Quilt As You Go, Simply Done

Simply Done

Marguerita’s Blog

Is it spring yet?

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This is the second halibut boat I’ve seen leaving the bay today. It’s warm (for Seward) 37 degrees or so.


The snow is melting and the bunnies are usually waiting for me on the doorstep when I get home from work.

I am working on moving things around (spring fever?) and cleaning and sorting stuff.

Your Way

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I just watched a video of a quilter who insisted a quilting technique is bad and wrong and doesn’t make any sense.

BLEH. This “video quilt show wanna-be” has been quilting for just a couple of years, at best. I’ve been machine quilting, teaching, professionally quilting and been published for fifteen years – and I teach the technique that she disparages.

I sure wish the world were less filled with people who insist that their way is the only way and that everyone else is wrong.

I hope that you do things YOUR way and I know that I will be happy as I continue to do things MY way.

Finishing Up

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I spent some time sorting out fabrics and unfinished projects this morning. The unfinished projects pile is now larger than my “stash” pile of fabrics. That’s good about the fabrics, but now the projects are nagging me. I am a member of the “Stashbusters” group on Yahoo and every day I read about the quilters who are successfully using their stash of fabrics. It has been good for me to be a member of that group – the messages are very inspirational and motivational 🙂

But, they talk a lot too about finishing up projects. The acronyms used just crack me up! PIGS (projects in grocery bags); WHIMMS (Works I have in my mind); and so many more. Believe me, I have lots of those too.

I had never collected enough fabric to open a shop, like some of the quilters I know, but I had collected more than I want to be saddled with and it’s time to use them up. I still have lots of “Whimms” that I want to make, but like so many other quilters, I am making a vow: Finish one (or two) before starting something new. Oh, and stay off eBay for a while (wish me luck on that, it probably won’t happen 🙂

Great Visits

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I had some fun this morning, surfing the Quilt Designer’s Blog ring and I would like to share a few posts that I just loved. My friend Margaret has a post on smiles, I just love every single thing on Valerie’s Blog; I fell in love with Susan Pennoyer’s Heart Strings Pocket Purse; the beautiful pieced backing on Kate Conklin’s blog; I want Nancy Rink’s new quilt “Something New, Something Blue“; every time I visit Gudrun’s Blog I drool over her layout, designs and quilts; I love Anita’s Lone Star and the story behind it and I was totally cheered up on a dark morning by reading and looking at Ty Agle’s journal and paintings.

Christmas Songs

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My friend Denise, who lives in Hawaii, sent this video link. It’s just wonderful and the singer has a superb voice. I love the dual language version! Do you have a favorite Christmas song on YouTube? Would you post a link to it in the comments? I love listening to different languages and new interpretations and I hope you do too 🙂

Here’s one of my absolute favorites, Jose Feliciano, singing Feliz Navidad, but look at the comments on YouTube – you have to go to YouTube and see what people are posting!

Really Great Inspiration

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I love reading Seth Godin and so of course I downloaded his (free!) new ebook as soon as I could. It’s called What Matters Now.

Since I am sharing things I love, this video really speaks to me. It is on TED and it is William Kamkwamba talking about how he Harnessed The Wind. I want to do what he has done.

Meanwhile, I am quilting away, writing and thinking of new projects I can create for Crazy Shortcut Quilters; helping a few friends with their blogs (do you need help? Just email me….) and of course, taking videos! I hope to have another ready for you soon. Meanwhile, I put one up about the adjustment of Pressure on the sewing machine Presser foot. What a tongue twister!!

Audio Books!

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I am having such a surprisingly good time listening to books. I never thought that I would enjoy this and that’s why I’ve taken so long to try this just because I was sure that I wouldn’t like it. Ahhhh, I admit that I was wrong 🙂

My local library card lets me download a surprising number of excellent books and I’ve been listening to them while sewing and quilting. I either let them play on the computer speakers or I download them from the computer to a little tiny MP3 player that I had actually bought for another purpose.

After figuring out how to connect to the Library, then downloading the right software to be able to listen to books, and decoding the compu-speak that talked about security but really meant that Microsoft (as usual) wouldn’t let their update pass through my browser (Firefox) {Bleh!!!} I finally started listening to a book that I was desperate to “hear” after reading two others by the same author. I didn’t even want to wait the few days it would take to buy the book online.

After listening for a while, I realized that I couldn’t just sit there and listen (in front of the computer) so I dragged the exercise bike closer to the computer and actually worked out for a while!

Then I needed to leave for a while but didn’t want to give up my book! So I searched out my little MP3 player and connected it to the computer, dreading another “this software doesn’t work” battle but WHOOOHOOOO! Guess what! The computer said “…it looks like you want to transfer your audio files to your player…” and I shot out of my chair in surprise and happiness!

I have been walking around town, sewing, quilting and shoveling snow, all while listening to book after book! HEAVEN!