Category Archives: Collaborations

Day 29: Art Journal Page On Gratitude

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Yesterday I blogged my thoughts on resolutions for 2016. I’ve got a general sense that I want to focus on being social, creative, and healthy. But why wait? There’s no rule that I have to have it all figured out or begin on January 1st.

So today I started a page in my art journal. It’s going to take a while to fill in all of the things I’m thankful for because it’s list-style. That leaves room for a LOT of things. It’s great to have focused on something positive and visually interesting.

I also started working out. My sister and I have a goal to work out at least five days every week through January. I watched the last half hour of the Lego Movie (which is hilarious) while strolling on the treadmill. Day 1, check!

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Day 28: Thinking about 2016 Goals

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Do you have a new year’s resolution yet? I’ve been thinking about what mine could be for the past few days.

Some of my family members have a Facebook group devoted to physical challenges, mostly related to food and exercise. It’s a great way to check-in and support each other. We’ve done several 30 day challenges. One was to cut out sweets for a month, another was to walk 10,000 steps a day, and we had veggies daily. Last month I tried to drink 80oz a day. I didn’t make goal most days but definitely was more hydrated.

Monthly goals are great for me because they help me stay consistent without getting completely overwhelmed by the thought of doing this for an entire year. 365 days is a big number!

The creative introvert who wants to be physically stronger in me is thinking of categorizing goals.

  • Creative goal: try something new every month. This can be learning to knit hats, designing a quilt, making a new page in my art journal, trying a new recipe, or a myriad of other things.
  • Social goal: something. I don’t know what I want this to look like yet. Touch base with each member of my immediate family? Make new friends? Invite people over? Initiate conversations? Join a quilt guild when I move? Teach classes?
  • Health goal: continue with monthly challenges. Get stronger. Stronger than what? How strong? Concrete numbers are good with goals because you’ll know when they’re attained. With my water challenge, drink more water is vague but drink 80oz is trackable.

So that’s where I am so far. How about you?

Day 16: What I’m Reading

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Yay! The #31dayblogchallenge is halfway over. There are dozens of bloggers participating and I’ve seen some great posts. Here are a few I’ve enjoyed.

This one’s from the BadAss Quilters Society. It was published in November but is just too good to leave off of this list. How to be a BFF to your LQS

 

Day 15: Born a Girl

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“Dear daddy, I will be born a girl. Please do everything you can so that that won’t stay the greatest danger of all.” Grab the kleenex and watch this video.

Okay. There are LOTS of horror stories to be told. What I want to hear is examples of when men in your life stood up for you as a girl. Will you tell me? Comment below or email if you’d like more privacy. mrs.megan.null at gmail dot com.

I’ll share some of my own experiences in another post.

 

Still looking for tree blocks for the camp quilt. Click here more more information. Thanks!

Day 13: Aurifil and Rocket Ships

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Another #31dayblogchallenge post.

When the dementors circle it’s difficult to focus. Gratitude can be the patronis charm needed to fight off depression. It’s one of those days so here are some things I’m thankful for.

  1. Friends and strangers who’ve stepped up and offered to help with the Turtles Quilt. Many are making tree blocks for the final border. Thank you! The block tutorial is here if you’d like to help too.
  2. Aurifil thread. I’m so grateful to Glenni for granting my thread wish during the #getyourquiltywishesgranted community event. velcrowiththread
  3. Kitty snuggles. This one will tolerate photographs of things plopped on top of him if head scratches are involved. I love how openly cats show affection. There’s no guess work involved.
  4. Oreo ice cream. No explanation needed on this one methinks.
  5. Rocket ships. I’m hand embroidering this one as I veg out in front of the TV. It’s for Conrad’s quilt which I learned about through #getyourquiltywishesgranted. I’ve seen photos of him happily receiving other blocks and am excited to send this one his way. You know, once it’s finished.

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Day 8: More Tree Blocks Please

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This is another #31dayblogchallenge post.

Edited to add: Blocks due January 20th, 2016. After that I’ll make do with what I have and get this project finished. Thanks!

I’ve got three more #getyourquiltywishesgranted envelopes ready to mail and four that are waiting for me to buy stamps. In light of all the giving going on I thought I’d take this opportunity to ask for more help finishing a quilt.

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This quilt is for my childhood summer camp and has been a community project from the very beginning. Many artists have helped make the center turtle blocks as well as the tree blocks already.

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What I’d love to have is more tree blocks for the final border of the turtles’ quilt. I still need 75 more to make it all the way. Will you help? There’s a block tutorial here for the easy 8″ x 11.5″ pieced blocks. If you’re sending some my way please email me for the address mrs.megan.null at gmail dot com.

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Day 7: Instagram #getyourquiltywishesgranted

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Here’s another #31dayblogchallenge post. Happy Monday you guys!

Something cool’s happening in the quilting community on Instagram. If you’re on it you should check out the hashtag #getyourquiltywishesgranted and participate. Here’s how it works. Search that hashtag and check out the wishlists. Grant some of those wishes before posting your own.

How awesome is that? I hoped to find some piecing thread and have three people sending me Aurifil. Really! I’m thinking putting another ask out there for tree blocks. I don’t yet have enough for the final border of the turtles quilt.

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What’s most exciting for me is the giving. Here’s a photo of the first 12 envelopes going out with tomorrow’s mail.

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There’s small prints for a postage stamp quilt, traditional fabrics for an aunt who’s a new quilter, low volume scraps for a background, animal fabrics for a toddler’s I-spy quilt and more. This is for the quilter who’s looking for mice.

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Pictured here are 40ish pieces of 16 polka-dot fabrics. The lady making a polka-dot quilt is going to be thrilled that she has more variety. My cost? Time and a postage stamp. If she had to buy these 16 fabrics, it’d be 1/4 yard minimum from a quilt shop. That’s 4 yards of fabric when all she needs is this little bit. How wonderful that this community movement is happening? I’m not the only one helping her out so she’ll receive even more variety which will make her project all the more interesting. That sure makes me feel good.

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Isn’t that a great way to kick off the holiday season? Happy Hannukah to my friends who celebrate and happy holidays to all. See you tomorrow.

Day 1: Six Favorite Small Businesses

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31dayblogchallengeWelcome to day one of the 31 days blog challenge. This challenge is Cheryl Sleboda’s idea and I’m glad to be a part of it. I’ll be blogging every day from now until the end of this year.

Yesterday was Cyber Monday, which wrapped up the Thanksgiving holiday weekend shopping specials. The 30% off moving sale is still happening in my etsy shop. You know, ’cause I’m still moving and want to have less stuff to shlep. Anyway, I highlighted a few of my favorite small businesses this weekend on the quiltartbymegan Facebook page. Here they are in one spot. Check ’em out!

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Alex Cook is the artist behind the Multi Mural Project. Community art at its finest, messages like “You Are Loved” are painted on places like school walls, city streets, and inside prisons. It’s led and organized by Alex and the community come in and help paint within his outline with colors he’s chosen. Here’s Alex’s website which includes the murals as well as his musical and written art.

Fed By Threads is a clothing store (in Tucson and online) with American-made organic clothing. It’s body-positive and built to pay everyone from designers to sewists living wages. This is in stark contrast to most clothing companies which use sweatshops overseas to manufacture most of their products. Facebook ’em here and check out their website and shop here.

Katwise makes whimsical coats out of old wool sweaters. Watch her Facebook page for announcements on when the next sale will be. You’ll want to be waiting at her etsy shop when it goes live because they sell out in minutes. No kidding. She also has patterns if you want to try your hand at it. I’ve made a bunch of arm-warmers from her tutorial.

Gregory Patrick of Mad Man Knitting is a blogger, author, and pattern designer. He knit teddy bears and worked his way out of homelessness with this small business. His story is inspiring and his stuff is super-cute. Here’s his website and Facebook page.

X-bility has experiential learning courses that have enhanced how I view myself, my relationships, and the world around me. They’re well worth flying into St. Louis for. Check out their website and Facebook page.

Carol Carter is a watercolor painter. Check out her website here: and find her on Facebook here. She’s great at posting photos of her paintings on Facebook so you’ll want to follow her page. Carol does commissions as well as buy-now paintings. She also teaches.

See you tomorrow.

Come See Me at the Purrs and Paws Holiday Boutique!

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Come see me this weekend at the Purrs and Paws Holiday Boutique! I will be shutting down the etsy shop  and opening an in-person booth on Saturday, November 7th 2015 from 8:30am to 3:00pm. Admission and parking are free at the middle school location in Ventura, CA. Bring cash or check to buy handmade art from me. Boutique benefits the local no-kill animal shelter.

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Here’s the details for the Purrs and Paws Holiday Boutique.

  • November 7th, 2015. 8:30am-3:00pm
  • Balboa Middle School – 247 S. Hill Rd., Ventura, CA 93003
  • Benefits the Humane Society of Ventura County, a no-kill shelter
  • Meet Megan. Buy stuff with cash or check. Hugs included! 🙂
  • Over 30 other vendors.

This is sure to be a fun event. I’ve been busy the past few weeks making some new things. Here are some of them. (For sale in the shop until Friday, then whatever doesn’t sell will be relisted after this weekend.) More are available at my booth that have yet to be photographed.

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I hope to see you there!

Treeline Border for Turtles Quilt

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Help wanted! If you’re making trees please send them my way by January 20th, 2016. Thanks guys.

Here’s a little tutorial for the treeline border blocks my friends and I are making for the turtles quilt. This quilt has been a collaboration from the start so it makes sense for this last bit to be made by many artists as well. If you want to help out and make one, I’d love that! As you can see from the last photograph I’ll need a lot of them to make it all the way around.

You’ll need some medium/dark greens and light blues for this 8 x 11.5″ block. This can be as scrappy or not as you’d like it to be. Use one green and one blue or a bunch of ’em.

 Cut:
  • Four 4″ green squares
  • Four 4″ blue squares
  • One to four strips of blue 1.5″ wide which add up to 40″ in total length
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Time to make some half-square triangles. Mark the diagonal line on each of the blue pieces. Sew them, right sides together, to the blue pieces on either side of the marked line. So, you’re going to get two half-square triangles out of each one. I like to chain-piece these, sewing 1/4 inch to the left of the marked line and then flip ’em to sew 1/4 inch to the right of it.

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Cut right down that marked line. Press ’em to the dark side and now you have 8 half-square triangles. Sew them into sets. You’re making a larger triangle shape with each one now. Press.

DSCN0009 Decide which piece will be the top of your pine tree. Set that one aside. Cut the other three by measuring 2.75″ from the bottom. Chop the tops off at that point and discard.

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Stack the pieces together and sew ’em up. Hello little tree! Border on all sides with the blue strips you cut and then trim the whole block down to 8 x 11.5 inches. This block is my own design. No need to worry about super-precise piecing on this one.

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