Feb 20, 2015
It may be the last day of New York Fashion Week, but my schedule includes work, lunch, shopping and a show. No runways for me! With the weather and wind VERY brisk, I’ve actually taken the Metro. Normally, walking is an integral aspect of the Manhattan experience. How else can you get a feel of the city?
I don’t need quilting fabric, but a visit to City Quilter finally happened. For one who has seen MANY quilt shops, let me just say that this quilt shop curates a very fun selection of cottons. Once my eyes caught this fabric, the wave of “MUST HAVE” rolled over me.
Surfing cats from Riley Blake Designs. This will be a fun baby quilt back. It seemed only natural to grab a selection of Cherrywood gradations to match the colors.
What a great way to warm up a cold winter day!
Feb 18, 2015
The stars have entire armies of people dedicated to telling them how fabulous they are every day of their lives. You have a mirror. Get in front of it and be your own publicist, darling.
This fabulous quote from Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez’s giggle read, “Everyone wants to be me or do me” could be a motto for many.
As I sit on sides of the Lincoln Center Plaza, watching young stylists, models, photographers grasp a bit of that Fashion Week feeling, considering their quest for fame and fortune, it seems a bit preposterous. On the other hand, how many other people are their own worst enemy?
You are fabulous dahling. Go out and share that brilliance with the world!
Jan 27, 2015
That smorgasbord of fibery goodness for knitters, crocheters, sewists, spinners and all fascinated by the wonders of textiles is back! This pot luck weekend is so satisfying and yet no calories. Sign up now and save.
I’ll see you there!
Jan 9, 2015
In December, during my Master Knitter portfolio correction avoidance phase, I stopped by our local library to sit in cozy wing chairs, perusing art magazines and This Old House (one of my guilty yet practical pleasures). Inevitably wandering over to the stacks that house Dewey Decimal Classification number 646, I walked out with my arms full of quilting books. My nightstand stacked high, here are books that alternately lulled me to sleep and kept me up during the last month.
Already on my nightstand was Gwen Marston‘s Minimal Quiltmaking. Every one of Gwen’s books has her fantastic energy and this one is no different. The photography is excellent and she pulls in many wonderful interpretations of minimal quilting. While there are specific projects that you can complete, Minimal Quiltmaking offers opportunities for you to explore the ideas yourself. As I balance my interest in figurative and abstract expressions in my quilts, I could see a small series of studies based on the chapters of her book.
Almost everyone who comes to Laurena’s Longarm Quilting coos about Angela Walters. If you are just walking into free motion quilting, you may want to subscribe to her rss feed… or buy the book, so you keep all of that info in one tidy place. Her approachable manner and enthusiasm are contagious. While Cheryl Malkowski’s Doodle Quilting would be another example of this fun approach to free motion quilting. Karen McTavish’s second edition of Mastering the Art of MacTavishing should be on your nightstand if the Angela Walters book gets your free motion mojo moving!
Quilting Line and Color
had such an alluring cover, I thought this would be the most enticing find of my detour. The photography is marvelous and I love her aesthetic. If you want interesting quilting projects, take this book and prepare for a fun beginner quilter journey. If you’re a quilter who doesn’t bother with patterns and projects, don’t worry if you miss this.
It was Rachel May‘s Quilting with a Modern Slant that sparked the most contemplative moments. With a long list of contributors, I was amused to see artists like Kaffe Fassett and Jane Sassaman on her list of “Modern Quilters.”Ok, I just wrote a litany about the definition of modern quilting and my rather accepting, scornful, pleased, eye rolling understanding of the “movement.” The litany was deleted then pasted into another post. Stay tuned Definitely buy or check this book out of the library. Can we talk about it together soon?
It was a lovely full nightstand. Don’t you just love the library? What quilting books inspire you these days? I’d love to build up the nightstand stack again.
Jan 3, 2015
Normally, my knitting focuses on project not process. While thoroughly enjoy meditative moments knitting, my goal is to create wearable and home decor goods. (The word “goods” reminds me of high school, that ridiculous class whose name I forget that had the test question “_____ buys goods and services.” I answered “Money.” WRONG! The correct answer was “Credit.” I apparently missed the focus of the chapter ).
Anyway, December was quite a productive month for small knitted objects. I knit the second cuddly kitten in memory of our beloved “Gatto di lusso.”
Using Norah Gaughan’s free Berocco pattern Celestine, I created what I thought would be a new star for our holiday tree. This turned out to be a fun knit, but much better suited to topping the fern. Oh, well, try again next year? It makes a fun decoration to bat around the house… great kids’ toy?

I also finished another Lenveloppe, this time with garter stitch on size 8 needles with Berocco Boboli.

And, of course, there was time to take a soft and squishy ball of Cascade Epiphany into the annual Christmas hat.
In between, I imagined other possible projects to begin. “Why am I such a skittish project starter these days,” I asked hypothetically at one of the knit classes shortly before Christmas.
“Because you’re avoiding that Master Knitter work,” one of the knitters stated emphatically.
She’s right 🙂
A couple days after Christmas, I did finally open up the box of corrections that arrived in mid August. It’s not fun, but I’m plugging through them. Then again, now that the holiday knit projects are done, isn’t it a good time of year to nest and make home improvements?