DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog » Creativity

Getting in Touch

Nadine — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:32:26 +0000

with:

My gamer side. Yeah, like you couldn’t tell from my absence what I’ve been doing for the last two months! The addiction to World of Warcraft rages on. My Night Elf Hunter promptly took a back seat to my Death Knight at level 55, and I’m working on the slow journey to level 80 with the Death Knight. And along the way, I’ve made a few more characters, so I have my own small case of alt-itis. I don’t have the veritable army of alts that my mother has, but still, if I make more than two more new characters, I’ll have to make them on a new server since I can’t have more than ten on the server that I play on now. Then they’ll be the poor relations, since there won’t be any of my other characters over there on the other server to share gold. Gold makes it all so much easier…big surprise…
My family more often, both the immediate members and the ones far away, as we play WoW together. I see my youngest daughter and husband more, since we all play in my studio together on separate computers. Sometimes we adventure together in-game, or help each other kill the difficult monsters. I talk to my mother, aunt and cousin more, though it must be noted that the conversations are mostly game related and take place in the in-game chat window!
The taxes. Ugh. Big UGH. But it’s not like you can just not do them. (Though at the moment, it’s tempting to make a try for the “not doing them” technique, and see how long I can stay under the radar on that.) And I have all that business stuff to make it 150% more complicated this year too. Yes, I’m whining. It’s my blog and I’ll cry if I want to!
My chauffeur side. I spend way too much time driving lately. GuitarGirl has graduated from high school, gotten a new job at the Commissary and started college classes, so my taxi duties have quadrupled (or maybe quintupled) in the last few weeks. Not that I don’t enjoy driving my car as I’m still in love with everything about it even though it’s over three years old. It’s just an awesomeness that I’ll never get over probably. In fact it’s the only thing that makes the taxi duties tolerable at all, but I still would rather pass on it and never leave my house unless I felt like it and there was good shopping on the other end of the journey, tyvm. On top of all that, it’s a bit freaky to have a child in college. I’m just sayin’.

But not in touch with:(...)
Read the rest of Getting in Touch (507 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 15 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Life, Musings, NOT Quilting, Quilting, Shows & Contests
Tags: AQS, Inchie Quilts, Inchies, moving, vidcast, World of Warcraft, WoW

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A New Appreciation

Nadine — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:00:27 +0000

My current project is sorely taxing my creativity and definitely making me question my otherwise good judgment. ITMan and I will be married 20 years on December 28, and I have something very special planned as a gift for both of us, but it’s not exactly something that fits in a box and is easy to wrap. (And no, I’m not telling what it is yet just in case he decides to do something completely out of character all of a sudden and read my blog!)

I wanted to make a small scrapbook-type presentation for this gift so that I could give it to him a few days before. For this particular gift, he does need a little bit of advance warning, and I didn’t want to just tell him about it. So I went searching for a handmade journal or small scrapbook thing online and could only come up with one thing that really spoke to me and it was a whopping $160! Um. No. Beside the cost, it was a full journal with 50 pages and all I really needed was about a dozen, if that. I don’t want to write a novel, after all!(...)
Read the rest of A New Appreciation (336 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Life, NOT Quilting, Quilting
Tags: papercrafts

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The Problem with Precuts

Nadine — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:02:05 +0000

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have already seen a bit of grousing on this subject, but I have to elaborate further here. You see, I had this sort of half formed plan (I won’t say half-baked, since that implies that it’s done but unsuccessful; this plan was just in it’s infancy) for a show quilt incorporating scrappy batiks, Inchies and machine embroidery. Don’t ask me to tell you how that was going to turn out with all of those seemingly disparate elements because I hadn’t yet figured that out completely, but it’s a moot point now anyway as you’ll see despite the fact that the Bali Pops look so pretty:

While the plan was still forming though, I spent a lot of time searching around the Internet looking for the best price on Hoffman Bali Pops, and was really happy when a 20% off coupon from Fat Quarter Shop showed up in my inbox at just the right moment. (...)
Read the rest of The Problem with Precuts (766 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 32 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Quilting, Shows & Contests
Tags: Bali Pops, batik, fabric, precut fabric, show quilts

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Head to Head: EQ Printables vs. Jacquard Cotton Sheets

Nadine — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:39:47 +0000

I’ve been doing some printing on fabric off and on lately, using EQ Printables Premium Cotton Satin Inkjet Fabric Sheets. I picked up a 6 sheet package at Quilt Market in Houston in 2008 so that I could try it out. The results with the EQ Printables are okay, but I haven’t been ecstatically happy with them, so when I was ordering from SoftExpressions.com recently, I decided to order a package of Jacquard Cotton Ink Jet Printing Sheets to see if it was any better.

I actually wasn’t planning on doing any sort of really scientific side-by-side comparison when I ordered the Jacquard, but after I printed an image on the EQ Printables and was pretty unhappy with the way the ink ran and spread during the rinsing phase, I decided to print the same image on the Jacquard to test it out. And okay, it’s still not a terribly thorough analysis since it’s not like I’m going to burn through three or four more sheets to test different kinds of images on each of these brands, but I think the results are worth sharing anyway.

Here’s the head to head, brutal comparison:(...)
Read the rest of Head to Head: EQ Printables vs. Jacquard Cotton Sheets (579 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Musings, Quilting, Tips
Tags: ink jet fabric printing

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Patchwork Tree and Half-Rectangle Triangles

Nadine — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:35:59 +0000

Here’s a little peek at a new quilt I’m designing:

Mmmmm, green. If I had to choose a favorite color, it would have to be green. I love, love, LOVE greens! And I had such fun just pulling these few fabrics together, some from my stash, some from the quilt shop, and some I ordered online.

I wanted to have a tree as the center piece of the quilt, and the tree block that I liked the best had half-rectangle triangles, which caused me some issues. I was thinking that you could just make them the same way that half-square triangles are made, by cutting the rectangles, drawing a diagonal line across the middle and sewing ¼” to each side of the drawn line then cutting apart. (...)
Read the rest of Patchwork Tree and Half-Rectangle Triangles (588 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Quilting
Tags: cool tools, creative spirit, design, fabric

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Inchie Quilts at Houston Quilt Market and Festival!

Nadine — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:21:37 +0000

Will you be at Quilt Market or Festival in Houston? I’d love to meet you! I’ll be signing books, doing some Inchie demos, showing Inchie Quilts and just having FUN! And I just might have some yummy German chocolate stashed in my suitcase too! I’m just sayin’!(...)
Read the rest of Inchie Quilts at Houston Quilt Market and Festival! (287 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Quilting, Shows & Contests
Tags: Houston, Inchie Quilts, InchieSee InchieDo, Quilt Festival, Quilt Market

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Embellishments are a girl’s best friends

Nadine — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:25:30 +0000

I’m crazy busy at the moment getting ready for Quilt Market and the AQS Quilt Expo, but I did promise quilting content before the weekend is out, and I am loving this current project, so I couldn’t wait to share it! I wanted to make another sample for the Embellishment Dimension workshop, and this time I wanted to do something totally different than the other samples I’ll take with me. I found this luscious batik at the Army craft shop in Heidelberg, and it was just begging for embellishments! It was, I heard it!

I listened to this fabric speaking to me for a couple of weeks before I finally had some time to play. Here’s texture piece number one:(...)
Read the rest of Embellishments are a girl’s best friends (351 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Inspiration, Quilting
Tags: creative spirit, design, embellishments, fabric, texture, workshops

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A Request for Help and an Inchie Quilts Giveaway

Nadine — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:01:06 +0000

Can you believe that Quilt Market is only a little more than three weeks away? Eeeek! I’m attempting to get all my ducks in a row for my trip to the States for Quilt Market and the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines. I’m still working on finalizing lectures and workshop samples and preparations, and I think I’ll make it, but I could use a little help from my friends right about now.

Here’s the deal: I need to have about 30-40 tips for The Daily Stitch loaded up and ready to go before I leave for Quilt Market, and with everything else going on at the moment, I’m running a bit behind! Can you help me out here? Send a tip or two my way? I’d be ever so thankful!(...)
Read the rest of A Request for Help and an Inchie Quilts Giveaway (236 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Life, Quilting, Tips
Tags: Inchie Quilts, InchieSee InchieDo, The Daily Stitch, Tips

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Accessories Mini Quilt with Silken Stitches

Nadine — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:48:18 +0000

Time for another show and tell! I’ve actually had this finished for a while now, I just didn’t get the pictures taken right away. I made this quilt as an example of what can be done with the postcard size accessory appliqué patterns for the Silken Stitches workshop. I love the way the quilt turned out, which is probably not surprising since I’m a little addicted to the shoe, bag and hat accessory motifs, and I suppose the same could be said for the fun Michael Miller prints that I used in the quilt.

I’m not sure that I’ve had my fill yet either, and I still have some yardage left, so at some point there may be another coordinating project coming. A lap quilt or pillows perhaps? Of course, none of this really fits into my house with it’s current decor, so any more quilts in this style or colorway might require some major redecorating…and shaking of the head and rolling of the eyes on ITMan’s part…

Here’s the crisp, colorful, summery-looking goodness (just in time for fall?):(...)
Read the rest of Accessories Mini Quilt with Silken Stitches (423 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Quilting, Shows & Contests
Tags: appliqué, AQS, free motion, free motion quilting, quilt shows, thread, workshops

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Inchie Ornaments for a Christmas Swap

Nadine — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:10:35 +0000

The Super Secret Inchie Project I mentioned in my last post is revealed! I had such fun designing these Inchie Ornaments for an exciting Inchie Ornaments Christmas Swap at Quilting Gallery. The ornaments are quick and easy to make, with lots of design options, and they are the gift to give this holiday season! I’ve written a complete tutorial at InchieQuilts.com so you can make Inchie Ornaments too!

You can make one, two or a dozen, and use them on your tree or garland, or decorate wreaths or gift packages with them. Make a couple, pop them in a gift bag or pretty envelope, and they’re a gift all by themselves. (...)
Read the rest of Inchie Ornaments for a Christmas Swap (150 words)

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© Nadine for DreamWeaver's Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
Post categories: Creativity, Featured, Quilting
Tags: embellishments, Inchies, Swaps

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