Plans for 2020

Today’s prompt for the 31 Blog Writing Challenge hosted by Cheryl Sleboda of Muppin.com is my dream project.  I have two projects that I would love to accomplish next year.  I have always admired lone star and broken star quilts.  I recently purchased a Compass Star pattern by Roxanne Carter of Quilting with Roxanne that I want to try.

I love the way she combines the lone star piecing with foundation paper piecing techniques.  I was hoping to create one with my Mother. She needs to get well, so we can quilt together again.

The next pattern that I want to sew is the Amethyst Project Bag by Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness.  I have taught a project bag called the Simply Chic Carry All created by Michelle Griffith of Michelle’s Designs.

That pattern made you fearless when inserting a zipper and combining lots of sewing techniques thus requiring lots of time to create it.

The Amethyst Project Bag appears to have fewer elements to construct, so less classroom time will be needed.  But it will allow my students to still learn lots of bag making techniques in the process.  I consider this a win!

Do you have any projects that you are planning for next year?  Feel free to inspire me to add more to my wish list!

UFO’s—-Unfinished Objects in My Quilting Studio

My Dancing with the Dresden Plate BOM samples photo by Glenda Moum

While the acronym UFO sounds mysterious, it is no mystery as to why I have an abundance of them! In the sewing and quilting world, UFO’S stands for Un-Finished Objects.

As a quilting teacher I like to have step outs or samples of the quilt I am teaching in various stages.  So while I may have a class sample, there is a good possibility that there are 2-3 quilts in various stages of the process waiting to be finished after I teach a class.

While my Dancing with the Dresden Plate Block of the Month quilt may not officially be my oldest UFO, it is the one quilt that has been done multiple times and can be found in a variety of color ways and in multiple stages of completeness in my sewing studio.

I believe that I have constructed enough blocks to complete four quilts, with the fabric collected to complete a fifth.  The plan is to create it as an online class, thus the fifth quilt.  Of course this is waiting until I find the time to tape and edit the videos.

And if I must confess, this is not the only class in which I have multiple UFO’S.  I have been a Sewing and Quilting Instructor since 2008, and that has been ample time to create multiple quilt samples in various stages of doneness.  Perhaps in my retirement I will finish them all and give them to deserving family and friends.

As I continue to teach and create new content I am collecting more samples/UFO’s.  Thus I am forced to create new ways to store the UFO’s so I will be able to pull out my class in a moments notice.  Perhaps someday I will come up with a better system, but I have enjoyed the process, and I have some great starts on some beautiful quilts. I also love to share my quilting and sewing knowledge with others so I don’t see an end near.

Pondering my UFO future,

My First Quilt

As a new parent and home economics teacher, I love watching PBS on Saturday mornings.  This featured the Sewing with Nancy and a new program, Quilt in a Day. After watching a few episodes of Quilt in a Day, I believed that I could actually do this!

Talking with Eleanor Burns, photo by Katie Johansen

I went out and bought my first rotary cutter, ruler and mat, and some fabrics.  

My Mother’s Sewing Machine

I then borrowed my Mother’s sewing machine.  Then I created this wall hanging.  

My first quilt

In case you were wondering, I didn’t bind it.  However I did machine quilt it using a standard presser foot—thus the quilted puckering.

It didn’t matter, I then in love with the process.  I quickly made one for my sister in blues and mauve.  And then I made one in black, mint and coral for my soon to be sisters-in-law.  Each time I created one I fell more in love with the process.  Can anyone relate?

Who would have thought one PBS show and one simple wall hanging would lead me to the life I am living today.

My Favorite Quilting Tool

I missed yesterday’s post, since I was traveling back to Nebraska.  My Mother blacked out on Sunday and has been in out of the hospital since then.  She is doing much better, so I will catch up with yesterday’s prompt of my favorite tool.

While I have many, I would have chose the rotary cutter and acrylic rulers. If you have ever used templates and scissors to cut out a quilt, you will have appreciate the way the rotary cutter and rulers have improved the quilting process.  The accuracy and the time reducer that the rotary cutter and rulers have given quilters opened the door to many quilters who didn’t have lots of extra time for creative pursuits.

I so love these tools, I cut my garments and other projects out with them also.

Take Some Personal Time

I hope everyone can find some time to spend at their sewing machine creating and inspiring themselves and others!

A Small, but Mighty, Sewing Studio

Today's prompt for the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge hosted by Cheryl Sleboda of Muppin.com is sewing space.

I have never used the words, small, but mighty to describe anything in my life except my current sewing space.  In 2012 my husband and I downsized our home.  It was a smart move since all of the boys had left home.  This also meant that I left behind a very large and much loved sewing studio.

So I have had to make some choices about what I want to focus on, and what I really love to work with to keep my creativity within its boundaries.  I remember Alex Anderson discussing her decision not to build a larger sewing studio.  She reasoned that a larger addition/studio would raise her taxes, so there was the financial aspect.  She also knew that her current space was working, but it probably just needed to be decluttered.  That helped me to focus on what I really love to work with in my studio and to let go of the other stuff.

In addition Cheryl Sleboda also hosts a Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop.  This has encouraged me to dig deeper into my space and find forgotten things to work with and remove unnecessary items.

I have discovered that I am in love with sewing machines of all kinds.  I just wish they didn't need so much space.  I am also a “tool gal”, having the right tool for the right job makes a world of difference.  But I have discovered that no matter what size you have to work in, you can still be creative and make wonderful things!

Now I need to clean up some creative clutter in my studio!

The 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge

This month I am participating in the 31 Day Blog Post Challenge hosted by Cheryl Sleboda of Muppin.com.   

She has created a list of fun posts to share with all of you and I am excited to be a part of the fun! 

So let me introduce myself, I started quilting shortly after the birth of my first son, and I haven't stopped since.  

I have always had an interested in all creative things thanks to my creative influences, my Mother and Grandmother.  They were great at taking a few resources and creating something wonderful.

I live in central Missouri, U.S.A. where I teach sewing and quilting classes.  I am also an online instructor with Craftsy/Bluprint and on my own platform, which can be found on my website: www.LindaBrattenCreations.com.

I have a free monthly newsletter and companion Facebook group, Linda B Creative where I share projects and Quilt-alongs to inspire my fellow creative people. Please subscribe to join in the fun, by Clicking Here!

The is the Pumpkin Spice Quilt-Along project from the Linda B Creative Facebook Group

While my roots are traditional quilts, I really love to create Studio/Art Quilts.  My passion is to use mixed media products to enhance my sewing and quilting projects.  Do any of you use mixed media products on your projects?  I would love to hear what you use and how you use it.

This is one of my favorite wall hangings, Peacock Passion.

I hand painted the peacock on Dupioni silk.

 Be sure to check out all the other bloggers participating in the 31 Day Blog Challege, they can be found here!

Off to write my  Linda B Creative Newsletter for December!