily creating the whole time. Now, i just need to finish things. Discipline. I've been told i lack it, so i'm trying my hardest to acquire it. Very hard. When i was 16, it was easy to devote endless hours to a project, emotional digressions. Now that i'm older, i tend to have much better control over my feelings, so where do i pull the urge from? I have to inspire myself constantly. Really, all i need to do is open my eyes wider.

"My skin is kind of sort of brownish pinkish yellowish white. My eyes are greyish blueish green, but I'm told they look orange in the night. My hair is reddish blondish brown, but it's silver when its wet, and all the colors I am inside have not been invented yet." ~Shel Silverstein

DoorNail Kinda Dead

So i have been in a sweep of busy. Too busy to work on my two QAL that have now ended. My goal there is to at least finish them both before i go back to work in two weeks.
Being busy means i have a constant flow of current and future projects in the works. It isn't bad to be busy, I just would like it to feel a bit more orderly.

These are the last two blocks i made, about five days ago, feels more like a month.

At some point my anxious mind will rest and pick back up where it left off.

I did really enjoy a quick little project, this Fox, for a friends son on his 2nd birthday. Such fun doing itty bitty patchwork! More to come.

progress

 enjoy!

Wednesday

Blocks 1- 4, a photo by amandamillar on Flickr.

I had every intention of sharing my long day of Block sewing yesterday, but alas, I passed out instead. The two on the right were done yesterday, and now i'm almost caught up with one quilt. Today, the other. Tiny Tiny stars and a new row of house blocks.
Keeping myself busy I am.

Contemplation Day

It's one thing to be lost in your thoughts, but to build your thoughts while doing a repetitive motion, that can be like a trance.
So i meditated while working on the RRQAL project, trying to catch up, Jon came over to work on his computer, and there was just music.
I finished two of the four blocks for the second row and am very nearly done with the last two.  Seven hours. Three real 10min breaks. Creation.

Here

The last two TINY star blocks waiting to be assembled

And I spent that time contemplating the many paths at my feet. There's a lot of spinning in decisions, not that i'm uneasy, but rather noticing how I've only been trying to align things that can align on their own, in their own way. I realize how much time i spend thinking unnecessary thoughts, so i thought useful thoughts today. Filled to the brim with inspiration. My mind filled with book projects, quilt designs, business ventures, and color feeling projects. 

Isn't the beginning the hardest part? 

I just think of continuous walking through continuous doorways. Unlock the flow. Do.

Business of Business

I've been swept up in a lofty idea coming to fruition. It involved a pre-interview and then almost 8 hours of technical research, personal essay writing and resume building. Pheww. I thought i was going to loose it. Now i get to just wait for it. I'm not sure which level of anticipation is worse.
At least i have plenty of other activities to keep me busy.
I've lost total track of this week. But here's my nice 2nd block from the Summer Sampler Series quilt along. I'd better get jump started on the third!

On Flickr

And among all my sewing projects, i've completed two tailoring jobs this week, And....started an enormous curtain project that will be officially the largest patchwork i've created to date. I can't wait to make something even bigger. That gallery space is awesome.

on flickr

Oh! And since this is a running list of where i've been and what i've been doing, I wrote another little Zine  called 'Changing Energy - Plenty of Action But no Control' yesterday at the Blood Orange Info Shop, which is another amazingly awesome space. Like a tard, i spent three hours making the zine and playing with a baby instead of taking any sort of photos. But i'll put the zine up soon.

Alight. Back to work.

Crazy Mind

My yesterday was filled with mental floating. I attempted some patchwork and was successful in finishing the block, but without a single seam matched. Lovely and wonky. I am in some serious need of practice, and attention to my machine, because i somehow forgot to set my needle at the 1/4" and was just eyeballin' it.

Well. Although i love the colors, I am truly amazed at how off my points and seams are.
This was the first block for the Summer Sampler Series, another is out today at Fresh Lemons. I've decided to push on, I'll leave this first block as is, till the end.

So i'm onto the next Block today, with more luck hopefully, now that i remembered that little button on my machine. I'm swirling with projects at the moment.
More photos later. And actual Shop updates! Which i don't even want to think of how long it's been since i added new merch to the store. How sad i am sometimes.
Ciao!