I'm still here!

Confession time.

I haven't sewn a stitch since I was asked to design a line of fabric.  Virtually all of my waking hours have been devoted to first coming up with a theme and then developing and working through the designs.

Book and pattern publishing aren't new to me.  I published three books and over 200 pattern designs before retiring from the decorative painting industry in 2006. Fabric "publishing" or production on the other hand, is entirely new to me. Thank goodness the Creative Director at Blank Quilting was able to understand and embrace my vision and now that vision is coming to fruition on fabric.

I really haven't been able to concentrate on anything since this venture started just a short while ago.  Thank goodness my next project for Primitive Quilts & Projects magazine was already finished before starting to work on the fabric designs.  All there is left to do is to write up the instructions and I'll be able to send it off before my July 15th deadline.

One thing for certain is that this new venture hasn't put a damper on my quilting-related buying habits.  Every time I'd buy something new I'd ask Mr. Painted Quilt if he'd mind taking it upstairs to my sewing studio where of course it was dropped in the first available space.  

And the result?  

Chaos!

My mind simply shuts down and refuses to work when surrounded by clutter and disorganization and that is probably one of the main reasons why I've been remiss about starting into something new...not that I didn't have these other distractions going on in my head.

So today I decided that it was time to do some tidying up which surprisingly didn't take as long as I expected.  

Everything is back to "normal" once again...

and I even managed to pull some fabrics for my next project, Leanne Beasley's "Journey of a Quilter", which I was going to start before being asked to design a fabric line.

I've decided to go with a line called "Provencial" by Iron Orchid Designs for Clothworks.

These fabrics are very "provencial" and feminine and are waaaay out of my comfort zone but I wanted a challenge that would force me to climb out of that comfort zone and also stretch my boundaries.  I'm looking forward to the distraction and the cutting will hopefully start tomorrow!

Pictured below is a photo that I took a couple of weeks ago of a completed "Journey of a Quilter" that was on display at a local quilt show and sale that I attended a couple of weeks ago.  Because of the fabrics I've chosen, combined with the changes that I'm going to make, mine will look quite different.

In the interim, I'm trying to exercise patience while waiting for Fed Ex to deliver the first set of proofs for my fabric line to arrive from Blank Quilting in New York City.  According to the tracking information, the package has cleared customs in Montreal and I'm hoping that they will be delivered to our little corner of Nova Scotia on Monday.  These are 'just' the colored artwork proofs and basically will be the final step where I can make any changes or alterations that I deem necessary.  

I can't wait to see them!!! 

Happy stitching!