Author Archives: Colleen Kole

One More To Go

I just finished this scarf for a friend. It is made out of really soft alpaca. One more left to do after this. Scarf that is. Also working on quilt #5. Almost ready for binding. In case, you wonder if I am still here. Just finding it hard to think of something very exciting to say! Guess all the brain cells are being used to stay on track and finish chores these days.

I spent yesterday cleaning up my studio. The tables were overflowing with unfinished projects and I got tired of looking for things. Scraps were even placed in the appropriate drawers. Now, I feel lazy!

A little caffeine should help that ! Are you making gifts? I haven’t for a few years but felt so inspired this year.

Have fun creating, my friends!

Why Do you Make?

My favorite handmade Santa from a craft show ~ 15 years ago

I was reading through my favorite blogs and this one really made me stop and think .Tara Gentile in her blog, Scoutie Girl, asked us to comment or leave a link to her question today. As I am just starting a few last minute Christmas gifts to tuck with packages last night, I was asking myself the same question. Let me try to sum it up for you so don’t fall asleep.

The Process: I love the process of designing and stitching with needle and thread on fabric. Adding any kind of handstitiching just really pleases me and I find it relaxing. I enjoy sharing the process with others-belonging to groups , teaching my kids how to sew or just giving what I have made to others. So the process and sharing in the product of the process.

The Completion: I enjoy the satisfaction of finishing a project and knowing that I did my best on it. If I didn’t feel like it was my best work, I enjoy completing it just for the process of knowing what I learned from it and knowing I pushed through some kind of a new barrier. So many of my tasks that I complete, are undone quickly and need to be re-done:dishes, housework, etc. This one stays done and hopefully is pleasing to look at.

The Spontaneity of It: Doing something spontaneous on the design wall or just with my hands is an extra treat in my planned out days and duties. Sometimes feels like a naughty pleasure…it shouldn’t I know but so many things need to be done -not the want to do things- the needs always call me as they have to be done.

Uniquely Me: What I make is uniquely from my hands, heart and mind. It is me being creative and thinking through and loving the process. No one else will make it just like I have. Don’t mean in anyway to sound vain. Just hope that the passion I have for creating and making things will show through with what I make and give this Christmas. I am not me without creating something with needle , thread and my hands!

Hand stitched coat-? unknown maker

So, my friends, why do you make?

Be creative- we have a snow day today. I love it.

The Hamster Wheel

Yes, I am on one this week. Hustling around trying to get the computer situation fixed. My computer guy is very disorganized and has cost me lots of extra time. Customer satisfaction is everything these days…Take care of the customer seems very easy, doesn’t it? One more trip back today to return something and then three will be working. I might cave and go for the big Apple for myself after this fiasco. And then my lab is sick and at the vet-she ate a cake on the front seat of my car-homemade and a gingerbread cake. Silly things -that as the vet says-she does this every December. Must not like how busy I am.

So, very little time has been spent on quilts. I have been hand stitching on my crinkle quilt. Pieces pulled

for something like this.

. Basting done for #5 which needs to be done before Christmas.

I think #6 and #7 might be for the week after Christmas unless a huge chunk of time opens up. Haven’t given up yet. And trying some more screen printing. Screens from Lynne Krawczyk.

Definitely addictive.15-30 minute bits of time in my studio.

I am going to put some of these threads in my Etsy shop as several people have requested that I dye some for them. But I will put them here first. Two batches:

The first one is Fire and consists of 5 skeins of hand dyed DMC embroidery thread- 10$.

The second is my favorite is : Spring Sky 5 skeins of hand dyed embroidery thread-10$.

Great for hand stitching on your art quilts. E-mail me if you would like them. If not they will be on Etsy tomorrow.

Whew -the weekend is almost here!

Be creative, my friends.

ADD: Hand dyed thread is sold- more to come in my Etsy shop.

Onward and Forward?Finish #4

I have spent the past 48 hours trying to move forward. And I am. I keep reminding myself of that. I have added a computer to our household-for my husband. I have spent hours deleting old files and then getting the data transferred. He has been very patient but is tired of searching for our one and only desktop throughout the house. By the end of the month- or should I say Christmas day- we should have 4-yes four operating and efficient computers. It is a huge deal to us as we have been operating on one for the past few months- limping along- going nowhere fast.( My daughter is taking a graphics design class and is hogging up the time at night.) I am very excited. More than excited.

I have also spent way too much time(and money) getting my beloved Yukon fixed again. Yesterday. An unexpected and unwelcome start to the week. The Yukon had problems after the decision was made on computers so no looking back. She has 115,000 miles on her and she is mine. This is a sentimental kind of thing. She has been reliable. She is old and very dog friendly , if not a little smelly. But repaired and good to go today.
Now, back to my quest to finish things. Finish #4: Carnival Ride.

It’s for a table in Vermont. Table art. Carnival Ride, 14×33, 2010 , and it’s finished!

My daughter Hope chose a winner for this last giveaway. She pulled out the name –Lynne– you are the winner. You will love the velvet. And the paints. I’ll mail it out tomorrow.

I want to join in the holiday fun over here. It might totally distract me from this finish thing. Remind me next year not to do this during December. Motivation to finish works- in- process needs to come in November.

Thank you again for stopping in.

Be creative, my friends!

Time to Play/ Last Giveaway

I had exactly one hour before I left to pick the kids up from school. And I had finished my quilt. So, I lined up my supplies: Simply Plaid screen printing paint, sponge brush, fabric, a thermofax screen and a cover cloth for my work surface.

The first pull-I should have peeked underneath to see what my coverage was like. Sorry about the dark picture. I need to adjust to really dark, cloudy days here in my picture taking. I love this process as it is instant gratification.

I purchased my thermofax screen from Lynn Krwaczyk in her Etsy store. I have enjoyed her blog for the past few months and thought it was something I would like to try. She has EXCELLENT tutorials (free education!) on Youtube and you can find links, of course, on her blog. Fun and very addictive. It only took about 15 minutes and now must be heat set. When I received my copy of Quilting Arts magazine yesterday, she has a 6 page article on this process. It was an added bonus to my new little surface design playtime.

Last thank you for reading my blog giveaway:

One yard of handdyed blue velvet, 2 Simply Plaid screen printing paints, and 4 handdyed embroidery threads. My question : Do you have a technique that is on your list to try? Leave a comment on this post by next Tuesday and I will have one of my kids randomly choose the winner.( If you win, you might need to check out Lynn’s Etsy shop.)

Be creative, my friends. For me. I need to focus on Christmas shopping today.

Just Finish It: #3

It was the start of a series. I have a whole journal full of sketches surrounding this little simple ‘L” block. Many ideas -of where to go next. I started on it this summer and the top was done. When I started quilting it , the machine started chewing it up and I kept fighting with the machine. Which led to a new machine. I ripped out bad stitching for about 10 hours and then, left it in a heap in my workbasket. I was left with a stretched out quilt top that I really didn’t want to finish.
But if I wanted to keep a record of the first in the series, it had to be finished.

I needed to let go of perfect and finish it.

And it’s done. It will be for a room in my home.

   L Series: #1
   9×37

It can still be beautiful even though it’s not perfect.

Be creative, my friends.

Another Learning Moment

The first snow 2010: December 1

   Late this year.The snow. Looks silly with the sunshine in my banner….ahhh…it’s just the week….

   By trying to juggle this new potential career -art and mommyhood- or maybe it’s just working at home-I am learning alot about myself. Take for instance Monday night. 260 women to serve punch, cookies, cheese, crackers, fruit, coffee, tea and water. Sounds good. I can help. I am at home. Sure. Well, I did have two wonderful kind generous friends to help. BUT, clearly, I didn’t have enough help. I was whooped on Tuesday morning. All went well at a lovely Christmas gala but really Colleen. Lessons learned this week already:

1.Ok to volunteer but look at the calendar. Don’t overcommit. Plan ahead.
2. Learn to delegate. (What was I thinking? )

It’s all a blur but it’s behind me. 🙂

I am now on to binding #3.

I am bribing myself to get this done so I can try this:

I bought a few thermofax screens on Etsy which I will tell you about tomorrow. I won’t get to try them out today (now that’s a realistic statement) but more tomorrow on them. Do you bribe yourself like this? If you get A done, you can play with B? That’s also the whole focus part, isn’t it? My head hurts from learning so much about myself so early in the morning!

I haven’t forgotten I owe you the fourth giveaway. Just haven’t had time to think about what it might be!

I will focus for you today.

Be creative, my friends! And breathe if you don’t have time to be.

Another Moment of Panic

Or I could title this “10 Things Not to Expect of Yourself Thanksgiving Weekend”. I have come to this newfound realization that I overcommit. I use to think I was disorganized. (Well ok sometimes, I am.:) But, I tend to not look ahead and see the big picture on a regular basis. I think I have unlimited time over four days and DREAM of what could be accomplished. Well-not necessarily around the house or family-but in the studio. Hmm…sounds like a teensy problem already because it is a family holiday.

I didn’t take into account the following:

20 people were eating here on Thursday. A turkey. A really big turkey.
2 of those people were staying here.
4 more would come and go and eat here various things.
Children would like to go to movies, play with friends, come over and need to be taken home.
I would feel crazed to decorate the house for Christmas-inside and out-in the midst of the chaos.
I would go out to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law.

Now- I had a super great time and really enjoyed myself with all of my family. But…I was busy.

Can you see where this is going? Not one thing was stitched on since Tuesday. My machine has not been turned on since Tuesday. I was so busy just doing “things” that there was no time to sew. I have just lost five days-which as my son calculated=one less quilt done by January 1. .

Why in the world I would feel some weird urge to re-do my blog banner in the midst of the chaos-I have no idea. And for each five minute interval I had to fix it, someone else would call me. It needs to be fixed. Good thing there is always Monday. Hope you had a great weekend. I had so much fun that it’s hard for it to be over.

Back at it this week!

Grateful Today

I am grateful for so many things.

– A 19 year old daughter who went to run a 5K race with my husband just a few minutes ago-she is alive and well after an awful accident in July.
-Two other kids who make me laugh -most days-and are growing into their own big people personalities.
-My foot returning to a new normal after a surgery last April. I don’t take for granted my feet anymore!
-A husband who is very supportive and putting up with my mid life crisis:).

-For the joy I have when I pick up a needle, thread and fabric.
-The excitement I have about learning new things-even as old as I am:). I love learning.
-New friends and old friends here that I feel like I am having a cup of coffee with each morning I blog.
-And for God who has blessed me with each of these things.

In thanksgiving today.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

I Almost Forgot

The list is longer than the time I have left before Thanksgiving. And then my son didn’t feel well today so everything stopped. I could only go to the doctor’s to see if he had strep throat. So we watched “Night at the Museum” and took a nap. And did things at home which really needed to be done. It felt good not to be running around in the craziness and getting caught up in the buying of too much food. It felt good to slow down. Not good to see him sick. But just good to slow down.

Without my normal routine, I forgot about blogging. And about picking a winner for that giveaway last week-the winner is zizophora. So please, email me your address and I will be sure to get it in the mail for you.

I have been following Melanie Testa and her month of line drawing. Go check out what she is doing. I took a class from her last winter at Joggles and just haven’t added her to my blog list.She is a good teacher and her blog follows her teaching style with her talented info shared so freely. On day 7, she references an artist, Marcus McCallister and his amazing journals. Go check out this youtube vide and see what Melanie is doing.

Thanks for your comments and for peeking in. I am going to sit and rip out some awful machine stitching.

Be creative, my friends -slow down too. It will all get done and cooked.