In need of distraction - YOU can help! (and win!)

In the world of college admissions, today is the day when the admitted students have to let us know if they are accepting or declining our offer of admission.  I try not to take their decisions personally, but I'll tell it to you straight - I do.  I let myself get so excited after reading their applications and meeting them, that when they say "no" it feels like a personal rejection.  Of course, just a month ago, they were the ones feeling these emotions as they received news from the colleges to which they applied, and we were the ones repeating over and over that the decisions shouldn't be taken personally.  Easier said that done.

Luckily, I have a lot to distract me. I have just a week and a half until the baby shower for my karate instructor who is having twins.  I am finishing up sewing down the binding on quilt #1...

I decided to go REALLY colorful for the binding!

The back is a light purple

and I have all of quilt number 2 cut, and it is partially assembled.  It will be zigzag rainbow quilt made from half square triangles.  Here's one assembled row...

As my Leader/Ender while I assemble this, I've been sewing some pre-assembled colorful strips that were donated to me to some black strips that I have cut, no real plan in mind yet, but we'll see what emerges...

But the thing that is taking up the most of my time is planning for what comes next.  Regular readers know that I gave notice at my job after 10 years.  My dream is to do something different, something creative, something that involves QUILTING!  I've been working on a business plan.  Here are a couple blurbs I've excerpted from there to give you an idea about what I have in mind.  "The Stitchin' Post" is my working name for now, a placeholder.  I know that there is a famous Stitchin' Post store in Sisters, plus many others scattered across the country.  It is just such a cool name!  But who knows what name I'll eventually go with - any ideas?

Statement of Purpose

The Stitchin’ Post is a creative space for fiber artists to sell their products, teach their craft, share their resources and engage with a supportive and collaborative community of other fiber artists.

Business Philosophy

The Stitchin’ Post strives to empower local fiber artists to create a revenue source for themselves by introducing their talents to a wider audience.  The Stitchin’ Post values creativity, collaboration and integrity, and seeks to create a welcoming, inclusive community that celebrates these values. 

So, it isn't a quilt store selling fabric or a yarn store selling yarn.  It would be more of a community center for fiber artists of all kinds - quilters, knitters, weavers, everyone.

Wanna help out? I'm still in the market research stage of things.   I have a quick 10-question survey to help me determine my direction. (I have other surveys that I'll  be sharing with local quilters and knitters and whatnot, but this particular survey is for fiber enthusiasts anywhere.)  Everyone who completes this survey will have his/her email address entered into a drawing for a $25 ETSY gift certificate that can be used at any ETSY shop that accepts gift certificates.  I'd love it if you'd complete the survey.  I'd love it if you'd share the survey with other fiber enthusiasts that you know - you can either link to today's blog entry, or you can just share the survey link with them - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3J3KB8N.

But don't forget to take the survey yourself! Click here to take survey.  (I've gotten my 100 responses - thanks!  The winner was respondent #55, Angela C from FL.)

THANKS!  Reading your responses will be one more way for me to distract myself.

Inquiring minds want to know

Well, then, I guess Toothbrush Rugs aren't widely known.  Basically, it is a crocheted rag rug made with strips of fabric, but I don't know how to crochet so I use a toothbrush needle.  The toothbrush needle is usually made from plastic, but some people custom make them from wood.

Back during the Depression era, they were made from toothbrushes, which nearly always had a hole at the end of the handle.  The bristle end was cut off and then filed down to a rounded "needle" point.  You tear (or cut, but I think tearing is better because you you eliminate much of the fraying that way, it is quicker, and oh so therapeutic to just RIP!) fabric strips the width of your fabric from selvage to selvage.  I don't know the exact width you are supposed to use, but I tear mine approximately 1.5" wide (but I don't measure).

Here's my first rug on a porch chair before I realized how great it would be under my sewing machine pedal. 

I learned the technique by watching the video at Rag Rug Cafe.  I have fabric that isn't really appropriate for quilting, but that I wanted to use for something.  My first round rug has been under my sewing machine pedal for months now.  I love that it keeps the pedal in place - the pedal used to always scoot around on my wood laminate floor in my sewing studio.  The rugs can be round or oval or hearts or rectangular.  I encourage you to Google "toothbrush rugs" if you want to learn more.

But after all that explanation, I haven't really worked on my rag rug since my last post.Instead, I've been focusing on cranking out some baby quilts.  First up, one of my karate instructors is having twins (girls, they say). For her birthday a couple of years ago, I made her a mini confetti quilt in rainbow colors, so I'm planning to make rainbow quilts for her babies, too.  I started with this rail fence - the blocks are made but not sewn together yet.

Inquiring minds want to know - how do you feel about square quilts?  For some reason, I am more drawn to rectangular quilts, so I am debating adding another row or two.  What do you think?

I plan to make the other twin a quilt in the same colors, but probably a chevron pattern - similar, but not the same, just like twins.  You guys know I'm an identical twin, right?  Twins hold a very special place in my heart!

Oh, and bonus for the rail fence quilt - I made the blocks using my pre-cut 5" charm squares so I wouldn't have to seek out and cut fabric.  I put the two fabrics right-sides together, sewed along two opposite ends, then cut 2" in from each sewn side, giving me two identical sets of 3.5" x 5" blocks.  I set one set aside because I only wanted each fabric to show up once in the quilt - you know, scrappy ole' me.  To the first set, I added a 2" x 5" white to each block, and voila, 5" rail fence blocks.  But now, I have a whole other set available, just awaiting the white, so I can make another baby quilt for another expecting mother some other day without too much preparation.  I love it when things work out like that!

On the home front, things are stable.  My MIL is hanging in there at home.  I'm hoping to get back up to see her during my kids' spring break later this month.  My mom has been struggling with some health issues, too, and I'd love to get up there to see her, but all the snow days have cut my kids' spring break in half, and it would be a challenge for us to make it all the way up to New Hampshire and back in just 4 days.  The boys and I have been busy with scouting (Pinewood Derby was this past weekend), and karate (my third mid-term test is this Thursday - I'm on track to test for my second-degree black belt in October).

Oh, and I gave notice at my job, so starting in July, I'll be a free agent.  I've already arranged to teach quilting to middle school aged kids at an art camp in July.  I'm ready to stop working at the breakneck pace I've been maintaining for years and be more creative.  I feel excited and proud of myself for taking this leap of faith (after all, who gives up a secure and lucrative job in a recession and sequester and in this job market???), but I'll admit, I'm a bit nauseous, too, not knowing what comes next.  I'm choosing to just believe in myself and that someone up there rewards leaps of faith.