Goals for a New Year

I'm a big "goal" person. I like to plan out what I'm going to do and then go for it. If I succeed, that's great: if I don't I can try again. Every year, though, I kind of eschew the "new year's" goals - but not this year!

This year, I've got a few. But I think they're reasonable.

1. Take time to exercise - at least thirty minutes a day, a few times a week. I can't promise myself I'll get up at five every morning to run, but I can take thirty minutes to speed walk or jog on the beach.

2. Eat healthier - less sweets, more fruits & vegetables! I'm not a big vegetable fan, but this year I've found my tastes changing, and I think I can learn to love them. I want to be the healthiest Katie I can be.

3. Finish up the quilts in the closet! I've got five or six quilt tops just waiting to be finished - but I like making the tops too much to do the quilting! Hehe. Someone asked me what I would do with all those quilts around the house, and I told them I usually give away clothing to make room - I only really wear my work uniforms and pyjamas anyway!

4. Stick to my list when it comes to buying fabric! I've made myself a (tenative) list of what kind of fabrics I want to buy this year, and I have decided to stick with it. Mostly things from my favorite designers or stash builders I've seen and would like to have, all with saving money in mind!

5. Save money. I'm a big loser when it comes to saving, and this year - with my brother's surgery, my best friend's wedding, and other things pressing on my wallet - I'm ending 2011 with $14 in the savings department (and that's in coins). So this year, I'm determined to save up! I'm cutting out: eating out every week, buying movies all the time, and just generally wasting money on things I don't need. I think I'll feel better for it.

6. Declutter! The organization continues. In 2011 I began to feel like I had too much - and I think I was right. I've made efforts this year, moreso than any other, to simply give away things I haven't touched in six months. But there are more things I need to let go of, and I'm going to see it done!

7. Try new things. I think I've improved as a quilter this year: I've tried new things, and I want to keep trying new things. I'd like to try paper pierced blocks, a farmer's wife quilt out of scraps, mod mosaic blocks, a crazy quilt, and a few other things I've had in mind! In trying new things, I hope to grow and become an AWESOME quilter!

8. Buy a new camera! And post pictures! I've been borrowing my dad's camera, using instagram, all of that jazz ... but I think I need my own camera, hopefully sometime soon!

9. Avoid zombies. That one is just in case the apocalypse really DOES happen.


Those are my goals for 2012. What are yours?...

Singer Stylist 7258

I wanted to do this meme not because I have any intention of it being posted anywhere, but because there's hardly any reviews on the internet about it, and I wanted someone looking for information to be able to find said information. So here we go:


What brand and model do you have?
Singer 7258.

How long have you had it?
A couple weeks.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
Anywhere from $200-$300, although I have seen it sold on Amazon for less.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
I mainly quilt and a lot of my work on the machine are quilt tops in particular, but I also do home dec projects.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I sew nearly every day for at least an hour, sometimes more.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?

I love my machine. It's a delight to work with after having two machines previously which, while they were little workhorses, were not nearly as smooth. It doesn't have a name yet; I'm thinking on it. :)

What features does your machine have that work well for you?
It offers free-motion quilting, a see through bobbin plate, and speed and stitch width controls, and is generally very easy to get started.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
Nothing that drives me nuts, but sometimes there is a pause in between the backstitch and forward stitching. As far as problems go, it's very minor.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
I got it from my older brothers for Christmas! It's definitely needed and loved, and I feel very loved to have two brothers who picked out a gift so perfect.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
I would. I think that if you're looking for a machine that sews well, is in a good price range, and has a variety of appealing features, this machine would do very well for you. It's really been lovely to work with.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
Personally, I wanted a machine that free-motion quilted, was sturdy, and was simple to use and set up, all of which were conditions that were met with this machine. I believe that, under normal circumstances, you should definitely try the machine out and see if you like the way it sews.

Do you have a dream machine?
One day I'd love to own a Janome Horizon, but I'm very, very pleased to have my Singer 7258 and I think we'll be great friends :)

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I certainly did!

Christmas Eve was spent eating dinner with my brothers and dad. I cooked the meal and no one got food poisoning! (J/K, but in all seriousness I am NO cook). I had the time to give my brother his present ... a Marvel Comics Encyclopedia! I think he's officially in love with it.

We spent that night with my older brother and his wife's family, eating dinner and enjoying their company! It was awesome and fun. :) Christmas Day was spent wishing folks well, calling my grandmother and oldest brother, cutting out fabric and watching Star Trek. And as of this morning, I've sewn TEN of my Modern Meadow Sawtooth Stars and they. are. awesome.

I'm a very happy girl today, and I'll tell you why: I got a new sewing machine for Christmas! A Singer Stylist 7258. So far - and I haven't played with it much except for basic stitching and making blocks - it's run like a dream. I'm in love. It's computerized, which take some getting used to, but I'm okay with that!

I also received some cashola for Christmas, so you know, of course, what I did with it! (Here's a hint: it involves Etsy...and Sew Mama Sew...)

- The fat quarter collection of the Scissors Prints in Half Moon Modern!
- 1/4 Yard pieces of all the jewel prints in Outfoxed. I LOVE Lizzy House's basics!
- Charm Packs of Reunion, Half Moon Modern, California Girl, Salt Air, and a Walk in the Woods.
- A Summersault Print I didn't have.
- All the Chevron prints from the Boho Collection by Annette Tatum in 1/2 yards!
- Four yards of white fabric for stocking up! I used up every piece of it for the Sawtooth Stars

I debated on buying the fat quarter bundle of LouLouthi Velveteen, but I think I'll wait on it! I'm also itching for Ruby Star Spring to come out - I've got it bad for that collection!

Everyone have a great day!

time off and the icky sick.

I took about four days off earlier in the week, and I'm pretty happy with what I did with them.

Sew. Watch Star Trek. Sit on Couch. Make Pizza. Sew.

Unfortunately - though I was actually excited to get back to work - I seem to have come down with a 24-48 hour stomach bug. Or something. I haven't felt this icky in a long time - I never get sick like this! So far, I've managed to keep down some soup broth, water, and sips of sprite. And some Excedrin for this damn headache that accompanied the nausea ... we had three big parties at work yesterday, and we've got a huge one tonight - and then our company party tomorrow! I'm hoping/praying that I'll feel up to some baking tonight, because I promised I'd bring the sweets (as well as the FUNK and the NOISE).

In the time I've had off, I got quite a bit of quilty stuff done, which was my goal in the first place.

- Cut out the fabric I needed for my Greek Cross Quilt.
- Cut out fabric for the "Kaleidoscopic Kites" Quilt for my boss.
- Finished all the fabrics for my "Little Miss Alice" quilt! I really love the look of this one. I'm going to buy a jelly roll to finish all the sashing and then it's done!
- LouLouthi Flannels Chevron top COMPLETED! Like. A. Boss.
- I even worked on my hexagon charm quilt! I think I've decided to turn it into two quilts ... I have a lot of hexagons. I mean, really. SO MANY.

I finally decided on a real pattern for my Modern Meadow Fat Quarter bundle. Ultimately, I wanted a traditional pattern to reflect the vintagey-feel of the fabrics, and after toying with the idea of a Farmer's Wife quilt, I decided to go with a Sawtooth Star quilt that would both a.) showcase some of the larger-scale prints and b.) be really AWESOME looking. I've already started cutting out the fabric for it, which basically cements the project for me...

I'm also debating buying a bolt of Kona White. I pretty much use it all the time, and I'm kind of getting tired of having to constantly go to Joann's or Hobby Lobby, which is forty-five minutes away for me ...

Also, there's a LOT of fabric out there right now I'm coveting. LouLouthi Velveteens, Boho by Annette Tatum, and a lot of the charm packs for Moda that were just released ... oh, tax return, why are you not here yet?...

Sunshine and Puppies

Sunshine and puppies, sunshine and puppies. That mantra worked when I was having minor surgery and when I lived through a hurricane and damn it all, it's going to work today.

I've been working on paperwork since Sunday. For eight hours Sunday, this insane, repetitive paperwork, and I am now currently still working on said paperwork (after having worked on it since nine this morning). At the present, I'm taking a break.

With all quilt tops I've had cut out completed (with the exception of the LouLouthi Flannels quilt), I decided I needed the panic of having untouched fabric cut out. So I finally cut into my "Little Miss Alice" quilt bundle (courtesty of Fabricworm nearly a year ago) and decided on a pattern.

I've had the idea to do this for months, but each time I'd get ready to some wonderful fabric would come out and I'd be all, "I need to work with that RIGHTTHISMINUTE." Finally, it's Alice's turn. I've decided to use a red Christmas fabric I've owned forever for the binding, and hand-quilt it with some like-colored pearl cotton I've owned (also for forever). The sashing will be from scraps of white fabric I've had lying around the house.

My four days of vacation are coming up, so I'm getting ready to quilt. quilt. quilt. Now all I need is a bunch of stuff to watch (I'm looking at you, episodes of Star Trek I haven't seen and some films from Netflix). Possibly looking into borrowing some DVD's from my buddy for my four day quilting madness.

If at that time, I don't emerge from my apartment, I assure you I'm quite happy. Please leave the pizza and juice at the door.

it's not "playing hookie" if you're actually sick.

I took the day off of work Wednesday. In actuality, I was planning on taking at least the night off from the ol' job - I'd worked extra hours the week previous and one of the other managers wanted to make up a shift, so I was more than okay with letting him do so.

The night before, I felt just awful - not only did I have a dog headbutt me and shove my glasses into the corner of my eye (and later bite my lip like a jerk!), but I had a headache and icky feelings before that. So as soon as I closed everything down and got home (around 10:30), I conked out and called it a night.

The next day, I still felt awful - and let me tell you that, if you're going to buy the Target Up! version of Theraflu, please do not buy the honey lemon flavor, because it tasted like a little like lemon and a lot like all the things you never wanted to taste.

I spent most of the day alternating sleeping, playing video games on the couch (and, when my brother came by, he watched me majorly WIN at Zelda), and sewing. My LouLouthi Flannels Chevron has gone from 20% complete to 85% complete, and having that day to recover and calm down definitely helped! (As well as two Star Trek movies and the newly arrived Star Trek Season 2 DVD). (And also Mint Oreo Cookies which are the BEST. THING. EVER.)

Next week is going to be a crazy week for work - we've got a lot going on, and the time I'm taking off to work on Christmas stuff is that next weekend. I'm hoping to have the Chevron quilt finished by then, and have all of my fabric cut, so that when I really do "get down to business" I can work on the things I'm supposed to! I'm very proud to say that, aside from the Christmas quilts, I've actually -finished- all of the top WIP's that I had lying around!

No excess fabric cut out for projects I'm not going to finish at the moment? ... this can't be my apartment.

Thanksgiving.

This was a Thanksgiving of firsts for me.

The first Thanksgiving I've ever cooked the meal. The first Thanksgiving spent at my apartment. The first Thanksgiving without my mom.

All in all, it went pretty good. The food turned out better than I expected (my brothers said they loved it; tasted alright to me, so I guess they're being honest), my apartment looked awesome, and I got to eat Thanksgiving dinner (or in our case, lunch) with my oldest brother for the first time 13 years! (I also got to show off a few quilt tops to a captive audience!)

I kicked them all out, of course, before the "football game watching" could commence (in order for me to play Zelda, which I did - for three hours).

- I cut fabric out for a quilt for one of my bosses - this one I'm calling "In The Sea", and it's using the same Kaleidoscopic Kites pattern I used previously.

- I worked a little on the LouLouthi row - I'm now about halfway done with it. Every time I look at this quilt, I'm enraptured! I love Anna Maria Horner's work, and all of the different LouLouthi substrates have been enchanting - I can't wait for the velveteens to come out, because I'm really looking foward to working with them!

- I watched Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. "I have always been, and will always be, your friend." Spock + Kirk are like the best buds ever. (Except for me and my best bud!)

-I also got a couple new books! "Alice in Wonderland" and "Peter Pan", featuring the art of Mary Blair ... I'm loving them! And I bought "Scrap Republic" by Emily Cier, which is excellent. I'm looking forward to delving into my (carefully saved) scraps now, for sure!

- I bought Star Trek: Season 2. I love this show - and I'm glad it's coming in the mail, because I'll be saving the watching of it for my vacation next month! Yay!


That's about it for today. This afternoon, my brother and I are off to Barnes and Noble and Fry's; he's got money in his pocket and it's bothering him. (If only all of us had these problems ... sigh!) Later days!

- Katie

sleep exhaustion, winning, and a genius alarm system.

I did it. I finished my Prince Charming Log Cabin - and I'm just tickled pink (excuse my pun)! No pictures thus far; I need a guy or two to hold it up whilst I photograph, and so far none of us have been off on the same days!

In order to complete said quilt top, I stayed up all night, ripping out the seams on the sashing, reattaching the blocks in proper order, and then reattaching the blocks. I actually had it finished and hung in the closet around 3:00 A.M., which left me (sadly) with: two hours until the burrito shop opened, three hours until first light (and, therefore, the return of my willingness to go and grab my laundry, due to fear of a.) the dark and b.) zombies) (my apartment is right on the street, but there's a fence on one side of my sidewalk and giant bushes right in front of all our apartments, which oddly makes it creepier), and six hours until I had to be at work for a delivery.

In the time until the delivery, I completed more blocks for my Poseidon Greek Cross (I need to cut some more fabric out for that one) and worked on my LouLouthi Flannels Chevron. I also watched about half of Doom, which is a terrible horror movie by some standards, but I like it just fine.

I also rigged up a genius alarm system for myself. My problem is that I'm actually unable to hear the alarm I currently have set: I sleep right through it. I sleep right through FOUR of it, and wake up about two hours later than I wanted.

So I changed it up. I set each alarm on my phone - all 15 minutes apart - to a new tone, each more annoying and jarring than the last. One of those was even the ringtone I gave my ex-boyfriend, which was kind of terrifying at six in the morning. But it worked! I heard EVERY ONE! I am so smart I scare MYSELF sometimes. (I also frighten myself with my extreme modesty).

So now, with Thanksgiving on the way and two days of complete laziness ahead, what to do? Here are my plans:

- Paint my nails. Possibly.
- Play ZELDA. I GOT THIS GAME ON SUNDAY AND I AM RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED. IF NO ONE EVER SEES ME AGAIN, I'VE BECOME PART OF THE GAME AND I'M VERY HAPPY.
- Sew another row to LouLouthi flannels. I'm loving this quilt's look!
- Cut fabric for Poseidon and for other quilts, bag it and tag it!
- Bake pies. And rolls, and cook mashed potatoes, and also ham at my house because my Dad threw his oven down the stairs last spring (in his defense, this would have been the first occasion where the thing MIGHT have come in handy since that day. So he was kind of right).
- Find my brother's "legal, you were born here, and you exist" paperwork. Boy needs a photo ID and a bank account like I need a vacation.


So there you are! Be back later with my "achievements".

Frustruating

There are very few things I do that don't have a specific order. For me, the planning is part of the fun: I don't like to throw things together - to quote my mother - "all lolly-gaggle". I don't want to go into a project and not KNOW what I'm going to have as an end result. For that reason, I always plan out out my quilts on graph paper first - even if I'm using a pattern, I'll usually graph out what prints go where as a point of reference. I then "block off" those areas I've finished.

A big reason for my fussiness is my problem with directions. I can read a pattern ten times, but I usually don't understand it until I've gone through it myself. I can't read driving directions, and I can't understand them when they're spoken to me. Usually, the only way I can get from A to B is to have someone directing me as I go (who is, of course, able to understand directions - my little brother and I have been lost many a time because neither of us really can). Once I've gone down that road once, though, I'll remember how to get there the next time with no help at all.

Quilting is, essentially, the same. Two of the quilts I'm working on now - the Prince Charming Log Cabin and the LouLouthi Flannels Chevron - have patterns that I worked out myself, with colors and fabrics in very specific places, that require me to look at the graph every time I work on it. I've had a few problems with the flannel quilt, and had to recut flannel squares and re-do certain parts (because seam-ripping flannel is terrifying). But as long as I'm paying attention, everything is all good.

Last night, I was very close to finishing my Log Cabin quilt top. I'm trying to get this project out of the way because, as much as I love it, I need to work on Christmas projects and this top's unfinished state is taunting me as I walk through my apartment.

I was very close to finishing it until I realized that the blocks weren't lining up right. The colors are supposed to match diagonally - indigo, red, green, honey, ingido might go across, and then the next row would be honey, ingido, red, green, honey, or so on. But I had switched the red and green in one row, and so they lined up vertically instead. I just about gave up there, but spent about fifteen minutes seam ripping and resolving to fix that row (luckily, the only one incorrectly sewn) before moving forward with anything else.

So you know what fun project I have waiting for me tonight! After that, I'm set on finishing that tonight and then starting on the cutting for one of my boss' quilt. I'll take pictures of the log cabin once it's daylight again! (For I quilt in the wee hours of the morning).

Until next time, later days!

Goals, Happenings & Weekend Plans

It's official; October has faded into November. The weather has cooled, the island has slowed. While October is usually my favorite month - Halloween, birthdays, and so on - this month it's been very stressful! Between my brother's surgery, among other things, it's been difficult to deal with (to say the least). This time around, I'm glad to see it go.

And with November, hopefully there's the promise of new things - today, six weeks after my brother's surgery, we met with his doctors and he was given a (near) clean bill of health! Four more weeks of a brace (to be picked up Monday) and he'll right as rain! Definitely an immense comfort to know, and I'm glad to start my day off that way!

I'm starting it off strong on a quilting front, too! -

My Castle/1001 Peeps Kaleidoscopic Kites Quilt (isn't that a mouthful) is nearly done! The top is 3/4 of the way pieced, and finishing it should take another hour and a half at most! This was definitely thanks to season one of Star Trek: The Original Series, which was an honorable companion during the wee hours of the night - and the day - and all 29 hours of which I watched it.

I'm a few sashings and a border away from being done with my Prince Charming Log Cabin! This one is a bit trickier me - because UGH, sashings - but I plan on finishing the top this weekend. I'll be excited to hang it in the closet with the others!

Is anyone else excited about the multitude of lovely fabric coming out next year? I'm trying to be good, so no impulse buying, but I've got my heart set on three collections coming out in 2012: Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House, Nightshade by Tula Pink, and Ruby Star Shining by Melody Miller! Other than that, I plan on purchasing a bunch of charm packs for my hexagon quilt - I've made myself a nice list :)

I'm also saving up for a new sewing machine. I originally wanted to purchase the Janome Horizion - which is an admirable machine, to be sure, and one day I might buy one anyway - but for now, I think I've got my sights set on a Janome HD3000. It's more of what I've got in mind, with the features that I want, and it seems to be a "workhouse". Any feedback I've found on it has generally been positive, and I plan on saving for a couple months and trying it out at a Janome shop nearby. I love my little Brother, and he has served me well, but I need a bit of an upgrade!

That's all for now. I'll be back this weekend with a few pics of the completed quilt tops!

Around Here

This has definitely been an eventful week!

For starters, my younger brother - who has, for the last month, been complaining of pain in his wrist - was recently discovered to have had a fracture in his scaphoid. So after three weeks in a splint and another visit to a doctor yesterday, this time an actual orthopaedist, Friday is now set aside for his surgery. They're putting a screw in his wrist. And while it's outpatient, and he'll be going home afterward, I'm still as nervous as all-get-out! He's been lucky enough to have never needed a surgery or any kind of painkiller, but in this case it's strange new territory for us. I'm taking two days off this weekend to make sure he's doing okay, and then it's back to work for me (and back to school for him the following Tuesday).

Aside from that, there's been a lot of laundry, very little cleaning, and some sewing. I'm very excited to have finished all of my Prince Charming Log Cabin blocks, and have sewn two of my six rows together. I have very few sewing plans this week, but here are the few I aim to accomplish:

- To finish at least two more rows for my Prince Charming Quilt. Once I get the top out of the way, I think I can concentrate on some of my OTHER projects!
- To cut out more fabric for my Castle of 1001 Peeps Quilt (namely, the solids I had to order to match the fabrics ... Joann's does NOT have a great selection!)
- To organize that quilt by blocks and label them!
- To organize my Poseidon Greek Cross quilt by blocks!

I can't do much on Friday or Saturday because he needs his rest ... so I'm planning on tidying up my dad's house and watching movies while he rests in the bedroom. And for tonight - well, I think I'll clean MY apartment, since it's going to be sorely neglected this weekend.

On that note, later days!

A Busy Month.

Long time, no see. Normally, I would attempt to blog more regularly, but this month has been so hectic and busy that I've barely had time to breath, much less blog.

A few of the many things I've been up to:

- Been back and forth to Houston for food shows, dinners and classes; it feels like I've barely been home!
- Bought Thor, X-Men: First Class, Star Trek 2009, and Jane Eyre (2011) - all of these movies are FANTASTIC, and I think I've watched each of them a bajillion times!

And on the quilting front:

- Working on my Hexagon Quilt. I took pictures of some arrangements of "blocks" and bagged those so I would have some to work on in an organized manner - I've sewn a few of those together, even, so it's a start.
- I've made significant progress on my Tula Pink/Prince Charming quilt! I sewed together what I thought was all the blocks, but since I had quite a bit left over, I decided to add one more row of another five blocks! I have yet to sew those together, but I'm looking forward to it!
- I've pieced together more blocks for my Poseidon quilt. I've now got 7 of 42! I haven't had time in the last week or so to complete any more, but they're so easy I think it'll be a breeze!
- I FINALLY decided on a pattern for my "Peeps" quilt. It's from FreshLemonsQuilts, and it's called Kaleidoscopic Quilts - a deliciously free pattern here. Once I saw the colors, I was like, "That's it!" I increased the size by two blocks lengthwise and widthwise, because I like a bigger quilt, and to get through some more of my stash.

And I've been trying to be good, but I ordered ...

- Some solids/builders, including the Illusion prints from the 1001 Peeps line, and some solids in blues and greens.
- Some white solid; I'm thinking I may just have to buy an entire bolt of one someday.
- Some LouLouthi flannels! I purchased half of the set (six pieces), and I intend to order the other six prints in the line (and eventually some AMH folksy flannels) to make a warm, comfy, flannel quilt. Yum-o! Can't wait!
- Some of the brown Pearl Bracelet for the binding on my Peeps Quilt!
- Some of the Dandelions in Indigo for binding my Prince Charming Quilt, and Frog Prince in Olive for the backing. I love the Frog Print, I couldn't resist!


I'll eventually get around to posting some pictures, and getting into more detail ... at the moment, things are so hectic I've barely been able to blog at all! :)

I'm off to work - later days!

Tuesday

Hello!

I haven't posted in a couple weeks ... partly because I've had difficulty with figuring out what to post, and partly because I've been rather busy. The last few weeks of school have caught up with me - between buying school clothes and getting in some last minute hanging out with my younger brother, I've had very little time to write!

I'm proud to say that I've spent very little money on new fabrics these last couple months. I've been on a stricter-than-usual budget and I'm pretty pleased to say that I'm actually whittling down on my stash, not adding to it. With that said, I have a few items I've got my eye on:

- My first can of basting spray. I know, have I been living in the dark ages? While I can't use it on the quilt I hope to baste soon - my little folks patchwork quilt - I do intend to use it on some gift quilts this winter. And I'm very excited to do so!
- Some more voile for my quilt backing. I'm thinking a yard or two of Clippings in Sherry (or Forest). I do so love Anna Maria's Voiles ...
- Quilter's Dream Request Loft Batting for my voile quilt. I want this one to be thin, trim, and light, so this is the batting I've heard is thinnest.
- A couple Warm-and-White Queen size battings. I think it's time to stock up, and Amazon always has them on sale cheaper than the store ...
- A new camera. I've been without one for months - hence the lack of pictures here and on my other blog - and I'd love to be able to better document my processes.

It's ambitious, I know. But quilting is the thing that makes me happiest (aside from family, work, and God), so it's important to me to have the right tools. I'm hoping to delve into these things this week ... and a little (LITTLE!) bit of fabric might jump into that cart, too. You never know.

Starting Anew

Today, I started a new blog.

Or rather, an improved, more organized version of my previous blog! I realized, as I was writing today, that there were a few things I wasn't completely pleased with when it came down to it. For one, it was disorganized - this blog is, for me, like a quilting journal, a place I can use to interact with a vibrant online community. But I couldn't see doing that if the posting was sporadic and - to phrase my mother - "all lollygaggle".

For another, the name I chose for my previous one - lackadaisicality - was spelled incorrectly (it's not even a word, but the way I spelled it and the way it is actually written for pronunciation was wrong). And that was on my URL - another issue was the name itself being difficult to spell, and therefore difficult to visit.

So here we are! Gulfwater Quilts. Named so because of the lovely gulf waters I have the privelege of looking out on every morning and night. A new name to reflect where I have come from - my saltwater soul - and the one hobby that has continued to fuel my creativity: quilting.

So here's to new starts.