My birthday weekend

So.  I turned 37 on Monday.

And the last week has been full of reflective thoughts, perhaps more so than other years.
I was very careful to plan out how to spend my time this weekend-- I have always been one to want/crave/and ask for alone time on my birthday.  I just need it.  It's my treat to myself-- that time to really reconnect, to sift through my thoughts, take stock of where I'm at, and ground myself in my reality.

With two years of midlife crisis behind me, I think I'm doing ok.

I spent most of the weekend with the guy I've been seeing (who needs to make an appearance here on the blog soon.. he's tall.  I need him to hold up some quilts for me) but I did take a jaunt into Manhattan on Saturday to get to the NYC Metro Mod Guild meeting.  It was my first time going in .. maybe 18 months?  Felt so good to be around quilty friends and beautiful making.

 I stitched on the train ride in, of course.  This blue and yellow block has fabrics from the quilt I made with George this year.  This hex-diamond is almost done.

I am grateful that the internet lets me make and keep friends, even when we only see each other sporadically.  I think that's one of the things I missed most about blogging.  Facebook is great for quick daily updates, feeling connected but not really being connected.  Instagram is better because you are seeing through your friends' eyes.  But blogging.. photos, words, feelings, all the thoughts and dreams put behind the post.  Some of my friends are simply amazing writers and I love getting to know them *that* way, through their writing. 

Bernadette has been working on her blue hexies quilt for a long time.. I'm so happy to see her determined to finish it.  I promised to help with the binding when she's ready

Nellie somehow managed to have a baby, finish this quilt, and get to the meeting to show it off.  I love the light colored crosses in the border.

This one is Lisa's and.. she's giving it away.  Who knows why we do the things we do?  But that kid sure is lucky..

Following Margaret on Instagram is such a treat, but seeing this quilt in real life and hearing her thoughts on making it (especially how she embroidered, rather than hand quilted) was really awesome.  Guild meetings, man.  Always something to learn.  

And Maureen from my library group was there too!  Working on impossibly small EPP, of course.  THAT is not my fault.

After the meeting, I went for coffee with my new friend, Kyle, then wandered across town to one of my favorite places in the city, Kinokuniya.  I could spend hours there, wandering like I used to do in Daimaru or Tokyu Hands, when I lived in Japan (at the turn of the century!).  So much to look at, take in, ponder and enjoy.  I did have a train to catch, so I made a beeline for stationary downstairs..

I was hoping to find a rooster stamp to add to my Zodiac rubber stamp collection, which I started in 2000.  Unfortunately I was told they were on order and I should check back in a few weeks.  I guess that's another excuse to make the trip then, huh?  I was able to replenish my collection of awesome pens, and now that I think if it, I should really write a post on pens because I do have strong feelings about them.. and oddly enough, my tastes have changed over the years.   (mental note: blog post about pens).

Monday I baked a cake and had Christa and her son over to help us celebrate.  The kids and I planned ahead this year and while at Party City before Halloween, we picked up these Dory candies for my cake.  Yup, 37 with a Finding Dory themed birthday cake.  I love being a mom, because you get to be a kid and make the rules at the same time.  Cake was tasty.  I plan on eating leftovers while writing Christmas cards later tonight.. 

Many thanks for the birthday wishes that came via FB and instagram (and for the dear friends who actually got me presents!!  I feel so loved).  If you want to comment below with what you were doing on your 37th birthday, or what you think your life might be like then, if you aren't as old as me.  I can honestly say, 5 years ago I had no idea that this is where I'd be.. but I'm happy I made it and I like where (and who) I am at 37.   Hope I will always be able to say that. 

NYC Metro Mod Guild, June meeting

My Saturday Stitches program at the Rockville Center Library is on hiatus til the fall (check the events tab for October dates and a possible book signing in September), so I got to go to the NYC Metro Modern Guild meeting in Manhattan yesterday.

Wow, oh, wow.  I missed those quilters.  So much inspiration and laughter, and two full tables overflowing with free fabric (whoever thought of the swap table, omg, thankyou.  I made out with probably forty 1.5" snippits and crumbs.  Where I will use them, who knows, but they made me enormously happy).  Gotham Quilts also had a whole wall with fabric and patterns for sale and seeing as I don't live near any modern quilt shops, it was the first time that I've seen much of the newest fabrics all over Instagram in person.  I snapped up some Lizzy House Natural History prints.  I'd like for the tiny green dinosaurs to make it into Jack's big boy quilt, but I don't have much time to work on it now, so I hope by recording that note here, I'll remember when the time comes.

Here's a bit of show and tell, there will be more more (and more details) over on the guild's blog:

 Here's Bernadette and Lisa holding up the guild's group EPP project.  They started this in February 2014 (during my EPP workshop) and they've been cursing me ever since.  Hey guys, I told you it was an addiction...

Here's Karen and her big star quilt (long armed by Rachael Dorr) that I nearly spilled coffee on before show and tell.. thankfully it was protected in plastic.  Sorry again, Karen.

This absolutely awesome R2D2 quilt was made by Jackie.  The patter was in a magazine, but I didn't catch which one.  I'm sure the info will be on the guild blog.

 I brought my big taupe spiderweb as my show and tell and Jackie took this pic of me.  I tried to keep it quick because there were so many people on the show and tell list, but I could talk about this quilt for days.  In fact, I probably will.  It needs it's own blog post, that's for sure.

It was really cool to get into the city and get to enjoy a meeting.  I hadn't been to one since the fall.  I forgot how inspiring it is to actually be in the same room with quilters and their quilts.  Instagram is great, but now I see it's missing something.  I spent the last year focused on my own projects, first the book and then book-recovery sewing (finishing the spiderweb was a huge part of that for me).  I think I'm ready to re-enter quilting society.  I've missed my tribe.

And on that note, I have decided to revive the Monday Morning EPP linky party starting tomorrow.  If you've got some EPP you're working on, quick, take a picture and link up with us!  (flickr and instagram links are welcome.  Full blog posts are always nice too..)

Monday Morning Star Count 2014/32

Not much to report this week, we've moved on from weaning issues to..night terrors?  This kid is full of surprises.  I'm grateful for all your kind words of encouragement, thanks for helping me through this tough period of parenting.
I pulled out the NYC Metro Mod group hexie quilt this week and don't know where to go with it..

I love that we have all worked on this together, but mixing everyone's stashes and everyone's interpretations of what is a "light" and "dark" has led for some blurred edges..

I think we've got two options-- unpick some areas and rearrange the fabrics, or keep the stars and diamonds as they are and add a ring of a solid dark color around all the stars.  This is easier it seems, because I don't have to unpick anything, but it means I've got to cut, baste and add all the same boring hexies.  What would you do?  The next guild meeting isn't until September so I've got some time.. but I'd like to have a clear plan at least by then.

Ok, who's got something to share this week?

Monday Morning Star Count 2014/23

We had another great NYC Mod Guild meeting over the weekend. Here are some of the group's epp stars.

I worked a bit on this quilt this week but didn't do any of my own projects.   I found out the Thessaloniki quilt guild is also doing a group epp project,  see Zaferia's post below.  What have you been working on?

Monday Morning Star Count 2014/5

What a wonderful week for EPP!
I did a whole bunch of stitching today, but hardly any on my own projects.  I taught 2 workshops this week, and I think I'll share pics and progress from those today instead.

First up, the Long Island Quilters' Society.  This guild was so welcoming and their meeting was very well run!  It's an old school traditional guild (of 90 quilters in attendance, only about 4 admitted to reading quilt blogs) and it was so nice to spend the day with them.  One visiting quilter, Margaret, came to show me the EPP she had been working on since coming to my event at the East Meadow library last August.  Check these out.  She made 60 degree diamond stars and embelleshed them for Christmas ornaments.  These are really nice, and much fancier than the one I tried to make..

She also had a STACK of 12-piece star units.. I think she's ready to stitch them together..

I taught the pillow workshop to a group of 35 women and they all seemed to have a good time.  Having such a big group helped me see where common problems arise-- many people have an inclination to want to baste with a running stitch and pull (as if you were making a yo-yo) instead of the back-stitch method I use.  They looked relieved when I said they could save time by taking less stitches.

After 2 hours, many of them were well on their way to new pillow projects.  One student even emailed me a pic of her progress later in the week.  I love emails like that!

I hope you don't mind lots of photos because we kind of had an EPP party at the NYC Metro Mod guild meeting on Saturday.   Lisa asked me to come and teach everyone how to do EPP (which wasn't really that hard of a job since about 50% of the guild EPPs already) and then we started working on a group project of 1" hexies.  At show and tell, there were lots and lots of EPP projects to share:

 Here are Bernadette's blue hexies (1").

 And Ivete's pink ones (3/4"):

 And going even smaller, Karen's 1/2" hexies.  She has twins, so I thought these may  be the beginnings of quilts for those two, but she said they will become pockets on a bag.  (A much more manageable project, I'm sure)

 This may look familiar, Helen with her blue and white strips:

 

Aleeda showed her progress on a pattern from Hexa-Go-Go.  Great colors!

 And the whole meeting, we all just sat back and stitched hexagons.  Some preferred to baste, others to join, but nearly everyone tried it and I even had a few converts~
(Of course some, like David in the back row, stitched his obligatory 8 hexies and then swore he'd never do it again.  Little does he know, this is going to become an ongoing project for the guild.. hehe)

 After 2 hours, 50 quilters were able to make the beginnings of over 5 stars.  This is just what I collected at the end of the meeting (plus a bag of basted-but-not-pieced hexies).  I know some people took theirs home to finish, so it will be fun to see how many we have in April.

Ok, enough from me, it's your turn!
(if it's your first time, instructions for linking up are in this post)

Double Wedding Ring Challenge

I made it, I'm home!  I just dropped my bags (didn't even touch the laundry) and sat right down to write my post for the Double Wedding Ring Challenge!

(ok, I lied.  I took a nap, fed the kids, and signed George up for swimming lessons first.  But now that they're all sleeping off their jetlag.. I finally have a minute to myself~)

Have you ever seen a DWR quilt in person?  For some reason, every time someone pulls one out at a guild show-n-tell it leaves a deep impression on me.  They always elicit a great response from the crowd..   oohs and ahs.  The curves!  the tiny pieces! the CURVES!

 I have never tried to make one, but that might change this year.  The NYC Metro Modern Guild is hosting a DWR challenge through December.  All the details and instructions for entering can be found here.  There are categories suited for every quilter, and there are PRIZES!   And while I've got a good 10 quilts I should be making, and another 5 I want to make, I'm really tempted to jump in here..
I do own one DWR.. it is hanging in my sewing room.  Here, have another look:

Yes, the patches are only slightly larger than my fingernail.  It's an amazing piece-- hand pieced and hand quilted by my mentor, Kikuyo Kubota in Hokkaido, Japan.  The whole piece measures 15" x 19". 

If I give it a try, I'll go with larger patches, of course.  And I'd like to encourage you to try to make something with these curves for the challenge too..
The generous people at Simplicity have sent me a set of Darlene Zimmerman's EZ quilting DWR templates to give away to one lucky reader.  Please leave a comment on this post telling me how you feel about curves-- in quilting, in life, in nature, in design.. (and give it some thought, more than just "Oh, I love them!").  I'll choose a winner on Sunday.  (Domestic and International entries welcome~)

The templates make large rings, btw-- a twin sized quilt would be 5 rings x 6.

So are you ready to start your Challenge entries?  Here's a bit of information from the NYC Mod Guild site:

This is a challenge FOR EVERYONE, All quilters… of any style from Anywhere! This is an international challenge.

Categories

SMALL: ONE RING! Easy! size: under 20″ or smaller… This is a great way to play and learn your curves, and try your own version of making this fun design!

TRADITIONAL: 4 rings or larger…  Make the traditional double wedding pattern by using the template and your choice of fabrics…not straying to far from the traditional style. Four rings or larger for this category… must have three layers and bound.

MODERN:  4 rings or larger… ANYTHING GOES!  How can you interpret the double wedding ring, put a MODERN spin on a traditional design? Piece it, applique, fuse, whole cloth? Possibilities are ENDLESS!!!  No rules other then, it must have three layers and bound.

You don’t need to use Darlene’s Double Wedding Ring templates to enter, but we’d sure like it if you did! Any double Wedding ring template will work.

EZ Double Wedding ring challenge and single arc is available at www.simplicity.com or at your local store. You do not have to use this template to enter the contest.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Images must be uploaded by Dec 1st.  Winners will be announced Dec 15th, 2013  **Winning quilts with need to be sent in by January 1st.

I am at the tail end of the Challenge Blog Hop, but please go around and stop by all the blogs.  Most have templates to give away, and you just might get lucky!

July 8th

​NYC MOD​ Quilters

 http://nycmetromodquilters.blogspot.com/

Interweave

quiltingdaily.com

 July 9th

Emily Bailey

emsscrapbag.blogspot.com/

Shelly Pagliai -

http://prairiemoonquilts.com/?page_id=62

July 10th

Amy Ellis

amyscreativeside.com/

Faith Jones

www.freshlemonsquilts.com/

July 11th

Amy Smart

http://www.diaryofaquilter.com

July 12th

Dan Rouse

http://pieceandpress.blogspot.com

Elisa Albury

www.stitchoutsidetheditch.com/

July 13

Jenny Cameron

Fiberlosophy.blogspot.com

July 14th

Jane Davidson

http://quiltjane.blogspot.com

July 15th

Joanna Wilczynska

http://shape-moth.blogspot.com

Jackie Kunkel-

http://cvquiltworks.blogspot.com

July 16th

Kathy Doughty

http://www.materialobsession.typepad.com/

Juki

http://jukihomesewing.wordpress.com/

 July 17th

Lisa Mason

http://theredheadedmermaid.blogspot.com

Flaun Cline

http://ipleadquilty.blogspot.com

 July 18

Pat Sloan

http://blog.patsloan.com

Jessica Alexandrakis (That's me!)

http://lifeunderquilts.blogspot.com

 July 19th

Jacquie Gering

http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com

Lee Heinrich

http://www.freshlypieced.com/

Monica Solorio-Snow

http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/

December Mod Meeting

Yesterday I trekked into the city for the December Metro Mod Guild meeting.  It was the first time in our new location and while we will definitely miss the huge artistic inspiration that comes from BEING in Victoria's loft, I must say that having TABLES was pretty cool. 

Christa and I worked on some EPP, I got to meet and chat with members I hadn't really talked to before, and I won the raffle prize, V's book!

Nice big space!

Here are some of the quilts I could get photos of..

Made by Bernadette

By Helen, from her bee blocks at Two's Company

A bee quilt by Margaret

An awesome scrap quilt by Tina

The one cool thing about the new space is that it has a balcony area, so I climbed up and asked Christa to take a picture of my SV quilt (top done!).  The lighting was off (must play around with this some more), but the space sure does have lots of potential.