Process and the Blogger

This is one of 16 designs from a class I am taking at the dealer where I bought this machine. We worked on three of the blocks in class on Wednesday, the rest are homework. So, while I had an afternoon available to sew I wanted to complete this first segment of the process.

This design pack is an Anita Goodesign package. I am not sure of the name but it is geared to the quilter with several exclusive patterns.

Process not just finished the product. I tend to show some of the in-progress work if it is my quilt but many of the pieces that I show here are done by others, my Quilting friends. So to sort of a piggyback a train of thought from a prior post about civility in blogland, I was reminded by someone recently that they would like to see more in-progress photo's and planning and technique. While I have been known to teach in the professional arena, quilting is not my area of expertise. But then again, it doesn't need to be. Does it? My process and finished products are NOT edited to show only the best or the most popular. It is just what it is.

Here is the design stitching out. Each of the designs stitch out the background stipple first then fills in with the design focus. In this case, a butterfly. So let me talk about process here, just a little. On my prior embroidery machine I would hoop the stabilizer, batting and fabric all at once. With the Anita Goodesign embroideries the process is quite different. It took me a while to become familiar with the way this all works. The only hooped piece is the stabilizer. I will detail that more in another post but I must say it is a better system. More efficient, less fabric distortion from the hoop and a quicker process all around.

I readily admit that I follow blogs by pro's. I learn things from them. I am inspired by them. Sometimes they display their process but they usually do not.  But I also learn from quilting friends and quite frankly that is essentially what this is all about for me. I will never be 'the pro' and I enjoy quilting and sewing in general too much to make it all about dissecting process. 

Process for me requires organization. Probably because I am working on several projects at one time I hate having to search for this or that while working. Scissors for example. Each work box has to have its own scissors, pen, paper, pins, measure, a seam ripper etc. (I love my gadgets and widgets, that is no secret!) This is the little three tier Snapware box (available at Joann's on sale now and then or with coupon) that contains the working parts of my English Paper Piecing Project. The eternal EPP project! I can pick this up and go at any time and it is always stocked. It travels with me as well. 

Now nothing has been edited here, this is how it looks. A little messy I'm afraid but it works for me. Everything from chap stick to binder clips and some Burts Bees cuticle cream for when my hands get so dry from handling fabric. 

This tier holds a magnifying glass (that black and white plastic swirl design thing under the tape measure) extra thread, the diamond cut paper pieces and the next fabrics to go into production. Process and organization keeps me going.

But in the pursuit of expanding my horizons I will try to be more inclusive, more interesting, behind the curtain type of writer.

Rather by accident I had an extra IKEA workbox that emptied about the time I needed a place to store the diamonds, Ta-Da! There are about 350 in there right now.

So I started the sewing day ( Thursday) with a clean, neat, and organized work space. Well, by the end of the day a cyclone had most certainly arrived. I was working on the embroidery project, 16 panels to build, sewing a simple quilt together, doing laundry and making dinner...all at the same time. Well, dinner was being mostly just monitored after prep and using the Ninja cooker. Great appliance. Anyway, I spent about 10 minutes looking for a strip of fabric I had pieced that went missing. Moving piles, sorting through bins, scanning the floor and guess what? It was around my neck!!! Time to take a break.  

• Mr. Sewtopia mentioned that I looked happy yesterday. If you sew, you know why....Nirvana. 
• I normally clean my Studio on Saturday's, it will be a busy day!
• Taking classes in a shop where you are surrounded by fabric is almost more than I can bear. New bolts, new shelves full of new fabric. Glorious prints and pretties! You're killing me here Gloria, killing me. (and my bank account)
• I picked up an interesting Jelly Roll. A rainbow of colors, I will show that soon. 
• I suspect that even if you, as a Sewist or Quilter, do not have a process way of working you really do work in certain ways that enhance your creativity. You probably don't over-think it the way I do.  
• Now, Mary Fons seems to be an over-thinker as well. If you are interested you might want to read this post from her. Amazing young woman.  Mary Fons, Paper Girl