Daisy Janie

montage | Shades of Grey Scrap Challenge.

Above:
1. Thomas @ Thomas Knauer Sews  |  project post
2. Paloma @ 3 Kitchen Fairies  |  project post
3. Nicole @ Follow the White Bunny  |  project post
4. Cara @ Cara Quilts  |  project post

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One last *thank you* to the talented folks who volunteered for the Shades of Grey Scrap Challenge at Fat Quarterly! It was like waking up to a birthday for almost 8 days straight! Your ideas were/are so inspiring - I jotted some ideas down to try later. Most importantly, you gave the Greybies another chance to shine in the spotlight - and did they ever! Your time and creativity are most appreciated!

And a MEGA HUGE thank you to the Fat Quarterly crew, esp John (Quilt Dad) and Katy (I'm a Ginger Monkey) who took me under their blogging wing this Aug/Sept and generously shared their time & space with Daisy Janie. I am so grateful to you both for your insights and experience!

Have you seen the BIG news from Fat Quarterly? They wrote a book, and nary a peep of it was mentioned until the reveal this week! I am just starting to buy quilting and project books, and this looks like a gem! You can pre-order Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop for Quilters: 60 Blocks plus a Dozen Quilts and Projects at Amazon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Below
5. Michelle @ Kinetic Quilts  |  project post
6. Lu @ Summersville  |  project post
7. Candi @ Raccoon Creek Quilts  |  project post
8. Melanie @ A Sewing Journal  |  project post

seeing | a quilt at the finish line.

On this fine Monday morning, I'm preparing to prepare. Trying to figure out where to dive into what will be a pivotal week for my Quilt Market tasks. I am aching to make progress on a few big fronts!

My mind is all a dither today b/c I'm still processing and marveling at yesterday. Along with 499 other runners, M completed a 50-mile trail run in gorgeous Vermont. It was awe-inspiring to be there, witnessing firsthand the mental and physical fortitude he summoned to get to the finish line. Absolutely unbelievable and so expectedly believable all at once - b/c it's him - and he just does things like that: sets a lofty goal, does very thoughtful and rigorous prep, takes on the ardor of the task, and crosses that puppy off the list. Simple enough on paper, and a whole other kettle of fish getting it done. Hats off, love, hats off!!!!

I was enjoying the pics from yesterday one last time before buckling down, and what the devil is that?! A quilt? At the finish line*? Why yes it is! Spotted while I'm feeling all gushy and inspired as it is - a pretty sassy statement about putting in some work on my own lofty goals. Simple enough on paper...

I'll be back later this week with Tilly pics - sample fabric is on its way!

magnetic message #7

 

Not much posting this week, but much, much, much getting done around here for Quilt Market, and I don't even have fabric yet! This week, baby - the fabric is a-comin'! Hot diggity dog!

M is crossing off a bucket list item this weekend - excited to accompany him on this mission! That man inspires me in ways I can't begin to express. Just put your head down and go! He's a big believer in, "You can have what you want or the reasons why not." Although I did put in a small request to begin alternating between bucket and f*** it lists after this biggie is complete... to bring back a little levity & spontaneity with the important, planned stuff!

Have a great weekend!
xo
Jan

seeing | a purposeful wanderer.

"Not all who wander are lost." (see full quote below)

This pretty lady and her mate were in our front yard for a very long time this past Spring. We're landlocked on a tree-lined street, with the nearest ducky waterway about a mile away. She knew exactly what she was doing though. Not lost at all.

As always, it's a matter of perspective. What seems like a person off-course to an onlooker may in fact be quite purposeful wandering - gathering, learning, absorbing information. The lost portion comes into play when we refuse to act on knowledge gained through our drifting. At some point, we have to take a step into thin air and see what happens. Fear will try to pull us back - and it will also keep us swirling in Never Never Land if we let it. At that point, purposeful wandering becomes a safety net of aimless meandering. A seemingly fine line, but not really: paralysis follows aimlessness and action follows purpose. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king."
     - Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tilly blowing in the breeze.

Thar she blows! Pretty Tilly being whisked about on one of the last hot, summer mornings this past August. I picked the panels up, dusted them off, and started all over again. Not nearly with as much tapping panache as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire below, but close. Very, very close!

Pick Yourself Up
Nothing's impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start all over again.

Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.

Shades of Grey Scrap Challenge at Fat Quarterly.

scrap packs for the Shades of Grey Scrap Challenge at Fat Quarterly

Earlier this summer, I brainstormed with Fat Quarterly [specifically John (Quilt Dad) and Katy (I’m a Ginger Monkey)] for a few unique projects featuring Daisy Janie’s Shades of Grey organic fabrics. THIS ~ the Scrap Challenge ~ is the project for which I've been anxiously awaiting! Finally!! 

Fat Quarterly Shades of Grey Scrap Challenge
In early August, I put together a bunch of scrap packs of the Shades of Grey organic fabrics and some organic solids. Rules were open-ended: Make something. The making portion is complete, and projects are now being posted on the Fat Quarterly blog. I cannot wait to see what everyone made!

Here’s the line-up of posts at Fat Quarterly:
(I will update this post with project links as they’re published.)

• Tues, Sept 13  -  Thomas @ Thomas Knauer Sews  |  project post
• Thurs, Sept 15  -  Paloma @ 3 Kitchen Fairies  |  project post
• Fri, Sept 16  -  Nicole @ Follow the White Bunny  |  project post
• Sun, Sept 18  -  Cara @ Cara Quilts  |  project post
• Mon, Sept 19  -  Michelle @ Kinetic Quilts  |  project post
• Wed, Sept 21  -  Lu @ Summersville  |  project post
• Thurs, Sept 22  -  Rachel @ SweetteaMom Designs 
• Sat, Sept 24  -  Candi @ Raccoon Creek Quilts  |  project post 
• Sun, Sept 25  -  Melanie @ A Sewing Journal  |  project post

Thank you!
When I say it was a distinct privilege to partner with Fat Quarterly/John/Katy, I truly mean it. They are generous with the FQ blog space and time, full of incredible ideas and beyond enthusiastic about fabric and its potential. I walked away from each & every email with them more motivated & with a fresher perspective on my own fabrics! Thank you John & Katy!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In case you missed the previous features, here are some quick links for you:

• Introduction & brief overview of organic fabrics
• In-depth Q & A about my designs, inspirations and fabrics
• The masthead take-over (which is up again now…)
• Basic Grey Sampler Designers Challenge

Lastly ...
I tweeted last month about a bloody thumb and ceiling fan incident ('cuz twitter is all about garnering sympathy over fabric-related accidents). The pic above is the shot I was attempting, tiptoeing on a chair and holding the camera out in front of me over my head.

Cheers: The camera was fine b/c my thumb buffered a direct hit (ouch)!
Tears: I broke my lens last week when the dangling strap got stuck when I opened a file drawer, and BAM, that lens HIT the ground. Only 2-feet - but I paid the price for not finding a safer spot in the first place! Frickenfrack.

website progress update.

Remember the "Making Some Copies" skit on Saturday Night Live, where Rob Schneider would give a goofy play-by-play of each person who came near his desk to make copies or sharpen pencils? "Bob ...  making some copies. The Bobster. Bob-uh-reeeenooo." Here's one with Sting.

Anywho. Phase II of the Daisy Janie website revamp is coming along! I am deeeeep into the ecommerce portion and am pretty much fudge-brained from the trial-n-error. It feels like it's been very slow going b/c I don't devote regular daytime working hours to this project, unless I've hurdled something the night before and need to keep going the next day to maintain my thought process. (I've made the "break mistake" before - where I took too long to get back to the website, and completely forgot what the H I was doing...).

This week, I managed to make a big dent, and I freakishly started talking to myself a la Rob Schneider: "Jaaaaaan. Makin' some progress. Building a website. The Janster. Jan-uh- reeeenooo."

FUDGE. BRAINED.

recipe | sweet-n-spicy pecans.

I saw a recipe in a magazine this past summer for various ways to coat and cook nuts (no snickering). I could only recall bits of 1 of the recipes, where they used egg whites as a base. I made up what I thought would work for a nummy, Fall-y recipe, only to discover there are a slew of recipes out there for this very pecan! (That always happens with sewing, too! Bah - I'm better for it I guess!) BUT, all those recipes used a truckload of white sugar! It's not necessary...don't do it!

The flavor of these sweet-n-spicy pecans is spectacular - so Autumnal! Eat them alone or add to plain yogurt. Out of this world! The cayenne adds just a tiny kick to the flavor profile but does not add heat.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ingredients
1 lb pecan halves
1 or 2 egg whites (1 for crisper pecans; 2 for softer)
1/8 t cayenne pepper (optional)
2 t pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
2 T dark brown sugar

Whip egg white(s) until just frothy. Add spices and sugar, stir vigorously to blend well. Add pecan halves. Stir to get an all-over coat.

Spread in single layer on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 200 for 45 mins, stirring about every 10 mins. You can turn your temp higher and bake them for less time if you keep an eye on them. Cool thoroughly.

See if you can eat just one!

completed. cross it off.

This summer, I trained myself not only to make a list of things to do but also to follow thru on their getting done in the time frame I'd specified. I've tried way too many methods and tools over the years. For the first time, it worked!

You know how it feels so great to cross something off your list, and sometimes you'll even go back and retroactively add something you already did JUST so you can cross it off? Well, I sort of honed in on The Power of this single, little action - crossing off, checking off - whatever you wanna call it. In order to get myself to keep up with my list, I had to have a way to be able to create it and access it (quickly), keep it organized and updated (quickly), set deadlines (quickly) and be able to cross items off and move on (quickly). The magic tool was Microsoft Outlook To-Do Lists / Tasks. What a gem!

My only lament is that I didn't delve into it sooner!! I could have done more! My older brother, who pretty much wrote Outlook and met with Bill Gates on a regular basis back in the day, will probably give me a big, "No $hit," on this revelation. Sorry about that DRG!

This little stamp isn't for those tasks specifically, but it does help me to manage-at-a-glance another part of my business. Tapping into The Power.

This feeling of empowerment from crossing things of a list reminds me of a case study we reviewed in a Marketing class in college. The case study examined why Raid's roach motels weren't initially a success with women. The company thought they'd be a hit b/c women didn't have to get their hands dirty with the spray, they didn't have to see the bug dying (b/c women are so sensitive...) - and it was more convenient for women's busy schedules. When sales weren't as they had forecasted, they conducted qualitative interviews. The conversations revealed that women personified the bugs and equated the roaches with men who had scorned them... and they liked the power of holding that can of Raid and spraying the living daylights out of the bugs. Squirming only made the experience better. I can't relate to this too much myself in the realm of bugs and scorn, but I can understand The Power underlying their feelings.

What's your secret weapon for staying on top of your to-do list?

seeing | rainy bright spots.

Even in the rain, where hardly anything looks good to me, this droopy, pink hibiscus shines like a bright ray of light. Calling me and begging me to take a closer look. So I did. Divine!

This bloom is all I can see of this plant b/c the rest of her lives on the other side of my neighbor's fence (see below). I doubt anyone who accesses our alley even gave her a 2nd glance. Meanwhile, I've practically mowed down my other neighbors' trash and recycling bins b/c this bloom is ALL I see as I travel down the alley. Tunnel vision - and she's the light at the end of it.

Hope your school year and Autumn are off to a great start! I am deeeeep in Quilt Market planning and sewing - Booth #660! Come see me if you'll be there!