Quilting, Life and Other Stuff - ReBoot!

I read and follow many many blogs. Mostly about quilting, but some knitting, some food. I have been a start-stop blogger for many years but for 2015 I am going to blog 1 - 2 times a month. I will probably never be a blogger that quilts daily, but eventually, I will move to at least weekly.
This blog doesn't have many pictures, just musing, future posts will have more pictures I promise.

Sharing what I know about quilting can keep me talking for hours - LOL - so why not write about it and maybe reach a broader audience.

I find when I talk to people, and just think they know what I am talking about, with regards to a technique or method, fabric types etc. I can often get that "deer in the headlights" look.
So the info I share will cover the gamut from really basic, to more advanced, but hopefully will help someone.

And teaching quilting is my "Life Part 2 (read when I retire - 3 to 5 years from now) Goal", along with entering more quilt shows.
I still work a demanding (but enjoyable) full time job outside the home and commute up to 3 hours a day. Most of my quilting is confined to the weekends.

However,  I need to finish more quilts, but also start defining some lessons, and quilts to share.

These is no part of quilting I don't like. Outlining what I like about quilting, will help me focus on topics for this blog.
Here is my overview on what I like about quilting:

• Designing
• EQ7 is my go to tool - to impatient for drawing, and the idea possibilities make my brain hurt! But I am still a real beginner using this tool and want to get better at it.
• Fabric Selection
• I am lucky enough to have several LQS (Local Quilt Store) in my area and I go to one of them FIRST
• Support your LQS. If you don't they will go out of business.
• But the web is a huge shopping opportunity, and full of inspiration and a reality for getting what we want or need in this day and age.
• Cutting
• Both Specialty Rulers (from just about anyone anywhere) & Accuquilt Go! are my go to tools
• I like efficiency and short cuts - BUT they must yield precise pieces - I strive for perfect pieces - Striving being the operative word. There is nothing better than a 4 patch with a perfect center or a triangle with a perfect point. 
• Templates 
• Not the biggest fan of templates(don't like cutting around small pieces)- but sometimes they are a good options and necessary.
• Piecing
• Machine - If I had to pick my favorite part of the process machine piecing would be it. I constantly challenge myself to get my piecing as close to perfect as possible
• I learned quilting over 20 years ago by hand piecing, but I no longer do it. Too slow and the arthritis in my hands just doesn't allow for it
• Paper Piecing (Machine)
• LOVE paper piecing - seen note above about precision
• English Paper Piecing - WELLLLL....... I used to say - I "hated" Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts. Then along came the "rebirth of hexies". And I love the look  - however my hands have failed me. I have tried, because the portability is wonderful, but the pain of holding a tiny needle, just doesn't cut it any more. BUT I have found some options to machine piece Hexies and am IN LOVE with Mickey Dupre's pieced hexies, and the pictures I have seen on Instagram and Pintrest of fussy cut hexies just take your breath away.
• Applique
• Machine - this is a technique I want to explore more. With the loss of the ability to spend long stretches using tiny hand needles, I still want a needle turned look sometimes. So more on this as time goes on and as I learn alternative methods.
• Fused - this is great method with tons of versatility.
• Hand - I loved hand applique and always wanted to do a Baltimore Album quilt - it will just have to get done by machine now.
• Quilting
• My goal is to become very adept at domestic machine quilting. I am finding I like the look of  fairly dense quilting - particularly feathers, but not limited to that.
• I will never have space for a long arm machine in my home, but there are options for this
• In my area there are a couple of  local LAQ(long arm quilters) that rent out time on their machines. This still takes a ton of practice and preparation - but will be the secondary go to for larger quilts.
• Learning about Quilting
• If you love quilting - educate yourself!
• This means following blogs, checking out Pintrest, Instagram, buying books, or getting them from the Library.
• Like all things on the web - take a look see if you like the content and follow the person - if you don't like the site, stop following it.
• Going to web sites of suppliers to the industry - do you know how much inspiration and FREE STUFF (patterns particularly) are on suppliers web sites??
• Go on YouTube and look up a technique or topic again quality varies, but there is some really good stuff out there!

• Take classes
• At your LQS, at regional or national quilt shows, or your guild's workshops.

Like many bloggers, I will insert some personal stuff from time to time. I live in New England and have a home on the ocean. So lots of ocean pictures pending!

This is New Year's Eve (Dec 31 2014) Sunset from Matunuck RI Enjoy!