Brief history lesson on Amy:
2000 - started considering the idea of quilting and made my first quilt. I was 25 years old.
2000-2007: continued learning some quilting fundamentals - NEVER took a class, just all self-taught
2007 - inherited Grandmother's/Aunt's quilting supplies (including fabric) - I mark this the beginning of reallllly becoming obsessed in quilting as my "life outside of teaching"
2008 - January: turned a room downstairs into "MY" sewing room - Once I had my own space... quilting took on a whole new life and obsession. Always set up, always ready to go. I was born again.
2008 - April; created this blog. I was turning 33 this year.
2008 - June: Purchased Bernina QE440
2010 - April: Purchased Juki98 and Grace GMQ-PRO quilting frame
Okay.....during my early years of blogging and really allowing myself to become a quilter (2007-2008), I would often see ladies posting "orphan block" creations.
And honestly, I thought...."What? Orphan blocks? How on earth do you get to have Orphan blocks? Don't you just make what the pattern calls for? I don't get it.... :\"
Then...the more independent I became with quilting and designing and trying out new things (and cutting TOO many "Bonnie units" for one of her mysteries or another...) :D
I
Have
Become
An
Orphan
Hoarder
I spent the morning at school; a post to come on that later
I started a quick little Quilts for Kids project that arrived yesterday; a post to come on that later
But just now.... I'm trying to "find myself." Hard to explain, but transitioning back to school is already changing my mental outlook on priorities, and I can already feel the "anxiety" of being able to find that balance of schedule that happens every year around this time.
So...when I got home from my morning of school (ALL RELAXING too!!)... and grabbed a bit to eat... and headed downstairs.... Nothing called to me. Didn't feel like making more Flying Geese units for Hawaii Sunset; didn't feel like finishing up the Quilts for Kids project, didn't feel like piecing Framed Rectangles into rows. Actually....I think that it's..... I didn't feel like SEWING! I'm antsy right now... I have no interest in sitting sitting sitting and pushing fabric through a machine.
Instead.... I saw my growing stack of "orphans"... and I started laying it all out.
Ummmm.....WOW! This is my 5th year of "true quilting obsession".... and...WOW! Where did all of these come from?
What a ride!!!!!
* My 2010 BOM attempts, but I didn't like the background fabric, so onto the pile they went...
* Extra blocks from Candace's Stars: no idea how/why I have extra, but I know I could look back at these posts and jog my memory
* Extra blocks from Bonnie's Carolina Christmas mystery: all of my posts on that quilt
* those blue/yellow or blue/light blocks?? Where/When are those even from???? Must not have liked them....onto the pile they go!
* extra Fun with Bricks units - 2008
* extra Wafer Cookie units - 2009 to PRESENT! Yes...hanging head. STILL not quilted!
* left over Cathy's Auny Sukey units - 2008
* an attempt of an applique rose for Now-n-Forever - a quilt that never happened; but instead turned into Candy Dish - 2010
* a new addition: a midget that didn't turn out - 2012
On and On the years are recorded in these blocks.
So, I have reached a mile-stone. I am a quilter. I have orphans. And I want these orphans to be turned into something for me.
And so now.... I simply am going to post this.... sit back and look at the picture... and see what amazing images come to mind on how to accomplish turning these seemingly unrelated units/blocks/scraps and interconnect them to a 2007-2012 melody.
