Long Time, No Blog

Well ladies, it truly has turned out to be a "Bah, Humbug" season for me. I went into the hospital on December 3 with a severe reaction to a medication I've been on for years. After 7 days in hospital came 4 weeks in a rehab facility. So much for Christmas. Everyone' s quilts are so lovely. Seeing them has really cheered me up. Diane

Thanks!

Thank you all for your comments and support. I do feel better having shared my situation with you--now I can get on with this project. No one need know the machinations I go through to sew, but I did want you to understand my pokiness. I have always enjoyed the process more than the end result and I know that working on this quilt will keep me laughing through the holidays.

It Bugs Me!

It really bugs me that I'm finding these little
critters so challenging to make. Tonya's
tutorials are excellent and the rotary cutting and sewing are straightforward. But imagine trying to piece this simple block with one hand tied behind your back while your bottom is glued to a chair!

For the longest time, I've been playing a mental game with myself. You know the one--you can't start the quilt because you haven't found the perfect fabrics yet. You can't sit down at the machine because you don't have a big enough chunk of time. The irony is, I have tons of fabric and all the time in the world. I'm just afraid that if I actually try to sew, I'll find that I can't do it anymore. That's a tough issue to face. In some ways it is harder to accept than Multiple Sclerosis itself.

My goal in joining this class is to rekindle some of the joy that quilting has always brought me. I'll be working very slowly, but hopefully enjoying the process none-the-less. Sorry to dump my frustration here. Maybe my BAH! HUMBUG! theme makes more sense now.

Habitat for Humbugs

Here I am, one of the first to sign up for Tonya’s class and one of the last to get started. Right now, I’m working and will be busy at least another week. But, that hasn’t stopped me from choosing fabrics for this quirky quilt.

These fabrics are as far away as you can get from what I would normally use. The bright batik was given to me by a friend. Oddly enough, its floral pattern in red and green (albeit an “icky” green) made me think Christmas. Even though they make the perfect habitat for my “humbug,” the fabrics are extremely bold.

Everyone else is doing such wonderful things!

Hi from Diane

While scrounging through my solids for red and green scraps, I unearthed these blocks that I made for a quilt last year. Is it still politically incorrect to combine the letters “H” and “O”? If not, I might use them in a project along with trees and houses.

Apparently, I’m quite susceptible to the powers of suggestion, because I can’t get Tonya’s image of a BUG out of my head! It’s an idea I never would have thought of on my own. Here’s a rough sketch (sorry, I can’t draw).

Hello from Diane at Persnickety

Hello! I’m Diane from the Chicago area. I’ve already “met” some of you through my blog, Persnickety Quilts, and look forward to joining you in Tonya’s cyber classroom.

I’ve been quilting for 26 years and for much of that time, defined my style as “traditional.” After several visits to Gwen Marston’s Beaver Island Quilt Retreat, I’m more comfortable with “liberated” quilt construction. I love the whimsical results of working spontaneously and can’t wait to try Tonya’s techniques for lettering.

I want to make a little Christmas quilt with a “BAH HUM BUG” theme. Naturally, I had the curmudgeonly Scrooge in mind, while the endlessly inspiring Tonya thought of a buzzing insect (guess that’s why she’s the teacher!) Can’t wait to get started. I’ve been away from my machine too long.