Carli The Quilter

 Hi everyone! I know its been a long time since last posting, but I've been working away on several fronts. The past Red Quilt is still undergoing more borders and then finishing. But I'm plagued with getting used to having Meneire's Disease. I have new glasses, new diet, new orthotics, and I'm getting used to slowing down literally!! This is a great way to use up an older made piece from the center and then also use up some of the Circle Blocks I made eons ago! And then that very busy border print is perfect to cool the rest of the quilt so far. I made myself a really nice dress made from two linen table cloths. Super stocked no stains were found on these two table cloths and they are so soft, I'll post a better photo down the road. Smaller projects are going to be the focus for 2023. My space is what it is and its better for me anyway. And life does bring change, right, always, change is the factor. Happy Quilting! Carli

When I began to write this progress report on my "365 Circles" that began so long ago I suddenly realized that circles have been a huge part of everyday life. Bowls to holes and all in between circles are the way life goes, in a circle! This lovely table runner went to a local charity raising funds in an auction. Three Dresden Plate Fans made into this Modern Dresden Table Runner I made this upcycled bath mat way back into the 1990's and have not looked back on the upcycling front. This fire ball was an exercise in exploring Ms. Carlson book. Quilting hoops around my house are a constant distraction for my family as pins and needles managed to escape and no one drew any blood in this exercise. When you begin a project I don't usually have a plan, to be completely honest. I just usually start with some sort of vision in my head and if I don't get it onto paper soon, it goes by the way of the Do Do Bird. I have...

I am having such fun with setting my own personal goals to get on with finishing the numerous tops I have. I have decided that if I take a top out of the "Finishing Drawer" then I must not start anything new until its finished and gone from my sewing womb.  I love to call my sewing room, a sewing womb. It reminds me of a good friend who lives miles away. We write real letters between each other. I started this modest foray into modern quilting by taking my obsession in crazy quilting to more solid colors as that's what I thought the early modern quilting I saw meant by the early days of modern quilting. That was I confess, in 2005.   Then I did my usual quilt as you go in crazy stitching so all that was required on this modern quilting experiment was machine embroidery stitches from my good old trusty Janome. Then it went into the drawer and another 12 years went by and for one reason or another it sat, I passed it over many times, as I was...

Do you ever think about why you are writing a blog? I ask myself this question frequently. I have much to share on quilting, stitching, and free form embroidery. I'd dreamed of being able to work from home like many others have done too, right? We all love to hang in our PJ's, being productive and efficient if we could right? Its amazing how many of us wish to make some money from the hobbie/addiction crafting activity we all love. If you share this idea, have a blog and want to expand your intermediate quilting by some of the ideas I've shared with you in this blog, let me know?  I began writing my blog with a spirited awareness of the enormous size, complexity and complicated nature of the Internet. I understood that our very large world could read my blog or not.... if you don't pay attention  and forget about your blog, your ideas can sink to the bottom of the lake! I am a person who loves to read. I have wide interests and with garde...

I love to read some of my favorite blogs and one is Sew Slowly by one lovely lady who could very well be another me. I know, who knew? I identify with her words and wished we lived closer.  It was her blog that I first found the 365 Circles  movement of sorts. Now, getting back to why Sew Slowly is my favorite blog is because her work speaks to using up the numerous fabric odds and ends we quilters accumulate. I am very aware of how many bins and boxes my husband has faithfully carried around for me, this being 32 years coming up for our 2017 anniversary so I know he really loves me! :) I made a new cell phone bag this summer before moving that hasn't been shared here. It was made after making my nephew's wedding quilt close up below. We also bought a Persian Rug for our new home and love it. As you can see this wee table runner with circles on it is becoming a new wedding present for good friends. Entirely hand sewn and slow as can be in making it. I a...

This happy little quilt is finally reaching a point where I can call it a quilt top, almost! For those of you just popping in to my blog, I've been working on the Scrappy Dresden Blocks for several years cleaning up scraps from my numerous boxes of scraps! Yes, its true, if you are frugal quilter, you acquire scraps from other projects and thousands of us are using the scraps in new projects or by donating the scraps to a local thrift shop. I am still working on 365 Circles Quilt top. Making bright and cheerful Scrappy Dresden Plate Blocks are not a new obsession to me, I've made a few quilts before. The quilt below is my "Canadian Birds Quilt" for my husband back in 2011 I think. Yeah, I was stumped for awhile over the early summer months of 2017 with what to do on the corners! I really like the striped scrappy approach used in Quilty Folks blog mentioned below. But was wondering about a crazy quilt corners and still thinking about th...