flying...

there are a few

select words

i wanted to...

.

 

put next to

 the title of this post

but then i did not want to

ruffle any feathers with

the faa

 as i have been told

they do not seem to have

 a sense of humor

you already know they

took away our right

to have

a tiny little pair of sewing

scissors

on any flight

not to worry

stitchers are a clever bunch

and soon we discovered

a dental floss container

would work just fine

to cut the thread

alas i had a very productive

flight down to houston

these little paper pieces

take me back to

 my very beginning

days of quilting

so happy to see them

surface once again

the fabric

cuzco by kate spain

the tattered roof...

i've been asked

often

over the years...

.

...to repair things

broken zippers

skirts needing shortened

waistbands that are too tight

pants that are torn

when this call first came in

i declined

time is not on my side

these days

the new friend

 arrived with it in a large bag

just the same

a queen size quilt

entirely pieced with houses

my mind rushed back in time

to my first days

of quilting

a teenager with keen new interest

yet hands of mature experience

i was once told

as i looked

 at the disintegrating fabric

and i listened to eileen

tell the story of how

she had been asked

to make this repair

for a nice gentleman

yet her aging arthritic hands

could just not hold the needle

or make the tiny stitches

anymore

i somehow realized this

was coming to me

for a reason

as i carefully removed the

salmon colored tattered roof

i recalled the night

so many years before

when i sat inside a tiny office

at the domestic violence shelter

holding the hands

of a woman

who just fled a dangerous man

with her children

sleeping on a couch

 in the next room

i shared a quilt block

 i had been stitching

it was the same pattern

 as the one i am now fixing

i remember telling her

not to be afraid for

she had a roof over her head

and a place where her kids

would now be safe

a few days later

she joined a quilt circle

i was teaching

 i had them make a house block

as a symbol of a

new beginning

all week as i worked on this quilt

customers were amazed

they oohed

and they ahhed

marveling that i would take on

such an endeavor

i shared with a few that

i'm just a social worker

at heart

paying it forward

with hands that were blessed

for needle and thread

the owner of the quilt

phoned yesterday

i could tell by his voice

he was pleased it was done

when a grandfatherly man

 walked into the shop today

i knew it was him

his physical physique matched

the tender voice on the phone

as i opened the quilt

his eyes filled with tears

the old tattered roof

was once again whole

he asked what he owed me

i had instantly determined

his smile was enough

to which he replied

how about if i make a donation

to that place eileen

volunteers

where is that i asked

the battered women's shelter

he replied

the tears had now

transferred

 from his eyes to mine

as i was just reminded

how beautifully life circles

miracles indeed

an ohio star

the year was

nineteen

seventy six...

.

the 2011 jingle bell shop hop block from jellen's house of fabric

i had just secured

my drivers license

and looked for any

opportunity to take the car

for a spin

judie and bob rothermel

had just opened

schoolhouse quilt shoppe

so i signed up

 for a class

 an ohio star block

thirty five years later

how excited i am

to have been assigned

the ohio star

as the block customers

will receive when they stop

at our shop

during the northeast ohio

jingle bell shop hop

our first ever

i am thrilled to have been

invited to participate

hope you will join us

september 10-17, 2011

land of the free...

home of the brave

so grateful

for the men...

.

...and women

and their families

who sacrifice so much

for our freedom

thank you

 we appreciate your

committment and concern

for our independence

i feel so lucky

on this fourth of july

to be able to openly display

my appreciation

by combining two

mediums that bring

 me such pleasure

fabric and paper

threads and stamps

hoping you too

have a creatively blessed day

old dogs learn new tricks...

i have been

quilting

for many years...

.

decades in fact

yet i have never

not one single time

pieced anything

 using batiks

there i said it

hard to believe i know

not sure why exactly

as i love looking at them

finally

 i decided the time was now

it helped that i fell in love

head over heels in love with

 mango margarita

a spring 2011

 hoffman bali pop release

i started out small

important for an old dog

learning a new trick

popsicle sticks

 by atkinson designs was perfect

when i was finished

i had some leftover strips...

another first for me

an intentionally pieced backing

love how it came out

off it went to be quilted on friday

i can't wait to see

 what diane does with it

a passion for paisley...

i'm often asked

to pick a

favorite fabric...

.

i would never

be able to choose

just one

yet all the best

would likely be

a paisley

i just love them

the randomness

the swirls

the overlapping

and touching colors

the dots

this one from blush

by basicgrey

would be high on my list

i guess that's why it is the backing

on the lastest quilt

fini...

there is

something

magical...

.

... therapeutic actually

when the

needle comes up

for the last time

through the binding

a project

complete

done

fini

finished

accomplished

ahh...success

charmed living topper...

a few weeks ago

i had the pleasure...

.

... of driving

out to madison ohio

to visit cottonpickers

while looking about

in the charming store

i discovered an adorable

table topper

a customer informed me

it was a pattern designed

by the store owner's daughter

sure enough

beth told me all about

rebecca and her patterns

ruby blue quilting studio

this weekend

i stitched my own version

of charmed living topper

complete with a few mistakes

i really should read the directions

still i love how it looks

with saltbox harvest

by deb strain for moda

just the perfect size

and colors for my favorite

time of the year

awesome...yes...

there's nothing like

a quiet

friday night

.

in the studio

with the form behind me

i was able to play

with awesome

and yes indeed

it is awesome

i decided to outline the leaves

and the stem

with a blanket stitch

by hand

had not done that in a while

it felt good

and i love the look

it gave to my leaf

it's beginning...

to look

a lot like

christmas...

.

for the first time

in my life

i am actually sewing

with

christmas

fabric

in

june

i even got

my red cd case out

the one with all the

christmas music in it

this is fun

stay tuned

oh want to see a little more

click here

first quilt, first born

i started quilting

to pass the time

while i was in college

.

it was 1978 to be exact

general hospital was the main event

it had taken over the dorm

we scheduled classes

around it's viewing time

luke and laura were about to be married

for the first time

the tv lounge was standing room only

i never was one to just sit

so i searched

for a pattern to complete by hand

a paper pieced

grandmother's flower garden

was suggested by my favorite quilt store owner

funny how those little hexagons

are back once again in 2010

i chose a black background fabric

with rose and blue flowers

i kept the project going throughout my college years

packing it up

the day i graduated

with it carried

memories for a lifetime

finally i finished sewing the binding

a year or so later

neatly folded it into a square

and closed it in a suitcase

until 1988

exactly ten years after it's inception

when i pulled it out

shortly after my first born arrived

i spread it about

and watched with delight

as he played

he loved the softness

and the texture

he was gentle with it

as though he understood the

work of my hands

the love of each stitch

today

we still share that bond

an unwritten code

he often calls when i'm thinking of him

when i need

the sound of his voice

it's hard to

imagine where the years have gone

this week

from college

he will graduate

with his

own memories for a lifetime

this mom could not be prouder

tj a job well done my son

do not try this at night...

i have found...

there are some tasks

that must wait...

.

until the rise of the sun

such as

cross pollination

which had my eyes

well...

...crossed

as i was trying to line up the many

diagonal cuts and

intersecting points

it's a stunner though

now complete
a perfect backdrop

for the jellen's house of fabric

business expo display

cross-pollination...

...moving right along

to our next

project with frolic

.

cross-pollination seems

appropriate for this

2010 spring season

of extreme high pollen count

i wonder what sandy had in mind

when she named this pattern

i'm curious about those little details

this will be a first for us

utilizing a jelly roll and

turnovers

in the same quilt

should be fun

all pinned up...

and ready to go

to the

quilting machine...

.

the fabric is

frolic

the verna project sheet from moda

is the pattern referred to

so perfect for sarah to stitch
with straight lines and

little pattern matching necessary

we plan to use a

large flower as our guide

wish us luck

cherish nature...

robin eggs and

butterflies

and honeybees...

.

and vines

tiny leaves and polka dots

damask in chocolate

aqua blue and olive green

the window's cracked

i hear the birds chirp

and feel springtime warmth

through the glass

as i stitch with this earthday treasure

designed by fellow ohioan

deb strain

do real men sew...

as i have been spreading

the word

about my new quilt store...

.

the most frequently asked question

so far is...

will you have classes for men

of course

i reply

i've been teaching boys

to sew for years

above is my own first born

when he was seven

i've discovered a few blogs you must check out

quilt dad

and be sure to go here today

i'm just a guy who quilts

for a great giveaway

a frolicing we'll go...

...a frolicing we'll go

high ho the merry oh

a frolicing we'll go...

.

frolic...

to behave playfully

and uninhibitedly

to engage in merrymaking
describes me perfectly

the past few days

as i stitch

and romp about with this newest line

by sandy gervais

quilt beginnings

our spring break

shop hop

is about to end...

.

one more stop at

quilt beginnings east

on broad street

not too far from the capital building

i've been here a few times

always find something i like

it's also my columbus connection to pfaff

i've been a pfaff lover for many years

mostly because of their

integrated dual feed
perfect for bridal fabrics

even more suited for quilting

.

sarah found two more bolts

for her project

marble swirls in royal

and

marbles in flag red

i think she is fast becoming a moda girl

she told the sales associate

she would like 1/2 yard of each please

you know at that moment

i was proud as a peacock

always in stitches

it's day three

of our shop hop

across central ohio

.

our first stop is in grove city

at the

charming, charming, charming

always in stitches

sarah immediately took to the book corner

sew hip by shannon mullen

caught her eye

i love when she finds something

that really interests her

it is an awesome sewing 101 manual

with some great projects

that will be perfect for her stitching level

.

we continued to mill

around the store

finding fun samples and displays

tucked here and there

i discovered a pattern line

little scraps from this and that

i had not seen before

it was a shame we had to move on

i could have stayed in this store

all afternoon

and i should mention it is connected

to an equally charming

scrapbook store

quilt trends

at first glance

it's pure

eyecandy

.

like sugar cane sweetness

the best collection

of contemporary fabrics

i've ever seen

gathered in one place

you can see over my shoulder

the entire line of amy butler

located right off of I-71 on 161

near historic worthington

quilt trends is a must visit

if you enjoy fresh and funky

or simply to expand your vision