Around the World Blog Hop

I was tagged last week in the Around the World Blog Hop by Jennifer from Never Just Jennifer. I hadn’t “met” Jennifer yet but after taking a look at her blog, I see that she is a New Englander like me! She lives in New Hampshire. So, to keep the chain going, I thought it would be fun to stay in New England for a bit.

I have nominated:

Laura from Little and Lots: I met Laura when she joined the Seacoast Modern Quilt Guild. She adds such a great spirit to the meetings, complimenting everyone’s work generously. She describes herself as a “southerner marooned permanently north of Boston.” Laura always comes dressed handmade–both sewn and knit. She’s a great addition to the guild.

Next up is Kerry of KidGiddy. I met Kerry when I was asked to join her blog hop for her book, Tales to Stitch and Love. Most recently, I shared the scariest taxi ride of my life with her to the airport following spring market. She also dropped by a recent SMQG meeting with her girls which was fun.

And last but not least is Judy from Sleeping Dog Quilts. I met Judy when she was a most gracious host and quilt holder for me at my trunk show for the Proper Bostonian Guild. She also played along in the challenge I presented to that guild to create their own versions of my free Zakim bridge block. You can see the post here.

Visit their blogs next Monday to read their posts.

I was asked to answer the following questions:

1. What am I working on?
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3. Why do I write/create what I do?
4. How does my writing/creating process work?

What am I working on?

Let’s see…I have been busy sewing this summer but I can’t share the projects so I can only share some sneak peeks today.

This is the color palette that I am using for a quilt I am working on for Sizzix. It looks autumnal and modern to me. Do you agree? I am sewing a quilt with a real modern flair using one of their brand new dies that will be released at fall market.

This is the aftermath of a paper pieced quilt top I just finished. It’s a version of my Kite Tails pattern sewn up in a new fabric line that will be released at market as well.

What I have been able to share over the summer, is a fun project that I have been working on with my 8 year old daughter, Lily. We have been reading the Little House on the Prairie series and I’ve been designing blocks based on each story that are appropriate for a beginning sewist. She has chosen her own fabrics and we have sewn them together. I do the cutting and most of the pinning. She does the sewing. I’d like to invite you to join us! I am calling it the Little House on the Prairie Sew Along and if you scroll down through past posts you will see that I am offering all the patterns for free, for your personal use only. Please do not use them for profit.

In this picture, Lily is admiring her completed blocks. She is saying “wow, wow, wow!”

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I suppose that is a question that someone further removed from my work could answer better. I know I try to do my own thing as much as possible. I follow my own interests, techniques that I enjoy the most (usually paper piecing), and colors that I am drawn to. I think my work tends to fall into the time consuming/tedious/category of creating, but I like it!

Why do I write/create what I do?

I create what I do because I love to do it.

How does my writing/creating process work?

I don’t really analyze things like my process. It sort of sucks the joy out of creativity if I over-analyze what I do and how I do it! But I can say that I daydream about designs and fabrics when I am braiding my daughters’ hair, when I am out for a walk, in the car, or cooking dinner. The ideas formulate and then I usually pull fabrics and start sewing or, if it is more complicated like a paper pieced design, I sketch it out and draw out my design in EQ.

Sorry to make this brief but that first project that I mentioned above has a deadline that’s coming right up. Gotta go sew!