I’m writing today from the Beehive State — Utah.

We came for our nephew’s wedding — which has been the wedding of the century for our family. John has been the most eligible batchelor for two decades. We are overjoyed that he found a lovely gal and four darling kids. Now that they are on their honeymoon, the rest of us have been partying and celebrating for them.

On Sunday, my husband, son and I took a little side trip to visit my husband’s birthplace – Pocatello, Idaho and the land of Napoleon Dynamite, Preston, Idaho. What a fun, impromptu trip we had! I have never been to Idaho before and found it to be beautiful farmland.

I saw the coolest thing — a banner on a roadside hay bale announcing “Long Arm quilting, Fabrics and more” down a country road. I wanted to head toward it immediately, but everything is closed on Sundays in Utah. Well, nearly everything. There is the token gas station (but not all) and diner for travellers. I saw some really intriguing quilt shops where I would have loved to shopped, but instead took notes for a future trip.

I did go to several incredible shops, though, which I will do a PodCast on as soon as I return home. I have lots of cool info to share with you, so stay tuned.

We have one last day, tomorrow, and then I will be winging home in time to teach my block of the month class tomorrow night — whew! That’s cutting it close! Hopefully, our flight will leave on time ; )

We get into a regular routine, or habit, and automaticaly reach for whatever is close at hand. We could pretty much do it with our eyes closed, because we know that thing is right where it’s always been. Such creatures of habit, even with quiting!

With that in mind, I want to talk about the essential tools that I have learned that I can’t live without – little things that make my life easier and provide convenience for me.

Bless the heart of my Dad’s mother, who was a quilter. She recycled newspapers, cardboard and then plastic to make her quilting templates. She sharpened her pencil with a pocket-knife and used a pair of scissors that were probably not sharpened on a regular basis. She either recycled worn clothing, used leftover scraps of clothing that she made, or relied on others to give her their scraps. My younger sister and I did that for her when we were in high school and were the make-it-yourself fashion queens at Buchser High School. We always had something new and cool because we were constantly sewing. What a great skill to have!

When I began quilting, back in 1980, which seems ancient now, I began using cardboard templates and cutting each piece by hand with scissors. I hand-pieced my very first quilt, because I didn’t have a sewing machine and the book that my husband bought me taught only hand-piecing. I will be forever grateful for the gift that my husband gave me; first, of the book, “Let’s Make a Patchwork Quilt”, for the sewing machine that he bought me shortly thereafter on his meager salary, and for my first rotary cutter, ruler and mat as a Christmas gift.
Each of those items contributed in making me the quilter I am today – as trite as that sounds. If it weren’t for his encouragement, I would probably be writing something much different in here.

As I have said previously, thank goodness for technology! It brought us the rotary cutter, computerized sewing machines, long-arm quilting machines, computer software that allows us to design a quilt on the computer, and so many other innovative gadgets.

I like the gadgets. I’m a notions junkie. I’m also an office supply junkie. But this blog isn’t about office supplies, it’s about quilting, and, well, notions. The ones that make my life so much easier. Perhaps you are well acquainted with some of the ones I mention below. Maybe you aren’t, or somewhere in between. Why don’t you compare your list to mine – and let me know what your’s are…? I bet we agree on some of them!

My favorite notions, in no specific order, are:

Running time: 23:27 Size: 8.2MB

Program Notes for April 15, 2005

In this edition, I talk about my quilting area and how it is organized. After you listen, will you leave me a comment about your quilting work area? If you do, I will talk about reader’s comments in an upcoming program.

Here is the reference information about the people and products that I mention in the program:

Barb Adams and Alma Allen, Blackbird Designs — Blackbird doesn’t have its’ own website, but you can find them by searching the web for their products. You can get the Tulip Farm booklets, including Tulip Festival (booklet #2).

“Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!!” by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes — In my opinion, the definitive book on quiltmaking. In it’s second edition. You can find the book at Amazon.com, but make sure that you are ordering the second edition, as the first edition is available also. Find out more about Diana and Laura and their new patterns at Diana’s and Laura’s website..

Horn Combo-Air Sewing Cabinet #2175 at Horn of America. The inserts for your model sewing machine can be ordered through your local sewing machine dealer. Make sure that you give them the model number of your sewing machine when you order to ensure the correct insert.

IVAR shelving units and magazine holders at IKEA..

Oster Digital Timer and silverware caddy found in the Housewares department at Target.

Pellon Fleece batting, 44″ wide — sold by the yard

I would like to hear from you! Please feel free to comment here (just hit the comment button below on the Blog, or email me at quiltingstash@simplearts.com.

The next program will feature:

What do you do while you sew or quilt?
Ideas for Design Walls when you have no wall space.

Happy Quilting!

Annie

Running time: 9:27 Size: 8.5MB

Here it is. My first PodCast from my quilting studio in the South Bay Area. Quilting Stash is the name of my “podcast” – an mp3 program broadcast on the internet that anyone can download and listen to. The “pod” part came from Apple’s iPod – the hottest piece of hardware on the consumer market. If you don’t know what an iPod is, go to www.apple.com. You don’t need an iPod to download and listen to my PodCasts. You can download them simply by clicking on the PodCast button above and playing on your home computer’s mp3 player.

What’s A Quilt Stash?
How could Quilting Stash not be piles and piles and piles of color-coordinating fabric, sitting on a shelf, waiting to be picked for a special project? Well, it IS and it’s not. It can also be something else… the name of a new feature on my website!

In this program, I will talk about quilting – everything from soups to nuts. So, you get to hear my cheery voice expound on all points of quilting wisdom. ; ) Additional features will include interviews with well-known teachers and wonderful quilters.

In this first show, you’ll notice that I’m as wobbly as a baby taking her first steps with audio levels going up and down and my popping in the microphone. I could have started over, but then there would be something else equally noticeable 🙂 That’s the beauty of PodCasting, it doesn’t have to be shiny and perfect like a radio broadcast. It’s raw, most often unscripted, while being informative and fun!

I also review a block of the month package that came in the mail just moments before I began the show.

This introductory program introduces the concept of PodCasting, the topics I plan to cover in the upcoming shows and I talk a little about myself.

Please feel free to send me your comments via email at: quiltingstash@simplearts.com or just click the comments button below and enter your comments right here on line for everyone to enjoy.

In the meantime, I’ll keep working on the production quality of the show; it can only get better.

mp3

I have a pain in the finger and it’s keeping me from quilting. In fact, I have to type without using my left ring finger or I have to peel myself off the ceiling. So I’m doing the old-fashioned hunt and peck with my index fingers so I don’t accidently use the ailing digit.

Since I found out I have diabetes, I have to stick my finger two times a day. I switch around so I don’t poke myself in the same place. So, when I had a real tender spot that kept growing, I was a little worried. I have to be very careful now about infections of any kind. I started out with a tiny red spot, went to a 1/4″ red spot that got hot, to a throbbing 1/2″ spot tonight. I showed it to my husband and he informs me that I have a spider bite!

So, I soaked, he poked and drained and now I have a Garfield bandage waving in the air as I type.

I can’t knit, can’t quilt, can’t sew, can’t type. Wah!

I’m hoping for a speedy recovery. I gotta get back to work!

We live in the Technology Age. Isn’t it great?!

We have computerized sewing machines, embroidery machines, and quilting machines. We have cool rotary cutters and so many other devices that make our quilting experience easier for us, and therefore, more enjoyable and less time-consuming than it was for our quilting foremothers.

I am in the process of constructing a quilt totally by hand and I know how tedious the process can be. I trace around each template, by hand, and cut out each fan wedge for nine dresden plate blocks, 153 pieces, by hand. Copious pinning and stitching, By Hand. I will add the sashing and borders, By Hand and quilt it, BY HAND. It should take me, probably, three years total to finish this quilt. I must confess that I am doing this so I have something for my itching hands to do while I watch my son play baseball… ok – and I enjoy the handworking process too.

While I have been constructing the Dresden Plate quilt, By Hand, I have started and completed four other quilts done totally by machine. Ah, Technology!

Here’s another cool quilting technology: the internet. It bring to you this website and blog, and today: something new. The ability to register for my classes online. Because I am an independent teacher for Prairie Queens, the payment for classes doesn’t go through the store, but straight to me. So while you can register in the store, you need to use cash or check to do so. Or, as of today, you can come to my friendly website and use “another” technology — plastic!

It is a secure website and transaction, where you can use Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express or PayPal and have the materials list emailed to you. Within a week, the rest of the classes that I offer will be posted, too.

I am working on some other exciting things that I hope to announce soon!

Happy quilting – today and every day!

I can’t swim.

Not many people my age have that distinction. I can’t swim and well, I don’t think I ever will. I would love to be able to swim actually. Have you seen the movie “Step Into Liquid”? I saw it in the theater and I had this deep-gut desire to be able swim in that beautiful water!

So I can’t jump into a pool, but I am diving into my fabric stash today and plan to immerse myself all day long in quilting. I will come up for air only when the timer rings at 2:45, reminding me that it’s time to pick my son up from school. If I don’t set that timer, I will continue to work in my revellery and completely forget about what else I am supposed to do — which is probably called “obsession”. Ok, I’ll buy that!

Terri Schindler Schiavo. I found this essay by Orson Scott Card* tonight. It says what I have not been able to verbalize about this tragic situation.

Whose Life is Worth Living?

It wasn

Today is Easter.

I am so thankful for this day, in which we celebrate Jesus’ great sacrifice. His gift makes my life meaningful. Who I am and everything I do hinges on the one great truth that Jesus is the Christ and the promised Messiah.

I am not ashamed of these feelings, but do not share them as openly as I wish. Our world has changed since I was little; from religious beliefs being accepted to having to stifle outward manifestations of personal beliefs for fear of “offending” anyone who may be in earshot. In the past, while I might have been referred to as merely “religious”; today, I am judged to as being a “hate-mongering religious fanatic” — simply because I choose to believe in God. Why is it not okay to be passionate about that which is important in our lives? My religious beliefs are the foundation of my existence; not what I do for a living, where I live, or my favorite past-time. I makes me Who I Am.

What does this have to do with quilting? Well… not as much as another subject might. However, Blogs are meant to be daily journals and this is my journal of today.

Here’s what ties the two subjects together:
My talent is a gift. My life is a gift. I know who I am and Whose I am. It is what makes me different. I acknowledge that I descended from God and that I am literally His offspring. My life, what I do with it, and the talents I have been given are meant to bless others. That is why I Love creating beautiful quilts, teaching and sharing my talents.

That makes me thankful for this special day, and every day. And for you!

I have about 5 minutes to write, trying to bridge the gap between today and the last time I wrote a blog.
My husband is in the kitchen working his incredible magic. Remember the scene in Audrey Hepburn’s “Sabrina” where she goes to the cupboard in the board room and pulls out tomato juice, crackers and eggs to make a gourmet souffle? My husband creates magic like that in the kitchen.
He is accommodating my low-carb diabetic diet by making a healthy version of chicken fried steak and the smells coming from the kitchen are intoxicating. Amazing. He does for food what I like to do for quilting — creative magic.

Ok – it was less than 5 minutes. I have to go fix my asparagus like I like it. ; )

Soon, I will post a recipe courtesy of Guy, miracle worker.