tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63742566492169017112024-03-14T12:07:32.552-04:00Something Sew FineThe creative process often takes interesting twists and turns. Join me as I develop new ideas and designs and make fruitful connections along the way.Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-23017776984156999712019-01-01T18:23:00.001-05:002019-01-01T18:23:55.668-05:00Bring on the New Year!It is amazing how you can blink and suddenly two months are gone and it is New Years Day!<br />
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2018 was a good year overall, but also confusing for me the past few months. On the really good side, my hubby and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with an amazing adventure trip to northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon in October (thanks to Road Scholar). It was a truly awesome trip, but once back I had to start processing the idea that I was retiring from my business as a quilt designer and entrepreneur. At 73 years old I decided I had been working long enough. On the other hand, I missed my contacts with customers and vending at shows. It was a dilemma! I discovered, in fact, that I was not comfortable with just relaxing and not accomplishing anything! So I have been trying to come to terms with ‘retirement’ and yet needing something to get me excited again.<br />
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Thanks to an FB quilting friend , I have decided my word for 2019 is “Reboot”. I am cleaning out most of my “old files” and ‘rebooting’ my system! Going forward I want to be open to lots of new ideas, opportunities and adventures.<br />
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For example, in just a few days I will be on my way to CA and the Craft Napa workshops that I signed up for with my SIL Edie last fall. I can’t wait to learn new techniques for making art! I am hoping these workshops will get me kick-started in a new direction working in multimedia.<br />
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On the other hand, for those of my followers who have enjoyed my quilt patterns over the past dozen years, they are still available from me via my website or from www.quiltwoman.com (as downloads or as hard copies). I am always happy to hear from past and current customers, and would appreciate encouragement as I move in new diewctions.<br />
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Best Wishes for an amazing and creative New Year!<br />
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Cary Flanagan<br />
Somethingsewfine@comcast.netCary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-59385656048464859472018-09-30T16:36:00.000-04:002018-09-30T16:36:00.880-04:00Summer/Fall UpdateDon’t you just hate when technology gets in the way of your creative urges? My computer has been behaving more and more erratically lately. For example, it has been messing up my email accounts and my primary quilt design program. Most frustrating , I have tried numerous times to access my blog and although I can get to it to see old posts, I have been unable to post new content on my computer. It finally occurred to me I should try my tablet. Lo and behold, I can write a new post to my blog on my iPad (herewith). Very strange, Sorry it has been such a long time sine I last wrote. A new computer may be in the cards.<br />
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I spent a fabulous few days at “our little log cabin in the woods” with my sister-in-law Edie in mid-August. I mentioned earlier that she is an artist and we planned to spend these few days , just the two of us, experimenting together with new materials and mediums. The idea was to “play” with our art with no pre-determined outcomes and to support each other. Working with mixed media is very new to me so this concept was both exciting and frightening for me! Edie has worked with mixed media and collage beforea and was excited to bring natural ‘found’ items into her work with oils and acrylics on canvas. At the cabin we are surrounded by trees of many varieties which yielded pine cones, lichens, moss, twigs, and Birch bark. Lots of interesting colors and textures! Edie was in heaven!<br />
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For my part I wanted to combine working with fabrics and small canvasses, using Modpodge as a glue and a way to get a 3-D effect with fabric. I also cut some of my fabrics into tiny squares and made a mosaic using the Modpodge to hold the pieces on the canvas. I really stretched my boundaries but had great fun experimenting.<br />
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The best part was that Edie and I were able to bounce ideas off each other and critique each other’s work as it progressed with no value judgements attached. It was an exhilarating process for each of us.<br />
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We had such a good experience during those few days that we both wanted to do it again. However, with each of us living on opposite coasts (New Hampshire and California), the idea came to me we should look into finding a workshop that both of us could enjoy (mixed media instead of a quilt oriented retreat) And I found the perfect one to be held next January in Napa CA. It is called Craft Napa (craftingalifellc.com/craft-napa). It will be four days of intensive immersion in two one-day workshops and one two-day workshop. I am really psyched!<br />
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SO - talk about new adventures and living the “Big Juicy Life!! Give it a try - you will have a blast!<br />
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<br />Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-18849333515092378842018-08-08T17:06:00.000-04:002018-08-08T17:06:09.680-04:00Another Year Older!So - Yesterday was my birthday. I am 73 years young. Even though parts of me no longer look or function quite the way they once did, I am happy to say I am just as creative and “juicy” as I used to be.<br />
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When I tell people I have finally decided to ‘retire’, they think I am going to stop doing all the things I have been doing for the past fifteen years. Heck no! I will continue to design, sew, write, create, but hopefully with more freedom to just enjoy the process and not have to make something to order, or meet a specific requirement or deadline. THAT is the part I am retiring from.<br />
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Recently I was part of a wonderful conversation with a group of people ‘of a certain age’. We were talking about our lives including sore knees and backs. One gentleman (who was likely in his late 80’s) brandished his cane like a badge of honor and said emphatically: ”None of us knows how long we have left. I prefer to live as full of joy as I possibly can and not worry about what comes next!” I have heard this lifestyle referred to as living a ‘big juicy life’. That is the way I try to live my life, though, I have to say, it is pretty tough when the heat index (temperature plus humidity) is near or above 100 degrees!<br />
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Anyhow - back to my birthday - I had a really lovely day. Lunch with my best girlfriend, a few hours at a sewing machine shop (Nashua Sew & Vac), a nice dinner at home with my hubby, who not only cooked dinner but also brought me flowers and a yummy desert! Nice!<br />
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The best part, though, was my purchase of a high end sewing machine with lots of bells and whistles at a close-out price of almost $800.00 under the regular price! I figure, at this stage in my life this will likely be the last time I purchase a serious machine (and it replaces my twelve-yr. old machine that died a couple of months ago). On top of that, I got talking about what I do (design, teach, etc.) with Karen, who was helping me with the purchase and the owner and they have invited me to bring my patterns next time I am down there to discuss the possibility of teaching some classes! Pretty awesome!<br />
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So as part of my new, more liberated juicy life, I am certainly not above accepting (even encouraging) opportunities to teach (which I love to do) and (not incidentally) make a little money. While I am at it. <br />
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Feeling Groovey!<br />
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I love comments and will respond to everyone who leaves one.<br />
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Cary Flanagan<br />
Something Sew Fine<br />
www.somethingsewfine.com<br />
Somethingsewfine@comcast.net<br />
<br />Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-46357457273097529242018-07-29T19:47:00.000-04:002018-07-29T19:47:49.247-04:00New DirectionsI am back at the “little log cabin in the woods” for a long weekend, visiting my brother and participating in the annual art show of the Arts Council of Tamworth (NH). I had two of my wall quilts and my novel “After the Storm’ in the show and was delighted to sell one of the wall quilts at the opening Friday night.<br />
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It was lovely to have several people come up to me as soon as I arrived at the opening who greeted me with “so you are the quilter!” And then the woman who shyly approached me to ask questions about one of my quilts and then bought it. I have missed the days when I used to vend at quilt shows (both big and small) and had a chance to meet and talk directly with people interested in my work. I really enjoy that kind of personal interaction and need to find new ways to experience it.<br />
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I have been thinking for a while that as part of my journey towards New Directions I would like to concentrate on making smaller quilts that could be displayed as art pieces as opposed to the type I have been designing for the past 14 years that are primarily larger quilts meant to be used on beds or to snuggle with on sofas. This art show has given me the push I need to begin thinking more about quilts as ART and to be willing to sell some of them. I also need to think of myself more as an artist than a designer. That is more difficult to internalize but I am working on it.<br />
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One idea that came up when I was visiting family in Berkeley CA the last week of June was to collaborate (for want of a better word) with my brother and sister-in-law who are both painters. I love their work and thought how wonderful it would be if I could make some art quilts “inspired by” some of their paintings and maybe mount an art exhibit together. My SIL loves the idea! What do you think?<br />
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I welcome any feedback you want to share.<br />
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Cary Flanagan<br />
Something Sew Fine<br />
Http://www.somethingsewfine.comCary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-35276744707107655092018-07-17T17:00:00.002-04:002018-07-17T17:03:47.274-04:00Musings on the Old Country Store <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Have you ever purchased a penny candy from a jar or been offered a sample sliver of delicious cheddar cheese from a huge round under a glass dome? Have you purchased a loaf of homemade bread fresh from the oven, a yard of pretty red ribbon and a pound of nails all from the same counter? If you have, you were likely in an old-fashioned country or general store, the kind that carries pretty much anything anyone might ever want to buy.<br />
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There are several old stores like that that I enjoyed visiting as a child (and still do when given the opportunity). One of my favorites is in Moultonboro NH. It has the distinction of being one of the oldest country stores in the US still in operation. It was established in the late 1700’s! I pass by this fascinating store every time I travel to or from my family’s summer place and I always wish I had time to stop. It seems I am always in a hurry to get somewhere or do something. Part of my transition promise to myself is to take time more often to enjoy the ride more than the destination.<br />
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Here is how Hannah Applegate describes the store owned by her childhood friend Jane’s parents in my novel “After the Storm”.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Sometimes Jane, Lydia and I stopped at her parents’ general store on our way home from school to visit or to pick up something my aunt needed. Jane’s mother always welcomed Lydia and me with a big smile and an offer of a sweet from one of the many jars on the counter (my favorite part of the store). She was very round and jolly, always talking and laughing with the customers. I don’t think I ever saw her angry with anyone in all the years I knew her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I did not see much of Jane’s father. He was in charge of keeping the books and bringing in new stock. Once in a while, he appeared when I was there with an armload of shovels or a few bolts of new calicos. He also spent one or two days each week away from the store with a large “Tinker’s” wagon. He would go from farm to farm in the outlying areas to sell his wares to folks who rarely came into town. He would collect from them fresh butter and milk, apples, furs and wool in trade. When I saw him at the store, he always had an affectionate word for Jane, a warm greeting for me, and a smile for his wife but otherwise was quite reserved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I marveled at the variety and abundance of wonderful things sold in the store. They had everything from giant pickles in a barrel to pitchforks and kerosene lamps, not to mention staples such as potatoes and baking flour, eggs and fresh vegetables in season. Huge bags of grain were sold for livestock, along with parasols and dress gloves of fine leather or lace. If you brought in your own jars or bottles, you could get honey or maple syrup measured out for you. It was almost more than a mind could take in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Behind the counter was a shelf filled with bolts of fancy dress fabrics, including silks, satin and the more common muslins and calicos along with threads and notions of every kind and color imaginable! This shelf fascinated me and I wished I could go behind the counter to get a closer look. There was also a giant wheel of the most delicious cheddar cheese next to the register, and you could ask to have a tiny piece cut off for a taste or a wedge wrapped in paper to take home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Aunt Rebecca ran a tab at the general store that she would pay off at the end of each month with her hard-earned money. Often she bartered fresh eggs or her own homemade jams or pies for part of what she purchased that month. Other folks in town did the same, bringing in fresh vegetables, bushel baskets of apples, jars of maple syrup from their own trees That’s how there were always fresh goods at the store. It was an arrangement that worked well for everybody.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In summer, folks gathered on the wide veranda in front of the store to rest and gossip in the shade when they had the time. There was a swinging bench at one end of the veranda and several rocking chairs to the right of the entry into the store. Fresh lemonade or sarsaparilla with a chunk of ice was a welcome treat on a hot day! In winter, men gathered around the big pot-bellied stove that stood in the center of the large main room, and smoked their pipes or cigars and talked. The store was warm and welcoming and had a wonderful smell of pipe tobacco, spices, and herbs, fresh baked bread and donuts<span style="color: red;">. </span>It seemed to me that this store was the very heart of the village.<span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: #5c1291;"> </span>Except for my aunt’s house, the general store was my favorite </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">place to be as I grew up!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">What was your favorite place to be when you were growing up? What do you wish you had more time to savor before you have to move on to the "next thing"? What do you need to make more space for in your life? I would love to hear your thoughts and insights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Cary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><a href="http://www.somethingsewfine.com/">www.somethingsewfine.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><a href="mailto:somethingsewfine@comcast.net">somethingsewfine@comcast.net</a></span><br />
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Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-86900261624055790552018-07-12T17:28:00.000-04:002018-07-12T17:28:05.160-04:00A log cabin in the woodsI have been spending this past week at my family’s summer property on a small lake south of the White Mountains in NH. My husband and I are the caretakers since we live the closest (my family is scattered across the US and Canada and come east when they can.) Each spring and fall we open and close the cabin for the coming season. (I will spare you the details of what that entails, just know that mice and occasionally squirrels are involved.)<div>
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Our cabin is made of logs cut from the woods all around it back in the 1930’s when my parents bought 300 acres at $10.00 an acre! My mother designed the cabin but it was built by local woodsmen and builders and the road leading to it was also cut and laid by local men through 3/4 of a mile of thick woods and marsh.</div>
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It is so quiet here and so serene, it is possible to forget you live in the 21st century! So it is no particular surprise that my first novel “After the Storm” was set here, moving this cabin, this lake, the small local village and the entire region all the way back to the 19th century.</div>
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Hannah, the primary character of the story, was orphaned in the early years of the Civil War and was raised by her Aunt Rebecca, a dressmaker, who taught Hannah to sew and eventually to quilt at a young age. Hannah and her friend Aaron went to the nearby one room schoolhouse together and eventually grew up, fell in love and married. Aaron built this lovely log cabin on this small and isolated lake. He cleared the land, built a barn and here they started their family.</div>
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What do you suppose life was like in the 1860’s, ‘70’s and beyond? What might it have been like to be a dressmaker or quilter at that time, to raise your children and live off the land, to live in a small farming community, to be part of a quilting bee of like-minded women? These are some of the questions I sought to ask and possibly answer when I wrote “After the Storm, the Life of Hannah Applegate Benson Stone”</div>
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Go to www.somethingsewfine.com to order your own autographed copy of “After the Storm”</div>
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I am currently working on a sequel. Stay tuned.</div>
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Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-15140802129082133682018-07-05T10:03:00.000-04:002018-07-05T10:03:48.093-04:00Transitions are all about mindset!I am trying to wrap my head around what it really means to be 'retired'. I am feeling a bit like a kid in a candy shop trying to decide which yummy looking candy to try first! Nothing is physically changing in my world - it is more a matter of changing my mindset. Giving myself permission to experiment and play. I am not there yet but I am working on it!<br />
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I remember when I left full-time work for Big Brothers Big Sisters in April of 2004 after more than sixteen years I gave myself several months to experiment with a number of creative ways that I could start a small business and work for MYSELF! Since I was already a quilter it seemed logical that would play a large part in whatever I decided on as my new direction. That was fourteen years and many quilt patterns ago! Now I am ready for the next phase of my life (it is not coincidental that I am facing another birthday soon).<br />
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I am still a quilter. I am also a writer with two books under my belt and another one in the works (after a long delay). There are so many ideas I want to try out (this blog being one of them!) For example - making art quilts and experimenting with mixed media artworks. The trouble is, that can be too much of a good thing! It is hard to focus. And this incredibly hot and humid weather is not helping.<br />
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When you have too many ideas rolling around inside your brain and you start to 'spin', what do you do to help yourself get grounded? Feel free to leave a comment and don't forget to visit me on Facebook!Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-9328262601655505962018-06-30T13:37:00.000-04:002018-06-30T13:37:52.202-04:00Still Crazy - Part TwoMoving forward -<br />
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I plan to invite a few guest bloggers to post here from time to time. Some of my quilting friends, perhaps, possibly some characters I have created in my fiction! I hope you will indulge me!<br />
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Many of my own interests and my background appear in my story of Hannah in "After the Storm" as well as its sequel, which I hope to finish in the coming months. Everything from the obvious (quilting, designing, writing, teaching and so on), life in 19th century New England as well as other long-neglected interests of mine such as genealogy. After all, I had to work out the entire genealogy of Hannah's forebears as well as of her descendants, which was great fun. It can be a challenge to work both backward and forward to figure out things like average age at marriage and lifespans so that every generation would have plausible ages and dates.<br />
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Anyhow, you will learn more about both me and the characters I have created, as well as my quilt designs and patterns as we go along.<br />
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Enjoy the ride!<br />
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PS - please visit my website www.somethingsewfine.com to learn more about "After the Storm" and my other work. Also, please follow me on Facebook.<br />
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CaryCary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-13181785773666044502018-06-28T17:09:00.000-04:002018-06-29T16:27:19.263-04:00Still crazy after all these years!<h2 style="text-align: center;">
I have decided it is time to get back to</h2>
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Telling My Story! </h2>
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I have so much to share about my work and my life. </h4>
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I actually began this blog in 2011 but my most recent post was in 2015! </h4>
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Oh, my!</h4>
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Here are a few of my earliest posts to give you an idea of where I was seven years ago. You will discover in my newer posts just how far I have come since then! I am excited to share my current transition from full-time professional quilt pattern designer (starting in 2004) to laid-back designer, quilt artist, and author. (In other words, at the age of almost 73, I have decided to retire and "do my own thing".) If I manage to continue earning some money along the way, that will be icing on the cake.) I am curious to know where I will end up. I am certainly not taking this "growing older" thing lying down!<br />
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For those of you who do not know me yet, here is an interview I did for Quiltwoman.com (the publisher/distributor of my quilt book and patterns) in 2016:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We love it that you have such a diverse and varied background. Tell us more about all the things you have done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes – VERY diverse! I sometimes feel like I have lived a number of different lives, but that’s what keeps things interesting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have been designing and making things since I was little. I have tried about every craft imaginable. When I was in my early teens I became a designer of enamel, copper and silver jewelry. My dream was to become a famous professional jewelry designer and have my own shop. I began college as a music major and thought I wanted to become a professional musician (I played ‘cello for 12 years starting at age 9). I attended music camp for five summers in my teens. I sang in glee clubs and choirs. I was introduced to pottery making and continued my work in silver in the college art department. I joined an International Dance group on campus. I ended up majoring in Sociology and Anthropology and spent the summer before graduation working at an archeological dig in northern California. I spent the summer after graduation at the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester NY, focusing on silver-smithing and pottery. Whew – that was all before I turned 22!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I married a year after college and worked as a secretary (ugh) at MIT for several years. Then my husband lost his job as a biomedical engineer in the recession of 1970. We decided to join the “Back to the Land” movement of the early 1970 ’s and bought an antique colonial “fixer upper” in Bristol NH, doing all the renovations ourselves. We started a huge vegetable garden and planted young fruit trees. The locals thought we were hippies growing pot! (NOT) We were full-time professional potters, selling our work retail from our own shop in our barn and wholesale all over the country. We raised most of our own food, including raising pigs for several years. We did that for almost twelve years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Eventually, the business began to take its toll on us physically (my aching back). It was a tough way to make a living, although we loved the lifestyle. After Ron was almost killed in a pile-up on black ice on the highway, we decided it was time to grow up and get “real” jobs. We sold the house and moved to our current home just east of Manchester NH. Ron got a good job as a stockbroker/financial planner and I worked various part-time jobs while going to graduate school. I received a Master’s degree in Counseling in 1987.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I worked at the Community Mental Health Center in Manchester for several years and then joined the staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Manchester. I was there for almost seventeen years. I loved the work but became thoroughly burnt out by the time I left in 2004. I have been running my own quilt design business ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What got you started in quilt design? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I began making quilts around 1990 and joined a local quilt guild soon after (Amoskeag <br /> Quilters Guild, Manchester <b>NH.), where I am still a very active member. I became </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7;"> Involved with making charity quilts as part of the guild’s programs. We would hold all day</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"></span></b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> workshops a couple times a year to make these quilts. Soon after leaving full-time </span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> work I designed a block cutting technique that made it possible to cut all the blocks for a </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">quilt</span><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span>in very</span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> little time, ideal for charity quilts. It is what I now call a “stack, </span><br />
<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> cut</span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">shuffle”</span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">design.I began teaching others in the guild how to make these blocks </span><br />
<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">people </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">started asking me to write up instructions so they could make them at </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> home. </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">light bulb went o</span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">ff in my head and that block became the basis for my very first </span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> commercial pattern, "Rul</span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">e of Thirds”. I enjoyed the design process so much I just kept designing! </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>(True Confessions: I have no idea what happened to the formatting of this paragraph!)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the past, you ran a pottery brick and mortar shop. When you started your quilting business what made you decide to work from home? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both businesses were/are run from home. That is where my studio and office are. But I sell my patterns online through my own website and, of course, through </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.quiltwoman.com/">www.quiltwoman.com</a></span></span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. I have been with QW since the current owner, Nancy Dill bought the company, nine years ago. My designs sell all over the world because of her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What do you wish someone had told you before you started quilting as a pastime? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Let me broaden that question. What I wish someone had told my husband and me before we became full-time potters, was how to separate our business lives from our personal lives. With the pottery studio covering most of the second floor of our house (with a morning commute of “just down the hall”), it was too easy to allow our professional and personal lives to become all one. That turned out to be a serious mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because of that experience, when I established my quilt design business I knew the importance of keeping my business and private lives separate as much as possible. You have to set some boundaries and priorities so that the business does not suck you in to the point of neglecting home and family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who taught you to quilt? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am primarily self-taught but have read many quilt books and taken many classes/workshops over the past 20+ YEARS. I learned to sew very early from my mother and have made clothes, curtains, slip-covers and so on before I discovered quilt-making.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What are some of your favorite quilting tips? (our readers LOVE these) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I could easily repeat what some of the tips other featured designers have mentioned. Instead, I would like to urge anyone who does not already belong to a quilt guild, to join one. I have learned so much from my fellow quilters, not to mention making many really good friends. I have also been active in several board positions over the years, participated in many annual retreats (3-4 glorious days of no responsibilities other than to sew), and many charity programs with the guild. For the past three years, I have joined other guild members in making brightly colored and cheerful pillowcases for seriously ill children in several local and regional hospitals. Last year, as a group, we produced about 2500 pillowcases. Our goal for this year is 5,000 and we are well on our way, thanks to many individuals and quilt shops who donate fabric for the cause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being part of an active guild is one of the best things I ever did as a quilter. If you live in an area where there are no conveniently located guilds, start one yourself or join one or more online groups, of which there are dozens.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A lot of our readers tell us they have trouble finding more time to quilt. What advice would you give them? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is one of those “do as I say, not as I do” responses. I am not nearly as organized or as disciplined as I would like to be. I have way too many interests and I become easily distracted. (True confessions). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So my advice is to get and stay as organized as possible (this is not to say you can’t have a messy studio – just don’t let the mess take over). Learn to stay focused. Make spending time in your studio (or wherever you sew/create) a priority, every day if possible. In my case, I am either sewing, or designing, or writing most of the day, but I also make time for my husband and mother-in-law, (who turned 100 years old in March), and, of course, my friends and family. We have two dogs that we love and both of us enjoy going on long walks or playing with them every day. I also love gardening, reading for pleasure and for research, and so much more!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am currently working on my first novel and hope to get that published in June or July of this year (2015), so that has been my primary focus for the last few months. The story is about a quilt maker growing up in the last half of the 19<sup>th</sup> and early 20<sup>th</sup> century in a small village in NH. Not coincidentally, the protagonist, Hannah, becomes possibly the first quilt pattern designer in New England and develops a successful mail order pattern business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am already planning a companion book which will showcase a variety of quilts that might have been made by Hannah and members of her Quilting Bee, along with diagrams and instructions for making these quilts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One other tip – allow yourself time to do nothing, if that is what you feel like doing. Or do something for the sheer fun of it. I highly recommend it. As I get older I am letting go of the need to “do it all”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can follow me on Facebook: </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CaryFlanagan.SomethingSewFineQuiltDesign">https://www.facebook.com/CaryFlanagan.SomethingSewFineQuiltDesign</a></span></span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.facebook.com/SomethingSewFine.QuiltDesign<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Visit my website: www.somethingsewfine.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This is enough to get you started catching up on my work and who I am. In future posts, I will catch you up all the way and move forward with where I am now!<br />
<br />
Cary Flanagan<br />
Something Sew Fine Quilt Design<br />
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Here are some excerpts from my very early blog posts:<br />
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Monday, October 31, 2011<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="8641406615937299271"></a><a href="http://somethingsewfine.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-adventure-in-blogging.html">A New Adventure in Blogging!</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Greetings, fellow quilters and quilt enthusiasts -<br />
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I have finally succumbed to blogging as a way to communicate with anyone interested in my evolution as a quilt designer. I plan to blog about new quilt patterns in development or ready to market, new connections and alliances with other designers, fabric companies, publishing houses and quilt magazines and any other adventurous avenues I may pursue as I move forward in my career as a quilt designer and author.<br />
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I have just returned from several days in Houston at the biennial International Quilt Market and have lots to tell. Watch for details in upcoming posts.<br />
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As I write this, we still have no electricity following a major VERY early snowstorm in the northeast. Thank goodness we have a generator! We had no connection to the Internet until about an hour ago, but that has returned, so I can indulge my passion for staying connected. (I could go into pretty serious withdrawal without the Internet!)<br />
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I hope you are doing OK. Stay in touch. Would love to hear about what you are working on.<br />
<br />
Cary Flanagan<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span class="post-author vcard" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1em;">Posted by <span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515" rel="author" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="author profile"><span itemprop="name">Cary</span> </a></span></span><span class="post-timestamp" style="margin-left: -1em; margin-right: 1em;">at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://somethingsewfine.blogspot.com/2011/11/notice-subtle-background-blocks-behind.html" rel="bookmark" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" itemprop="datePublished" style="border: none;" title="2011-11-04T18:14:00-04:00">6:14 PM</abbr></a> </span><span class="reaction-buttons" style="margin-right: 1em;"></span><span class="post-comment-link" style="margin-right: 1em;"><a class="comment-link" href="http://somethingsewfine.blogspot.com/2011/11/notice-subtle-background-blocks-behind.html#comment-form" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: nowrap;">No comments: </a></span><span class="post-backlinks post-comment-link" style="margin-right: 1em;"></span><span class="post-icons" style="margin-right: 1em;"><span class="item-action"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=6374256649216901711&postID=714784556209115343" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Email Post"><img alt="" class="icon-action" height="13" src="https://resources.blogblog.com/img/icon18_email.gif" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: none !important; border-width: initial; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.5em !important; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="18" /> </a></span><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-901578375" style="display: inline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6374256649216901711&postID=714784556209115343&from=pencil" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Edit Post"><img alt="" class="icon-action" height="18" src="https://resources.blogblog.com/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: none !important; border-width: initial; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.5em !important; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="18" /> </a></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://somethingsewfine.blogspot.com/2011/11/details-details.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">Details, Details...</a></h3>
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One of the things I enjoy most when I go to a big show like the International Quilt Market (and there are many), is studying the incredible quilts that are on display from all over the world. I take lots of photos and especially enjoy looking at the details - the techniques and "hidden" details that really make the design sing (or shout or cry or whisper) to the viewer.<br />
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I have posted a few details that "spoke" to me - simple background blocks or startling new ways to set a very traditional block into something totally new. I love color, texture, "surprises" - I learn so much everytime I view the work of others, especially masters such as those at Market. I could easily post hundreds of such photos but will stick with these few for now. More later.<br />
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What do you enjoy most about attending a quilt show featuring so much creative and artistic talent?<br />
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Everywhere you go, try to see everything around you with new eyes. (And bring your camera!)<br />
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Cary</div>
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<b><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Thursday, January 2, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />Golly - I am so embarrassed! I knew it had been a long time since I last posted in my blog, but I recently discovered it has actually been almost a YEAR!! So I have set a goal (I am not into resolutions - just too hard to keep) to post at least once a month to talk about my new designs and my creative process.</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />So here goes on January 2nd in a new year.</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />This past year was kind of strange for me. I had a number of "dry spells" in which I felt blocked or stuck. I know it happens to everybody sometimes but I felt like it was happening to me a lot, and it was discouraging. I have learned, however, that at such times it helps to walk away from whatever is immobilizing me and set off in a different direction for a while. It usually works pretty well. Here are some of the things I accomplished since I last wrote in between my dry spells.</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />During the waning months of last winter, I was going great guns on a quilt for my youngest great-nephew and was having a really good time working on it. He had explicitly asked me for very bright colors - "bright red, bright orange, bright yellow and some blue", he announced when he was nine. So I had been collecting the brightest and most fun of all those colors and started working on the quilt while it was bitter cold and snowy outside. His quilt kept me toasty warm with all that brightness! When I presented the quilt to him last summer when he came with his family to our summer place in the White Mountains, he loved it! That was the best part for me, though, to be honest, I really hated to give it up. I just LOVED that quilt!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />A few months ago, I began working on a novel that I have been thinking about off and on for years. It is about a young woman growing up in rural NH in the 19th century. She becomes an accomplished quilter and tells the story of her life to one of her granddaughters. I have been interested for years in my own family's history and this story contains many elements from my own and my family's stories of the past. I have been having fun researching life in the late 1800's in the small town near where my family has been summering since way before I was born.</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />I love the story and the characters I have created, and whether or not the book ever gets published is kind of beside the point right now. It may take me years to finish, but meanwhile I am enjoying living with my characters and the process of creating their personalities and the events which help to shape them. The writing part is a bit harder than I thought it would be, but I enjoy that part of the process also.</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />I did manage to design a new placemat pattern and get it published in the spring, but I got stuck with most of my other ideas as the year progressed. November and December were the hardest time for me. I always get depressed around the holidays since my family is so scattered. My DH and I decided to give gifts to several important charities this year instead of buying into the commercialism of Christmas and that made both of us feel more of the true meaning of the holidays.</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />Not too surprisingly, right after Christmas my creative energy came back in full force and I am hard at work designing and making several more quilting projects that should result in at least three new patterns in just a few weeks. </span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />Watch for several photos next time and updates on my new projects.</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />Have a Happy, Healthy, Creative and Prosperous New Year!</span><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">2014</span></u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> One of the things I have enjoyed most this past year is visiting Pinterest and collecting images of many kinds. I also post images to share with others. I have almost 2500 pins now and it is a fabulous collection of everything that interests me, inspires me, makes me feel good or just provides eye candy! What is not to like about that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">My own quilts are posted of course, along with quilts that other people have made from my designs. I also have lots of pins of quilts that other people have made which I think are wonderful. I have inspirations for updating my home, garden and studio when I get the funds to do so, lots of images of fabulous places in the world I will most likely never visit, not to mention great recipes and food ideas! I have also been collecting photos of antique quilts and 19th century clothing as research for my book. And of course, I have photos of my canine best friends and other animals who give and receive love as if they were human (oh, go ahead and laugh! I am such a softy).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I guess my point is that inspiration and creative energy can be developed almost anywhere and it helps (at least for me) to have concrete reminders of what some of those inspirations are. Please visit me at::<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">hyyp<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/caryflanagan/">//www.pinterest.com/caryflanagan/</a> to see what I have collected and posted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><u>Please Note:</u> as of June 2018 I have 110 Boards on Pinterest, 14,507 pins and 3,147 followers! I LOVE Pinterest! I Know - lots of people laugh at Pinterest as being a major time sucker, but it is an important design resource for me.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><b><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Tuesday, September 15, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="8303182396369768952"></a><b><span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://somethingsewfine.blogspot.com/2014/01/collecting-images-on-pinterest.html?spref=bl"><span style="color: #ff1800;">Something Sew Fine: Uh Oh - Catching Up!</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <span style="color: #993200; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%;">.If you read through my earlier posts you will quickly discover I am not very good at keeping to a schedule on my blog! There are so many aspects of living the Creative Life That I am easily sidetracked. Oh well - I will try to catch up here and then on to some new and exciting things in my next post.<br />
<br />Most of this past year has been taken up by researching and writing my novel - After The Storm. This is a story of a courageous 19th-century quilter who faces and overcomes many challenges in her life. I have really enjoyed every aspect of working on this book until the last part where I have been bogged done in the editing and finishing details. Being a complete newbie at writing a novel I had no idea what to expect, but finishing and letting go of my manuscript has proven SO much harder than I anticipated! I flip-flop back and forth between thinking it is a really interesting, well-written story AND thinking it is a piece of you know what. By holding onto my manuscript and not allowing it to continue through the publication process, I guess I am holding off on the inevitable - finding out how my book is actually received once published and distributed.<br />
<br />Luckily I have discovered that almost every new author (and even some that are well established), feel exactly as I do before their books reach the public. Only those who are so self-confident as to verge on arrogance do not shake in their shoes before their book is published. Knowing that makes me feel much better!<br />
<br />At any rate, I have been consumed for much of the year finishing writing and editing my novel. (How do you know when you have really finished writing?? Ideas keep coming, I add a new story-line or more details...) I do hope I can send it off to the publisher for the final steps soon. Will keep you posted.<br />
<br />I am about to embark on a new project - actually two: I am planning a companion book to my novel which will include quilt projects and complete instructions related to the novel. I am being deliberately vague since this is still in the early stages of development. Related to this - I volunteered to be in charge of Block of the Month for my guild for 2015-2016 and I am opening up this same BOM to my FaceBook friends. It should be a lot of fun - Stay tuned for more details, coming SOON!<br />
<br />As if all of this was not enough, my DH and I are in the midst of planning a major renovation of our house (tearing down and moving walls, a totally new bathroom, and upstairs laundry) One result will be a much larger studio for me! Hooray!<br />
<br />I am bursting with creative energy - just have to learn to channel it better.</span></span></div>
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Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-14749097948203579112015-11-17T14:07:00.000-05:002015-11-17T14:07:28.568-05:00Block of the Month Challenge for November 2015<a href="http://somethingsewfine.blogspot.com/2015/10/block-of-month-challenge-for-october.html?spref=bl">Block of the Month Challenge for November 2015</a>: This is a very busy time of year, with major holidays coming up soon (I am going to be very PC and not name them so I can be sure not to leave anyone out). Regardless of when or how you celebrate, there will be lots to do, so I am only going to post one Block of the Month this time. You can always make it after the holidays, if you wish.<br />
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Members of the Amoskeag Quilters Guild will start making charity quilts with these beautiful blocks in the spring and finish up in the fall.<br />
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This block is called"Hannah's Square and Star". It is a bit tricky to piece but makes up into a really pretty block. I made mine in two colors but this could be made in more than one color, if you like. Let me know what you think.<br />
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I will post photos of blocks that I have received in the next week or two. (Did I say this is a very busy season?!)<br />
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With Thanksgiving so near, what are you thankful for? I am very thankful for my husband (married more than 47 years!), my many friends and, of course, my family; I am grateful to be able to live my life as I wish, creating, designing, writing; and for so many other things - I have a very long list!<br />
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Best Wishes to each of you who visit here.<br />
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<br />Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-75937340971250536832015-10-15T11:26:00.000-04:002015-10-15T11:26:25.811-04:00Block of the Month Challenge for October 2015Here are two more blocks to challenge and hopefully entice you to make one or both of them. Follow the general directions below and remember - if you want one or more of your blocks to be featured in my forthcoming book on the quilts that might have been made by a fictional 19th century quilting bee or a contemporary (modern) bee - please e-mail me for my mailing address. somethingsewfine at comcast dot net. All blocks that you send will eventually be used in making charity quilts by members of the Amoskeag Quilters' Guild, Manchester, New Hampshire (USA) If your block(s) appear in my book your name will be listed under credits and you will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of my book when it is available. (Don't hold your breath - it will likely be at least a year before it will be ready to go to press.)<br />
If you prefer not to send any actual blocks to me, I would love to see photographs of some of the blocks you make and/or quilts (or quilt projects) you complete using these blocks.<br />
I can't wait to see what you choose to send me! I will begin posting photos of blocks that are either made <span style="text-align: center;">by my fellow guild members or sent from the Internet via this blog.</span><br />
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I would also enjoy receiving any comments or questions you may have related to this Challenge.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b><i> ENJOY!</i></b></span><br />
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<b>Disclaimer:</b> these block designs came from QuiltPro, which is the software I use to design my own original quilt patterns. However, these designs are traditional and are, therefore, in the public domain.<br />
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Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-63881194033415775692015-09-22T08:52:00.000-04:002015-09-22T08:52:35.615-04:00NEW: Block of the Month Challenge for 2015-2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Aargh! Somehow I managed to delete this post by accident. I am reposting it below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am in charge of Block of the Month for my quilt guild this year (Amoskeag Quilters Guild, Manchester, NH, USA). . I thought it would be fun (and interesting) to open this BOM to any of my Facebook quilting friends who might be interested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The goal is to make charity quilts with these blocks, both traditional and contemporary. We will “kit” the blocks and will have one or more group “Sew-A-Thons” to complete the quilt tops, either at a regular guild meeting or on a Saturday. Stay tuned for more on that. Our guild has given away literally hundreds of quilts over the years, to worthy organizations and individuals in need of comfort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have a second purpose for these blocks. I have written a novel about a 19<sup>th</sup> century quilter named Hannah, titled “After the Storm”. I am planning a companion book that will feature the quilts Hannah and the members of her quilting bee “might have made”. I want to include photos of sample blocks and completed quilt projects “of the period”, with written instructions for how to make them. I also want to take some of these traditional blocks and present them in contemporary or modern settings in bright colors to show how traditional quilting can be brought into the 21<sup>st</sup> century. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> If one or more off your blocks are featured in my book you will receive recognition and credit for your work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If this interests you, there are the instructions for how to participate at the end of this post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">General Instructions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There will be <u>two </u>blocks offered each month. You can choose to do one block or both. If you are feeling really ambitious, you could do both blocks in both color options (see below),<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There will be a choice of <u>two</u> color “styles”: <o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Traditional/Reproduction fabrics. Think 19<sup>th</sup> century or Civil War era. NO 1930’s era, please.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Contemporary/”Brights”. Think Modern, “kid pleasing”, "playful", "happy".<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Please use one very light background fabric for each block you make.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For Traditional, use an off white or ecru print.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For Contemporary, use a white on white or very light print with a white background.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All other color choices are your own. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You are encouraged to make as many of these blocks as you wish to use in your own quilts. It might even be possible to get one of your quilts featured in my book!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Each block must finish at 10” square (10.5" when you make it)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you want to participate, please send me an e-mail to somethingsewfine at Comcast dot net. You can also message me through Facebook or contact me through my website www.somethingsewfine.com <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is no minimum number of blocks to make. You can make either type of block at any time, and you can start or stop whenever you want. NO PRESSURE! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">J</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-align: center;">oin the fun!</span>..</div>
Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-8323754132880464872015-09-21T16:44:00.002-04:002015-09-21T16:44:28.869-04:00Block of the Month Instructions - September 2015Here are the instructions for two BOM blocks. Follow the instructions below for color choices. You may make as many (or as few) blocks as you wish. Don't forget to make some for yourself!<br />
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Please mail the block(s) you make to me each month or you may send several month's worth of blocks together. I will post photos of some of the blocks that have been made in the coming months. Keep in mind that ALL the blocks I receive will be used in charity quilts. I may also ask permission to include one or more of your blocks in my forthcoming book, a companion to my novel "After the Storm", due sometime in late 2016.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6374256649216901711" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZQSx_57Jdw7u9KGUEON1McyZnYkw7pg-TVWnwhcLN9VrEblstovUU6VktRy8FLnFyvFqNf73X4u1_j0t0y1fkFZCAofUfKniNDqlW40MvTWzbENJmueku07bb0W9nyY7Y8tWgMVD-Q/s1600/Hannah%2527s+Whirling+Geese+and+Crown+of+Thornes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZQSx_57Jdw7u9KGUEON1McyZnYkw7pg-TVWnwhcLN9VrEblstovUU6VktRy8FLnFyvFqNf73X4u1_j0t0y1fkFZCAofUfKniNDqlW40MvTWzbENJmueku07bb0W9nyY7Y8tWgMVD-Q/s640/Hannah%2527s+Whirling+Geese+and+Crown+of+Thornes.jpg" width="387" /></a></div>
Please e-mail me and I will send you my mailing address: somethingsewfine @ comcast dot com.<br />
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Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-83031823963697689522015-09-15T17:12:00.001-04:002015-09-15T17:12:37.183-04:00Something Sew Fine: Uh Oh - Catching Up!.If you read through my earlier posts you will quickly discover I am not very good at keeping to a schedule on my blog! There are so many aspects of living the Creative Life That I am easily sidetracked. Oh well - I will try to catch up here and then on to some new and exciting things in my next post.<br />
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Most of this past year has been taken up with researching and writing my novel - After The Storm. This is a story of a courageous 19th century quilter who faces and overcomes many challenges in her life. I have really enjoyed every aspect of working on this book until the last part where I have been bogged done in the editing and finishing details. Being a complete newbie at writing a novel I had no idea what to expect, but finishing and letting go of my manuscript has proven SO much harder than I anticipated! I flip flop back and forth between thinking it is a really interesting, well written story AND thinking it is a piece of you know what. By holding onto my manuscript and not allowing it to continue through the publication process, I guess I am holding off on the inevitable - finding out how my book is actually received once published and distributed.<br />
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Luckily I have discovered that almost every new author (and even some that are well established), feel exactly as I do before their books reach the public. Only those who are so self-confident as to to verge on arrogance do not shake in their shoes before their book is published. Knowing that makes me feel much better!<br />
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At any rate, I have been consumed for much of the year finishing writing and editing my novel. (How do you know when you have really finished writing?? Ideas keep coming, I add a new story-line or more details...) I do hope I can send it off to the publisher for the final steps soon. Will keep you posted.<br />
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I am about to embark on a new project - actually two: I am planning a companion book to my novel which will include quilt projects and complete instructions related to the novel. I am being deliberately vague, since this is still in the early stages of development. Related to this - I volunteered to be in charge of Block of the Month for my guild for 2015-2016 and I am opening up this same BOM to my Face Book friends. It should be a lot of fun - Stay tuned for more details, coming SOON!<br />
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As if all of this was not enough, my DH and I are in the midst of planning a major renovation of our house (tearing down and moving walls, a totally new bathroom and upstairs laundry) One result will be a much larger studio for me! Hooray!<br />
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I am busting with creative energy - just have to learn to channel it better.<br />
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Have a lovely fall. I will post again SOON. I promise!.<br />
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<br />Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-58826061965525298432014-01-07T17:52:00.000-05:002014-01-07T17:52:50.339-05:00Collecting Images on Pinterest<br />
One of the things I have enjoyed most this past year is visiting Pinterest and collecting images of many kinds. I also post images to share with others. I have almost 2500 pins now and it is a fabulous collection of everything that interests me, inspires me, makes me feel good or just provides eye candy! What is not to like about that?<br />
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My own quilts are posted of course, along with quilts that other people have made from my designs. I also have lots of pins of quilts that other people have made which I think are wonderful. I have inspirations for updating my home, garden and studio when I get the funds to do so, lots of images of fabulous places in the world I will most likely never visit, not to mention great recipes and food ideas! I have also been collecting photos of antique quilts and 19th century clothing as research for my book. And of course I have photos of my canine best friends and other animals who give and receive love as if they were human (oh, go ahead and laugh! I am such a softy). <br />
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I guess my point is that inspiration and creative energy can be developed almost anywhere and it helps (at least for me) to have concrete reminders of what some of those inspirations are. Please visit me at::<br />
hyyp<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/caryflanagan/">//www.pinterest.com/caryflanagan/</a> to see what I have collected and posted.Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-56246471254755738272014-01-02T16:52:00.000-05:002014-01-07T17:29:27.076-05:00Where has the Past Year Gone??<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Golly - I am so embarrassed! I knew it had been a long time since I last posted in my blog, but I recently discovered it has actually been almost a YEAR!! So I have set a goal (I am not into resolutions - just too hard to keep) to post at least once a month to talk about my new designs and my creative process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here goes on January 2nd in a new year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past year was kind of strange for me. I had a number of "dry spells" in which I felt blocked or stuck. I know it happens to everybody sometimes but I felt like it was happening to me a lot, and it was discouraging at times. I have learned, however, that at such times it helps to walk away from whatever is immobilizing me and set off in a different direction for a while. It usually works pretty well. Here are some of the things I accomplished since I last wrote in between my dry spells.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the waning months of last winter, I was going great guns on a quilt for my great nephew and was having a really good time working on it. He had explicitly asked me for very bright colors - "bright red, bright orange, bright yellow and some blue", he announced when he was nine. So I had been collecting the brightest and most fun of all those colors and started working on the quilt while it was bitter cold and snowy outside. His quilt kept me toasty warm with all that brightness! When I presented the quilt to him last summer when he came with his family to our summer place in the White Mountains, he loved it! That was the best part for me, though, to be honest, I really hated to give it up. I just LOVED that quilt! (See photo below.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few months ago, I began working on a novel that I have been thinking about off and on for years. It is about a young woman growing up in rural NH in the 19th century. She becomes an accomplished quilter and tells the story of her life to one of her grand daughters. I have been interested for years in my own family's history and this story contains many elements from my own and my family's stories of the past. I have been having fun researching life in the late 1800's in the small town near where my family has been summering since way before I was born.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love the story and the characters I have created, and whether or not the book ever gets published is kind of beside the point right now. It may take me years to finish, but meanwhile I am enjoying living with my characters and the process of creating their personalities and the events which help to shape them. The writing part is a bit harder than I thought it would be, but I enjoy that part of the process also.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did manage to design a new placemat pattern and get it published in the spring, but I got stuck with most of my other ideas as the year progressed. November and December were the hardest time for me. I always get depressed around the holidays since my family is so scattered. My DH and I decided to give gifts to several important charities this year instead of buying into the commercialism of Christmas and that made both of us feel more of the true meaning of the holidays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not too surprisingly, right after Christmas my creative energy came back in full force and I am hard at work designing and making several more quilting projects that should result in at least three new patterns in just a few weeks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watch for several photos next time and updates on my new projects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a Happy, Healthy, Creative and Prosperous New Year!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaf2aEgXftDGRJBr590QNv71wLKqEMszRGpZvfVcA5YJKwrhWoXMhSBXu95clYVpvjZxTSMMpfpgNIY5m2q_mjn8bU7U_CMYuQwc30ASPo8otzs5lMz_NxDhbk_28qA12WTLKp6bI4ow/s1600/Stewarts+quilt+on+bed+8-13+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaf2aEgXftDGRJBr590QNv71wLKqEMszRGpZvfVcA5YJKwrhWoXMhSBXu95clYVpvjZxTSMMpfpgNIY5m2q_mjn8bU7U_CMYuQwc30ASPo8otzs5lMz_NxDhbk_28qA12WTLKp6bI4ow/s1600/Stewarts+quilt+on+bed+8-13+cropped.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-23351116782224509262012-02-11T18:17:00.004-05:002012-02-11T18:36:48.442-05:00More "Marblehead" fabrics!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFN2hkW05o4w6Tx0ad_dxXrFPX4s_Vdpp5YAeXJaJpX2eYfn5guB46Iq8xwMd-OYfwY46yBcFR7FyEfkBdkcS79Op7TGPFYrT93uYbbO5TtMWcaXODTIFoVEp3EYDoC-5-TjClBKx8Bw/s1600/Here+Comes+the+Sun+fragment.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFN2hkW05o4w6Tx0ad_dxXrFPX4s_Vdpp5YAeXJaJpX2eYfn5guB46Iq8xwMd-OYfwY46yBcFR7FyEfkBdkcS79Op7TGPFYrT93uYbbO5TtMWcaXODTIFoVEp3EYDoC-5-TjClBKx8Bw/s320/Here+Comes+the+Sun+fragment.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708023698631007138" border="0" /></a><br />I have received another shipment of the beautiful "Marblehead" fabrics (designed by Ro Gregg for fabri-Quilt) - a much appreciated gift with which to make my next pattern - "Here Comes the Sun". Three fabrics are still to come but at least I can get started on the new quilt design. A smaller version (wall hanging) will be made from my stash- I have already picked out the fabrics. I hope to get the lap quilt done in time to send off to spring Market in Cincinnatti Ohio in May and, hopefully, my own quilt guild bi-annual quilt show in March.<br /><br />Cant wait to show you both versions (Lap and Wall Hanging) in full, after the pattern is published.Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-58386940747506839912012-02-05T17:20:00.007-05:002012-02-05T18:09:46.515-05:00News Flash - Zentangles Erase Creative Block!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-niyYR650tHXtTyRG8tUNeJMKUCO3wxtb0qqhikxJdfqMx0tWWJWn6w_lXmjdVrd660zFxOPRxqCea9xTMh9MkMrJEXNNkqZ2NMt0P7n0qkBNyALbWn4_WaO8q1frqx5SyMRvtBnvQ/s1600/Zen+1+Jan.2012.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-niyYR650tHXtTyRG8tUNeJMKUCO3wxtb0qqhikxJdfqMx0tWWJWn6w_lXmjdVrd660zFxOPRxqCea9xTMh9MkMrJEXNNkqZ2NMt0P7n0qkBNyALbWn4_WaO8q1frqx5SyMRvtBnvQ/s320/Zen+1+Jan.2012.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705785452466961714" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ywjv7sqMwKxU9zkWj0LJVhYM2pvxP7ZdYRCqw2ZPAZfTvVGmXS5bBAwXv7-TYu1Uc4KF82nNL7bPSeSN-Mudbrhk9rrtw99j9YO0DHV51lk_zFNKj4ttm5to5eDDgbwrKQ3UeSsynw/s1600/Zen+2+1-12.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ywjv7sqMwKxU9zkWj0LJVhYM2pvxP7ZdYRCqw2ZPAZfTvVGmXS5bBAwXv7-TYu1Uc4KF82nNL7bPSeSN-Mudbrhk9rrtw99j9YO0DHV51lk_zFNKj4ttm5to5eDDgbwrKQ3UeSsynw/s320/Zen+2+1-12.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705785457373207746" border="0" /></a><br />I discovered Zentangles a few months ago and was immediately intrigued by the possibilities. So for Christmas I asked for (and received) several "how to" books so I could learn the techniques and explore some "tangled" ideas. Above are a couple of my early attempts. I am definitely hooked!<br /><br />My original thought was to figure out a way to utilize these intriguing designs in my quilting work. But I have since learned an additional, unexpected benefit of this wonderful "doodling" technique.<br /><br />For several weeks before and after the holidays I felt like I had lost my creative spark. Nothing came to me and I had little or no energy to come up with new ideas. In fact I was feeling a bit burnt out, perhaps because I had been pushing so hard to meet various deadlines before that.<br /><br />In any case, I started, quite tentatively at first, to try drawing some Zentangles, and to my astonishment, before long I was over run with ideas for new quilt designs and patterns! There is something about the process of stilling one's mind and focusing on drawing the intricate designs that make up a single Zentangle. I don't understand what happened but it was like a dam burst that had been blocking my creative juices from flowing freely. So many ideas kept popping into my conscious thought that I had to start writing them down or sketching them out so as not to lose them!<br /><br />I will remember, now - whenever I start feeling creatively blocked - I will get quiet and start "tangling"!<br /><br />Thanks Mark and Maria! Go to their <a href="http://www.zentangle.com/">website</a> and <a href="http://www.zentangle.blogspot.com/">blog</a> to learn more. You can also sign up for their monthly newsletter which is a fun and interesting read.Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-58526507653541060372012-01-31T11:48:00.005-05:002012-01-31T12:12:18.932-05:00A Belated UpdateGosh - here it is the beginning of February and I have not posted anything about 'what happened next"!<br /><br />I have had only sketchy information about where my quilts have been and where they are going next. However, I did hear that one of the employees of the quilt shop that displayed my quilts at the Road to California quilt show stated the show was a great success.<br /><br />Best of all, next in line on my quilts' journey is a trip to Fons and Porter (!!) to be used with other quilts as backdrop in an episode of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">'Quilt It' show</span>! This show will be aired LIVE, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">April 10</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode #301, Season 3</span>. I am pretty psyched about that! I will keep you posted as I learn more about the show.<br /><br />Then on to another quilt shop somewhere for a trunk show, then off to spring Market in Cincinnati, Ohio in April (not yet confirmed).<br /><br />I am feeling a bit frustrated to have so little control or information about what is happening to my quilts but I guess that is the way it works when you work with a large fabric company. However, it is exciting that my quilts are on this journey and will hopefully benefit both Ro Gregg and me by helping to promote sales of her fabrics and my patterns.<br /><br />I am just "going with the flow" and enjoying the ride.Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-43798557730000102892012-01-02T11:55:00.006-05:002012-01-02T12:23:16.185-05:00Almost There!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCEEsCmfkdN_m2HNvRpeaI1YrhPOp1TFTwPA30qUcvRTtxUB83u1-sa5mCghz7WNSEzGluvZEa7Jz8yS9Blpx0CTWGPS_KROWYfjQMUH58IYGotgjs3uC1sPmvspTRjsD5L7zfFOnzg/s1600/Games+We+Play+quilted+close-up2+12-2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCEEsCmfkdN_m2HNvRpeaI1YrhPOp1TFTwPA30qUcvRTtxUB83u1-sa5mCghz7WNSEzGluvZEa7Jz8yS9Blpx0CTWGPS_KROWYfjQMUH58IYGotgjs3uC1sPmvspTRjsD5L7zfFOnzg/s320/Games+We+Play+quilted+close-up2+12-2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693082232587471026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSr9vtyGUr1WgmbsvPoBOWpjaudsR24HIPmZ6sLs0dfXIpJ7UTIbXzdoYTMrqoEsifKcwc9N9Lt3IZxBZGj0T_wfuYdDzsVn9xaQgzLACQzWS-TcGKs79ZryqXHd14aBx-6HUti3qAUQ/s1600/Games+We+Play+quilted+close-up12-2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSr9vtyGUr1WgmbsvPoBOWpjaudsR24HIPmZ6sLs0dfXIpJ7UTIbXzdoYTMrqoEsifKcwc9N9Lt3IZxBZGj0T_wfuYdDzsVn9xaQgzLACQzWS-TcGKs79ZryqXHd14aBx-6HUti3qAUQ/s320/Games+We+Play+quilted+close-up12-2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693082236544140386" border="0" /></a><br />At long last, the finish line is in sight! My "Games We Play" quilt in the Calypso fabric by Ro Gregg is complete - just needs a label on the back which will go on later today!<br /><br />My "Wreath For All Seasons" quilt, made from Ro's gorgeous "Marblehead" fabrics, will be quilted and bound on Wednesday and the label sewn on.<br /><br />Thursday both quilts will be on their way to CA. They have to be there by the 10th, so it will be close. Wish me luck! They will be shown at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Road To California</span> quilt show in southern CA and in trunk shows featuring Ro's new fabric lines at a couple of quilt shops in the area. It will be a few months before they return home.<br /><br />Above are a couple of close-up photos of the quilting on the Calypso quilt. My good friend and professional Long Arm Quilter, Nancy Tatro (Finely Done Quilting, Candia, NH), did the fantastic quilting. I specifically chose the dragonfly pattern because it is a playful design and also because the Calypso fabrics are full of dragonflies! <span style="font-weight: bold;">SO</span> cute! <br /><br />Let me know what you think.<br /><br />"A Wreath For All Seasons" pattern is currently available from <a href="http://www.quiltwoman.com/">www.quiltwoman.com</a> and "Games We Play" will be available in a few weeks.Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-87308601111087156692011-12-21T10:17:00.007-05:002011-12-21T11:17:17.257-05:00Such a Busy Season!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisY730xVKWXc6rISp3QdQmzvgKRNQFVLYIgeI9pYVQ0fe2pZV8tb-SkLpESiaqk5aTnbziXH_wjRLkeyxF9eIQrBzydO-9tjJ63U7AbClo6y8Nnb3XqzLXxjulBzsMqGZsUU78NUX75g/s1600/WreathForAllSeasons-design+board12-11-400.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisY730xVKWXc6rISp3QdQmzvgKRNQFVLYIgeI9pYVQ0fe2pZV8tb-SkLpESiaqk5aTnbziXH_wjRLkeyxF9eIQrBzydO-9tjJ63U7AbClo6y8Nnb3XqzLXxjulBzsMqGZsUU78NUX75g/s320/WreathForAllSeasons-design+board12-11-400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688608141758623746" border="0" /></a><br />This is SUCH a busy season for everyone, regardless of your faith or family traditions. Between shopping and preparing for my own family celebrations, planning, preparing for and attending holiday quilt guild parties (I am Program "helper" for one guild and Program Chair for another), not to mention, of course, working hard to meet an important deadline in early January, it is enough to wear me out!<br /><br />I am always slow to get into the Christmas spirit, but finally I am there, after two really fun guild parties. I am fortunate to have many quilting friends, and, for me at least, sharing good times and fellowship with family and friends is what the Christmas season is all about.<br /><br />The photo above was taken more than a week ago but I have been too busy to get it posted. This is my new version of a Wreath For All Seasons in sections on my design board. It is wonderful to see Ro Gregg's Marblehead fabrics finally come together in front of me! The quilt is missing the two outside borders and does not have most of the sashing in place yet, so it looks a bit wonky. I can't wait to see it all together!. <br /><br />I changed the color scheme slightly from my original design after receiving Ro's fabrics, but I think it is going to be a really interesting and beautiful quilt when it is finished. I am hoping to have the top done by early next week and then have it quilted and bound in time to ship to CA - this quilt and the one below (Games We Play) have to be shipped no later than January 5th. <br /><br />Once again, my great friend and fellow collaborator, Cathy Bowen and I are working on this quilt together and she will quilt it on her long arm next week.<br /><br />Never a dull moment!<br /><br />Many Many thanks to Ro Gregg for her generosity and support. Her fabrics are amazing! They should be available at your local quilt shops very soon. Please ask for them if they are not there!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate and Best Wishes for a prosperous and creative New Year!</span>Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-5737895272585028602011-12-03T17:09:00.009-05:002011-12-03T17:58:50.604-05:00A Wreath For All Seasons - using the new fabrics!This past Tuesday I cut out all the parts of the Wreath For All Seasons quilt, (with the exception of the blocks). I am so curious to see how all these different "Marblehead" fabrics (by Ro Gregg, Paintbrush Studio - scroll down a couple of posts) will work together. I chose all of these fabrics without seeing any of them "in the flesh" (only small thumb nails on my computer). They are gorgeous but I might have made a few different choices had I seen the actual fabrics first. I am a bit nervous!<br /><br />Today I spent the afternoon with my friend and frequent collaborator, Cathy Bowen <a href="http://www.nightowlquiltingstudio.webs.com/">(Night Owl Quilting Studio)</a> Cathy has been great at helping me "test" my patterns and helping me with making samples. She also is a long arm quilter and has quilted many of my projects. One of the best things Cathy does for me is that she has a different way of seeing and thinking about things than I do and is really good at asking questions I might not have thought of. I really value her input and her help in testing and editing my patterns.<br /><br />Anyhow, we got all my cut sections up on her design wall and made some final decisions about fabric choices for the blocks. The end result will be a bit different from the full color "virtual quilt" (scroll down a ways), but I think will be better than what I originally envisioned and is a great solution of how to design with fabrics you have never seen before "in the flesh".<br /><br />Each of us is going to make half the blocks and we will get together again next Friday eve. to begin putting the quilt top together. Cathy is ten times busier than I am so this is going to be a fun challenge! Nothing like working with a deadline!<br /><br />I will post photos of the quilt as we go along. A photo of the final quilt will replace the "virtual" quilt on the cover of the pattern when it is finally done.Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-8335822412226601542011-11-30T17:16:00.013-05:002011-11-30T18:03:16.093-05:00A Designer's Dilemma<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ4obtBp1jQG0SoYyWcqi7VN45Wgpnzt78NAOI6BOyY17vRS-xSUMNeWsgXTMoFwxZe8enpkcKfFIp0d6bSDmyRZCvJONYRj_7gDGo8rXI-jHnh3jmywtF1O1_GEzwYVUXcF8IcJL2Q/s1600/Games+We+Play+top+Calypso11-30-11+seven.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ4obtBp1jQG0SoYyWcqi7VN45Wgpnzt78NAOI6BOyY17vRS-xSUMNeWsgXTMoFwxZe8enpkcKfFIp0d6bSDmyRZCvJONYRj_7gDGo8rXI-jHnh3jmywtF1O1_GEzwYVUXcF8IcJL2Q/s320/Games+We+Play+top+Calypso11-30-11+seven.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680925876033629730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWD1PQWHnoCnkSwjyfSUvIzGzyiWW0TroYxf79udIsRmtriPoXcHCafk5j6Z_sGITsh-l4xslYBRGR4lU0WCS1PnQDGynz7_M9CvSUvhlyDCZ5J_VjG_zEdH3meoqJOzTqiTuJtQqlQ/s1600/Games+We+Play+top+Calypsoblueone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWD1PQWHnoCnkSwjyfSUvIzGzyiWW0TroYxf79udIsRmtriPoXcHCafk5j6Z_sGITsh-l4xslYBRGR4lU0WCS1PnQDGynz7_M9CvSUvhlyDCZ5J_VjG_zEdH3meoqJOzTqiTuJtQqlQ/s320/Games+We+Play+top+Calypsoblueone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680925469717959122" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday I had one of those experiences which I consider to be one of a designer's worst nightmares. I spent the day finishing the top for my Games We Play toddler/small lap quilt (Calypso fabric designed by Ro Gregg) and pushed hard to get it done. The quilt top is bright and cheerful and I thought it would be really cute and/or very cool. However, when I finished the last stitch and put it back on my design wall I was not sure I liked it! I was really disappointed. Somehow my vision and my finished top did not add up to the awesome quilt I expected.<br /><br />Oh, what to do??? Such a bummer!<br /><br />On top of that, I had assumed I would bind the quilt in blue to bring out the blue in the body of the quilt, but when I put up my blue samples I just did not "feel" them! Plus I did not have enough of any one fabric. I was pretty depressed last night!<br /><br />Fortunately, I have learned over the years that when you feel stuck, or something is just not working for you, the best thing to do is walk away.<br /><br />This morning I started working on another project - doing the pre-cutting of the Marblehead fabrics in preparation for starting work on my Wreath For All Seasons quilt this weekend. (Pattern available on my website, www.somethingsewfine.com or from www.quiltwoman.com) I spent most of the day working on that and got a lot accomplished. That was a satisfying feeling after yesterdays disappointment.<br /><br />I got a thought about the binding of the Games We Play quilt top during the afternoon and decided to try it. The green accent borders have been bothering me but I decided to see what green binding would look like, and, by golly, it seems to work! I am liking the quilt top again and feel SO much better.<br /><br />Most of the time Creativity is a blessing but sometimes not so much.<br /><br />What do you think?Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-76880113115072084952011-11-26T15:39:00.000-05:002011-11-26T16:34:10.009-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOk209SMaHTwI-2cEZCeL6Xa6rqdUQUXldN3hv-DojZyq-sqr9CxORY_ZTrIyO1_7ThqQe20_Q2RLCpIrUbQO1LktnY9sJsG8MZlP-HijXxv9rEx4RT1uh1bOXl9ozP08hkw7Uva08fQ/s1600/Marblehead-actual-group+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOk209SMaHTwI-2cEZCeL6Xa6rqdUQUXldN3hv-DojZyq-sqr9CxORY_ZTrIyO1_7ThqQe20_Q2RLCpIrUbQO1LktnY9sJsG8MZlP-HijXxv9rEx4RT1uh1bOXl9ozP08hkw7Uva08fQ/s320/Marblehead-actual-group+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679416803188718834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliP_BXvpunh-5Q_T8tTW3SeGka1i8xLcghtUxa3DSdDIkHIx2wAZB8yMsUggYfwnL-3HraIx-9dajbFDoanzIP-DHCe0ZRAeHc00LgeqDTEUKscORhC_9FnO9rj76TzsfUHTLPZdN4Q/s1600/Marblehead-actual-group1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliP_BXvpunh-5Q_T8tTW3SeGka1i8xLcghtUxa3DSdDIkHIx2wAZB8yMsUggYfwnL-3HraIx-9dajbFDoanzIP-DHCe0ZRAeHc00LgeqDTEUKscORhC_9FnO9rj76TzsfUHTLPZdN4Q/s320/Marblehead-actual-group1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679416422979336082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaX7iNJfyPL2VGPk_TvHn2dokNvLqDVdGGaHT1gIeMW92naT1W1frAOsgqrprEGD5nogJlFzAEg9U7gJdIp9l-kw7mT-1yA7-Tm_PozUZ3N39OhYqNiHj9XqCHUjf95bIYC0ZxmC9cw/s1600/Marblehead-actual-sandstone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaX7iNJfyPL2VGPk_TvHn2dokNvLqDVdGGaHT1gIeMW92naT1W1frAOsgqrprEGD5nogJlFzAEg9U7gJdIp9l-kw7mT-1yA7-Tm_PozUZ3N39OhYqNiHj9XqCHUjf95bIYC0ZxmC9cw/s320/Marblehead-actual-sandstone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679416320575831042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I finally received the fabrics I need from Ro Gregg! They are gorgeous! Above are some photos of the Marblehead fabrics that I will be using to make my Wreath For All Seasons lap quilt (scroll down a little ways to see the "photo" of the "virtual" quilt). As you can see, these fabrics really have the feel of real marble, granite or sandstone. I almost thought they would be hard to the touch, like stone, instead of really soft. Yummy! I can't wait to get started! (The entire Marblehad line contains more than 20 different colors and textures - a really wonderful range for any project. To purchase these fabrics check with you local quilt shop or search on-line - they should be available very soon.)<br /><br />I also received several pieces of the Calypso that I need to finish the top of my toddler quilt. I just have borders to do now (there are three). I have to get it done and off my design wall so I can get it to my long arm quilter and THEN I can start working on the Wreath For All Seasons.<br /><br />Never a dull moment!<br /><br />P.S. If you have not already heard - www.quiltwoman.com, my publisher/distributor, is offering FREE shipping on any orders for the remainder of this weekend (ends Sunday pm). Please take advantage of this generous offer to gift yourself or a quilting friend with one or more quilt patterns or books out of hundreds of great choices (including mine, of course!)Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6374256649216901711.post-4162187969068401542011-11-24T10:44:00.000-05:002011-11-24T11:14:20.519-05:00Thank You! Thank You!For all my friends, those I have known for many years and those I have met more recently through my quilt guilds, my business, networking at several International Quilt Markets and vending at quilt shows, I give my sincerest THANKS for being part of my life. I don't want to get too sentimental here but I do want you all to know that your friendship and support mean the world to me.<br /><br />Special thanks to my DH and my closest friends for being there with me over the long haul and through thick and thin. You are the BEST!<br /><br />Special thanks also to my publisher/distributor <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nancy Dill</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">www.quiltwoman.com</span>) for "discovering" me and helping me make my quilt pattern business a success, and fabric designer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ro Gregg</span>, my newest partner in my creative ventures for her support and enthusiasm for my designs. <br /><br />Many, many thanks also to the wonderful designers (and good friends) of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">New England Quilt Designers' Cooperative</span>: Beth Helfter, Barbara Chojnacki, Judi Damon, Kristi Parker and Terri Sontra. You guys ROCK!Cary Flanaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443253279586900515noreply@blogger.com0