LAMQG Swap - Melissa's orphan block

So we have swaps at our guild meetings every few months. I enjoy participating in them and have really lucked out on the receiving end every time. Here's what I made for our fearless swap leader, Melissa. (I sure hope she likes it! She wasn't there to receive it last meeting.)
Melissa stipulated with this swap that we would be getting someone's "orphan" block and making something for them from it. Seeing as how I've been a bit obsessed with table runners lately, I was thinking that her block (the navy corners at the side ends and excluding the red strip at the top and bottom) might make a cool table runner. But not everyone is into table runners and once I tried the idea out as a journal cover, there was no going back.
I'm hoping that she gets excited about this orphan becoming something she can use daily.

Hollie's post on her blog about the Speed Pieced Quilt

Read Hollie's post at her amazing blog about our Speed Pieced Charity Quilt.

She took way more pics than I did (with a real camera, too) and it's easy to see how this is going to keep the momentum when you read in her voice how excited we all were!
CLICK HERE to read it

A Day with AnnaMaria Horner and the LAMQG meeting. (on cloud nine)

Ok, so if you have ever had a conversation with me in the past 6 years about designers that I love, you will know that my short list will undoubtedly include the much beloved AnnaMaria Horner.  I learned about her and loved what she was doing before I was really sewing, even.  My pal, Tori, saw an article about Anna in a magazine and passed it on to me while I was a textile designer, dreaming of someday doing something a little less corporate, a little more wild and free. (I worked in Interiors, which can sometimes be a study of trying to make neutrals look amazing. I got to work on some unbelievably cool projects with amazing design firms and designers, but the life as a corporate designer was hard on the soul) To know my work now is to know that I love love love bright colors and pattern and really, I always have.
When I read about Anna, and saw her work, so many years ago, I remember thinking, "wait, you can be a textile designer and do awesome stuff?" My heart stopped. I think I remember writing her a gushing letter about how even though we're only a few years apart that I wanted to be her when I grew up. I'm not a big "fan" of that many people. Even when we attend Jay's Hollywood work parties, or hang out with our Entertainment Industry friends, I avoid fan-speak.  It's just awkward. (and also generally quite inappropriate in our circles in Los Angeles)
But when I learned Anna was coming to our guild for a meeting, I freaked. And then when I got the email announcing she was teaching a class at my friend's quilt shop (Sew Modern), my heart lept. Literally, I ran out of the Friday performance that my kids were doing at school (I didn't miss their parts!) and signed up as quickly as I could for the class. What was I going to make when I got there? What was the class for? I didn't care!!!! I got in.
Well,  yesterday was the class. And I completely gushed when I met her. I think it's the only time in my life I have done that. Anna was gracious and laughed and said, "so if I was teaching cookie baking, you'd be here?" my answer: YES.

The class, though, was great! And two LAMQG friends were there among the other women too, which made it more fun as we all sewed up our Multi-Tasker totes.

 (Great bag, I'm gonna make more). Plus, besides being with Anna, I got to soak up all the laughter, knowledge, and sewing. I got to know sweet Julie, and Jennifer is always good for a laugh.

Here's the thing. You all know what I have been through. You know that I need to laugh like I need air right now. At the guild meeting last night, which was basically a few hours that included listening to Anna's presentation (go on, we want to hear it all!) and a 48 hour reunion with my retreat buddies - along with all the fun that a LAMQG meeting always is... well... I was grinning ear to ear.
My pal, Latifah, said to me "Liberty, you look like a different person after this weekend. It shows on your face." And I can't help but to JOY-fully receive and nod to that comment. Jay sees it too. And I'm not the only one who had a much needed boost of happy, this weekend. Hollie is saying the same kinds of things.
Someone said it right yesterday, "this guild is special. It's like the best sorority you've ever heard of."

Visit LA Modern Quilt Guild

I just can't believe that I am a part of such an amazing group of women. And that just a few years ago, it started because two blogging friends (Alissa and Latifah) decided to make up something called The Modern Quilt Guild. Because they did, (and also because they are kind, warm and lovely women, too) I have the most diverse, encouraging, tight-knit group of friends that I have had since college. I've gotten to take classes with people I have admired from afar (Denyse, Angela, AnnaMaria), I have seen the work of fellow members (Patsy, Ramona, Jennifer, and so many more!) that have inspired me, taught me new techniques and taken my creative work to new levels.

And right now, most importantly, I'm smiling. I've filled up on hugs and tears, fabric and coffee with these women over the past few years. They've been so amazing to listen and cry with me over my last 2 years' journey - and now they are instrumental in helping me to walk out of a dark forest.
I've rambled all over in writing this post... but that's where I am at. Grateful, happy, inspired, and encouraged!
Remember this post? And the photo that started "Re-building Joy"?  Well, I am a month in. And I'm happy to announce that I'm somewhere in between the photos...
Not all the way there, but I'm on my way, guys. Thanks for walking this journey with me.

Retreat weekend quilts

a sketch I have had for years and never gotten to until now

As I wrote earlier, I was up early with the sun this morning and decided to take pics of my newly finished quilt tops in an environment a little prettier than my inner city front yard.

made by improv piecing my blocks made in the Denyse Schmidt workshop many months ago

The sun rose as I was taking these. I will always remember the sound of birdsong and wind in the trees as I took these pics.
I made lots more things... Will share them bit by bit.

tumblers - all assembled and wow, they came together fast!

Early will I rise - re•joy

Sunday morning. I woke up a few minutes to 7 as came down to our group's sewing room to get coffee. No one was there, all was silent (very silent, considering how loud and silly we were last night).
I decided that since the sun wasn't up past the mountain and the wind hadn't picked up, it was a good time to come sit on the hill overlooking this valley. I brought my coffee, my quilt tops to photograph and got to watch a silent sunrise. It's quiet here.
Each morning I have been able to sit over this valley and breathe. Between the time to sit still, the time to be creative and the laughter, I feel little bits of healing taking place.
I've also found quiet moments to think, to shed tears, to share.
Yesterday I had a short massage and there was a place the masseuse touched in my back that almost caused me to cry out - emotionally, not physically. This thought flashed in my mind: "I am carrying so much pain!" and then when she moved her hands, the thought was gone. That amazed me. I've been asked by a few people to think about and find out where I carry that pain, because our physical bodies connect to our hearts. But not until yesterday did I understand the connection was so visceral.
And if that is true, then 45 minutes of quiet overlooking a valley each day also has to have some true healing properties. So I'm soaking up this sun now as its risen.
I'll share my quilt tops with you later....

LAMQG - speed sewing for charity

We've been sewing all weekend, with a few breaks for meals and LOTS of laughing.
As one of the folks who is helping our guild have a vision for giving back with our time and talent, I thought it would be fun if we all gave 1/2 hour and speed made blocks for a charity quilt. So last night, a few us us prepared by finding a cute color scheme from our scraps pile and we all speed pieced improv blocks.

By 1/2 hour, we had 20 blocks and by 1.5 hours (four of us kept on the clock after the initial push), we had a finished top and 2 blocks for the back.

It's been suggested that we do this more often, what a fun way to work together and give back.

Re•joy - getaway

I've spent my mornings the past few days overlooking this valley. It's quiet. And beautiful. And big enough to hold a lot of thinking. I listen to the wind in the trees and drink coffee, and then head into a wonderfully happy room filled with happy friends to work on projects with for the weekend.
My quilt guild is having a retreat and I'm so happy I came. After our crazy past few months, I've not spent super much concentrated time in groups, I've generally avoided them, honestly. But these friends are safe and it's perfectly acceptable for me to do my own thing if I have to and come back to fill up on laughter again with them when I am ready. I'll post my projects that I've even working on today... After getting a few more hours in to play.

favorite Sewing Books - post 6- Block Party

This book is an exciting view into the world of the new online quilting bee (like the two I am in!!). It's not only got the 12 projects that the women made, it's got the stories of their journey - their inspiration and it's really neat to see how the bee quilts turned out with 12 pairs of hands involved.

And yes, mine is signed (by Alissa). Which is always fun.

Charity quilts

Pardon my dark picture... Blogging from my phone...

This week's project (along with 8 other women from my guild... Thanks to Lori, Patsy, Pam, Angela, Lauren at Sew Modern, Lisa, Latifah and Tanya!) is to help the folks at Sharefest (a non-profit where my sister, Victory, works) assemble 6 quilts.

You can read about the kids who drew the artwork for these squares and their amazing camp experiences this month here: http://www.sharefestinc.org/blog/art-for-others.html

Favorite sewing books

I have a thing for books with pictures. Actually I have a thing for books. But lately, sewing and craft books have been really a passion for me. I love the inspiration, the photos, the ideas - often I don't even follow the patterns - it's more about seeing the items and making things based on my inspiration from them.

I probably have 30-40 sewing books alone. (The first of which was my Denyse Schmidt book!)
That is not mentioning the 50-60 crafting/sewing/quilting magazines I also hang onto.
Now here's the problem. I have all of them, but have I really made something from them? Inspired by, yes, but wouldn't it be good to actually use the books? (I think so)

I have been wanting to challenge myself lately to make at least 1 item from each book, magazine, etc - that I've bought. Just one. So that puts me out at um. well - if I gave myself a month for each project - well, I guess I would be busy for about um (I hate math)... wait a sec... a decade or two? oy.
Okay, not going to do that.

Instead, I'm going to just share with you some of my favorite books and resources. If I had time to sit down and not chase a little baby tornado around (today I caught him trying to throw Z's snowglobes from a stool) - I would review even the top 10.
I'll try.
But I don't really have much time.
So instead, I'm going to just point you to them and when I get the chance, I'll write reviews. And you'll have to trust me that if they weren't my favorites,  and really worth buying... well, I wouldn't share them. ok? (not that you asked)
One of the cool things about being in the LAMQG is that I've been able to meet a number of the authors of the books that I love as they are either fellow members or speakers who visit our meetings to give talks.
That said, I have to start with Denyse Schmidt's book.

I bought this book YEARS before I ever thought I'd really make a quilt. I would periodically look through it and drool.  I can't say I have actually made any projects from it - but I can say that I still consider buying this book a valuable part of my quilting journey.
A fellow member and acquaintance of mine, Jenny, is actually working her way -Julie and Julia style through the book... woot! What a great idea!
Here's her finished quilt.

Neighborhood quilt is done!

It's done!
And there are far more than 12 women represented here. My bee gals made the amazing blocks, but it feels iike about 20 other people helped too. A friend gave me many of the fabrics, a neighbor gave me the binding fabric, my LAMQG gals helped contribute pieces for the final block at one weekend sew and at another sew I found many hands helping me baste as time ran out against the clock.

I stippled the entire thing on my small machine at home. I won't win any awards for how the stippling came out, but I am also not ashamed of being a newbie to the process of machine quilting a queen sized quilt on a tiny home machine.

I love this urban neighborhood.
My husband is begging that we switch the current quilt off our bed and he's promised to help make the bed if we put this one on it instead.

Here's one Alissa took of me presenting it at the guild last night too. It felt so fun to share it with the people that it really means something to. I feel so supported by my guild friends.

Charity: A great way to donate and also to win!

Check out Alissa's blog today. She's got the scoop on an amazing way to really contribute to the lives of women in the Congo who are learning to sew to support themselves. Last year, they raised $10,000 to help these women.

Contributions give you opportunities to win some really sought after collections of fabric.
Talk about a win-win-win.

Project Modern Challenge - Modern Quilt Guild

The Modern Quilt Guild isn't just in LA. It's ALL OVER. And the Modern Quilt Guild sponsors some cool challenges and contests... one of which my pal Alison recently won!
(Her quilt was entered into the challenge that was called "ORGANIC" and it's an amazing quilt. Read about it here.


The next challenge is one that I am really hoping to get my act together to enter.  It's called "FIND YOUR VOICE" and we are encouraged to use that terminology as inspiration for our own quilt. Find yours and enter too! You have until September 30th. Plenty of time, right?
(I sure hope so!)

Bee Happy loves our Bee Babies!

Last year, when Melissa had a baby, the girls from Bee Happy all whipped up some quilt squares, sent them off to Natalie and she finished the quilt so we could present it to Melissa at a LAMQG meeting.

So when we learned that Janice had a baby, it was only fitting that we came up with something for her too. Now Bee Happy is notoriously chill about our deadlines, but we CRANKED on this! It was only about 6 weeks and we had a completed quilt out the door for new baby Emma.

We learned her nursery's color scheme and shared our fabrics and we all made squares in the Mod Mosaic pattern. Lori whipped up the top, Alison quilted it at our favorite shop, Sew Modern, and I finished the binding and label and sent it out the door!

Yay bee girls!

Here's another pic of me showing the almost finished quilt to the guild at our last meeting.

Mimi presents her quilts at the LAMQG

In February, I took Mimi to Sew Modern and as we bought fabrics for my birthday, she picked out a bunch that she wanted to make a bag with. I told her that if she made the bag that she'd get to present it at a guild meeting and that I would let her stay up really late to attend.
Well, you saw the bag. Now you get to see the awesome pics that my guild pal, Nichole, took of the Design Director showing off her work. (THANKS,  NICHOLE!)


Here she is saying, "This one I designed but I didn't sew it, because I was only 4"


"This quilt I did everything except for the owl and the binding. My mom helped me with those"


"Here is my bag. I did everything on it except I didn't do the snap or the button on the pocket and my mom attached the ribbon to the straps for me before I sewed them on"

Everyone was freaking out. She was pretty cute, even if she was my own kid. That little 6 year old got up in front of everyone and said exactly what she wanted to say in front of 60 adult strangers. Talk about proud moments. I was so high on that kid that night. She rocked it.
Then after the meeting she showed me the fabrics she wanted to make a dress out of and asked for a lollipop.

Denyse Schmidt workshop

I feel so lucky to be a part of the Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild! Do I say that all the time? I think I do. Anyhow - this past month was really special for us - we were able to bring Denyse Schmidt - who is basically the pioneer of modern quilting to LA to teach us and do workshops for us!
I bought Denyse's book years before I ever started quilting and have looked and have looked at it over and over. (highly recommend) The difference about Denyse is that she's an artist first. She graduated from RISD and has the art knowhow and design aesthetic that make her really stand out among quilters.

The weekend started with a lecture out at Art Center in Pasadena and we spent about 2 hours learning about Denyse's processes and her journey and what inspires her. I came home even more excited to spend Sunday day with her in a 5 hour class that had only 10 other people with me.

(alissa haight carlton took these 2 pics of our class)

We spent the first half of the day working on improvisational piecing - where you pick pieces out of a paper bag without looking and work with what you've got - it's a great exercise in letting go and broadening your horizons.  As I kept drawing out pieces, they were nearly all solids and that was a real stretch for me... here's one of the squares I ended up with. (I love them).  I plan on using them to make something that I can really enjoy. Still thinking about what that might be, though.

The afternoon was spent with us sharing some design issues we had with her on current projects and getting her insight. I brought in my collages and talked about how I can't seem to bridge the gap between my art and my quilting quite yet... She helped me to get started and I love what I made from these!

I'm inspired to keep working on this - it's so far out from my current color scheme and comfort zone.... I really have some new ideas as to how I can move forward on this journey.  I already have 3 more "squares" (they're not square) to add to these and I'm buzzing with ideas.

(me and Denyse with my squares and inspiration collage - you can tell how super nice she is...)