WIP Wednesday, 6/26/13

I was unplugged from Thursday afternoon of last week until Monday afternoon. You know what I missed the most? Instagram. I have found that I really enjoy documenting my sewing progress by posting pictures to Instagram. But...no iPhone, no iPad, no internet. No Google. We made a list of Google-able items, questions we needed answers to once we were in contact with the outside world again.

There were four of us sewing at our friend's cabin in Yosemite West. It was wonderful. But noisy. New cabin construction is going on. Apparently seven days a week. We thought Saturday would be a quiet day--no heavy equipment noises from across the road. Wrong.

Then we thought Sunday would be a quiet day. Wrong again. They worked until 6 p.m.!

We tried to cover up with the noise with four sewing machines. It was quite successful. When the sun wasn't too bright, we went outside and took pictures. I managed to complete my monstrous MCC quilt for next April, Swooning with Oakshotts, although that is probably just a temporary name...

I made some really cute drawstring bags  (with Jeni's pattern) using kitchen hand towels from Target. I'm going to stock up--these things are super cute.

 

 

As we complete things, we hang them over the circular stair railing. It's a tradition.

And I played with the fish eye lens on my iPhone. Because it's fun.

Still waiting to get pictures of everyone else's projects...

In the meantime, I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday this week.

The Name Game: PatchworknPlay

Susan is here today from PatchworknPlay, all the way from Australia! I think I discovered Susan through Mary, better known as Molly Flanders. They are great friends, and I kept discovering all the wonderful things Susan was working on. As a bonus, she is now a member of the Mid Century Modern bee; I was just thrilled when she accepted the invitation to join!

(this inspires me to complete my Farmer's Wife quilt top!)

How did you choose the name for your blog? Were there any other names you considered and can you share any of them with us?

I thought for weeks about the name for my blog.  I was already blogging (I'm too embarrassed to tell you what that name was!), had been for about five months and had nine followers!  I was still finding my niche, but was loving the contact I was establishing with other quilters around the world, so I wanted a name which would attract like minded people.

 

I am a school teacher by profession and believe  words are very powerful.  So for weeks I played around with words associated with "patchwork".  (In Australia, patchwork is a word that fits all types of piecing, not just, as it is in other parts of the world,  simple square piecing.) So I thought about the 'work' part and somehow it's opposite 'play' fitted together so well. Occasionally on my blog I talk about more playful aspects of my life- my cycling or what I see when I'm out walking.

Now that you are recognized by PatchworknPlay, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?

I love my blog name! I would never consider changing it.  I think it still sums up my life so well- work gets in the way sometimes and I don't always have time for fabric play..... Besides, what else would I call my husband- Mr PnP suits him perfectly!

Susan, thank you SO much for playing the Name Game today. I hope you get a lot of visitors because there is much to see!

 

The Name Game: Citric Sugar

Carly is here this week from Citric Sugar.

 I had to show this amazing quilt first--you can read about it here. Really--take the time to read this post!

I just adore Carly. She is so creative and very funny. And she does something that would totally freak me out. She is a member in an improv comedy troupe!  Last year, I suggested that maybe she and I could do a private swap, making something special for each other. I had never done a swap before. As is typical when I suggest something, the other person nearly always finishes first. (Terri, are you reading this? I am working on that CD playlist swap. Really, I am.)

Anyway, this is what I received in the mail from Carly.

Those pieces are teeny tiny, like 1/2" squares! Orange zipper, orange lining--Carly pays attention to all the little details. (Oh, and we both share a love of orange.) It is gorgeous and I just love it so much!

You want to know more about her, right?

Carly, how did you choose the name for your blog?

I wanted a name that reflected me and my style. I'm a bit of a softie but I tend to disguise that with humour, therefore: Citric for the zing, Sugar for my inner marshmallow. I wanted something that would make a good "brand" name, too, if I suddenly developed ambition but didn't tie me down to a particular theme if I later changed my mind about the direction of my blog.  I kept having this image of a sliced ruby red grapefruit stuck in my head but thought, hmmm.. Slice of Grapefruit sounds more like an overly food-conscious diet blog.  (Most definitely not me - bring on the cheesecake!)  Instead, I liked the idea of something not too sweet but not too edgy, either.  Simple. Fresh and clean. 

Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us? 

Bittersweet was a word I tossed around a bit but it sounded too chocolatey and brown, kinda fussy, and potentially maudlin. I wanted the name to somehow keep me on a sunnier path with what I chose to share, to remind me of positive things, and refresh my optimism, as well as my creativity. Plus, orange is my favourite colour and it just wasn't going to blend with 'bittersweet'... So I nixed that word.  I'll save maudlin and wistful for another blog - haha!

Now that you are recognized by Citric Sugar, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else? 

I'm not going to lie - I kinda love it.  I am really comfortable as "Citric Sugar", and it's evolved into a bit of a nickname in real life, so that's pretty cool.  I don't think I'd change it if I could. I'd have to start an entirely new blog in a totally new direction and that sounds like an incredible amount of work. I'd prefer to save that energy for all my other creative endeavours...

Thanks for inviting me to play The Name Game!!

Thanks for playing along this week, Carly!

 

I hope all of you will hop over to Carly's blog and say hi.

The Name Game: Bluepatch Quilter

This week Sheila is here from Bluepatch Quilter, all the way from Ayrshire, United Kingdom. For some reason, I have a special place in my heart for UK quilters. Maybe it's because I want so much to visit there someday soon.

Sheila, how did you choose the name for your blog?

My blog name is basically cribbed from my eBay user name. I used to use eBay lots and when I first registered, I dutifully followed their suggestions for choosing a user name. Start with favourite colour - must have been blue back then, and then a hobby plus number. So blue patch was born. When I started my blog a couple of years ago, I confess I wasn't all that sure what a blog was all about. I teach quilting locally and have an "off season" from April through August so I thought it might be a way of staying connected to my students. Many of them do indeed follow me but as I got more into my blogging I discovered a whole other community out there.

Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

There really weren't any that I considered, I don't think I laboured too much over the choice, probably just as well, not sure I could have come up with anything as clever as some that I follow now and I might have chickened out altogether.

Now that you are recognized by Bluepatch Quilter, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?

I'm ok with my name, I could argue that my favourite colour for the last few years has been chartreuse so really glad it wasn't when I set up on eBay........chartreusequilter is a mouthful isn't it?

As my blog grew, I plugged it more in my classes and then to give the classes more of an identity I call them bluepatch quilters. There are other groups using the same premises that I do, also sewing, so I feel my classes are becoming more recognised by their name.

I also use it for my etsy shop - bluepatch quilts'n'things although not much has happened there.

Thanks, Sheila! I hope you will head over to Bluepatch Quilter and say hi.