The Next Chapter

Today (5/26/18) is my last shift at Wegmans. I am not retiring but rather starting a new chapter. I have been at Wegmans on Holt Road for 8 years, and would have reached 9 on my start date anniversary in August. In that time I have served many customers and worked with many people of all ages. I have especially enjoyed working with the 'kids.' Often their first job in high school or a return for summer job for the college kids. I have enjoyed watching the learning and growing. I have listened to and encouraged the dreams as they progress through the years.

One of my favorites. A fun combination of Half Square
Triangles (HST) using copper color fabric and a batik.

This past week was the ultimate from me. I talked to one of the young people who told me of her dream to become a lawyer. When I asked her about her progress on this dream she told me that she was graduating as a lawyer this year and already has a job in corporate law.

In many ways this new chapter is my chance to pursue my dream. I enjoy expressing what I see and hear in the tangible form of an art quilt. I enjoy using scraps for spontaneous designs. I would also like to do some teaching to help others express themselves and find fun in their projects.

The next chapter begins this coming week and I move into a new space on the main level of The Shops on West Ridge Road. If all goes as planned I will be there with my sewing machine on Saturday 6/2/18 as a part of the monthly first Saturday activities. The "Shops" are open Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm and are located at 3200 West Ridge Rd., Rochester, NY 14626.

Scraps and scrap crafting

When I was a kid in the 1960's, we had a subscription to a magazine called "Pack-O-Fun" and it was all about scrap crafting. Making something out of nothing...















One time I fashioned a model of a camera out of paper and tape. My father brought home a big box of scrap paper, slightly off white and heavy weight, but not as heavy as card stock. I used it for signs and drawings and paper models. I had an endless supply of paper.

So in my sewing, I am always trying to make something out of nothing. I have a hard time throwing anything away. To me a scrap has to be smaller the 1" x 1" to be a scrap, and even then I am not sure I want to get rid of it. I still want to make mosaic art quilts and modern quilts with texture. The picture on the right are never scraps. The picture on the left may be scrap... but it would add great texture, so maybe that isn't scrap after all... Have to let it go!

The photo below is what I make from scraps. Most of these pieces are scraps except for the border pieces cut from larger yardage. But then when you cut from a larger piece you make more scraps....

Gifts given 2015

I made a few gifts that were given in 2015. I made a firetruck quilt for my grandson. I made the quilt top and my wife quilted it. I made two table runners that also went out as gifts. One went to my secret santa gift at work and one went to a family pass around gift. To an end of using more scraps than I create, which I don't think is possible,  I make the smaller inset blocks from the scraps that came off the ends of the stars. Making half square triangle as I go and them finding a way to use them in the end product.

The fire truck was going to be smaller with three fire trucks.  But, I started with the ladder and it grew from there. So it ended up as one large truck for a twin size bed. After this photo I added the light bar above the cab and my wife added extra quilt lines to embellish it. Fun to make personal projects.

It wasn't my fault, really!

It was my wife who said I should start a blog and she thought it would be a video blog. I may grow into that someday. But my first attempt caused a few problems. I posted it below, not sure if it will play.

My wife saw this video and then didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then she asked where I got the scraps. Then she admitted it may be her fault that I used the pieces that she had cut for an applique project. Something about bias strips... Well earlier that week she used one of those strips to show me how to start up stitches after putting in a bobbin. So I thought they were all extra stuff just in the way around the sewing machine. I was doing a good thing by using them up. If you have read my first blog about the time I cleaned up the sewing room, you may remember that she said all the  projects were in clear plastic bags. So if it wasn't in a project bag it was available and even in the way. That is what I thought, these were stems that went with flowers to be appliqued. It wasn't my fault, she even said so.

From those strips I made a few different projects, all of which have a special meaning at Christmas time. She did buy me my own fabric for Christmas, I think she wants to keep me away from her projects. But she bought me the good stuff, Stonehenge is one of my favorite brands. I also got my own scissors, an Ott light and my own pins. Below the pieces that grew out of my mistake.