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The Creed

January 28, 2015July 24, 2015 renegadequilter2 Comments

I was given the travel mug below as a late Christmas gift. With life being busy it was awhile before I stopped and read the words printed on the side of it.

Shout out to Dutch Bros. Coffee I love this place. It doesn’t matter which city I am in each location of Dutch Bros. Coffee delivers the same high quality customer service and great coffee. And, no they did not pay me to say that.

The ‘Creed’ as Dutch Bros refers to it is what is on the side of my travel mug and it reads as follows….

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness & prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best.

Work only for the best.

And expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past & press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry.

To be too noble for anger.

To be too strong for fear
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

I have kept this creed in mind for the past 7 days as our family has dealt with a great loss. Several people have said that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle and I am a believer of that. As the past week unfolded I wasn’t sure where the strength was going to come from but it did. I made it through the long days and I was able to help where needed and support my family just as they have supported me in the past.

I don’t have a mantra that I say everyday but I have been reading the side of my travel mug daily and every time the creed has struck a cord with me. It reminds me to be the best me that I can be and to live the best life that I can live.

Life is short and we never know how long we have. Hug your friends and family a little tighter. Let those that you love know that they are loved. Look for inspiration in every thing. Even something as simple as a travel mug.

Hugs

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Where I Sew

January 9, 2015July 24, 2015 renegadequilter2 Comments

I sew in a corner in the basement of my mom’s house. After my dad passed away I started staying with my mom and then I sold my house and so for now I live with her. My sewing area in my old house was the basement family room which gave me a lot of space to spread out. At my mom’s I have a tight compact area but it still gets the job done.

Like I said this is my mom’s house. There is wallpaper on every wall in the house except for a handful. My mom had wallpaper put up so she didn’t have to paint because she doesn’t like to paint. To each their own. I can live with it. It just makes for an interesting background in pictures. As shown below.

So here is my corner. I brought the main tables from my house and set them up here. The drafting table I use for cutting and I love it because its higher up and my back doesn’t get as tired when I am cutting. Then I have two 6 foot tables that complete the U shape. Like I said its tight but it works.

In the far corner of my cutting table I have a couple pin cushions. One that I use and one that a friend made for me that is too pretty to use but I smile every time I look at it. The stitches on it are amazing.

I also keep my cutting tools, small rulers, lint roller and note pads in a basket with tin cups. I use the striped mini round bin for tiny scraps and such. I got it from Thirty-One and I love it. Its portable and it saves me from cleaning up because when I attempt to put tiny scraps into the trash can on the floor they never end up in the trash can. I am always cleaning up the mess and usually hitting my head on the cutting table. This little bin has eliminated that. So yeah!!!

Just a different view point. I keep my sewing notions, a small cutting mat and usually a small pressing mat to my left. On the right side of my sewing machine is another cutting mat that just hangs out there. It travels to quilt retreats with me. I use the space mainly for projects and fabric sorting/selection. Under the table is a tote full of scraps sorted by color and another storage container of larger scraps.

I kinda have a thing for owls and these work great to hold a few sewing notions and such. The one with the Clover clips on it is a chalk board but I am tempted to cover it with a magnet and have it hold pins. Good idea or no?

My wall decorations in my sewing area. A mini quilt that I made using Jaybird’s Mini Hex N More ruler and one of her patterns. The ‘Simplify’ sign I picked up at a quilt retreat last fall and the other sign was a gift from a friend. I love the quote on it. Its a great reminder.

Its not much but it adds a little of me to my sewing area and makes it a little easier to tolerate the wallpaper. LOL

You might wonder where my ‘stash’ is. I store my fabric in a couple bedroom closets. I am one of those that believes fabric should be kept out of direct light so it doesn’t fade or deteriorate. I have seen this happen and its sad. I would love to have my fabric out where I could see it. Sort of display it like I see many people do but I don’t use fabric quickly enough for that. My fabric is treated like really good wine. It has to age and it has to be the ‘right’ project for me to cut into it. Therefore its kept in a dark spot until the time is right. Just like wine.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my little sewing area. Where do you sew? Do you have a room or a corner like me or maybe the dining room table? I would love to know.

Happy Sewing

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Hello 2015

January 2, 2015July 24, 2015 renegadequilter1 Comment

Where in the world did 2014 go? I feel like I have asked that question for the past couple of years now. Might be a sign to take and breath and slow down.

some blocks from my Tula Pink City Sampler quilt

A lot of my time the first part of 2014 was spent getting caught up at work and working on estates and learning way too much about the crap that goes along with all of that. I also focused on getting my legs back underneath myself. Finding my new place in this new chapter of my life. A word of advice with regards to estates people. Get your crap together, tell the people that need to know about your crap after your gone and put a willing and knowledgeable person in-charge of your crap when your gone. Life will be hard enough when your gone you don’t need to make it any harder. Seriously it’s not fun when the one you have questions for is no longer here or the one in-charge has no idea what to do.

quilting on my Swoon quilt not done by me

however I am in love with this quilt

It wasn’t until the last half of 2014 that I did get back into sewing on a regular basis. That is probably why I only had 8 blog posts last year. Pathetic. I know. I do have some finishes that I want to go back and blog about. I need to get pictures and such but that is going on my ‘to blog about’ list.

a commission quilt I did

2014 was a roller-coaster of a ride with some great times scattered in with the challenges. I got to attend 3 quilt retreats, visit the city of New Orleans to catch a couple of Dave shows, a trip with a friend to Bend to see Dave and hit the quilt shops and I also saw Philip Phillips with my brother and SIL in Boise. Looking back I have some pretty great memories that make me smile. I will take the good with the not so good.

Last year I picked the word ‘possible’ for my word of the year. Last year was a challenging year for me but I did things and worked through things that in all honesty I thought were impossible. With those challenges I learned and I became stronger so I am grateful for that.

I have a word for 2015 and that is ACTION. Not much can be accomplished without action. So I am looking forward to this year getting things done through taking action. Not sitting watching the world pass me by but instead making things happen by TAKING ACTION.

a coffee bean sack and belt

a Christmas gift made using

2015 is going to be another year of changes for me but those changes will be (should be) by my own choice. I am looking forward to see where my changes take me and what actions I need to take to make those changes happen. I hope to continue to sew and create things and I also hope to blog more frequently. Maybe I can beat my 8 times from 2014. Fingers crossed.

snip snip

Miss Kate rag quilt

I hope that 2015 is whatever you want it to be. I hope it brings you happiness and joy along with great success.

Happy Sewing

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Latest Happenings

June 18, 2014July 24, 2015 renegadequilter3 Comments

my life has been creeping back to normal ever so slowly…. or at least my new normal. i have also been sewing. which is like therapy for me. so i am happy, happy, happy.

out in the blogland, instagram, twitter, and other such communities on the internet i came across Elizabeth from Oh, Fransson! pattern for her Aviatrix Medallion quilt and she is having a quilt along for it. i got the pattern from her site which i highly recommend this pattern. its a stunner. Elizabeth originally made it using solids – Kona from Robert Kaufman to be exact.

i have never done a quilt out of solids. i really liked the colors that Elizabeth used in her original quilt but i didn’t love them. then Elizabeth announced that she got to put together some Kona bundles and i fell in love with her Winter one. the bundles are not out yet but if you go to the Robert Kaufman site it lists the various Kona colors that make up each bundle. so, i did some shopping and i had the Winter colors and jumped right in.

i love it. flipping head over heels in love with it. of course i did not use white as the accent color i took Elizabeth’s recommendation and did not use black but i did use Kona Pepper.

i spent a day cutting the fabric for this quilt and grouping it into border sections as suggested by Elizabeth. you might think ‘a whole day‘ – keep in mind i woke up late, ate some meals, did some laundry, might have watched some tv. so for focused people it might be a few hours of cutting.

i used the same Essex yarn-dyed linen as per Elizabeth’s suggestion for the background fabric which i have never used before. i love it as well – it is great to sew with.

this is the center of the quilt. all on the bias. lets just say that starch was my friend when i put this together and i am pleased as punch with how it turned out.

the next border was made using some grey neutral Kona. again starch was my friend.

trimmings from the first border. always makes me smile because it means progress.

each border is separated with a strip of the background fabric.

the second border finished and yes i pinned it up to a Santa Clause area rug we have hanging on a wall in our house. by the way the Christmas tree is still up too.

i learned a great way for marking multiple squares when i worked on border #3 and lots of trimmings to show the progress.

the various units for border #3 ready to go.

3 borders on and 3 more to go. i am in love with this quilt. i love the pattern. i love the fabric selection – thanks to Elizabeth. i love that i got outside of my comfort zone and tried something with solids.

sewing on border #4 which ends up being 1′ finished squares of the grey Kona’s then another strip of the background fabric will go on.

time to start on the blocks for border #5.

if you have read this far thanks for taking the time to do so. i am going to try and be better at blogging more. i hang out on instagram fairly often so you can always find me there as well.

happy sewing

Dave · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · Tula Pink

So….. I Knit

January 25, 2014July 24, 2015 renegadequilter1 Comment

some of you may or may not know that i knit. i took a class about 9 years ago and have never really ventured past scarves and dish cloths. a few months ago my SIL showed me how to knit with the ‘funky yarn’ (my term because i can’t remember the real name). so for Christmas i knitted 6 of these scarves as gifts for people. the 6th one is a solid soft grey. i didn’t get a picture of that one. i think i finished it the day after Christmas and gave it to my mom.

i also knitted two other scarves or should i say cowls for Christmas gifts as well. i kept seeing them on instagram and found a couple patterns that i could do. again no pics. however, i am pleased with how they turned out. with that being said i am wanting to venture out of the ‘safe zone’ of knitting and so on my recent trip to

New Orleans

to see

play here

i discovered an super cute yarn and needlepoint shop in the French Quarter. its called Quarter Stitch and it is filled with color and inspiration and so many things to look at.

the staff was super friendly which is always a plus.

they also gave us a great lunch recommendation. i love to eat where the locals eat when i travel.

here are two of the three yarns i bought. the other is a light weight solid black. i think the purplish blue one will become a hat. i know. venturing out of my comfort zone. the green one i am not sure about yet. the shop isn’t online but the gal gave me her card and said just to call her up and tell her what i am looking for and she would be happy to help me out. which is great since the closest specialty yarn shop is 2 hours away.

on my trip i worked on some embroidery

as well as my Tula Pink hexi project. i am almost a quarter of the way through it.

i will post more about my trip soon but now i have to get back to work. being gone for 10 days makes a girl get behind…….

happy sewing

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2014 Quilty Goals

January 3, 2014July 24, 2015 renegadequilter2 Comments

in hopes of getting some quilt related things accomplished in 2014 i decided to make a list. one of my favorite things to do. list making. doesn’t always mean that everything on the list will get done…… but at least i have a list. i once heard the saying ‘if you track it – it will improve’ i hope that applies to quilting. i put my list in my journal. i thought that would be the best place for it considering the likelihood that i will be looking at in on a fairly regular basis.

not a very good pic because i wrote with a metallic pen and then re-wrote over it in purple. not the prettiest but its a list and in the end that is what matters.

first up on the list is

the Single Girl quilt. i have had this pattern for a year +. i have my fabrics selected and the background fabric as well. templates are all cut and ready to go. next step is to cut all the pieces out and start sewing. this isn’t a quick quilt at all. it will take time to cut and piece it all together. as you can see i have chosen my favorite color for this quilt because this one will stay with me. i figure if i am going to put this much effort into a quilt it should go to someone who will appreciate it. lol.

my next quilty goal for 2014 is

too finish my Quilter’s Journey quilt from Leann’s House. with one exception (i think) this is my oldest WIP i have. i started it about 8 years ago. it was a block of the month from The Buggy Barn. they sent a pattern and fabric each month with the idea being i would complete a block a month. i apparently thought i had super powers back then as i was to piece the block and get all of the embroidery finished before the next block showed up. lol. i now happily refer to this as the block of the year quilt. there are 9 blocks total and i am currently in the middle of finishing block #7 pictured above. if i can get blocks 8 & 9 done this year then i can finish the top and get it quilted and bound in 2014. which means it took me 9 years to get it done. fingers crossed that i accomplish this goal.

my 3rd quilty goal for 2014 is a big one.

i want to quilt my current stack of quilt tops that need quilting and stay current with quilting tops that i finish in 2014. some of you may be saying ‘good luck’ – i am even saying that to myself. however, i am going to try. its a goal not a must do. at the bottom of that pile is my oldest WIP – a quilt that i have been working on since…… the beginning of time and it just needs to be quilted and bound. it was a block of the month from Thimbleberries. funny how my tastes have changed. i still like the quilt but i think it will be a gift for my brother – not that brother but the other one so don’t worry Angie if you are reading this.

going from the bottom to the top of the pile after the Thimbleberries quilt is my Toes in the Sand quilt made with Tula Pink’s Prince Charming fabric line. next is my Swoon quilt made with Tula Pink’s Parisville fabric line. then there is a drunkards path quilt, a bee block quilt and last but not least my own pattern quilt made using the Bliss fabric line.

so 6 tops in total that need to get quilted. in addition to whatever tops i put together in 2014. if i am being honest here this is the one goal that might not get accomplished. i hope to get these 6 done but i don’t know if i will be able to stay current on 2014 quilts. time will tell.

the next goal on my list is to use as much fabric from my stash as possible this year. i didn’t take any pictures of my stash because its all in plastic drawers behind closet doors. i moved it from my house and got it organized into its new home here at my mom’s just before Christmas. i prefer to keep my fabric stored out of the light as i have seen fabric fade from light exposure. to each their own but mine is kept in hiding with hopes of it shrinking in 2014.

my next goal is a quilt i want to make out of

Reunion from Sweetwater. i want to make a granny square quilt. i have had this layer cake for awhile and i have some Kona navy that will be my setting color. this quilt has been on my list for awhile and i think that 2014 is the year for it.

i would also like to make a dresden plate quilt using

this lovely fabric from V & Co. again i have had this on my list and think that it will be a fabulous quilt using the dots and ombre fabric for the dresden plates. besides its green and green makes me happy so why wouldn’t i want to make this quilt in 2014?

the last item on my 2014 quilty goals list is to finish this

my Cargo Duffle bag. its a pattern from Noodlehead that i cut out the fabric for in November. don’t laugh i know its ridiculous. one would think that i would just have continued on and sewed it up. but i didn’t so its added to the 2014 list.

that is all that i put on my list for 2014. i know its ambitious to some and to others it might be a piece of cake but for me (like Goldilocks) its just right. i know that other projects will jump in. two already have. i thought i had quilting ADD but i am beginning to realize that i do not just have to sew on one project at a time but that i can have several going and that its ok if my sewing area looks like a bomb went off in it.

do you have any quilty goals for this year?

i would love to hear what they are.

happy sewing

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Word Of The Year

January 1, 2014July 24, 2015 renegadequilter1 Comment

having a word of the year is something that i have decided to do this year. my life has been chaos and constantly changing for the past 18 months and things have finally slowed down a bit for me. i like the idea of having a word of the year for 2014. i just wasn’t sure what word it would be until this morning when i was reading somewhere and saw this –

impossible

a light bulb went off and i knew that my word for 2014 would be.

possible

my mind started spinning thinking about 2014 and all of the possibilities it holds for me. thinking that anything is possible if i believe.

the definition of ‘possible’ according to Merrian-Webster is a : being within the limits of ability, capacity, or realization b : being what may be conceived, be done, or occur according to nature, custom, or manners.

this year is want to push myself to make things that i want to happen in my life possible. i don’t want to be guided by fear or failure or what others think. i want to be driven by courage and by the idea that anything is ‘possible’. i just need to believe in myself and push myself past the point of doubt to the point of possibility.

last year i was given this journal. i hadn’t written in it until this morning. i plan on holding myself accountable using this journal to keep my goals in focus and to help make 2014 the best year it can be for me.

now every time i open my journal i will be reminded that…

all things are possible

up next i am going to make a list of some quilty goals that i want to accomplish in 2014. those goals will be the next entry in my journal which i will happily share with you all. maybe i can figure out how to make a list on the side of my blog so i can also be held accountable by all of you.

do you set sewing related goals for yourself? if so, what are they? i would love to hear what they are.

happy sewing

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Christmas Sewing and other things

December 28, 2013July 24, 2015 renegadequilter1 Comment

now that Christmas has been here and gone i can share some of things i sewed for gifts. starting with a Super Tote which is a pattern from Noodlehead. i went to a camp in October and had everything cut and ready to sew together. i have made another one of these Super Tote bags and i blogged about it here.

i also decided to make a wristlet that coordinated with the bag. wristlets have become one of my favorite things to make. they are quick to sew up and so handy to have around.

for both of these projects i dug into my Make Life fabric from Sweetwater.

i also made gift card holders for some of my friends this year. they are a fun and quick gift to make up. it took me a couple times to get the location of the snaps right but once i did they went together quick.

i put a Starbucks gift card in each one.

a couple years back i did a Mystery BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop. i love the quilt and all of the blocks in it. i ended up having enough fabric scraps leftover from the quilt to make some additional blocks that i turned into pillows for my niece’s.

doesn’t every little girl need a special Christmas pillow?

i think so.

at the camp in October i got the Halloween quilt on the right quilted and then bound both of these quilts.

i love the quilt on the left. its from a pattern that is from the Missouri Quilt Company and its called Double Slice Layer Cake. You can find the You Tube video here. Its made with a layer cake.

lastly, i worked on a super old WIP that i have had for years. i had been collecting Bliss fabric for awhile and had no pattern that would use most of the fabric. i had a few fat quarters, a Moda Candy Bar and some yardage.

so…….

i made up my own pattern and i am very happy with how it turned out.

originally it had another row in it but it was to long so i will put that row on in the backing of the quilt. not to shabby for making up a pattern. at least i think its made up. i didn’t search for a pattern online i just sketched one out.

i have more to share with you all including some more City Sampler blocks that i have been working on. now that the Holidays are over and my house is sold i am hoping that life will slow down a bit.

fingers crossed.

happy sewing

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