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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Fabric... Welcome to the Patriotic Quilter where I like to share all things quilty as well as red, white, and blue! Please feel free to look around and enjoy yourself! I would love to hear from you.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Inspiration: Found

Hi Everyone,

Last time I stopped by, I was sharing how I was having trouble getting back into quilting and what I could do for inspiration.  I asked all of you for advice, too.  I'm back to share with you some of the things that I did.

I had mentioned blogs.  On Friday, there was  this post from the wonderfully insightful Carrie Nelson.  It is a post answering some selected questions that were asked of many designers/bloggers, covering topics such as "What are you working on?"  "How does your work differ from others?" "Why do you create what you do?"  I found reading Carrie's answers to these ideas to be very thought-provoking.  It is a great post and really had me examining my quilting mentality.  (Perhaps that will be a blog post for a later date once I do some more thinking.)

Next I said that I needed to get out some of the fabrics and kits that I brought with me and look at them, and touch them, and start warming up to possibilities.   Right now, the idea of breaking up a large kit, and sorting out all of the pieces in this small space, seems too intimidating, so for now I chose one small kit.

Shopping for fabric is great motivation.  One day last week, I got an email from Michele at Island Life Quilts telling me how the Fat Quarter Shop was having a flash sale on fabric that looked like my type.  I immediately checked it out and put in an order.  It arrived on Saturday.


Linda left a comment sharing how she likes to look through magazines and books.  That was something that I forgot to mention in my post. Last week I purchased the newest issue of AP&Q.  It has a great feature article on Lynn Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles.

I mentioned that if I got desperate, I could visit a local quilt shop, and several of you agreed.  While I wasn't desperate, I did want to check out "the scene."  As it happens, Fort Wayne doesn't seem to have much in the way of LQS's, although there are some good shops in the area.  Shipshewana is about an hour away, although I haven't yet gone there since moving here.  However, while checking out the listings for the Row by Row Experience (Yes, I've been collecting some license plates,) I discovered that the little town of Leo, IN has a quilt shop!  This is amazing because the house we are buying is actually in Leo--just a few miles outside of Fort Wayne.  On Saturday, my husband and I wanted to drive by the house (we jokingly refer to it as "stalking the house") as we hadn't seen it all week, so then we found the quilt shop (my husband was checking out the barber shop just a block down the street.)

This is in the shop:  Needless to say, I felt very welcome!

The shop is called A Quilt of Many Colors and right away I met the proprietor, Sandi.  Her husband is retired Air Force(!) but they have lived in Leo for nearly 30 years.  The shop is small, but has a really nice selection including the batting I like to use as well as some Moda, etc.  Most of the fabric is for the traditional quilter--I think most of the local quilters quilt in that style and if you are a small shop, it is important to serve your customers.  I'm mostly a traditional quilter, so I wasn't disappointed.  While we were visiting, a group of Row by Row Experience shop-hoppers came into the shop.  They were from Iowa and came for the day to Indiana to visit some of the participating shops.

Most importantly,  Sandi told me that every Tuesday is "Sit and Sew" at the shop.  Wanting to meet other quilters, I gathered up my hand applique and went back yesterday.  There were four other ladies, and it was fun visiting with them and "talking quilting."  I'll be going back next week.

When it gets right down to it, though, you can have all the inspiration/motivation in the world, but as Jackie at Adirondack Urban commented:  just sitting at the sewing machine will get you going.  Once you get started, you won't have any problem!  Other than applique at Sit and Sew, I actually did get out my small kit--its one of Temecula Quilt Co's monthly minis--and I got started!  It's a slow start, but so far I have 6 of the 12 small nine-patches done and the others are all laid out.


Thanks to all of you for your advice and support!  It really means the world to me.

Have a great day!
JoAnne


14 comments:

  1. Sounds like you are on the road to recovery!

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  2. Moving is a huge disruption in your life and when you're focused on what has to get done and what will need to be done soon... creativity kinda goes dormant. I'm so glad you've found some quilters and a LQS in your soon-to-be new town. Things will start falling into place soon...

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  3. Sometimes it just takes "getting out there." It's good you found some gals to talk quilt with. Shipshewana has a couple of nice quilt shops. I'm over in IL if you would like a tour of some of ours. :)

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  4. You have had so many big changes in your life right now. It looks like you are getting into the swing - just baby steps and you will be shocked when you are comfortably into full swing.

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  5. I suspected it wasn't going to take you very long. How exciting and fortuitous to have a shop so close to your new home. I love the Robert Kaufmann fabrics you purchased from FQS. Wonder what you are going to do with those?

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  6. I've not done any sewing since May but over the last week I've got going again - making Advent stocking bunting for my Grandson and I've started a new quilt!

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  7. Serendipity to find a quilt shop that focuses on your tastes in your new hometown--and the owner being a military wife! And to have a sit and sew besides. Looks like you've made a good start!

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  8. I've not been to the shop at Leo, but will get there one day. It is often included in shop hops in eastern Indiana and western Ohio, where I live. You might check out The Quilterie, in Celina, Ohio. It is a very nice shop. Engine House Quilt Shop in Berne, Indiana, has a large selection of flannels. There is another nice shop in Archbold, Ohio, at Sauder Farms. There is a large quilt show there the first week of May every year. There are always several quilts from Fort Wayne on display. Soon you will have lots of new quilter friends.

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  9. I'm glad I could help ;-) Before you know it I'm sure you will have lots of quilting friends in the area!

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  10. I'm glad you are getting comfortable and fitting in. Finding a good quilt shop always gets someplace new feel like home. There is a quilt shop in Bluffton, the town my mom was born in.

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  11. Great minds in a small world, JoAnne ... I purchased that exact FQ bundle from FQS during its Flash Sale ... dangerous place to visit everyday! I also agree with the comment about just sitting at your sewing machine ... the "spirit" will move you and your creative juices will start to flow again! Hugs ~ Linda

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  12. I'm glad to hear that sewing a little helped to get you motivated again! Of course the books, blogs, shopping, and fellowship didn't hurt either! The nine patches are looking great so far!

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  13. Glad you are finding a little inspiration and connecting with other quilters in the area...that helps tremendously!

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  14. Wow -- your description of Sandy's shop is different from what several people told me when she opened! Maybe she's expanded her offerings -- I need to get up there! I used to work with her hubby and he's just the nicest man ever. Thanks for the post!

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