October 29, 2013

Off To Auction!

Today  I dropped of my "Up Up and AWAY" quilt at The Boyer Children's Clinic. It is headed for their 2013 Inspiring Journeys Auction and I couldn't be happier. I packaged it in a gift bag, with crisp white tissue. Since quilts are a little tough to display without hanging them on a clothesline, I supplied some flyers that describe the quilt's features, dimensions, and shows some full scale color photos.



This is how I described this quilt on the flyer: The vision for the Up Up and AWAY quilt is to inspire feelings of lightness, transcended upwards, with wings free to fly. This quilt captures the unlimited capability to succeed that we all posses.

October 11, 2013

Up Up and AWAY!

Oh I love this quilt! One thing I consciously try to do with my quilts is capture a feeling or a theme. Up Up and AWAY is a quilt that (I hope) makes you feel light, transcended upwards, with wings free to fly.



 ::The fabrics that make up the flying geese design are::
Orange scallop - Dear Stella "Piper" in orange
Rainbow feathers -  Studio Bee "Beloved" Robert Kaufman fabric co.
Turquoise criss-cross - Bella Woven in turquoise by Lotta Jansdotter
Bright yellow - from DS Quilts collection for Fabric Traditions.

::The above are bordered by Kona White and Kona Baby Blue::

::And on the back::
Bridges on white - Waterfront Park by Violet Craft
Orange chevron - Riley Blake
Turquoise lines: Glimma in jade by Lotta Jansdotter



And the back -


And more pictures of the front - 



And the binding :: Kona Royal Blue




I have a story to share that ties into the destiny of this quilt. This quilt will not be posted in my Etsy shop, oh no. This quilt is bound for a different kind of fantastic journey. 

When my daughter was small, before she turned two, she suffered from intense meltdowns whenever any loud sound was near. The sound of a crowded restaurant, a big gathering of people, or a baby crying would immediately set her off.  The way she would cry and shutdown was more than just a normal cry session. And these weren't tantrums, she wasn't trying to change outcome of a situation, or get her way. She was in a state of terror and she would cry with her eyes closed in a non-communicative state, and we couldn't figure out how to help her. 

A dear family member asked me, during one such meltdown at a boisterous Christmas family gathering, if we had had her "tested." Of course I didn't know what she meant. As soon as we returned home, I Googled it and sat there in shock as information about sensory disorders and autism were listed before me. I had so many questions and so much shock and sadness at that moment. Our family member referred me to the Boyer Children's Clinic in Seattle. It's a saving place for families with kids who fit into the spectrum of sensory delays and neuromuscular disorders. My daughter was tested and diagnosed with a "sound sensitivity." We qualified for Boyer's  free developmental preschool program in which kids are taught individually and strategically, based on their specific needs. I also received free weekly counseling sessions, which were a huge blessing. 

My daughter went to preschool at Boyer Children's twice a week until she turned 3. We didn't pay a dime. I received so much guidance and direction from the teaching staff and assistants. I learned ways to help her and calm her.  She enjoyed making friends, feeling confident, and having an engaging preschool environment to enjoy. I am so proud to say that this past September she started Kindergarten at our neighborhood public school. She is doing great!

The Boyer Children's Clinic gave our family something incredible - a clearing of relief and support during a time that was suffocating, confusing, and exhausting. The staff at Boyer reached out their hands to us and we grabbed on tight and they saved us. I have always wanted to say thank you to this remarkable organization. I have always wanted to donate a quilt to their annual auction. I am so excited to say, this is the time! And this is the quilt! And from the bottom of my heart, with every ounce of my soul, Thank You!

<3 Happy Quilting!

October 5, 2013

The Creative Side

Holy lack of blog posts Batman! Has it been a month since I have been here? Alas, yes. I find this operation, this quilting/blogging/facebbok-ing/Etsy shop-ing operation, to be two-fold: there's the creative side which includes designing, sewing, and general extreme fabric merriment, and then there's the tech side which involves writing, photographing, uploading, and posting. Sometimes one of the two sides dominates, and during September my creative side took over. That is, in a good way, a very good way. I have so many incredibly exciting things to share that I have to a) restrain myself and b) pace myself.  So this post is a peek at what's been going on creatively (shhhh, it's my favorite side of the whole operation).







 Can you feel the creativity? More on each of these creations in the days to come, but now, more sewing. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.