Off the Wall Friday

 

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Why Quilt on Off the Wall Friday

 The last 10 months my life has been consumed by a new job which while not earth shattering has been super fun.  And my studio has sat empty.  I work all day creatively problem solving my way through customer service.  And my studio sits empty.   I wake up in the morning, thinking of ways to be more productive at my desk.  And my studio still sits empty.

It's been very fulfilling, and a pleasure and the months have flown by.  The work week is filled with one challenge after another.  The weekends are time for sleep and recharging.  It actually gave me pause when I glanced in my empty studio (all clean btw), to think do I really want to keep quilting?  It's been a nice 30 year run - shrug -I could just give it up.  

Then, I stopped myself and had a real Moonstruck Cher Moment 

This year while amazing can't be sustained.  Soon...and it's already starting to happen...I'll get things so together at work that it will start being...ya know...work.

Quilting isn't like that.  Art isn't like that.  Every piece whether a masterpiece or dog is a new bit of you.  There is always something new to learn  - to touch - to express.  Quilting is a challenge, a lesson in perseverance as well as many moments of quiet.  It makes old things new and ties us to many generations of needles and thread.  Quilts will last.

I am always very thankful that I got to start when I was 26 and could weather these cycles of creativity.  I've learn to give myself grace when I spend months away from my sewing machine.  But this grace is starting to turn into season of inertia.  It needs to stop.

I'm writing this all, not only to journal it for the future Nina, but for anybody else going through it. I'm hoping this spring will renew my energy and revitalize my passion.  It's still there.  And so is my studio.

So enough about me....What Have You've Been Up to Creatively?

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Off the Wall Friday

 

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Niche Notions Quilt Shops on Off the Wall Friday

 So now that JoAnn's is no longer, where does one shop?  So glad you asked!!  I've always liked technology... although for the record...my favorite saying is "Technology is the new Alchemy" 

(because I really think its a mysterious magic). Anyways...  I've been shopping online since pretty much the beginning. I'm not one to buy from the big-name online quilt shops but more enjoy searching for the smaller niches of notions.  I remember back in 1997, when I found this thread distributor who sold mostly to commercial customers but would put up their odds and ends to anybody for cheapie. I was never quite sure what I was buying but I was happy to give it a try.  

Before I start this, I want to say as a disclaimer that lately I haven't bought much because I tend to buy things I love in bulk and then they last for a long time.  Looking at inflated prices, I'm thinking that was a wise move.  But these are my favorite places that are still in business....

Colonial Needle Company...I'm fussy, I mean really fussy about my needles.  I like what I like.  As the years have gone on it's gotten harder and harder to find my favorite hand sewing needles.  That's when I found Colonial needle and started buying them in bulk.  This turned out to be good idea since I believe they have since discontinued my beloved Size 10 Large Eye Sharp.  I've found a ton of good needles there for my foray into big stitch quilting.  

Red Rock Threads....I really have been buying from them for at least 20 years.  They have
always had the best prices and the service is great.  I tend to buy cones of aurfil 50 wt for piecing and in years past bought a ton of Mettler Poly sheen.  

TestFabrics - Pretty much all of my PFD fabric has come from here.  I just noticed they did a big upgrade to their web page and LORD I could do some damage there quick.  This is a company that is set up to provide fabric for research and testing to commercial customers but is versed in selling to fiber artists as well.  In the past, I've bought 50 meters of seconds fabric cheaper since I was going dye it anyways and it came on big rolls.  Plus being here in Pennsylvania the shipping was that much cheaper.  

The Fabric Shack ... If I have bought commercial cotton fabric in recent years, it's been from this site.  The prices have been super fair and the shipping cheapie.  They have a nice mix of traditional and artsy fabric.  It is one of the few places that I still get their regular emails.  

Hmmm those are just off the top of my head....

One place I want to try is WAWAK.... has anybody shopped there?  What did you think?

Where are Your favorite Places to Shop Online?

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