Five Little Things

In anticipation of Quilt Con - which is only 3 weeks away folks! - The Modern Quilt Guild asked folks to share 5 little facts about them. This is so when you see me on the show floor or are taking my class you can accost me with these random facts and I'll wonder how the hell you know these things about me.

I'm fairly open here and if you've been reading for a while you'll know plenty about me, including these tidbits from almost 5 years ago (I can now make rice krispie squares). That's why I had to dig deep for these five things.

1. I never wanted kids
Hubby married me knowing this. The moment I changed my mind came after a few too many beers and watching Adam Sandler's movie Big Daddy. Sad, but true. Look at me now.

2. I have a third nipple
So do other members of my family, our lovely genetic quirk. So when Friends was on and Chandler was teased about his, we knew what he was talking about.

3. I swear like a trucker
Having kids has tempered that tendency, a little. But it is a daily challenge to keep my language in check around other people.

4. There are at least 7 more books brewing in my head
I could work full-time on writing books and be deliriously happy, but I do need to pay attention to those kids I decided to have.

5.Seventies music rocks
Being born in the mid-70s, I was too young to remember the music specifically, but I have a weird obsession with having 70s music on whatever music channels are available. Even the soft rock stuff.

Friday Favourites: Black Books

I cannot live without these two black books. They travel with me (both fit in my purse), they take up precious counter space, they define the days of my life.

Coil Bound Sketchbook 
Over the years I've learned that I am much better if I have only one notebook. At one point I had one for quilt sketches, one for article notes and interviews, one for doodles, and one just for my purse. It became a giant pain in the butt to keep track of their locations at any given time and to search for an idea I had that one time. Now I keep one book only, this one. It holds all my ideas for quilts, articles, books, home renos... All in one place.

Moleskine Weekly Planner
Sure, I've had a smart phone for years. When I worked full-time I lived by my linked phone and Outlook calendar. But to manage the home life, the phone messages, the to-do lists, knowing Hubby's out-of-town schedule, birthdays and more I came to rely more and more on a paper calendar. For the past few years this trusty Moleskine has been the repository of the written details of our lives. I love the weekly planner that has a calendar dates on one side and a blank page for notes facing it. Perfect for capturing everything, including my blog schedule!

Put these two black books together and you have me. I don't keep a journal, but the collection of these two books will tell you more about me than any diary with a key.

Capturing Inspiration

Just because I was on vacation, it doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about quilts. 

Confession: I brought some hand sewing with me, but it never left the bag.

When you are open to it, inspiration is everywhere. Even my daughters were getting in on it. They pointed out textures and colours that would make a good quilt. 

I try to capture all inspiration one way or another when I see something interesting. Sometimes I sketch it out. Just a rough doodle and a few notes. I put date and location on the sketch that act as a trigger for my memory. Quite often I take a picture. It doesn't have to be a perfect picture, if the colour is what matters then who cares if the focus isn't perfect. My cell phone - which does not have a good camera on it - is filled with images that serve as inspiration scrap book.

It is pretty much impossible that I will make all the quilts that these inspiration images conjure, but it is nice to have a bank of concepts. You never know when the right fabric will appear for one idea, or you need a quick quilt and can't decide what to make. Then there are the times where you just HAVE to make something because the inspiration is too strong. I don't know anything about that...

Here are the images from my trip that may or may not get translated into a quilt one day.

Texture, all about texture.

Colour and stripes! Plus that age and fraying.

Light and texture. This is the sun through my hat.

My daughter loved the woven effect of this palm. Me too.

Blue.

Energy and colour contrasts.

This may be the start of a mild pink and white colour obsession.

Shape and line.

Curves. Simplicity.

Ahhh...

There is that expression about not knowing what you've got until it's gone. Turns out I didn't know I needed a vacation until I had one.