What have I been up to?

I've been gone for a long while haven't I? Been to dubai and came back. Sewed a quilt for the challenge. And here it is!

The Elements


Here's my Quilt story:

When I saw the challenge fabrics, the first thing that came to my mind was earth and fire. My challenge was to present the two elements that the fabrics bring to me in a context that represented Reflections, the theme of the quilt challenge.

I decided that a convergence quilt would clearly illustrate how elements in our natural world can come together in a quilt. With inspiration from my daughter who loves the butterfly fabric, my quilt depicts the reflection from a window; of how fire, earth, nature, sky, wind and water come together.

This is my first attempt at doing a full on free style quilting. My previous attempts had been mainly with stitch in the ditch. My experience at the Dubai Quilt show became the inspiration and the push factor for the free style quilting. I also purchased a considerable amount of rainbow thread which helped bring emphasis and beauty of freehand quilting.

This is the first quilt I managed to finish in the past two years since my daughter was born, was well as the first one I finished with my Bernina Aurora 440QE.

Thus I dedicate this quilt to my beautiful daughter, may her life will always be filled with beautiful memories.

A special thank you to Nour for the picture.

Serious quilter?

A couple of people (non quilters) had remarked that, "You are serious about your quilting."

I heard the remark and let it sink in. What does it mean to be a serious quilter?

Perhaps I should say that one commenter noticed that I "went sewing" on New Year's Day. I didn't realize it was New Year's Day when I made prior arrangements. We meet up every Tuesdays and that Tuesday was not going to be any different. Afterall I was in good company. The activity is stimulating, the conversation almost always interesting and the things I learn from my quilting friends are valuable, mind you not just about quilting techniques but life lessons as well.

And nobody's going to look at me funny when I tell them about my frustration of not being able to sew or not getting corners meet. For us going out buying fabric is a good reason to congregate and hangout.

Not all of them share my zeal when it comes to pre washing, ironing and starching fabric. But the moral support from fellow quilters and how much they are willing to share information is phenomenal.

I cannot honestly call myself a serious quilter because I don't enter competitions nor do I even sew enough to qualify as one. I didn't finish a whole quilt last year. Only a top. But yes I am passionate about quilting. I can spend hours with my fabric, arranging them, looking through books and patterns looking for inspiration, surfing through other quilting blogs for ideas and inspiration. I trawl through the net looking for a manual for my sewing machine. I make my DH drive for a couple of hours or 3 so that I could get the needles and the feet I needed.

For me quilting is not about making a blanket for use in cold winter nights. Quilting is about a work of art. I put my heart and soul together in different colors of fabrics to create something with my hands. It makes me aspire to try new things. It allows me to translate or recreate something I have seen into something I have made.

Quilting is part of who I am, it is what I do and what I love. My passion.

Now I just have to figure out a way to make money from my passion.

Arggghhhhh

Finally my sewing machine is seeing some action. I haven't used it for so long that I forgot how to adjust the speed!! Shame on me!

At the moment I am working on the following:

1. Lone Star project, thanks to Ev@lyn. I stared this project I think 2 years ago but abandoned it. Goos time to pick it up again I guess.

2. My challenge quilt. I have to start and finish it soon!

3. Crumb quilt. I am getting a bit obsessive about not throwing out any form of scraps! At first I kept the crumb/scraps for The Little One's collage. Just something to keep her busy while I sew. Then I saw Kumiko Sudo's pattern about Temari balls and I wanted to do one. [She had used scraps and crumbs at the center or heart of the temari balls.] ANd then I saw Patti's tutorial about crumb quilts and I am inspired to do one!

3. My demo for AWC
At first I thought I'd just do Hidden Wells because I had done the demo for the Guild last year. Then I remembered that some members found my handout confusing and thought perhaps I should do a new one. I tried using Excel to do the new one but got stumped. So I thought why don't I sew a new one and take step-by-step pictures and put the pictures in the handout. But my camera is missing! I have been looking for it for the past 2 days with no luck!

I have started cutting new strips of fabrics for the demo.

But now I am thinking perhaps I should just do a Rail Fence demo instead.

I am undecided!

I still need to buy felt to be used as a design board. I should look at the location and start planning for my demo! Do I need to construct my own design wall?

Argghh!

4. My demo for the Guild

I had an idea of what I wanted to do but changed my mind about doing it because I don't want to reveal my challenge quilt pattern.

I guess I can fall back on the scrappy quilt I made last year but I am not sure if I will add value to the members who show up. Is it good enough for them?

Or perhaps I can take up a theme of scrappy quilts for the evening. Which means I have to sew up the quilt prior to the demo. Argghhhhhh.

Hence I started sewing the crumbs scrappy quilt.

5. Autumn leaves paper piecing
I saw the pattern awhile back and thought that perhaps I would like to do it someday. Ev@lyn has a class but I couldn't really go because I thought it would be too much for The Little One for me to be out 2 evenings in a row in the week. But I went ahead and bought a package anyways. Because I love how she put different fabrics together and I thought that since its a package I don't have to wreck my brain and my stash deciding what colors to put together.

6. BOM from the Guild
I spent one hour sewing the blocks the other day. I am still behind. They are on the 5th month now but I've only done 1.5 months. I have to catch up! I have decided that any design with small triangles in them are too taxing for me. [Which was why I started on the crumbs scrappy quilt project.] It was my own "anti accurate triangles" sewing movement hahahah.

And with every moment I sew I feel guilty that I am not spending my time with The Little One. Perhaps I should have brought her to the play park myself instead of sending the nanny to send her there?

Am I missing out watching her develop and play while I devote my time to some sewing?

But it is thoughts like this that caused a halt in my sewing the past few months. I feel guilty that I spent all the money acquiring the "other baby" and then just letting it sit in front of the window to collect dust.

Decisions/choices/priorities!

I am just so torn into so many directions!

Projects in my head

I havent touched the sewing machine for over two weeks now. Ironic really because The Little One has been in school. I have been trying to sew but just haven't gotten round to doing anything.

Why? Because I have so many projects in my head!!! So just to clear my head a little bit I am listing things down randomly :

1)Borrowed 2 of Sandy Bonsib's books from the Library, Quilting your Memories and Quilting more memories. Wondered why I didn't order them online when I was looking!!! I love her books.

2)Now that I am inspired by Sandy I want to do the quilt with Amalina's pictures and her baby clothes. I have decided that I will pick 12 images, one for each month of her first year.

3)Got my fabrics for the Challenge quilt. Already decided on the design but it has to be a secret. (Does anyone from the Guild read this blog?) I'm not even sure whom I told. Was deciding on the colours I want to put in and if I want to buy more fabric.

4)Have not continued with the NYB.

5)The BOM from The Guild.

Where did all the time go?? Its noon and time to fetch Amalina!!!!!

Fabrics and more fabrics

On my recent trip the the Al Z@mil craft shop to Khobar, I got these:


A range of blues.



Some Japanese design fabrics.



And something that is the forest inspired.



I also bought extra batting, canvas, interface and wonderunder.

Next question is, when can I start sewing again?

Where will I get my quilting supplies?

Last Monday I took the bus with a friend to the local quilting supplies shop. Upon arrival I saw some men in the shop but it had a "Closed" sign outside. Not satisfied I knocked on the door and asked the men working inside what happened.

He told me that they are packing everything up to Kh0b@r and closing the R/yadh branch.

Yikesss! Joy has warned me about this sometime ago when she met Mr Z@mil himself. But I was hoping that it would be a long time to come. But I guess the time has come. The Al-Z@mil craft store in R/yadh has closed down. No more quilt fabric shop here now. I'd just have to depend on regular fabric stores. Good thing I have spare rulers and rotary cutters. I guess the worst case scenario is a 4 hour drive to Kh0b@r!

A sad day for quilters here I'm sure.

My model sewing room!

(Not mine that is!)

I don't remember exactly how but I surfed to Patti's blog and boy oh boy! Her sewing room is to be admired!!!! I do wish that I would have a sewing room like hers in the future. Already I'm considering the cupboard from IKEA!



Look at the state of my sewing room! :( I tried! I did!

My excuse is I have an 19-month old to keep me busy. So Patti, your sewing room is an inspiration to me. In the meantime I'll just drool at the pictures of your sewing room!