This is why I quilt

Because somehow it lasts a lot longer than my longest hug.

Piano in the afternoon light

I love winter light. Our house has rippled old glass windows and thin curtains to let in the hazy winter Los Angeles light in the most beautiful ways.
I took this pic just now of Z, playing the synth in the afternoon light as baby and I snuggle on the couch. A rare quiet moment... Most of my time is spent shuttling little people around, not sitting and resting with the boys. The peace will be over in less than 5 minutes... But it is beautiful for now.
These pics were all so pretty, I couldn't decide between them for a favorite.
Which do you like?

More baby gift quilts

I made these quilt tops in December when I was on the marathon quilting frenzy... I used the scraps from my nieces' and nephews' quilts to whip up these baby quilts for some friends, but they lay unfinished until I got the speed quilting inspiration the other night...
These are for a family who has a boy and a girl 14mo apart... My kids are 18mo apart, so I feel for those moms... It's a hard hard season.
I thought knowing that someone who has been where they are is thinking of them would be encouraging...
Once again, I'm doing my best to bust my stash and use up what I have. I've made it through January without buying any fabric.

Simple sewing

These are so fast and easy! I have a baby shower for an awesome family this weekend.... Another foster family who has experienced love and loss of a child and they recently got a call for a beautiful baby girl abandoned at a hospital that they get to adopt... What joy!!!
This sweet baby girl needed a quilt from Auntie Lala (me...) but I've got a busy week... So I dug around and found these beautiful bird panels that I'd never used and whipped up some tiny quilt tops as we watched a movie last night.
I then quilted them to some fleece for padding and then sewed that (right sides together) to some vintage chenille that my pal Tifanie gave me... Flipped it right side out, top stitched - and wow are these sweet! (and SO fast, no pinning, no binding)...

sorry, i forgot

for those of you friends who emailed me, asking to be on our update list for foster care, etc... I'm sorry - I lost my list!
please send another email to me about it. and i'll be better at updating...

Detail images of urban neighborhood blocks

Too much fun!
I loved making these. Loved it!

Think I am going to bring them to my new art class tonight... It's a collage class through Art Center (yippee!) - I'd met the professor at an exhibit recently and we'd gotten to talking about quilting and how it's a little respected art form with lots of rigidity - until recently. I think these will illustrate my point. :)

When I look at these up close, my thought is - "I want to live in that world"... Then I realize... I do. This is what my world looks like from my point of view...

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #2

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #2
Originally uploaded by libertyworth

Here's my second Urban Neiighborhood block!
It's styled after our own house - though the mushroom-Snow White style roof is missing... I was hoping the fabric choice would communicate that.

I'm super happy with how these came out - and also with how fun it was to make these!

Keeping the faith

I said I wasn't going to post about foster care for a while, but suffice it to say foster care can be confusing, frustrating and as one blogger put it "emotionally traumatic".
Things are quiet so far this week, but there is always, always the unshakable thought that as mothers we were not designed to love someone and then have to let them go, especially to a situation that is often less than desirable.
I keep this piece of paper up in my sun visor in the car so that I look at it a few times a week. It's helpful to remember who is really MOST aware of everything, even more than overworked social workers and overwhelmed lawyers and judges.

we have a winner!

the magic number was 6.... and so that means that miss Nicole wins the charm!
hooray!
Nicole, you'll have to send me an email with your request and address!
thanks for playing everyone!

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #1

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #1
Originally uploaded by libertyworth

I styled this square after our first place in a 2 flat in Chicago.

The assignment was to make a home/neighborhood square that would look urban and would reflect a place that the bee members like. I asked them to incorporate a house number that means something to them.

since I live in LA - I didn't want blue skies... smoggy gray herringbone, instead.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Now I have to do my other square - which I think will be representative of our current house.

Great gifts

Gifting is a love language. It seems that there are just some people who have a gift for gifting, and those of us who love to give gifts, often seem to attract gift giving friends too. Tori is one of those friends for me, she always finds great gifts to send my way and I delight when I find good ones to send to her.
My Christmas gift this year from Tori was these two adorable notebooks and a glasses case - all made my local artists in her new hometown.
What a treat they were to open.
Thanks, Tori! And thank you, local Starksville, MS artists!

Pinwheel quilt

I also finished this tonight. I hate it. It was supposed to be as bright as it is...a playmat for a baby or toddler. But it got all messed up as I was sewing and the thing will never lie flat, so I think I'm going to quilt with uber fat batting (normally don't like that) and I may be able to save it... Yuck.

Creatively compulsive

The reality of being me is that even when I have things on my creative to do list... 1) this month's bee block for myself 2) some beanbag orders 3) finishing up the big orange quilt and mom and dad's quilt top ... There are some nights where therapeutic sewing has to work it's way onto the to-do list. Tonight I needed it.
So I pulled out an old project... 3 wonky squares without mates and made 3 friends for them... Now I have 6 ... Coordinating in a great and odd color range, using all sorts of weird vintage and castoff fabrics. Now I just need to figure out what to do with them. Hmmmm. Thoughts?

Free scraps- 2 left!

I got sick of using the same scraps to make every scrappy project I make, especially with so many other fun fabrics waiting around to be used...
So a few minutes ago, I tweeted that the first 3 people to get back to me get an envelope of my (most random!) scraps... They're already claimed, but I made up a few more. Email me if you want one of the last 2 I made.

Breakfast with friends

One of our favorite things about weekends is having friends over for breakfast and now our kids had caught the bug. Today's table was "kid" set long before Daddy and I woke up. Then when the food got put out, everything needed their touch, complete with labels. My favorite being the ones for "QUICHE-with a period" and "skons".
Our guests are in for a treat.

English paper piecing

Ever heard of English Paper piecing? I've seen lots of people doing hexagons online, but it wasn't too intriguing to me until I saw that a bee partner if mine did the same with squares. She also mentioned it was a great "keep it in the car" project... As a taxi mom, I'm always driving somewhere to wait for someone... And my fingers love something to do... So... I've got loads ahead of me, but I'm in no rush... Got about 50-60 made so far. And you know me and new uses for scraps!

Wirework Giveaway

Creating things is how I cope with stress. J has been gone on a trip for work the past 2 days, and you all know that I've mentioned foster care can be a teensy bit stressful. (wink)
I am in constant search of things for my hands to do whilst running my day to day circus.
Yesterday I was back to wire nests, crosses, and trying out a few other shapes in wire for pendants.

And then in the spirit of one of New Year's Resolutions I made - to appreciate my old friends more - I decided it's been too long since we had a giveaway here on the blog for my bloggy friends. (you)
So I'm giving you the choice... Nest, cross? Gold/silver?

In exchange... Sign up to follow the blog... Tell someone about the giveaway... And write a comment that is either 1) a way you show love to friends or 2) is a meaningful New Years Resolution that you've made.
Giveaway closes next Tuesday (Jan 18)

Pouches

Once upon a time, we were a bunch of scraps and a few discarded quilt squares. (okay yesterday we were)... But today - today we are pretty, useful, and we have a purpose. And we are also on our way all over the country to beloved recipients.

Seams Perfect scrap bee

I've shared all year about my quilting bee called "bee happy" - I've felt so blessed to be included into such a talented group of artists... And keep posted, because this is my month to receive, so I can't wait to share what they come up with...
In the meantime, here are my first two squares for "Seams Perfect" - which is a new bee that is based on using up our own scraps instead of the bee member's mailed fabrics...
This month is Jenn's month and she wanted a string quilt she called "String Me Along" based on Ashley's tutorial at Film in The Fridge.. (links later when I get home!)
So fun. I had a great time doing these and decided this bee will get a red and white sampler to go along with it.... I'll post as that develops.

I had so much fun with Jenn's palette that I made her a little zippie pouch to go with.

Blogging from the car

Back to life. Holidays over. I think I write here every year about January being my favorite month. December is so full that I neglect to plan anything in January - and I learned from my years in Chicago that January was the perfect month to settle down with a project or some form of art... I look forward to it and savor the unplanned days and nights.
This year, I have 3 kids and 3 extremely busy little calendars to juggle - so getting back to regular life isn't so peaceful and quiet, but even my normal taxi mom schedule is a welcome change this week.. It involves moments here and there by myself in the car...
Last night I attended the January meeting of the LAMQG, and once again was inspired by the amazingly creative women and men there. (the men we have in our group are insanely talented artists!)
And I got to come home with fabric! The entire guild was given a charm pack (courtesy of the extremely generous folks at Robert Kaufman) and offered a "Solids Challenge" - to bring back a finished quilt in March made with these fabrics and 1 other solid...

In addition, I won another giveaway... I never win anything and I've now won twice at our meetings... (what?) ...and took home this sweet pack of vintage fabrics donated by Jenny Ryan... You know I love me some vintage fabrics!

I also got to talking with some new pals from my new bee (Seams Perfect)... And Jenn was mentioning quilting in the car, carpool mommy style ... I was inspired and brought my long term yoyo project along for the ride today. But first, blogging...