Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am thankful for all that I have in my life. I'm grateful for where I've been, and for where I'm going. I'm thankful for the good times, and the bad times. The bad times taught me that I'm always ok, despite my perceptions to the contrary... and I've learned valuable lessons along the way.

I'm grateful for my husband, my two kids, my pets, my great friends. I'm grateful that I have wonderful, warm friends who are like family to spend this Thanksgiving day with.

I'm thankful for a job (I should say job(s) plural) that allows me to express my creativity and actually encourages it. I'm grateful for an awesome work environment filled with diverse people and doing a job that helps to make a difference in society. I'm grateful for the long, scenic drive to work. I get to see the seasons change and look at the beauty of my surroundings in the area that I live in. It centers me before I start my day.

And yes, I am grateful that I have a passion in my life... quilting.

'Til next time...

Favorite Quilt?

People often ask me, "Out of all the quilts you've made, which is your favorite?" That's like asking me which of my two children is my favorite... there is no answer.

Each and every quilt is made with love and, when they are finished, they are all so unique. Each one seems to have its own "personality" although some seem to reflect my own personality more than others. So I'll just share those here...

This first quilt is called "Far East Pizazz" and it is a 9 patch pizazz pattern. Asian fabrics are currently my favorite fabric to work with. They appeal to me.

This next quilt is called "Symmetry" and is made from many different black and white fabrics in blocks of half-square triangles, which are sewn together in a "Barn Raising" layout. This one appeals to my sense of order and balance, with a dash of red thrown in to add a vibrant element... hey, just like my life!

Last, but not least, is a "work in progress" that I haven't titled yet. Here's the story behind it:
My Dad and Stepmother gave me a quilt that my Great-Grandmother had sewn. They had stored it for quite a while, but figured that, since I was now a full-fledged quilter, they would pass it on to me. Great-Grandma Oveson's quilt was made sometime in the 1930's and was sewn from scraps of clothing; my Great-Grandfather's shirts, her children's outgrown clothing, her dresses. She patiently pieced it by hand, and then hand quilted it. Some of the satin is a bit tattered, but to me it was a treasure. I hung it up on my bedroom wall like the work of art it is. Great-Grandma Oveson's quilt is made from log cabin quilt blocks. The center of a log cabin block is traditionally red to represent hearth and the heart of the home. She set the blocks in a barn raising layout, which happens to be a favorite layout of mine... so I felt us connect across the years.
Wow, we had the same tastes!

Each night, before going to sleep, I would lay there and look at her quilt. I would try to figure out how to make a log cabin block, and wish I could make a quilt like hers. I slowly accumulated the fabrics for the quilt, in the colors that I love, and one day I took the plunge and started it. I quickly discovered that making log cabin blocks is easy... and FUN!

This quilt will finish out at a little bigger than a Queen sized bedspread. I also decided to go with a barn raising layout.
This quilt is in honor of my Great-Grandmother:

My first quilt

This is the very first that quilt I made. It is titled "Sun, Moon, and Stars" and is a rail fence pattern. I made this quilt in 2005 at a Quilting for Beginners class at a local quilt store after a friend encouraged me to try quilting.
I remember how scared I was. Yes, scared. I didn't even know how to thread a sewing machine! Home Ec was the only class I never did very well in and, at the time of the quilting class, I was certain that I would make a mess of my first quilt while embarrassing myself in the process.

Well, all those things I feared didn't happen. After it was finished, I was pleased with my first attempt at quilting. I decided to keep trying this new thing for a while. Maybe, since I conquered the sewing machine and didn't cut off any fingers with the rotary cutter, I could do this!

One thing is for certain, I knew I liked it. Then, after I made another quilt, then another... I began to LOVE it. I learned new patterns, and finally felt comfortable with my new quilting tools. I began, like most quilters, to collect newer and better tools!

Then I started developing what's known in the quilting world as a "Stash" - which is a collection of fabrics that you might use one day. For you non-quilters, you "add to your stash" when you are on a "shop hop" with your friends. Usually after a good quilt show, or even during... if there are vendors. My stash grew and grew... and it's still growing! And yes, we have actual quilt shows. If people can have car shows, dog shows, computer shows, and art shows... we can have quilt shows.

I also learned the name of the term "U.F.O." which, to a quilter, does not mean an Unidentified Flying Object. It means an Un Finished Object. I have a few of my own U.F.O.'s now, also. One is a Twisted Bargello that, when I was working on it, made me want to poke my eyes out with a pencil. Someday I will get back to it... maybe.

So many quilts... so little time.

Over and out.

My very first blog post

Hello and welcome to my blog. I will be posting little happenings from my life along the way and LOTS of quilting adventures, too.

My name is Kris and I am 41. My husband, Randy, and I have 2 grown kids, Dave (22) and Kayla (19 - soon to be 20). We also have 2 fur kids. Dexter is our dog - he's a 5 year old Pomeranian/Papillon mix. And Jazmin is our cat. She is in the neighborhood of 12 years old and is a moody, anti-social, ninja Tortoiseshell.

I am the Webmaster, and all around graphics gal, at a local non-profit. My husband and I also run a business called Image Web Works, creating web sites for our customers.

So... Quilting. I've been quilting for almost 4 years now and it's my hobby, but it's also my passion. And quilting has taught me about life, too.

I've learned that people are as varied and different as fabrics. Fabrics, and people, have different textures, and designs. I've seen fellow quilters take fabrics I would never choose and make them into something beautiful... works of art. It's taught me to honor the many different tastes in quilting, and life, that I encounter. I've learned to honor my own tastes, as well... and in doing so I've come to realize that it's ok to have a different taste in something, or a different opinion, then a friend, family member, or co-worker.

I've learned that creating something beautiful takes time, whether it's a friendship or a quilt. I've learned you make a quilt, and a life, one piece at a time, and that slower motion gets you there faster.

I do my best in life, and when I quilt, and I've learned that my best is good enough. No quilt, or life, is perfect. Sometimes it's the imperfections that give things character. Sometimes no one sees these imperfections but the quilter. Pointing them out to people diminishes in your own eyes the art you create. I've learned to say a simple "thank you" when someone compliments a piece I've created, and it's taught me to say thanks in other parts of my life. It's taught me to honor my own creativity, and its expression. It's taught me that it's ok to know I'm good at something.

I've also learned that, if you make a mistake (in life or quilting) it's not the end of the world. You can take it apart, fix it, and put it back together... and still create something beautiful.

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, remember:
When life hands you scraps...
Make quilts!