Around the World Blog Hop

I was tagged last week in the Around the World Blog Hop by two fabulously talented ladies: Chelsea @ Patch the Giraffe and Leanne @ Devoted Quilter.  You can see their posts from last week here and here.  I had the please of meeting both Chelsea and Leanne through the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop earlier this year and will be working with both of them further in the Round Trip Quilts round robin bee this coming year.

To keep the chain going I nominate:

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Amy Friend of During Quiet Time.  Amy is a prolific quilter and quilt blogger.  You may know her from the To Boston With Love project or from her new Little House on the Prairie Sew along.  Amy's blog was one of the first I started following when I found the online quilting community.  And over time, her work has never ceased to amaze me!

Hilary of Young Texan Mama is one of my very first online quilting friends.  We met through multiple Flickr block swaps.  Between juggling a young son and a quilt blog, Hilary is always working on something!  Her cross-stitch work is so cute and her quilts are always stunning.  Hilary was also recently accepted as a contestant in Sew-vivor 3: Quilter's Edition.

Karin of Leigh Laurel Studios is another New Hampshire native!  I met Karin through the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop though I'd been following her blog for some time before hand.  I love Karin's use of saturated colors.  Her quilts are so full of life and so fun.  She's also started releasing patterns.  Her Fruit Ninja quilt is sure to be stunning! Karin also has a prolific collection of tutorials on her blog as well!









I spent some time introducing myself earlier in the year that you can read here so I won't go into too much detail again.  I've been quilting for about 5 years.  I'm a born and bread New England girl who loves the outdoors and bright colors.  My husband and I live in northern New Hampshire with our two cats, Martin and Agent Archer.  I work as a Financial Analyst at our major area hospital.  In addition to quilting, I enjoy running, cycling with my husband, and hiking and skiing the mountains near our home.

left: visiting MQX 2014; top right: Color Vibe 5K; bottom right: Martin and Agent Archer

What am I working on? 

Oh my gosh.  So so many things.  I'm pretty bad at finishing things sometimes.  I have just finished the center for my Round Trip Quilts block.  Mailing deadline is today!  I'm also participating in the 2014 Sugar Block Club and love it!  I've got the pieces for 4 more Wiksten Tanks cut out.  I've fallen out of love with my Orange Peel Quilt along top but hope to finish it soon.  I need to finish quilting my Triangle Quilt Along top.  I've got a few pieces left to finish on a my Modern Double Cross quilt.  I need to piece the top for my Pink - Yellow - Grey bee quilt.  Also need to piece the tops in my Red - Orange - Green bee quilt.  I've also got a low volume scrappy trip around the world quilt top started too.

1. #roundtripquilts #nhbeauty, 2. January through August #sugarblockclub blocks, 3. #wikstentank !, 4. Orange Peel Quilt, 5. Triangle Quilt Along quilt, 6. Modern Double Cross quilt, 7. Pink - Yellow - Grey Blocks, 8. Sew Pieceful Blocks Received, 9. More Low Volume Scrappy Trip Blocks

How does my work differ from others of its genre? 

I think that we all hope that our work differs from everyone else's but in reality we are all working off of each other for inspiration.  Because of that, I think that our work is inherently connected and thus similar to the next persons.  That is what makes the quilting community unique.  I do know that when I sew I leave a little bit of myself in the pieces I make, whether through the choice of or placement of fabric, or in the layout of the quilt.  In general I like to work with bright, modern fabrics but usually like to sew more traditional blocks.  I also try to combine colors in unique and interesting ways.

Why do I quilt? 

Wow... This is a loaded question.  I'll give you the medium-length answer.  Most people are good at Math/Science or English/Art.  I've always been good at Math and Art.... I guess my brain is wired a little funny.  I've always excelled at algebra, geometry, and even calculus and always had a passion for creating beautiful things.

When I was in grade school, I painted and threw pottery.  In college I minored in Art (and was once scolded for making something too perfectly square..."That's not art! That's manufacturing!" Another long story).  After college I needed a creative outlet and happened to stumble into a quilt shop on day...and the rest is history!

After college, when I was working in a job that I didn't enjoy and didn't feel challenged in, quilting was my sanity.  It was the challenge I was seeking.  It was the creativity that I needed.  It allowed me to engage my brain in a new way each day and to stretch both my critical and creative thinking.  Quilting forces me outside of my comfort zone.  It allows me to create.  To make beautiful things.  To help others and make them smile.  In my opinion, quilting is the perfect combination of my interests and skills.

How does my creating process work?

I am usually influenced by the things around me.  It could be from the tile on a patio floor or the combination of wild flowers on the side of the road or even the logo on the conference phones we use at work.  I tend to find creative inspiration suddenly and without warning.  My notebooks and meeting notes are always dotted with new inspiration or ideas that I was struck with and had to get down!  I prefer drawing on graph paper and coloring it in with a sharpie pen later to using computer programs to design.  Once I get my idea down I love the process of seeing it come to life in fabric and eventually a finished quilt.  It is such a rewarding process!

1. Sketching a design for the #orangepeelqal happening with @quiltyhabit, 2. Sketching some ideas for my round robin quilt. My theme is modern NH cabin quilt., 3. Doing some more sketching today. Nothing relaxes me like drawing on graph paper. Weird. I know., 4. sketching quilting designs, 5. Can you see the pattern emerge? How do you like to sketch quilt patterns? I still resort to good old graph paper. #quiltsketch

Well,that's all from me!  Check in with Amy, Karin, and Hilary next Monday, September 8th for their posts as part of the Around the World Blog Hop!

I'm linking up with Stitch by Stich for anything goes mondays.