Around the World Blog Hop

Hello there and welcome to my blog!  My name is Rhonda (a/k/a Evie) and I was invited to participate in the "Around The World Blog Hop" by Karen of Laugh Yourself Into Stitches www.chezstitches.blogspot.com.  If you have not done so already, please go and visit her blog and see how amazingly talented she is.  Although we are not related, we share the same last name and I feel like she's a kindred spirit!  

I don't do very well at writing about myself, but I can certainly talk about FABRIC all day (and night).  I LOVE fabric ... I love it so much that I went into the business of fabric in 2013.  I have a website here www.olieevie.com. As for my blog, I try to post a few pictures of projects I am working on, items I carry in my shop, events, and I like to share notions from time-to-time that I run across that make quilting faster, more accurate, and keep me from going bald!  

I have two sons who both serve our country via the Army National Guard and Navy (they are pretty special to me for many reasons), one absolutely beautiful [inside and out] daughter in law, and two of the most adorable grandchildren a grandma could have (#3 will be here in about 8 weeks)!!!  They call me Grandma Ronnie ;o)  

Besides doing long arm quilting, running my online quilt shop, and being a mom and grandma, I also have a full time job as a legal secretary (for the greatest attorneys in the world)!  I stay busy and could really use more hours in a day.  When I'm not at work you will find me at my long arm, sewing machine, or filling orders.  (I don't have a husband, so don't worry there isn't one to neglect)!  ;o)

WHAT I AM WORKING ON

It might be easier to answer this by asking what I am not working on.  When you love fabric and patterns, and you look at all of the beautiful projects out there in the online world, you want to make them all!  I probably have the fabric to do it too!  

I will keep my list of projects to a minimum (I know your time is precious).  First of all, I am participating in the Farmer's Wife Quilt Revival (I grew up on a farm, just another tidbit of information about me).  I am using the fabric line "Persimmon" by Basic Grey for my blocks.  You can find more information about this quilt along at www.chezstitches.blogspot.com

6 blocks shown here, I have 11 done and 100 more to go!

The other day I was driving to work and I had a little brainstorm.  Being there is a new little arrival coming to our family soon, I am trying to design an original pattern specifically for the precious bundle, featuring "Best Day Ever" by April Rosenthal.  Love these bright, cheerful, happy colors.  

I am working on a LeMoyne Star quilt (LOVE this ruler, it's amazing) from Bonnie & Camille's fabric lines. Although not shown in this picture, I have lots of strips and star points cut and sewn ready to be put into blocks. I believe I have various scraps of five of their fabric lines so far ... they all play so well together -- and I am sure you have seen Daysail ... oh my goodness!

I am in the process of writing a pattern for this fun quilt, but am making an additional one using AdornIt Timberland Critters (it takes one layer cake and about 1/4 yard for your inner border) to complete the top. 

This project has been a work in progress for too long ....

I really only have a few more blocks to go, and maybe a border or two,
and this will be a queen size quilt

I should have taken a photo of the stack of quilts that are waiting to be quilted, some for customers, a lot for myself, and I have a couple of awesome quilt tops that once I get them quilted will be photographed for quilt kits!

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHER OF ITS GENRE

I don't think that anything I do is different.  I look at quilting as a learning experience and I will never know it all. I try to learn as much as I can by taking a class whether in person or online.  Quilting has been around for generations.  In our era, I feel privileged to be able to enjoy an abundance of beautiful fabrics and patterns, not to mention the convenience of modern day technology and amazingly talented woman (and men) who come up with methods that make it painless to quilt.  Where would we be without You Tube, Craftsy, Jenny Doan, Sew Kind of Wonderful .... and the list goes on and on!  

WHY DO I WRITE/CREATE WHAT I DO

This might be the easiest question for me to answer -- PASSION!  I am passionate about fabric -- the look and feel of it, cutting it up and sewing it back together and seeing what transforms!  It's really amazing.  I love sharing my passion with others.  In the small amount of teaching I have done the most important thing I have tried to express is "MAKE IT YOUR OWN"!  Your project doesn't have to be just like the sample, model or picture.  It needs to be you and express you. I am getting into the groove of playing with different background fabrics to create different looks.  I like that you can use a creamy color to create the look of a vintage quilt.   I like to use scraps up and have lots and lots of them.  These quilts were made from bits and pieces of leftovers from previous projects.  I had a lot of fun playing with them!  

A couple of years ago some friends asked me to create some quilts for them for family members for Christmas. They brought me the fabric and my creative juices started flowing.  Although I had dabbled in trying to do some original designs (photos above), it was the winter of 2012 that helped me realize that I wanted to share my passion even more.  I started teaching some classes and have written a pattern or two.  

This is one of the International quilts I designed (another farm project)!

I have created a few designs of my own, some of them have not been shared with others, and some have been put in pattern form.  My mind rarely stops working or thinking about how a block would look this way or that way. 

HOW DOES MY WRITING/CREATING PROCESS WORK

The process is that there is no process.  I can be driving, sewing, reading, or typing and an idea comes to me, I pull a paper aside and doodle and it eventually gets put in the folder with the others waiting for me to open it up and get back to it in the future!  It would be nice to have the time to sort, organize, and spend time creating and writing them all up ... it's kind of my SOME DAY I will get to it pile.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD

I feel very fortunate to have the ability to do what I love.  I donate my time and materials for charity work.  One charity that I quilt and sew for is Quilts of Valor.  You can get more information about that program here.  http://www.qovf.org/  In addition I have donated quilts for auctions or to help raise funds for a charities or organizations I believe in and would encourage each of you to do the same.  You and I both know that there is nothing like having a soft, warm quilt to wrap up in!

Come back next week and I will have a link to at least one blog, hopefully more, that will be sharing their ideas and designs with you and so on and so forth.  Thanks for taking the time to read this post.  I welcome comments and ideas!  

Evie~