TOURING NOW: Quilting Isn't Funny by Megan Dougherty

Do you know during that first conversation when you met a kindred spirit?

I stumbled into finding Megan Dougherty’s blog quite innocently –
I ignored all the warnings so prominently displayed…
for I thought I had heard it all…
Wrong!!! As always there was some controversial topic that had the world of quilting turning up burners with their ‘kerfuffles’ (Megan’s word), and I had been sent to the Bitchy Stitcher, to read all about it by a mutual friend….

Her wonderful plan-- not linking to those embroiled quilty blogs because it would just encourage them…

I knew I was in a zaney-wonderful-zone, and one I would never want to leave.

Megan tells it like it is with intelligence and humor that should not be missed out on her Bitchy Stitcher blog.

Since reading and chuckling that day over the current ‘quilty kerfuffles’ probably back in 2009 I have enjoyed reading Megan’s words, and feel lucky to have met her in person – got to hang out – and even go off exploring some very interest stores while in Houston.

Now, I am totally excited to be a stop on the blog tour to introduce Megan’s new book….

Quilting Isn’t Funny

Megan, always up to a challenge, compiled an incredible self-published book of her creative & inspiring words. Totally not inspiring in a pull the fabric out way, but in a laugh out loud ‘til it hurts kind of way. She recognizes the crazy in all of us and never lets us live any of it down.

I encourage you to click on over – check out Megan’s blog & purchase a signed copy of her new book…

Then, when you have to a few minutes to kick back and laugh loudly,
ignore all the warnings, and dive in head first! You’ll enjoy every word!

As part of the tour, I can give one of a copy of Megan’s book to one lucky reader….will it be YOU?!?

Since we’ve just kicked off the new year –
choose one ‘resolution’ or ‘revolution’
leave your 1 word comment here to be entered.
get an extra chance by sharing why.

I’ll be picking a winner on Sunday!

The blog tour is in its final round, but you’ll find a list of all the participants below – click through and check these sites out too to meet some of Megan’s fans & friends.

Dec. 2 - Maddie Kertay  - Bad Ass Quilter’s Society

Dec. 3 - Sam Hunter – Hunter’s Design Studio

Dec. 4 - Carla Crim – Scientific Seamstress

Dec. 5 - Scarlett Burroughs – Craft Gossip

Dec. 6 – Jill Dorsey – That Moxie Girl

           

Dec. 9 - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc

           

Dec. 10 - Lynn Harris - Little Red Hen

Dec. 11 – Teresa Coates – Crinkle Dreams

Dec. 12 - Joshua Helms - Molli Sparkles

Dec 13 - Liz Kettle – Stitch Journeys

Dec. 14 - Leah Day – The Free Motion Quilting Project

Dec 16 - Lisa Sipes – That Crazy Quilty Girl

           

Dec. 17 - Charlotte Newland – Displacement Activity

Dec. 18 - Teri Lucas - TerifiCreations

Dec. 19 – Cheryl Sloboda – Muppin.com

Dec. 20 – Kelly Biscopink – Stitchy Quilt Stuff

Jan. 6 – Generation Q

Jan. 8 – Rose Hughes – Rose Hughes – Quilt Artist

Jan. 9 – Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

Jan. 10 - Flaun Cline – I Plead Quilty

Jan. 13 – Heather Jones – Olive and Ollie

Jan. 14 – Meg Hilko – Without A Stitch On

Piles Growing into PILES

It's happened.... the new year sneaked in and the calendar has spun to 2014.
The seeds that were planted wayyyy back at the beginning of 2013 are requiring watering and tending. It started with a seed of an idea for a book, which lead to working through submissions and contracts....through designing and fabric selection.... through thread choices and working with some amazing longarm quilters --- each quilt for the book is a seed planted --- each concept another seed....

No wonder with the due date in February for the manuscript my focus has been 'book'. Soon the manuscript created from those seeds planted last year will be ready to send off to my publisher --- harvest time!

OK, enough of the planting metaphor...

As the winter chill moved in this weekend I settled in with creating the last quilt top for the book. The wind picked up, though the temp remained balmy and the pile of scraps began to gather.

 Then came the rain --- lots, and lots of rain.
The pile grew larger...

Then the temps dropped, but the dusting of snow we got here in Paducah was luckily nothing like promised. The amazing low temps though brought me more weather lessons, and the the scrap pile reached its height!

The piles are all I can share at this point, but I have to admit that working with these colors while holed up due to 'cold' has been an absolute pleasure.
 
Really what comes out of a harvest is more seeds... the wonder and promise of new seeds, new plantings.... every big idea requires lots of little seeds planted with anticipation and tended with care.


Do you have some new plantings
you are working on?

Wishing for you all a new year of wonderful new seeds to plant, the joy of giving tender care for your special plantings, and a life affirming harvest!

OK, now I am really done with the metaphor.

Ending the Year...

Good Morning everyone... I woke up this morning feeling a wide mix of emotions. It really is the 29th day of December and that arbitrary January 1st is only days away. Like most of us I am contemplating -- That is, contemplating what this past year has brought, and what 2014 holds in store.

2013 has been wild & fun and it feels like the soil of my old self has been dug up, turned upside down -- letting the air in, and making all ready for new planting.

I just have not chosen the plants yet... there are soooooo many opportunities, but as every gardener knows you have to choose wisely.

It is the choosing that has me thinking -- thinking, just because it is the beginning of the new year, I may not be ready to choose yet. I am literally in the "middle" of working on my latest creations -- all in various stages of production for almost all are to be included in my newest book. Each project is special, and has a life of it's own at the moment.

So, for me all my decisions and plans for the new year (sort of like the perennial plantings) are somewhat already in place, and everything else (the lovelies-annuals) will have to wait for that manuscript due date to come & go before I make those selections.

I have only the piles & piles of scraps to share at this point, but know that each pile represents a quilt project unfolding.

Unfolding further as 2014 unfolds.
I would love to hear your plans for the new year.... or if yours-like mine, may just have to wait for a bit more unfolding.

 

 

 

 

 

Scrappy Trees

Happy MONDAY!
Being snowed in has had it's good points and it's bad points....
on the good side is plenty of time to stitch...
on the bad side...a bit of cabin fever.

I am in the middle of a ton of quilt projects for my newest books, and this weekend I was stitching some fun -- wonderful colors -- of fabric. Once the top was done I had a pile of scraps that screamed stitch me into something for Christmas...

so, inspired by a fabric tree given to me many years ago by my friend Joanell I started stitching those scraps together. A bit of improvisational stitching... then pressing... then cutting & stitching... cutting & stitching, and finally some cutting my newly stitched fabrics into as many triangles as I could.

So, with any luck I will be able to get out today and pick up some pillow stuffing and dowels to finish these up.... 'til then, here's some pictures I took along the way.