Saturday, April 15, 2017

Finish-A-Long 2017 Meet the Maker: Ella at Throwawenchintheworks



Hi, I'm Ella, here at throwawenchintheworks. *waves hello* Welcome to a Meet the Maker Finish-A-Long installment, featuring me!

If you're new to the my blog, let me tell you a bit about me. I'm a teacher in Atlanta. (Still trying to wrap my head around the recent bridge collapse on I-85.) I've moved around a lot in my life, but I think Atlanta is home now. (I do miss the fall in Upstate NY, but I don't miss the winters.) I love Atlanta. It's extremely diverse. I love the blend of big city and neighborhoods. I love The Center for Puppetry Arts (and its huge Henson collection).
IMG_8435

I love the Botanical Gardens.
IMG_8269

I LOVE Dragoncon!
IMG_8552



I live here with my husband (commonly referred to by me as The Pirate...because Pirates are awesome), a smooshy senior cocker spaniel (who has ruined me for all other dogs and who I need to clone into an army of lovey dogs), and a slightly evil tuxedo kitty (think Brain from "Pinky and the Brain").

Obligatory animal pictures:
IMG_0282      IMG_0298

(Sorry, the tongue is a bit disturbing, but I still find her forcible grooming, usually limited to his floofy hair, HILARIOUS.)

I'm new to hosting the Finish-a-Long, but I've been a long time participant (and long time overachieving list maker). I started blogging back in 2011. A bit of trivia about my blog name. I'm also a bellydancer (although my knee issue has me a bit sidelined right now), hence the wench part. I tend to throw myself into things whole-heartedly, but I'm also a klutz...so, um, the wench in the works. I didn't think about how often folks would read it as "wrench" and have trouble finding my blog. Ah well.

Ironically, I used to teach photography and now most of my pictures tend to be taken in my poorly lit living room at odd hours of the night. I *can* take better pictures; I *should* take better pictures; I'm just mostly working on things in the night-time. I apologize for that.


I started blogging the summer I decided to officially learn how to quilt. I've been sewing and knitting since I was little. (My mom taught me how to sew, by hand and by machine. My aunt taught me to knit when I was in third grade.) I made a quilt for my dorm room in college, but I don't count it as a quilt that was completely mine because my mom hand tied it. It didn't survive many washings.


I don't actually have most of my first quilts any more from back in 2011.
When I started sewing again back in 2011, after many years of hiatus, I was initially obsessed with disappearing nine patches. I gave most of them away. The one below went to a friend going through chemo.
batik quilt



In my first foray into non disappearing 9 patch quilts, I made a HORRIBLE quilt. I used crappy fabric that did NOT stand up to being washed, which was probably also a product of my seams being totally inconsistent. Ahem, I was in a horrible Hawaiian shirt theme for the quilts.


Rockin Robin completed top!


It was part of a Row Robin that was launched online. I loved the community that I found there. Folks were supportive and kind. That led to swaps and lots of groups on Flickr. (Remember when Flickr was awesome? *Sigh.*) I did a ton of block swaps, even ran the 4x6 for a while. I admit, I have not been blogging as much as I did in the past. Now, I tend to spend time over on Instagram, but the online community is still HUGELY important to me.


I felt like, as I had with the bellydance community, I found a "tribe" to which I belonged.  I had space to learn, people were so generous with their knowledge, and I could let my geek flag fly.  I got to meet folks in real life from my first do.good.stitches group visiting Atlanta, Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City, Sewtopia here in Atlanta, Sisters in Oregon, and many years of The Stash Bash.  I'm kind of a spazz and feel incredibly awkward in big social groups.  Going to new places feels like a big deal.  (If you ever meet me, this won't necessarily feel true.  I TALK A LOT.  I TALK MORE when I'm nervous.)  I feel lucky to have met so many awesome, amazing women who remain important to me.  


Charity is still a fundamental part of my sewing.  I run the Serenity Circle as part of do.good.stitches.  My circle makes quilts for hospice.  I do this to honor my grandmother.  She was a maker her whole life, making dresses for mission work, mittens in the winter, newborn items for hospitals.  When she died, I saw how much the crochet blanket a stranger made impacted my mother.  I'd love to do that for someone I will never meet with my quilts, to give some comfort in a really difficult time.  I try to make as many as I can each year.  


I've started doing a kindness project this year.  I was feeling overwhelmed by how mean the world was seeming.  I was constantly stressed.  Sewing helped me deal with that.  So far, I made over 40 infinity scarves to give to women I know to let them know they are amazing and loved and seen.  My next project is pincushions.  This lets me do at least something small to impact others, to spread a bit of love.


I've grown a lot as a quilter in the last 7 years.  I still have a long way to go.  (I still mostly straight-line.  FMQ is still my nemesis.)  I'm still addicted to QALs.  I seem to have to have AT LEAST a dozen things spinning at a time.  I can't seem to walk away from a challenge.  I have only put 2 quilts in shows (the poppy below and the hexy garden).  I'm trying to get braver about that.  Quilting is still my least favorite part.  I want to learn how to use a long arm this year.  Goals!


Here are some of my favorite finishes:



batik challengeBubbles

quilt show!Zelda quilt

Death Star


I have another mahoosive finish-a-long list for Quarter 2 (I'm a card carrying member of Archie the Wonder Dog's #ridiculouslylongFAList)!  

Here are a couple of WIPs that I will hopefully complete this quarter:

sugar skull topViolet Craft lion


I'm looking forward to cheerleading this year. Y'all are amazing!  Thank you to the phenomenal women of the Finish-A-Long for letting me join in the fun.







Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Quarter 2, FAL 2017, my list




Quarters Two and Three tend to be my most productive.  That said, while I get a lot done, I also tend to start a lot more than I can actually finish...which keeps my GIANT Wips list constantly replenishing.  Ah well.  At least I never get bored.


For the new folk, here's a quick low down on me:

I'm a teacher in Atlanta.  I live with a lovely husband, a slightly moth eaten looking tuxedo cat, and a super lovey now deaf cocker spaniel.

I'm more than a tad obsessive compulsive/ADHD.

I make quilts.  I pretend I don't sew garments, but I am still trying to learn. I have two patterns I tend to make A LOT.

I sew quilts for Hospice, on my own and with the Serenity Circle from do.good.stitches.  It's my way of honoring the legacy of my grandmother, who used to knit and sew for charity.

I tend to be addicted to quilt alongs.  Maybe some day I'll run one myself.

I'm a geek.  I love Doctor Who, Orphan Black, Dirk Gently, Star Trek (in all forms, old and new), and Star Wars (with a few of the new trilogy that I still refuse to make eye contact with).

Cotton and Steel is my spirit animal.  (You are bound to see a bunch of it in my quilts.)

I bellydance in my "spare" time.  When my knee cooperates.  In theory, I'm losing weight to combat knee issues.

Without further ado, the list of crazy.  A bunch of these are BOMs.  I know I can't likely finish them this quarter, but I want to keep them on my radar.  (The sad thing is this isn't my entire WIP list.)

Sewing

1.  Violet Craft's Lion quilt (it's pin basted, STILL awaiting hand quilting)
Violet Craft lion

2.  Tula sampler block quilt, version 1 (top and back done)  I need to get some king sized batting still.
Tula sampler


3.  Round robin Improv  (top pieced)
IMG_7467


4.  Milky Way Sampler, hosted by Blossom Heart Quilts (I was going to do this as a BOM but I caved and bought the pattern...so I COULD, in theory, finish this one.)
Milky Way quilt


5. Chocolatier BOM, hosted by Gen X quilters (again....just a WIP)
Chocolatier

6.  Slow Snail Quilt, hosted by Gnome Angel (top done and basted)
snail quilt

7.  Tula Sampler, V.2 Cotton and Steel (started)
Tula block 1

8.  The Honey Pot Bee, hosted by Molli Sparkles (again a Wip)
Honeypot bee quilt

9.  Do.Good.Quilt, Serenity Circle, April Quilt
April Serenity quilt

10. Snail pouches
Snail pouches

11.  Lloyd and Lola quilt
llama quilt

12.  Test Tank for Katie (cut)
test tank for Katie


13.  Hospice 1
Hospice 1

14.  Small World
Small World


15.  Maker's Tote (I got as far as cutting parts out and then fizzled on bag making)
maker's tote

16.  Pool Tote 1 (I cut it out intending it to be a Christmas present and then fizzled)
pool tote 1

17.  Maker's Tote 2
Maker's Tote parts

18.  Trail tote 1 (ditto)
trail tote

19.  Trail Tote 2 (ditto)
trail tote 2

20.  Smorgasboard quilt (still hand quilting)
Smorgasboard quilt

21.  Iris quilt
Iris quilt

22.  Project 48 quilt  (Top basted)
Project 48 quilt

23.  Sushi Washi  (Cut..I have to learn how to rethread my serger because I ran out of thread)
sushi washi

24.  Octopus top
octopus top

25.  Cross Quilt improv
cross quilt start

26.  Patchwork City quilt
Patchwork city

27.  Sprout mini quilt  (Patchwork from Scrap class)
scraps

28. Lawn tunic
lawn tunic

29.  cat head for dad (I can only sew a few heads at a time before my hands get sore)
cathead start

30.  fairy/butterfly for MIL (it's been sandwiched, waiting to do reverse applique)
jersey quilt

31.  triangle skirt  (cut...awaiting the aforementioned serger rethread)
triangle skirt

32.  Purple improv
purple improv

33.  HST play
HSTs

34. Tangential quilt (at long-armer)
tangential


35.  Single Girl quilt
freewheeling single girl

36.  Meadow quilt
Meadow start

37.  Meadow mini quilt
frog block

38.  Project Linus quilt
economy blocks

39.  Galaxy dress/washi (see serger rethreading..I cut a bunch of these last time and ran out of thread)
galaxy dress


40.  Arrow skirt  (see serger note)
skirt

41.  Itty Bitty Broken star quilt
broken lonestar

42.  Tear Drop quilt
IMG_9613

43.  Dr who shoes (need to resew one and elastic both)
dr who shoes

44.  Hospice 3
hospice 2

45.  Pincushion project
pincushions


46.  Love scrap quilt
Love scrap quiltLove block

47.  Tula Pink Skull quilt (basted, awaiting quilting)
sugar skull top


48.  Tula The Hood quilt (This one is my #quilttheweightoff quilt project)..It's, um, stalled, pending some much needed weight loss.
house quilt


49.  Grocery bags (3) for Ginny
grocery bags

50.  Long Time Gone QAL
Longtime Gone QAL

51.  Aviatrix
Aviatrix


52.  Urbanologie BOM, hosted by The Intrepid Thread
Urbanologie

53.  Summer Solstice quilt
Solstice

54.  Heather Ross Tank for Katie
HR tank

55.  Secret Sister projects
secret sister

56.  Postcard for Sisters Fundraiser
postcard fabrics

57. #seamonster swap (secret secret)


58.  Bobbin wallet clutch
Bobbin wallet

59. quicker by dozen quilt
quicker by dozen

60.  Art student tote
Art tote







Knitting

1.  manticore socks
Manticore socks


2.  Peacock mittens  (still on mitten #1)
Peacock mittens


3.  Scrap blanket
scrap blanket

4.  slip stitch socks
slipped stitch sock

5.  Katniss Socks
Katniss socks




Bucket List for 2017  (NOT INTENDED FOR THIS QUARTER'S FAL LIST)

1.  Tula Tumbler quilt
Tula tumbler quilt

2.  Tula Butterfly Quilt
Tula Butterfly

3.  Sujata Shah's Organized Chaos
Organized Chaos

4.  Forest Fancy quilt
fancy forest

5.  Sloth quilt
Sloth quilt

6.  Epic Halloween quilt
Halloween quilt

7.  Tula Future Garden quilt
Tula Future Flower garden

9.  Steampunk (I have one block cut)
Steampunk!

10.  Tree quilt
tree quilt

11.  Triforce Throw
triforce

12.  Fish quilt
fish quilt