A Lovely Year of Finishes – July Participant Highlight

July has been a busy one for Shanna and I, both of us have had lots of travel!  We are finally getting back into the swing things. Winners from June will be announced soon, Mr. Random has selected them we are in the process of notifying everyone.

In the meantime, we would love to introduce another awesome participant to you! Jess from Quilty Habit!

Blog name: Quilty Habit
Blog address: http://www.quiltyhabit.com/
Name you’re known by throughout quilting world: Jess @ Quilty Habit

What’s your ALYoF goal this month?

I want to finish my orange peel baby quilt, a quilt I designed for the Orange Peel Quilt-A-Long! This goal isn’t very lofty because: 1. I’ve already had a huge head start on the top, and 2. I’m in head-over-heels in love with the fabrics I’m using (Pretty Potent by Anna Maria Horner). I’m sure to get this one done quickly. I am already thinking about how I’m going to quilt it and what my next orange peel project will be!

Shameless plug – if anyone wants to join in on the fun, I have a page dedicated to the QAL, which runs until September 8. There are three size categories and prizes, as well as a Viewer’s Choice award – so come and design a quilt with orange peels! They are way too much fun, promise!

How do you approach your sewing goals? I have a lot of trouble following through with goals, mostly because I hate to put too much pressure on myself for a hobby. Granted, I sew for at least an hour even on my busiest days, so it’s a big part of my life, but I feel like that doesn’t mean I *have* to get certain projects finished all the time. I am a big follower of inspiration urges – I only work on projects I feel inclined to work on. Yes, deadlines are important (see below), but it’s not fun to me anymore if I force it (and it is supposed to be fun!). I do set monthly and quarterly goals now thanks to ALYoF and the Finish-A-Long, but otherwise, I try keep myself open to whatever comes up.

How do you organize/prioritize your projects?

My typical approach to life is this: whenever I feel overwhelmed, I make a list. If I’m feeling extra antsy I’ll write down all the deadlines, even if I know when the are. I’m primarily a visual learner so any cues (dates, huge underlines, very bold pen marks, smiley faces) are helpful. 🙂 In terms of deadlines, I try to reward myself. For example: “If I finish this quilt top that’s due on (x), I can take a small break before quilting it to work on this selfish pillow/quilt top/what have you.” I’m like a little kid: rewards go a long way around here. Milkshakes made or brought home by my very supportive husband work, too!

Here is a picture of Jess and her Husband with their wedding quilt:

What is your current favorite project that you are working on? Will you share pictures with us?

My current favorite project is actually in “time out” – my (predominantly) Anna Maria Horner medallion quilt. I’ve been snooping on and scheming up medallion quilts for a while and decided to design my own, border by border. I have a general sketch in my notebook but I’m still deciding what to do next. Besides the fact that I’m using my favorite fabrics, it’s also been such a blast to really dig into the creative process and do whatever I want. It’s in time out because I just need time to decide what’s next!

What is your dream project to work on?

Oh, wow, what a question! I have two. One, I would love to make a double wedding ring quilt or a really intense Irish Chain quilt one day. I haven’t psyched myself up to all the little DWR templates yet. Maybe that’s a project for next year. Two, I would love to collaborate and piece, quilt, bind, etc. a quilt with a friend (the whole way through, in person, together).

What is your favorite time of day to sew?

I love to sew in the afternoon when I can! I get pretty good natural light in my sewing space then, and that makes for optimal precision. I worked a job in the morning and a job at night for the last year, so midday was when I had the most free time to sew. It works out!

What is your favorite quilting/sewing accessory?

My current favorite is those seam rippers with the rubber or plastic on the cap. A friend recently showed me how to sweep away the threads from your seam ripping using the cap, and I *had* to have one! It’s funny – as a self-taught quilter, I feel like I have missed out on a lot of tools and knowledge that others have, but that’s okay. My guild members are always pointing out new things to me, and I so appreciate it!

What is your number one quilting/sewing goal for 2014?

I want to submit three quilts to QuiltCon, so my goal is to get the last one done. It’s a progressive quilts from a bee my friends and I created, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts. A couple of the quilts are still going, but we hope to open up more rounds afterwards. My quilt top is finished and just needed to be backed, quilted, and bound! I am amazed by the sewing prowess of my friends. It was so cool to see a quilt evolve from my starter into a modern kitchen sink quilt in the colors I chose!

What is one technique you really want to learn?

I would love to learn how to quilt on a longarm. My friend Jess has one and has promised I can practice sometime. 🙂 I’ve done a lot of FMQ on my home machine and I l.o.v.e. it, but for certain quilts (like the medallion quilt) I really want to give special treatment/try something new.

Here is a picture of Jess’s Sewing Space – I love seeing other quilter’s spaces!

Thank you so much Jess for joining Shanna and I, we loved learning a bit more about you!!!