{*~Warm & Gooey~*}

in

I can feel it in the air folks...fall is coming.

I drove around town tonight for some fresh air and the breeze had the leaves blowing and they sounded crisp and ready to fall. I guess the heat is breaking & tomorrow it's going to be in the 80s...woo!!!! I want a halloween quilt for my couch so bad it's KILLING ME!!!!!!

I'm doing some crazy stuff lately. Making new friends. Joining a gym. Giving up caffeine. Knitting up a fierce storm. Reading the first two books of Hunger Games. Updating my shop with excitement thanks to everyones extremely kind & positive comments in my last post..it's amazing what a few kind words from friends can do for you! Applying to craft shows like, EVERY weekend this fall. Writing PATTERNS!!! Just staying busy to keep my mind off of missing Porkchop.

One of the hard things about working from home is it's very easy to get wrapped up in being alone in your mind. I am very outgoing person and will pretty much talk to anyone but at home it's very easy for me to get lost in my own mind...you know how your sewing and suddenly you realize half of the day has gone by and you've been daydreaming & zoning out?! Well, I do that except as I'm sewing suddenly I have ideas how to make everything BIGGER! BETTER! CUTER! RADDER! And I have to ACT on those ideas, like NOW! NOW NOW NOW! So when I say I'm overwhelmed, I'm just overwhelmed by myself & my own ideas...it's not really a bad thing but sometimes I want something simple! And small! Just to feel like I've accomplished something neat!

So I calmed down (barely), drew a block idea, pulled some fabric and made myself a little shoo fly mug rug. In less than 2 hours...even when hand bound and without thangles! It feels great! I need to practice my stitch in the ditch quilting, but nothing makes me happier than crisp, clean, straight lines and having everything line up perfectly, it makes me feel like maybe my obsession is paying off ;)

I do turn simple things into major undertaking and I can *totally* admit that. I have two swaps I'm working on right now, one for Jeni and one for Christina both girls spoiled me absolutely rotten and are just fantastic inspirations to me and I want to make them incredibly amazing things, it's like my way to show them how much I think they are great! But I am slower than HECK because my ideas just keep GROWING!!! I finally cut into some fabric and made a little bit of progress on either gals package but I swear, it's like I'm molasses! At the rate I'm going, summer swaps will be Christmas gifts, which isn't fair to them! So I need to buck up, stick with it, don't wander off and get them some cute stuff in the mail!

SOOO! ALSO! I joined a gym!!!! I need a way to get out of the house, let my mind wander, physically tire myself out at night so I won't stress before bed and help my asthma, all at once! It's been fun! The first day was...interesting. It was nice & cool in the gym, I did the elliptical, walked outside, got to my car and threw up everywhere. Awkward! Second day was better, I was able to work out 4 minutes longer (thats a big deal) and didn't throw up (bonus point!) third day (today) was kinda blah, I was a little sore from yesterday so I didn't feel comfortable working out really hard & getting all my excess energy out of my system. But still, 3 days in a row! That's great! Tomorrow I won't be able to go, as I'm working!

If your in the Northern California area, come on up to Chico tomorrow! The quilt shop is having their annual yard sale at 8 am! It's a giant fabric sale outside and then inside we have all our batiks for 35% off! I have to be there at 6:30am to help set up...eeep! So exciting!

My first week without the Porkchop has been ok. I've already received one absurdly mushy card that had me crying. We've planned to spend Labor Day weekend together & are going on a top secret day trip adventure. Lots of texting & emails have been happening. I'm even talking on the phone. If you know me, you know I hateeeee talking on the phone. House phone rings here? Answering machine. Cell phone rings? Whatever, I never even set up voicemail. At work? Run away until someone yells at me to answer it (I'm only sorta kidding on that one ;)) The other morning we chatted on the phone so long I was convinced I had a kink in my neck. Oh Porkchop! You kill me!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

PS: Big Thank You!!! To fatquarterly magazine for interviewing me! You can check out my interview here

PSS: Are you liking my extreme openness lately? I've decided I don't like blogs where I feel like they are secretly written by robots, so my new goal is to write more about personal stuff! How can you make new pals if you don't know each other?!

{*~Bye Chop~*}

in

(Porkchop & I in Nevada a few weeks ago)

Porkchop left & went back to Eureka. I'm not going to lie, I'm a mess. I miss him a *lot*. Since May we've only been able to spend weekends together and now we are going to see each other only here & there until December when he graduates. I know, I'm being a weenie and a wimp. Lots of people have husbands in the military or far away from them, I should be counting my blessings. But it is rough!

I'm planning a few packages and little things I'd love to send to him, I purchased two patterns tonight, one knitting, one sewing with him in mind, I'm excited to make them & show you guys. It's kinda hard finding rad guy friendly patterns right?!

I'm still bummed out and missing him though...

But what do I do when I'm bummed out? Clean.

If you know me in real life, you'll know that for the first 26 years of my life, I was a messy person. Lately it seems like when things happen that are beyond my control...I clean.

My bedroom right now is insanely clean and organized. The air conditioner is out of the window (crosses fingers that it doesn't hit 100 degrees again ;)), there is a great breeze coming in!!! I washed all my sheets, pillowcases and quilts. I did laundry. I framed some photos. I organized all my clothing in color chromological order (I think I made up that word ;))...even down to my underwear and socks. I threw out a bag of old mail. I scanned receipts into my financial software. I went through magazines & ripped out the good stuff, stuck it in my binder, recycled the rest. I organized my circular knitting needles (in case yours need organizing too, I have 12 of pairs and they all fit in one of my pouches! Like this one!). I put all my small craft-y stuff, like aida cloth and whatnot into my metal picnic basket. I cleaned out my scrapbooking paper. I dusted everything, including my blinds. I made plans for new pillowcases so my bed will look more fall-ish....that got me all jazzed for work tomorrow, I gotta pick out some great new fabric!

I felt a little better for a few hours but I have a feeling by the end of the week the house is going to be so clean you'll be able to eat off the floors. ;)

Also, this weekend I updated the pad shop. I've been wanting to for a really long time but truthfully? It's something I debated.

Hear me out k?

I've tried to not be upset about it but I had a few people buy pads from me, trace them and sell them as their own design. That sucked to be blunt. It discouraged me quite a bit. Especially when it happened over and over and over.

Also, I'm sorry but selling pads for $2-$6 is really upsetting to me. Granted, when I first made them, I sold them cheaply as well because I felt like my sewing skills definitely weren't up to par, but as time went on and I got better and used better materials, I raised my prices. I take time with the things I make, always, I don't rush anything. I pre-wash and shrink all my fabrics. I constantly work on the design to improve it, I draft these patterns by hand, including the grading up & down of sizes. It might not sound like a big deal, but think about the reasons why most disposable products shift & bunch...they aren't shaped correctly!

This is all stuff that's reflected in my prices and it makes me sad that other sellers value their time so poorly. You can buy ONE pad at your local co-op/whole foods for $13.99+ so why shouldn't we as a diy community price more competitively?! Not only that but the two products can't even be compared (turned & topstitched rather than simply overlocked, organic fleeces vs flannels, etc)., plus don't forget internet business fees!

I don't blog about my ecofriendly lifestyle simply because it's something I've sort of taken for granted that a lot of friends already know about it and it's kinda personal...some people are curious and positive, some people are completely negative. I'm an extremely non-confrontational person and lets face it, ladies have strong opinions about this sort of thing. I had a spike of traffic a while back and found a forum where someone had seen my shop on etsy and was bashing it, asking what kind of gross person would make something like this...and it was *pages* of talk like that. Not cool. I'm most certainly not a gross person and nor are my friends who also are into cloth! It's a lifestyle choice, I don't expect everyone to *get* it, but I do know that I've been making & selling pads for YEARS and when you think about that, I've made a positive impact on the environment! That is why I keep making them! And they are genuinely fun to sew. I like the challenge of making things better and better.

Phew! End soap box. Check out my FAQs if your curious or feel free to drop me an email. I get a lot of personal emails about this sort of thing & it doesn't bug me at all :)

Sheesh. This was an absurdly personal blog post...haha.

I hope everyone had a great weekend...I'll be posting some photos this week of some finished projects, some bee blocks & more!

{~*Castle Peeps Summer Camp!*~}

in

Hey Pals!!!!

Welcome to Castle Peeps Summer Camp!!!!!

Today I'm going to show you how to make one of my FAVORITE things....BUNTING!

You can find it here! It's a step by step pdf...it's a little big so it may take a few minutes to download :)

Thanks so much Lizzie for letting me join you & the other talented gals in summer camp castle peeps fun!

Have a great Thursday friends...I'm trying to think of how I can set my sewing machine up outside...fresh air is calling my name! ;)

{~*Fall-ish*~}

in

I don't know about you guys, but I'm feeling it. I'm ready for summer to be kaput & fall to come in like a warm pumpkin pie!

I know I should be enjoying the last little bit of warmth but I'm kinda over it. I want maple leaves and crisp mornings. I've already been indulging in iced chai and the occasional oatmeal cookie.

  • I've started a notebook. Each night I write the things I'm thankful for. I'm pretty sick of negativity, here's to positivity! So far I just am all about the little things, like gray nail polish, grapefruit jelly belly beans, movie dates with Porkchop and adding squished pennies to my collection.
  • The Porkchop leaves for school on Sunday. I won't be going back to Eureka with him...so we will be long distance Porkchopians. I'm not looking forward to it. But I know it will be for the best, he can focus on school and graduate in December, I can focus on some deadlines I have coming up and sew. Plus we'll have a lot of weekends together!
  • Something about fall/cooler temps brings out the urge to hand sew, embroider, knit, crochet, etc. I'm knitting a cowl...I'm pretty much the worst knitter...I forget where I'm at in a pattern and rarely finish projects I start. This fall I have three goals: a cowl, a pair of socks and a hat. I'm hoping I can actually do it!
  • I'm kinda obsessed with Liz's upstairs patio thing-y that she has. Why am I so into Roswell? It's like candy. I know I shouldn't eat it...yet I can't stop. I'm can't stop watching it!!!!! The blind date episode especially killed me.

I'm taking an internet break for the next few weeks. I'm determined to get caught up on swaps, orders, bee blocks...everything. I've already made a huge dent in them which is exciting...I only have 4 more big things to do then its on to the littles...woo! I should note that most of this stuff is with friends...that I owe stuff from MONTHS ago too. Yeah. I'm a jerk..and have very understanding pals.

I did get a few days to open my new shop! msmcporkchopquits!

I'll be slowly adding things through out the week and then phasing out my etsy shop. If you see anything you like but would prefer a different color, just send me a message, I love custom orders but I do have a turn around of about a week & a half :) although by the end of August I'll only have a 2-3 day turn around on things :)

Have a great Wednesday pals!

{*~28~*}

in

On Sunday I turned 28.

I took care of something on Friday that had been bothering me for four years. FOUR YEARS. It was like a weight off my chest & a feeling of closing the door on a really really really bad chapter of my life. I felt like it was now or never and what better time than before a birthday.

Saturday we were all a little burned out...I was feeling an emotional hangover.....The Porkchop & I went on a movie date and saw The Other Guys and I about died. h i l a r i o u s. All the random TLC comments about did me in.

On our way out to dinner that night I kept getting itunes/paypal receipts in my email...and realized someone had hacked my itunes for over $450. Nice right? So far itunes has been unhelpful, which sucks because 4 days ago I bought myself an ipod classic as a birthday gift to myself...I'm a very loyal apple fan and wow...BAD customer service. Since it's out of my hands I can't stress about it anymore. And believe me, I was STRESSING.

Sunday I woke up early (who wakes up early on their birthday!? THIS GIRL!!!) hauled Porkchop out of bed & to safeway...I did some cooking! I made this amazing zucchini cake and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! It has a similar spice to carrot cake, which made me super excited because I'm allergic to carrots...so now I can have faux carrot cake! Plus an incredible potato salad, yogurt dip & other delish things.

We hung out at Porkchop's grandma's ranch. I laid in her pool, drank beer, talked, listened, spaced out..just relaxed. I visited their bull, Gus. He is seriously the hugest, scariest animal I've ever seen in my life. I'm 99% sure he's a hereford and weighs about 2,000 lbs.

While I was floating, I realized it was starting to feel like fall. You know how late summer sun has a different shine to it and the shadows hit a little differently?! As a kid my birthday always symbolized the end of summer, school clothes shopping and the last few weekends at Noonie & Papa's pool before they'd close it for the winter. I felt that way towards the end of the night.

I'm starting to feel myself slipping into the autumn state of mind. I bought a pumpkin candle at JoAnns today...I want to sew with halloween fabric and watch more Buffy. Autumn is my all time favorite time of year, the time I feel the happiest & the most alive. I'm endlessly inspired by the outdoors, the weather, the palette, it's all just amazing.

Some thoughts:

  • I'm incredibly blessed to have this little blog...I received so many kind emails & surprises in the mail (I'm looking at you Jeni & Yahaira!) and it makes me want to keep blogging.
  • My outlook on a lot of things has changed lately. I want to take more time to do things I enjoy and just work my butt off, to quote the ever so inspirational Gretchen Wilson (lol...yeah..I *so* just typed that) "I work hard, I play harderrrrr"
  • I find myself craving a completely different life...I want to get all my debt paid off & start living a little more self reliant. I'm fascinated by the "back to basics" movement that's going on...canning your veggies, sewing clothes, eating local, bike riding, up-cycling...it's ironic to Porkchop & his family (plus the majority of the people in my area) because to them it's like "No shit, you eat what you grow, you don't live beyond your means, you drink bud light after a hard day of work and you prepare for bad times.". Granted, I've changed a *lot* in a few years...I'd never drop as much money as I used to on expensive things but I still like indulgences (see above...new ipod!) I think I need to work out what is a good balance for me.
  • I want to take more chances. I've recently said yes to three very big projects with some really talented people who I greatly admire...it's pushing me creatively & I really like that. I want to keep doing that. Keep pushing my creative limits. Finding more confidence.
  • And I want to be more organized. I'm frequently late on swaps, bees, emails, etc & I'm dedicating August to getting full caught up. Granted, a lot of this stuff is from when I was sick, but it's annoying having it hang over my head. September 1st I'd like to be 100% caught up on all my obligations & not take on any new ones.
  • More t.v; I know that sounds weird right? But I'm a go go go go go go person and at the end of the day, I need a distraction & love falling asleep watching a show. Lately I'm really into Haven, Roswell, Warehouse13, Psych, Rizzoli & Isles (Did anyone else want her to make out with Donnie Wahlberg?!) and Supernatural.

Ok, I know, this is a little ramble-y. Just go with it. I'm a little loop-y from benedryl ;)

{*~Stipple~*}

in

The weekend is wrapping up & I'm slowly going through my inbox.

We've changed my website, so now the blog can be found here, msmcporkchopquilts.com! This was a move long time coming & I couldn't be happier.

This weekend was spent running around and getting stuff DONE. Both machines are now happily tuned up & running nicely.

I spent the weekend working on a custom baby quilt...I'm kinda torn on a bit of it...I gotta make a decision on it tomorrow because I gotta finish it and mail it like...now.

I got a lot done on it today & I decided to take a break and start a cover for my sewing machine. The dealer mentioned that there was a lot of dust in the tension discs...ohoh. It's totally my own fault...so cover it is!

I thought I'd take this as a time to work on my stippling. I love love love to free motion quilt & I'm really trying to get *better*.

I'll put this project away until I'm done with the baby quilt...priorities right?!

Details: Solid is Kona Ash, dreamwool batting for puff, Prescencia 50wt thread, 2.0 stitch length, BSR 1 & 2 (trying to decide which I like more).

About classes, gosh...so much interest! I'll be working on some samples & gathering some sketches and we'll get started soon...definitely in August! I'll also have 2 large quilts that I'll be listing in my new online shop!

Happy Sunday!

{*~Prep Work~*}

in

  • People can be weenies! People can also be rad! I'm focusing on the rad!
  • Crafttt shoooowwww! This weekend!!! In the middle of no where! SO EXCITED! Saturday!
  • Friday is going to be a little crazy, driving to Sacramento to drop Greta off at the dealer so she can have her firmware updated and I can go to pinkberry for the first time, then to Chico to pick up a bunch of stuff.
  • Reallllllly obsessed with Amy Schimler guys...working on a custom baby quilt and I've reached for her fabrics nonstop. And Riley Blake. The two together are like pure heaven.
  • It felt randomly fall-ish today. Or that might just be because it wasn't a hundred and fuck outside today for once. ;)
  • Fat Quarterly #2 is out and pretty gosh darn neat!
  • I'm starting a big cartel shop in August with all my quilty-sewn stuff. More on that later.
  • I have no idea why but I love this song...it reminds me of last winter. On that note, umm...NEW GUSTER ANYONE?! Excuse me while I DIE OF HAPPINESS!!!!
  • FABRIC DIET. Starting August first! No new fabric..the entire month of August! But it's my birthday 8/8, so please, feel free to mail me some...I have a feeling around the 10th I'll be going through withdrawals. But realistically my fat quarter shelf is out.of.control.
  • Mini classes! Who's in? I'm thinking about teaching some via the interwebz. I've been taking a lot of pdf/flickr classes on art journal-ling and I think I could teach some good stuff...like the art of making mini quilts...making traditional blocks modern...choosing palettes of color for quilts...etc.

{*~Wedding Quilt~*}

in

The McPorkchop Wedding Quilt is DONE!

I finished the top in October but couldn't figure out how to quilt it. It's a monster...87 x 87. I kept putting it off and now my pile of "put offs" is taller than me, so I figured I'd bite the bullet and get it long armed.

I went with what I'd call an "economy" quilter. She does nice & neat work...nothing fancy or too artsy...and the price was very budget friendly...it's an all over pantograph design of maple leaves and stars...very Porkchop & I. I'm bringing 3 more tops to her this week to just get *done*. Quilting is my *favorite* part but right now...there are things I'd rather be working on and these tops just aren't inspiring me anymore.

The fabrics were ones I'd been collecting...very Porkchop & I. He's an outdoorsman and biologist, I'm a more whimsical and art-y. It's a mix of Erin Michaels Lush & Uptown, some Cake Rock Beach, a little Deer Valley, Flea Market Fancy and some Japanese prints. The brown is Kona Espresso and the aqua is a Moda Bella solid who's name I can't seem to find. The backing is Erin McMorris Wildwood.

I used a wool batting...if you were to see this quilt in real life, it's almost more like a comforter than a quilt...very very very lofty and puffy. And I *love* that. What I don't love is the smell of the quilt after it was washed. It has *very* slight wet wool smell to it now. It's faded a lot from yesterday and unless I stick my nose directly onto the quilt and basically huff it, I can't smell it. But when I first pulled it out of the dryer..BLECH! Veryyyy strong smell. It's also REALLY warm and SUPER light....which I love! I'd probably use wool again, I know my Sparkling Cider is going to have silk batting, so it'll be interesting to compare the two!

So there it is! The finished wedding quilt!!!

{*~Work Day~*}

in

Today is my day off from work & I've been spending quality time working on a custom baby quilt. It's actually the second quilt top I've made for the order...the first top I decided was a little too funky...for this one I'm doing something simpler but cuuuuute.

I don't get the chance often to use "kid" fabrics so I've been picking the best ones and fussy cutting the cutest bits for this quilt. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't one of the best challenges ever. I'm not making this baby quilt super modern & more parent friendly than kid friendly, although I *love* those kind of quilts,  I want this to be the kind of baby quilt where he can look at it and love the patterns, colors and little i-spy bits!

I had to take a photo of my seam ripper...John & I did a trade at the beginning of the summer & he sent me some kawaii stickers in my package...if you know me, you know I love kawaii stickers. EVERYTHING I own has something kawaii on it, my sewing machine, kindle, iphone, Porkchop (just kidding..kinda)...everything. When I saw this egg sticker I about died. I LOVE eggs. So an egg seam ripper it is!

We carry some very cute Japanese scissor fobs at work...I got the strawberry and I stuck him to my rotary cutter with some Riley Blake velvet ric rac....I'm going to get a few more for tucking into two swaps I'm doing...and probably one for Yahaira's next package. They are $5 of pure personality. There are oranges, kiwis and strawberries...hilarious!!!! On that note, did you guys know there is a kiwi orchard at the end of my street? It's pretty neat!

Random note, I promised myself I'd start cutting back on starbucks...so far no such luck. However I've hooked up my debit card so anytime I make a purchase that doesn't require me using my pin (drive thru...haha), 50 cents is automatically moved from my checking into my savings. I'm the worst at putting money into my savings account so having it automatically transferred when I make a daily purchase is great..not to mention I earn Cabela's points every time as well (I'm looking at you Filson bag!)!!!

I hope your having a great Tuesday!

{*~Snapshots of a Monday~*}

in

*sometimes I buy bits of fabric from JoAnns. Why do they print cute designs on such lousy base cloth? Also, really guys? $10.99 for strike offs/mill ends of Alexander Henry...when you can go to any quilt shop and buy the real stuff for around $9? This was on sale for 50% off..but sheesh!

*I cut a quilt for a shop sample on Friday night...it's halloween. I seriously couldn't stop myself. HALLOWEEN!!!!! I feel like I can't shout that loud enough. Obviously it's a 5 & Dime...the focus fabric? Yeah...it's BATS. I sketched how I'll quilt it...but it's currently hung on the design wall at work...I have other projects to finish first!

*Finally succeeded in making a bias skirt. All the gals at work wear them and they are SO cute. Mine kept coming out...weird. I traced a new pattern on some swedish tracing paper yesterday while doing housework and in between hard boiling some farm eggs & laundry, I finally whipped it up & it WORKED!!!! I was using too much elastic before and thinking my body was a *lot* larger than it really is. This one could still use a little trimming from the sides but I think it's cuuuuute. Plus...OWLS!!!! I can't wait to break into my liberty stash for more of these!

A few things I can't stop obsessing over:

I hope everyone is having a great Monday so far!!!

{*~Inspiring~*}

in

I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed lately. I'm trying to find an allergist locally, preparing for a craft show, trying to finish up a custom quilt, get caught up on bee blocks, work on swaps, work at the quilt shop, plus earn an income to pay my bills, get my medicine ($1,000 a month...barf) and stick a tiny bit in my savings. I need an extra ten hours in a day!

I know I can do it...or at least most of it. But it's really testing my patience right now!!!! I hate feeling behind and when I start to fall behind...the vicious cycle of catch up begins. I know I should start saying "no" more often, but I really want to please people! Super bad right?! I need to bow out of a few projects I think. Maybe do some seam ripping this weekend and add some fabrics back to my stash, I take these kinda weeks to weed out quilts and whatnot that I'm feeling "meh!" about...it's good to do some fabric gardening every now and again!

I keep finding myself SO inspired and LOVING IT but HATING lack of time! Crazy right?! I have my sewing space completely clean, my fabric collection is pretty much epic...I can't ask for more, when I sew I like the stuff I'm making, I've discovered a few palettes and techniques I've loved exploring...it's like everything is aligned...except time!

Here are a few things I'm *so* inspired by lately!

I hope your having a good week so far! <3!

{*~Oregon Star~*}

in

It's Saturday night & I've just finished cleaning our bedroom & starting one of many loads of laundry. Very glamorous right?

Earlier this week I cleaned my sewing space.

Things were starting to pile up & it was driving me batty. I went through projects and seam ripped many, shelved a few, purged several. Amongst the piles were several mini quilts.

My favorite part of quilting is that actual quilting process, I put on my favorite music, depending on the mood of the quilt this can be anything from Metallica, The Who, Paul McCartney, Rilo Kiley to Guns and Roses (a personal favorite), and just quilt quilt quilt. Sometimes I quilt several small quilts, sometimes just one. And then they marinate. See, I hate making binding. I don't mind sewing binding on, I love the hand sewing bit, but actually making binding? Barf. I'd rather stick hot pokers in my eyes.

But this little gem had been sitting too long and too many of my favorite t.v. shows were on that night...I feel guilty watching tv without my hands keeping busy. So 2 tv shows later....

Oregon Star was done!

Oregon Star is a traditional quilt block, foundation pieced with a total of 64 pieces, not including the backing or binding. The mini is a 12x12 inch square. It took me about 2 days to piece, mostly because I fussy cut and really took my time, with that many pieces the seams can get bulky fast, so lots and lots of trimming took place. And a fair amount of seam ripping, with something so precise, the slightest "oops" was really visible. And there are still a few mistakes, but nothing that bugged me enough to re-do.

One thing I used that I *loved* was Carol Doak's foundation paper. You can buy it anywhere, your local quilt shop, online, JoAnns. I bought mine at Scottie Dog Quilts in Eureka. Basically, it's the best paper to run through your printer and sew with.

Another thing I used with the binding was Thread Heaven. I bought it two weekends ago & I'm obsessed with it. It's a small little box and you just drag your thread through it. I'm the type of person who whether I'm hand sewing or cross stitching, I use too long of threads and then complain when they tangle into a mess. This stuff? No problem! No tangles ONCE. That is a miracle! I believe I paid $3.99 for it and I don't think I'll use it up anytime soon.

I am debating putting this little number on etsy. I love this quilt, don't get me wrong, but the response was overwhelming and I want to make someones day by selling it. I tend to keep mini quilts until I'm bored with them, then I shove them in a box and forget about them. Bad bad bad! I'm just not sure how on earth to price it since it took forever!!!

I hope your weekend is going well, Mr. McPorkchop & I saw Despicable Me and absolutely loved it...SO cute!!!!

<3

I've bit the bullet and listed the mini on etsy!

*~Currently~*

in

(porkchop will kill me & most likely make me take down this photo of him without a hat on..enjoy it while it lasts ;))

listening: NCIS marathon on t.v. eating: some spinach lasagna drinking: diet hansens ginger ale..spicy goodness. wearing: paint splattered cut off sweat pants & a tank top...it's laundry & cleaning day here. feeling: tired even though I slept 13 hrs. Maybe a little overwhelmed as well. weather: as Porkchop's uncle Ryan would say "It's a hundred & f*ck" wanting: to finish cleaning the bedroom & read before bed! needing: a new rotary cutting mat!!! And flip flops...mine got melted by sticking my feet too close to a bonfire. thinking: about tomorrow nights midnight showing of Despicable Me! Don't the minions look like little tater tots?! Also hoping that our date includes In & Out...I'm craving a grilled cheese animal style! enjoying: Being busy & lots of fun projects. Knowing that I get to see Porkchop tomorrow! wondering: If I can get all my custom sewing finished by Sunday. One more baby quilt & I'm done & it's on to prepping for a craft show, finishing up some swaps & working on bee blocks!

Things have been quiet around here but really not quiet at all. I've been working quite a bit at the quilt shop and getting into trouble with my partner in crime, Dorrie. Spending the mornings sewing before work, then working all day, spending the nights working on some patterns & projects.

Last weekend we attempted to go camping but it was FREEZING and by that I mean there was still snow on the ground and we woke up in our tent covered in frost. So we came home, but went through Lava Beds National Monument. I love the landscape of this area SO much. I attempted to go into one cave but wimped out...then I attempted another and got a little ways in. Caves are kinda terrifying. I did get a sweatshirt to prove that I was there ;)

On our way home we stopped at one of my favorite quilt shops, TaterPatch I got some *really* great prints, if you've been searching for Neptune, Lush (the paint chips!!!) Chocolate Lollipop, Uptown, etc, give them a call. They had some fq towers of wonderland...I almost got one, but got some other treats instead. Maybe we'll head up around my bday ;)

A few tidbits:

I'm writing up a blog post of my 3 most inspiring quilt books and filming a video blog post...so I'll be back soon!

I hope everyone is having a great summer!

(thanks to tina for the currents idea!)

{*~Moving On~*}

in

Wow. I can't believe how many kind comments & emails I got after my last post. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like the internet community of quilters is kinda surreal.

I've made some summertime rules/goals for myself and sticking to them has felt a lot better. I'm becoming really good at saying no. At turning off my phone. No emails or anything on the weekends. At being more "present" when spending time with Porkchop. Taking time for me & being more kind to myself. I'm going to of course keep blogging & flickring, but only when I want too, I'm not a blogger who makes money off of it so it makes sense to just do it when it's fun!

We've spent the weekends getting into all sorts of trouble....day trips, laying in the sun, bike rides, visits to the mountains (there was still snow!), going to the movies....our thing is going to the movies first thing on Friday morning...it's only $5 to get in and we sneak in diet cherry limeaids! So far we've seen Toy Story 3 (I cried nonstop), MacGruber (dreadful), A-Team (Bradley Cooper? Wowzers!!! ;)) We are trying something new & going to a midnight viewing on Thursday for Knight & Day.

HEY, did you guys know Klean Kanteens are made in Chico?! I had no idea! I stopped by their warehouse the other morning before work and picked up a bottle for myself, Porkchop & Porkchops dad. I also got a bike rack! I have a little project I've been working on with these bottles in mind that I'm excited to show you once I get caught up on swaps & orders. Plus I have a little shop update coming up soon!

Also: This bike...ohhh how I love it. I bought it on a whim in Eureka but never really rode it much...lately all I want to do is ride!!! It's kinda like a beach cruiser but with gears and front brakes. I'm not going to lie, part of me is wondering if I can paint it. I don't like the stickers and whatnot on it.

I've been insanely inspired by Castle Peeps! It's really a fun line to play with. If you know me, you'll be surprised by this: I bought ONE!!! and a HALF YARDS of my favorites from the line. I'm strictly a fat quarter girl and this line...wowzers. So much cute potential!!! I'm debating buying this cute pdf and making some boxers for Porkchop & I...can you imagine how many cute shorts can be made from Castle Peeps?!!!! Eeep!

I hope your summer is starting on a kind note...I'm all about the sunshine...and I have the tan to prove it ;)

{*~the truth is...~*}

in

I was burned out.

I didn't really realize how stressed out I was until we were sitting around the campfire talking & suddenly I was crying. It might sound overly dramatic or emo, but it's true. I put a *lot* of pressure on myself. I balance a lot of things on a daily basis and I'm starting to feel the effects of it.

When you work from home, blog, use flickr, etc it's VERY easy to get wrapped up in trends, cliques, habits, etc...you start comparing yourself & it turns into a slippery slope.

And I was becoming OBSESSED with being this crazy work horse! You need something quilted? Sure, give me a day. You want a full size quilt? Sure, no problem, give me 72 hrs. Custom order? No problem. Updating etsy? Got it. Silkscreening? Add it to the list. Cooking all my meals from scratch? No worries. Paying off $2,850 in medical bills in 3 months on top of regular bills? Done & DONE.

Being a wife? Not doing so hot. Being a good friend? Ditto.

I was getting up at 6 am & sewing until 2-3 am since we moved. Weekends. Memorial Day. It wasn't stopping.

I guess even right now I'm afraid that if I take a day off, I'll fall behind, people will yell & stomp their feet, my business will fall apart, all my hard work will be gone.

The truth is, I'm a very insecure little person. I've carved out my own little niche and group of friends who I adore. And the more people who comment, the more people who favorite, etc, instead of feeling good, I feel like I gotta constantly keep showing *myself* up! I want more people to like me mostly because I want to meet new friends with common interests.

But I took a weekend off. We'd planned on camping but it was raining. So we rented a cabin. With no cell phone service. No internet. Nothing. Just Porkchop & I. And we talked. And talked. About the past. About the future. Our goals.

I realized I *want* to be a successful quilter & small business owner. But that's just ONE part of the person I want to be. I want to be a great wife, I want to be a fantastic friend, I want to laugh more, I want to journal more, I want to take my time, I want to just create stuff that genuinely makes ME happy. I'm not the type of quilter/person who makes stuff to "please" others but lately people have been suggesting that if I do "this, this this and THIS" that I could have blog sponsors and more traffic and more more more more, the insecure & needing other peoples approval part of me is like "YES! I'LL DO IT ALL".

But the realistic side of me is realizing that I'm just one girl. Who happens to like to sew. I'm not going to stop trying to be a better quilter, photographer, creative person because that's part of the growing process. But I am going to be content & allow myself to take breaks and indulge in alone time. I'm going to answer emails slowly & thoughtfully. I'm going to take my time on custom orders. I'm going to stop. pause. and enjoy the creative process. And my life.

{~*Typical Days*~}

in

A picnic quilt is begging to be made. Actually, it's more like a picnic blanket. I want to sew a bunch of fat quarters together, back them with a pretty sheet & turn & top stitch. Maybe a little layer of thin flannel. Something I can roll up into a ball, stuff in the backseat, give it a quick shake and have an impromptu picnic. In all my favorite colors of course!

A good friend who was repaired and made it through the wash safely. It's a shocker that he'll be turning 28 in August! ;)

Finally de-mystifying zippers. I've used them zillions of times but it's always been a struggle. This was my first painless zipper. I have no idea what went differently, I just know it wasn't a hassle!

Hanging up my thread rack. It looks so empty and sad compared to it's previous glory! But this means I can fill it back up slowly ;)

An accident that will be seam ripped & re-built.

A new & fun hobby for nights in front of the History Channel! It's something about the texture that makes me so happy. All those little bumps to touch!

On Friday Mr. McPorkchop & I are going on a trip!

It's my first full weekend off in a verryyyyy long time. I've been spending more time with my sewing machine than my husband and while he never complains, some work-free time together is much needed. We are going CAMPING!!!!!! My goal of the week is to finish one big custom sewing order, plus a custom quilt (I want the top completely done) and maybe a picnic blanket. I'm going to sit by the camp fire & cross stitch & if I can find soy-free marshmallows, I'm making smores!!! Maybe we'll have some 2 Buck Chuck even!!!! I'm tempted to download one of those night sky apps for my iPhone so I can star gaze. We have various bird apps for the iPhone/iPod touch and they are great fun!

Today I'm working (shocker) but I'm also hoping to catch up on making my summer goals list. Something about summer makes me more motivated to make life changes than the first of the year.

Do you have any summer goals? Any favorite foods to bring camping?!

{*~Modern Fine Art Quilting~*}

in

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about Rossie's post. I really don't like putting labels on things but there is a debate that I mentally have with myself a lot which is what defines fine art from craft. One college I went to felt that this discussion was still important and worth having, one college I went to felt it was out dated and cliche. Since I've spent some time doing both fine art & craft, I do think it's a current and valid discussion; especially as more and more people pick up quilting and mixed media arts.

And even more so when I see quilts that rise above my preconceived notions of what makes a modern quilt "modern" and what makes them "fine art".

These two quilts to me, are fine art. These are modern quilts who go above and beyond, borrowing old and new ideas and pulling them into a whole new level of vocabulary and thought process. Neither are utiliarian. When applying the term modern fine art; I'm thinking of the time period from approximately 1870 til mid-late 1970s. I am not well versed in contemporary & present art and won't pretend to be.

(source) (found via batixa)

When I first saw these, I fell in love. The grouping is phenom but really each piece can stand alone and read as a finished composition. Her artist statement really puts it more eloquently than I ever could.

"I am not a poet or someone who draws, but I feel that my use of vintage textiles as a medium brings a history, a weight, a poetry to the work before I even begin to cut, sew, and piece the work back together. Allowing the work to intuitively flow thru me I do feel the end result is similar to a drawing or poetry. "

Beautiful.

source

These mini quilts for the book: Whip Up Mini Quilts by Elsie Marley floored me. I should note that one of my favorite of all time painters is Richard Diebenkorn; that quilt on the right? His palette. The positioning of the power lines and the line quality? Very much Ed Ruscha.

It's very interesting to look at quilts and see what you respond to in it. It opens up a whole plethora of leading questions, why quilt, what makes a quilt modern, what makes a modern quilt no longer a quilt but a piece of modern art? Can a modern quilt be both craft AND fine art? It can just blossom into a giant conversation that is full of realizations and contradictions.

It opens up a giant can of worms with me, my feelings on what makes a modern quilt, who the modern quilter is, etc. I find myself going around in circles, the exact same way I do about art.

That said I *do not* consider myself a modern quilter. I consider myself a quilter who sews with modern fabrics and freshens up older ideas with a new perspective. But I am not reinventing the wheel. I sew 100% for myself; I don't do it to impress others or follow trends, I do it because at the end of the day I like holding a tangible finished project in my hands and being able to say I MADE THIS. I believe in the principles of good design, color theory and a basic sewing skill set. I like challenging myself. There are reasons why people in 2010 still quilt when the options for mass produced goods are out there.

Do I think a lot of people are modern quilters? Yes & No.

  • Yes!!!! because I'm not the quilt police or a judgmental person. You can call your quilt modern if you want! You can call your quilt whatever the heck you want! Does it make you happy? To me, thats all that matters and never in a million years would I steal someone elses thunder. It's not my nature or my personality.
  • I do think there are a few quilters out there who stretch the bar and really *are* reinventing the wheel.
  • Spend a few hours looking here. Then look at your favorite modern quilters. You'll see a lot of similarities & it might surprise you!
  • Does that make them any less modern? That's all depending on what your definition of what modern quilting is!
  • That said, it bothers me more than seeing the term "modern" applied to a quilt in which the person has made a mess of things with no sewing skills and instead of owning their actions, they simply apply the term "modern". By that I mean, they had no intent and knowledge behind their actions and are hiding behind a label. I'm not talking about a beginner quilt or anything like that. AT ALL. I'm talking about people being "gimmicky".

At this point in time I can't answer a bunch of these questions but I love the dialog and the thought process behind them all.

What are your thoughts? Do you enjoy seeing quilts that raise the bar? Do you consider yourself a modern quilter?

{~* git r done *~}

in

Yeah. I just titled a post that.

Inspired by Karyn's post; I gotta get some stuff DONE!!!

  • Neptune quilt: It's been quilted TWICE now and I'm still not in love. I'm going to take the quilting out. Again. And start over.
  • Wedding quilt: It's king sized so it might be going to a long arm quilter.
  • Citrus Squares quilt: Ready to be basted.
  • Sparkling Cider: Ready to be based.
  • 7!!! mini quilts to be bound. I tried to machine sew the binding on one & it is WAY too messy so I seam ripped it this afternoon.
  • 4 Seasons Coin Quilt: Totally forgot about it & I'm sure it's in a box somewhere.
  • Plus I have 80s quilt blocks and 2 pinwheel samplers that I'm not that crazy about.

I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but I have a few projects I'd much rather be working on! Plus I have some custom sewing that I need to work on. And bee blocks!

You know what's killing me? Reading & Sunshine.

The fact that my kindle is currently BURSTING with good books from yahaira. I've just started reading Beautiful Creatures & I finished up The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest late last night. Wowzer, at first I had a hard time getting into it, but once it got going, I couldn't put it down!

And...my father-in-law came home with a chaise lounge. FOR ME!!! I've been spending an hour a day outside soaking up the sun in my favorite chair; thats usually when I reply to emails, update facebook, etc...but now I'm starting to work on my tan & Sunday I accidentally sat outside for a little while longer than usual and sunburned the tops of my legs...the backside? Still white. Not a flattering look. So I jokingly said I either wanted a pool to float around on or a chaise lounge. The chaise lounge won & once this rain lets up...it's going to be put to good use! Which means less time sewing. But it's summer in Gridley which means soon it will be 115 degrees in the afternoons and that means I'll want to be inside with the air conditioning turned on, lol. I'm thinking it's a give & take and it will balance out...right?!

Can anyone suggest an all natural sunscreen that smells great? ;)

A few things I'm obsessed with:

  • The berries & grays!!!
  • It's the end of May & this line is KILLING ME with anticipation! As a general rule I *never* buy full yards and verrrry rarely buy 1/2 yards. I have to be in LOVE with something to buy 1/2 yards...This line? I'm buying FULL yards.
  • This etsy shop! I bought a tissue cozy and it is cuuuuuute!
  • Mason Jar Pin Cushions!!!! I saw one in a Japanese craft magazine & made one on a whim....then it turned into I couldn't stop making them! They've been selling *so* fast; I'm shocked & so excited! There are two in stock cushions left & 3 custom listings! If you read my blog you know I have tons of cute fabric, I'd love to make a custom cushion for you!

Ok, I'm going to try & work on some custom sewing! I think I'm going to drive up to Chico in the morning & pick up some fabric & thread...exciting stuff!!!

Happy Wednesday!!! xox

P.S. I got my bike & I need to air it's tires. I am so looking forward to long bike rides this weekend if I can convince Mr. McPorkchop to join me. I realllllly want to sew panniers but if money was no object, I'd so buy a set from this place!

{*~Review~*}

in

It's Sunday.

SUNDAY!!!!!

The week just FLEW by!

I decided tonight that I simply *love* straight line quilting. I'm working on a little something with lines and I'm just in LOVE. When I first started quilting there was a blog post by a blogger who I *really* admire and she mentioned that she just doesn't like straight line quilting and I somehow took that to heart & I've been pushing myself to make the perfect stipples, when in reality, I'm a line kinda gal. Granted; I can stipple, so I'm glad I pushed myself now but the quilts I tend to favorite are either very unique free motion quilting or modern linear patterns. I'm a sucker for heavily quilted & tons and tons of texture. It's nice taking a notion that I took as a "quilting rule" and breaking it. What is gorgeous to someone else might not appeal to me. It's good learning these sort of things. I want to try & contact some of my favorite quilters this week & see if I can use some of their photos to show you what I personally *love* in quilts! This isn't to say that I don't like stippling, I think a quilt "tells" you what kinda of quilting it wants and I'm no longer ignoring the incredible possibilities of lines!

Our garden is coming along nicely, spinach is sprouting and our tomatoes are growing like mad. We spent the day today pre-cooking some stuff for the week. We grilled heads of garlic & baby dutch potatoes. I broke out my new stock pot that my mom gave me a few weeks ago & made a ton of artichokes. I'm obsessed with them!

This week my best friend sort of bullied me into doing some stuff I've been "swearing" I'll do but really just didn't have the confidence to try.

#1: You can now "like" ms. mcporkchop quilts on facebook! I was going to be really excited with ten fans and somehow I already have almost 90! I had no idea 90 people even knew me!!!! I like facebook because I can post sneak peeks to people without all the craziness of flickr!

#2: Etsy! I updated the shop! I'll be updating all week long with some new stuff. The only thing I'm unsure of is how to let people know! I don't want to be "that girl" who only blogs/tweets/facebooks with ads about shop updates. Thats not me. But at the same time, I want people to look at my shop! It'll be interesting finding a good balance!

#3 I've bought msmcporkchopquilts.com! I'll be moving the blog over there soon!!! I'll keep this space up for a little while but once the domain expires, modernacorn will be no more!

I'm driving up to Redding very early in the morning with Mr. McPorkchop to pick up my bike! I'm so excited! I'll be stopping at some quilt shops all the way down 1-5 ;)

I hope everyone has had a great weekend!

xo

{~*incredible*~}

in

I'm happy as a clam these days~!

  • I scored my dream job, I'll be working & teaching some classes at Honey Run Quilters in Chico, CA starting June 7th! If your traveling through Northern California this summer, please stop by!
  • We've planted a garden! Herbs, melons, veggies...it's going to be fantastic!
  • There is a farmers market starting tomorrow only a few blocks away!
  • I've been sewing up a storm, I made a set of pillow cases inspired by Ashley & Brooke's! I made a fabric scrap bucket from Christina's tutorial. I finished my first block for the pollen8 quilting bee!
  • Starting tomorrow I'm going to be updating my etsy shop; I'll be selling some mini quilts, some clutches (see above!), some mug rugs, etc. I'm going to add stuff daily as lighting allows me. I want my photos to look super cute! I'll also have some custom slots open for mini quilts!
  • The goal is to get stuff DONE! Mr. McPorkchop helped me take apart 3 quilts this weekend. I'm completely re-quilting two of them and reworking an entire top on the third. I'm dying to finish up my pinwheel sampler quilts, I'm not a fan of a few of the blocks, so I'm going to redo them!
  • I have two larger quilts that are on my mind, one I started and one that is hanging around in my sketchbook. I think for each hour or two that I work on getting old quilts done, I can work on new quilts ;) Other than that, no new quilts til everything is DONE or completely seam ripped apart.
  • I've finished all 10 books of Sookie! Wowzers. That Eric! How sweet is Sam? And Bill..ohhh I'm not a fan of Bill.
  • This is INCREDIBLE!
  • Yahaira has gotten me hooked on supernatural. I'm getting the first season of dvds via netflix and I'm so anxious to get them each week! Dean is pretty handsome.
  • I'm obsessed with smoothies!

I'm off to take a hot bath & read! This is the summer of reading trash; I want quick & fun reads!

How was your Monday?

P.S. Thank you all SO very much for your kind comments regarding the Circa50 quilt; it really made my day!