the Redwood Stash - Blog

Quiltcon. And quilt shows in general.

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 15:09:44 GMT

Quiltcon was last weekend in Raleigh, NC. Being only 3 hours away, of course I had to go! It was my first visit, and won't be my last - with a caveat.

Quiltcon is allllll about modern quilts. It really doesn't stray far from that. I knew that going in, but it really made me realize that modern is not especially my style. I did not come out of the show with as much inspiration bubbling out of me as I was expecting. and I think that is the root cause of not feeling as excited about the experience.

But ... what did I love at Quiltcon?

The energy!
The vendors!
The quilts that I loved, I really loved!

If I had someone to go with, I think an overnight stay in Raleigh would've been a lot of fun. It would've been amazing to spend some more time at the various vendors, and more time fangirl-ing at some quilting legends. I also wish Quiltcon hung more quilts. Each year I watch the hashtag #quiltconreject There are SO many great quilts that would qualify for that show, but do not get accepted..

I don't think I would fly to Quiltcon though, but I will definitely attend a close one again. Who knows, maybe someday I might make something modern enough to qualify ;)

See my instagram for 10 quilts that caught my eye - certainly not the only great ones, but these were gorgeous. Next quilt show is this upcoming weekend in nearby Hampton, VA. I am looking forward to more inspiration!

Fabric

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 11:03:55 GMT

Hoarder. Collector. Curator. Enthusiast.

I love it all.

In the beginning of Redwood Stash, I focused a lot on dog fabrics. So many great panels and yardage! As my tastes and goals slowly wander in new directions, it's time for these bolts of dogs (and some others) to find their forever homes. Which ones do you love?

A new studio.

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 11:10:54 GMT

Moving. I hadn't moved in 16 years until this fall. Add in a husband, 3 kids, and 3 dogs (thankfully no horses this round), and going cross country? I had big dreams of returning to quilting much quicker than I have. The biggest holdup has been construction on the new studio. I get to build it from the blank room up! Which is exhilarating, and nerve racking. I got carpet 2 days ago, and I get good lighting tomorrow. Then I will probably just start sewing until I am forced to make a decision on all of the shelving and furniture. Until then, my folding table and kitchen table from a buy nothing group will suit me just fine!

Documenting growth.

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:33:45 GMT

I went down a rabbit hole this past week. It started when my phone ran out of all storage space. And my photos took up over 50% of it. I downloaded essentially all of 2022, got them sorted, catalogued, and backed up. One day I went to pull up a quilt, and it had been carefully archived away. So my rabbit hole told me to get 1 photo of every.single.project I have ever made. Oye. I quickly pared that down to not include the tiny things - pot holders and table runners, key FOB's, etc. But still, there were so many. I knew I had a bunch back there. Honestly the ones before 2018 are for the most part, ones I don't mind forgetting. They are my beginner quilts. I was a beginner at piecing, at picking out fabrics, at long arming. And while I feel a bit cringey looking at them now, it's putting them up next to the quilts I have created recently that allow me to see the incredible growth I have experienced. Oh I still get some failures on color choices and execution, but it makes those older quilts hold a special place in my heart now. A feeling of gratitude and awe of how this hobby has turned me into an artist. (Now to just up my game on quilt photography .... ;) )

The Never Ending Log Cabins

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 07:00:00 GMT

I made a lot of log cabins after that first Christmas. I felt confident in what I was doing, which allowed me to get better each time. My mom kept {kindly} harassing me to try something else, maybe something with a triangle, but I was firmly in the camp of doing something enough times to get really good at it. I think this green and gold was the last one I tied, and I am pretty sure I took it apart a few years back and put it on the longarm! It was gifted though, and I can't remember who got it.

Now that I was getting good, it seemed like a great time to start that WIP (works in progress) pile. This hung out there for at least 10 years. I wanted a quilt for my bed, made by me, and this was to be it. The dark green blackberry fabric and the red centers made me think of home (Oregon), as I was living in Colorado at the time. I finally finished it after Addison was born, and quilted it on my mom's Gammill longarm. It was large, king-sized, and my husband wasn't keen on it, so it was gifted to my brother who also noticed the blackberries, and who hadn't received a gifted quilt yet <3

The First Finish

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 19:43:46 GMT

The Irish Chain may have been my first quilt to begin, but the Log Cabin was my first quilt to begin and finish. It was Christmas 2004, and I was on the search for meaningful (and budget friendly) gifts.

I had drug out the sewing machine handed down to me from my mom, and my friend and I started sewing pajama pants. I think we made around 15-20 pairs! I did not think my Dad would find pajama pants very exciting though, so I found Eleanor Burn's book Quilt in a Day for the Log Cabin, and away I went. I made 3 quilts that season for Christmas gifts. I put in a few shortcuts along the way with them too .. ironing each step was unnecessary, the binding was done via turning the quilt inside out and sewing on the inside, and it was only tied on each 16" block corner. Ha! You know what though? Everyone who saw it lavished generous praise, instead of pointing out the problems of those shortcuts, and it built up my desire to make more.

Ironically, I still look for more efficient processes, but at least now I know the importance of each step!

PS: This was also my first dog, Dixie. She literally came out of the nickel ads. She taught me the value of a well-bred dog (like the difference in fabric from Joanns versus a local quilt shop ;) ). Dixie introduced me to dog agility, and while she and I didn't go very far, she led me to my next dog who won classes at National events. Dixie, however, did know how to retrieve a beer from the fridge and always sported a bottle opener on her collar!

There is always a first

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 03:27:55 GMT

The quilting community is strong on Instagram, and while I feel late to the cool kids party, I dip my toes in whenever I can. Amy Ellis (@amyscreativeside) hosts a yearly quilt fest with daily subjects for posts. I managed to get stuck on day 2 .... Your First Quilt.

I could not decide if I should post the first quilt I began or the first quilt I finished, because those were at 2 different times. I am not even sure when I started this quilt, maybe in 2000 (?), but I know I didn't finish it until 2016! Why did it take me so long? I made it too complicated to keep the colors coordinated ;) and I was a little bit distracted with other more exciting projects. The WIP (works in progress) pile is quite extensive.

I ended up giving this to a very special lady hoping she'd feel all of the love I poured into it, even in the years of moving to 3 different homes. It is not my most fancy nor my favorite, but it represents a level of perseverance I have for my projects. It also represents that sometimes things are just hard for whatever reason, but the finish line feels like such an accomplishment. That feeling is worth the effort.

The best warm fuzzies I receive, and most creators I know, are from seeing your gift being used and loved. Don't hide something away in the closet for fear of it wearing out. Use it, love it, think of fond memories with the creator <3

This was the perfect prompt for my first blog post, and such a great memory of a start, and finish. Check out #igquiltfest for some more awesome first quilts.