around the world blog hop!

I’ve been tagged! You’ve probably seen quite a few bloggers participating in the Around the World Blog Hop over the past few weeks, and this week it’s my turn! I was tagged by Michelle, who can be found at her blog From Bolt to Beauty. She’s a new blogger, like myself, and (in comparison to me) has already completed about a year’s worth of quilts and projects! She’s been a huge support and and inspiration as I’ve started writing about my own sewing endeavors, and I hope you check out her site and some of her work! So now, let’s get started! 1. What am I working on? Well, there are quite a few WIPs in my dining room right now. It’s probably easier for me to remember if I make a list:

• LIMOD Sampler: My main focus this week is my sampler quilt that I am making as part of a block-of-the-month with my local guild.  I decided to add quite a few blocks to the original blocks, and I’m just about ready to sew the quilt top together.

• Then there’s my Diamonds in the Deep quilt top that needs a finish. I’m in talks with an awesome long-arm quilter and getting ready to make the quilt back this week. I’m really excited to see how this quilt looks when it’s all quilted and bound!

• my monthly bee blocks for do. Good Stitches (these were my first and still my favorite!);

• Gypsy Wife quilt – still very much a work in progress, as I haven’t even started any of the filler blocks yet!

• My 2014 Finish Along goals: 1)the Man’s World quilt and 2) my first quilt ever (still sitting unfinished);

• and finally my birds of a feather quilt that are still calling me from the bottom shelf in my sewing closet!

Sometimes the amount of unfinished projects give me angst, and I need to take a step back and remind myself that this is a hobby! That I love! And it shouldn’t be stressing me out! 2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? Hmmm. That’s a tough one! I think I am still figuring myself out. I know that I lean toward a modern aesthetic, but I don’t think I would qualify myself as a completely modern quilter. I definitely identify myself more with that movement when I select my fabrics — but I still find myself drawn to traditional blocks and patterns. I do like to dabble in improv quilting on my quilt backs, but I have yet to make a strictly improv quilt top. . . maybe I should add that to my list of things to do once my current list of WIPs gets under control! One thing I always try to do is put a personal twist on whatever it is I am doing. So if it’s a pattern, I’ll try to change things up a bit, just so that my work is unique to me! 3. Why do I write/create what I do? Here’s the back story on me: in a previous life, before becoming a mommy to my three beautiful boys, I was an attorney. And I was a pretty unhappy one. One of the biggest “jokes” I would make in law school was that the books had no pictures! And, while I was kidding. . . I sort of wasn’t. There was no color. No art. Nothing inspiring — to me. I know lots of really great attorneys who find legal work challenging, creative, and inspiring. But I didn’t. So, when I began quilting after my kids were born, I felt like I had finally found the color that I had been longing for. I’d felt like a part of my soul was unfulfilled for so long, and immediately quilting made me feel like a kid again! Plus, quilting requires accuracy, which I find challenging, and the end result is functional, which I also find appealing. And why do I document my projects here? Because I’m looking to make some friends that share the same interests that I have  — and learn from them, too. Simple as that! 4. How does my writing/creating process work? Usually I wait until my project is complete (and I have photographs that I really would like to share), before I start writing a post. I find it hard to write about something unless I am visually inspired (see law career above). I have three kids, so it’s very rare that I write everything all in one sitting. Usually I write a few sentences, get interrupted, and come back an hour (or ten) later. Then I take a break and reread with fresh eyes to make sure I’m presenting (mostly!) coherent thoughts. So who’s up next? Wellllllllllll. . . I’m tagging Kirsty at Bonjour Quilts. She’s a very funny Aussie who is a mommy of four, a pattern designer, and a quilter with a great eye for color. I’ve pointed you her way before, and I’m excited to do it again and hear her thoughts on the above questions. I’m also tagging Afton at Quilting Mod. I met Afton through the Hope circle of do.Good Stitches. She’s also really funny and uses an interesting mix of fabrics that really catch my eye. Have you seen her Focal Star Block? I absolutely love it, and she has so many other patterns and tutorials that are worth taking a look at! If you’ve stayed all the way through to read all of this about me, then thank you! I’m linking up with Stitch By Stitch’s, Anything Goes Monday.