Focus Girl, Focus

Have you been paying attention lately? There hasn't been much quilty goodness shared here of late. It isn't for a lack of quilting, just a lack of anything to actually share. Despite my commitment to no obligation, I feel a tad bit guilty. 

The reason for little to share is that I've been buried under commission quilts. Namely, 13 doll quilts and 1 baby quilt. I haven't nearly made the progress I've wanted. Here are 8 of the doll quilts in various states. 2 finished, 2 with binding ready to hand stitch (yes, I still handstitch on commission quilts), 2 waiting for binding, and 2 waiting for quilting. I have the remaining 5 designed and waiting to be sewn.

As for the baby quilt, the special order fabric has arrived, the sketch is made, and the plan is set for a spree starting in a week. It must arrive before the baby!

And after all this, I can get back to the outstanding projects I just want to finish. Like this one, this one, and even this one.

Four

The Monster turns 4 today.  Holy crap, 4! She is a wild and crazy girl. She has two positions - awake and asleep. If her body isn't moving her mouth is. That makes her about a perfect combination of her parents.

Although she did actually ask me for a quilt last week - for the first time no less - and she has added quilter to her career aspirations (along with doctor, paleontologist, rockstar, vet, jogger, and sometimes Spiderman) this was the last quilt I made specifically for her.

A quilter carries around a lot of guilt when she doesn't get to make her own first baby a quilt. I spent 9 weeks on bed rest before she arrived in a flurry of doctors. Yes, she was gifted quilts, but it wasn't the same. So, for her first birthday I made this Monster Eye Spy.

It actually started as a challenge among some quilty friends. We exchanged charms and FQs for the eye spy fabrics. And we set ourselves the additional challenge to add the alphabet. After months, literally, of trying to make it work by using one letter to one fabric I came up with this design. The colour changes work, I think, but I did pick the wrong fabric for the letters. They get lost when viewing the quilt as a whole. Ah, lessons in value... But they are totally visible to The Monster and I up close. We play with it frequently still.

Happy Birthday Monster!

More on Process

It is wonderful to me to see the momentum around the Process Pledge. As of this morning almost 150 people have taken the pledge. Now, I have no clue what percentage that is of quilters online - small, I'm guessing - but it is quite heartening to see more and more embrace the notion of sharing our process to the advantage of us all.

Make sure you check out the post with all the links. And if you see someone sharing process but they haven't made the pledge, pass on the link. I took a little time this morning to browse the links. I want to share with you some good posts that really demonstrate the spirit of the Process Pledge.

Lulubloom shows us not only the challenge of sharing process, but an honest account of the questions we often ask as we work out a project. She hasn't shown us an update of where this project is heading, but I'm looking forward to it.

Over at Kate Conklin Designs she has shared a few projects now that outline the process. Her most recent post is in the spirit of the Workshop where she is seeking feedback. I want to give her credit for this post in particular because Kate is a pattern designer, but she is still sharing sketches and the development of the design.

I love, love, love this post. It is always a treat to see the questions asked as we stare and play at our design walls (or floors, or beds). A Prairie Home Quilts really captures this well with her Liberated Amish project.

"Taking the process pledge has made me realize that I would like to become more aware of the things around me that inspire," says Penny at Sew Take a Hike. Right on! Process isn't just about sharing how we cut our fabric or even how we picked it.  It starts right from the inspiration.

While most of us have been to Elizabeth's site, Oh Fransson, I adore that she has really taken the Process Pledge to heart. I'll be honest, hers is a site where I get frustrated at her ability to post so many finished projects. But since taking the pledge she has been sharing the details and process of almost all her quilts. And its been fascinating!

Make sure you check out all the links. I've discovered some fantastic, new-to-me blogs.

Catch-up

The last month has been nothing more than a giant game of Catch-up.  Is that a game? Probably not. In truth, though, it feels like I am Sisyphus - achieving loads, only to have my deadlines roll down the hill and force me to start over.

When ever I get like this - sadly, not an uncommon occurrence for me - I have my little freak out, make a list, then just start moving. One foot in front of another.  One obligation or deadline met and on to the other. At some point it eases up. At some point...

So, I've been tackling the quilting side of things by catching up on my Pieced Together 2 Bee. Three months behind I was - yikes. (And apparently I am so tired I am now speaking like Yoda.)

This is Colleen's block from Not Quite Vintage. Some Kona Ash paired with actual menswear shirts. I couldn't get over the blues, so in love was I.

Sandy's Cathedral Window. Good for her! I love the way this looks, but I never want to make one again.

Finally, these are Michelle's blocks.  Some beloved to her fabrics that came together really well - Denyse Schmidt and Heather Ross. And my beloved half square triangle.

And, because I am indeed a little crazy, I started a new bee with Rossie. A random comment, a quick idea, a bunch of emails, and we have a new bee.  I am rather excited about it - it feeds my design love for all things mid-century modern.  Sigh. Busy, but happy am I.