A Needle Quickly Through Cloth

Something wonderful

2010-04-17T17:38:00.001-07:00

via linman.posterous.com

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30 Day Project Day 6

2010-04-12T20:58:00.001-07:00

Even the roughest of days come to an end eventually.

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exactly

2010-04-11T14:29:00.001-07:00

via flickr.com

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Untitled

2010-04-09T23:38:00.001-07:00

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Blue Bird Necklace large by yasminellis on Etsy

2010-04-09T12:03:00.001-07:00

via etsy.com

OMG, I need it. I need it or I will explode. Why would I not need a bluebird necklace made out of a measuring tape? It is full of cute. And I am full of squee.

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30 days of ideas is winding down and 30 days of implementation is revving up

2010-03-25T21:37:00.001-07:00

Well, the thirty days of ideas of the first follower party is winding down. Seven more to go.

I'm getting excited about my thirty day portait project. I have make-up, a new camera, and ideas at the ready.

Do you want to play? Start a thirty day project of your own. Andrew is learning how to code just so he can execute his project. He has created a calendar type website where you can share your progress. He would love to launch the site with at least 100 people logging their progress every day. It will be fun, I promise.

Come on creative people, that thirty days will just fly by. You know you want to.

See there? I even said please. shoot me an email at 30daycheryl (at) gmail.com if you want to join the fun.

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Listening in on an interview with Gary Vaynerchuk

2010-03-10T17:26:00.001-08:00

I love this guy. He is loud and intense, but inspiring. Check him out at garyvaynerchuk.com.

Crush it, baby!

Thank you Rich German for setting it up.

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Lemonade Movie, it's not a pink slip it's a blank page

2010-03-09T20:23:00.001-08:00

Just got back from a screening and Q & A of the movie Lemonade. Erik Proulx was humble, genuine, and inspiring. Lovely man.

Here's the trailer:

Watch the entire film on Hulu here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/120840/lemonade Over the course of this 36 minute movie I cried four times. The stories in that 36 minutes are all of our stories. Please check it out. Share it with a friend.

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Hiding things from myself

2010-03-09T15:01:00.001-08:00

Don't you hate it when you "put something away" and you put it away so well you dont remember where you put it? I've got some test knitting to do and I can not for the life of me find my knitting needles. I have turned this house upside down and it is making me feel a little loco. My knitting needles are mocking me.

I think this medication is making my brain fuzzy. Or I'm just getting old. Whatever.

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Beating back a sinus infection with the help of the good doctor

2010-03-08T13:41:00.001-08:00

I have a raging sinus infection that has been making me miserable. I'm now on my way to Walgreens with three prescriptions to fill and I couldn't be happier. Bring on the drugs!

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Edit : Transform

2010-03-06T15:34:00.001-08:00

via michaelchaffin.com

This video spoke to the darkest recesses of my mind. As I sit here trying to decide what to do and where to go in my life this video just kind of sums up. It has been excruciating mourning my mother and my broken relationship all the while doubting my artistry. I'm getting better though. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

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My angsty portraits speak

2010-03-02T14:35:00.003-08:00

I've been blogged.

I have recieved more than a few emails and comments about the portraits I have been doing and I am humbled. Thanks Andrew.

There is still time to join the Ideal Project before the ideas start flowing tomorrow.

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An Ideal Project and a leap of faith

2010-03-02T14:35:00.001-08:00

About a week ago I stumbled upon this blog post from the Ideal Project Group blog:

http://www.projectidealism.com/2010/02/dance-party.html

The general idea is that I am committing to blog about the yet unknown project to give it momentum with any proceeds from the resulting project going to charity. Pretty cool. I decided to join the party. Sometimes you just have to leap and figure it out as you go along. It is all a big mystery, and I normally hate surprises, but I believe something good will come of it. There are just two days left to join if you want to dance too.

http://musicmakers.idealprojectgroup.com/

More details here:

http://www.projectidealism.com/2010/02/dancers-need-music.html

And just because I need this video on my blog because it makes my brain happy, let's dance!

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A quote to live and work by

2010-02-24T17:16:00.001-08:00

"Well done is better than well said."

Benjamin Franklin-

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A laugh riot at the eye doctor

2010-02-24T17:04:00.001-08:00

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Stitched-a stop motion video

2010-02-24T03:41:00.001-08:00

via youtube.com

Hee hee. I know, I am easily amused. Or everything is awesome when you're slap-happy tired and have been up all night surfing YouTube...

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Procrastination -a brilliant little video

2010-02-24T03:06:00.001-08:00

via youtube.com

Unfortunately I am guilty of most of these offenses.

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Sewing Machine as Musical Instrument

2010-02-22T14:31:00.001-08:00

Sewing Machine melody from lara grant on Vimeo.

This tickles me to death! I spend so much time behind the needle that I would love it if my machines made music as I sew.

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Making friends with my newly shaved head

2010-02-19T16:21:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on posterous

The past four months have been stressful. Half my hair fell out so I'm starting over.

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Self portraits

2010-02-18T12:48:00.001-08:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

All iPhone portraits.

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At the crossroads with my portraits

2009-09-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

This past year has been difficult for me in the portrait quilt department. I love to quilt. I really do, but the projects I have had on my plate in the last year have become larger and harder to manage. The tops have been taking me so long to assemble that the quilting becomes almost an afterthought and that does not make my inner quilt goddess happy. I love the portraits I have done in the past but I am feeling the need to evolve and create newer techniques and focus more on just the quilting. I don't think this is the end of the line for the portraits but I am definitely taking a break. Whole cloth quilts or simple quilt tops that showcase my quilting are more of where I want to be and I am needing to get back to those roots. I'm clearing my mind, clearing my space and getting busy.

My latest portrait

2009-02-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

Lost Journal Sadness

2009-02-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

My previous blog site disappeared so now I will be embedding this journal into my website. Sigh. I really should learn to back up these things.

Why do I do it?

2008-10-22T00:13:00.001-07:00

This question has been running circles in my brain for the past year amidst a host of other questions. Why do I do it? Why do I love to make quilts? Why am I obsessed with sewing? Why did I give up what my mother would call a good job to make "stuff" for a living?

I'm still looking for the answers. In looking for those answers I have discovered a myriad of interesting things about the care and feeding of Cheryl. Sewing is like air to me. I need it to breathe. Sewing is my language. I use it to survive and communicate. Sewing is how I bonded with my mother as a kid. I have witnessed how humble pieces of cloth can bring tears to the eyes. I make clothes so that my outer appearance is as unique as my inner spirit. I make quilts to capture a whisper of a moment and preserve a little history. I am good at it. I am obsessed with it. I can't be left unattended in a craft shop of any sort. It is how I choose to spend my time and money.

I have a natural aptitude for sewing that I have nurtured my entire life. Every book I have read on crafting, every show I have Tivo-ed and watched a hundred times, every mistake, and every unfinished project has made me into the artist/crafter/hermit that I am today. I have crafted this existence one day at a time...one project at a time.

I used to feel like I had to justify my choice to be an artist to people who have more conventional jobs (that's my own people pleasing baggage hard at work) but no more. I think the answer is much simpler than I would like to admit.

I'm pretty good at it. It makes me happy. That's it.

The first of three family portraits I'm working on

2008-10-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Coming up for air

2008-08-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have been crazy busy lately. I finally remodeled my sewing room into a workable space where I can find everything and have enough room to get things done. It feels great to be organized. The quilts have been rolling off the machine at a pretty fast clip. I even pulled off a few mini quilting miracles. So I am back and have time to continue working on my website upgrade and I am also working on getting my podcasts rolling again. So stay tuned!

My quilting idol

2008-01-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at my quilt guild meeting I had the opportunity to meet a quilting goddess, Sharon Schamber. She was amazingly funny. I really enjoyed myself and seeing her quilts in person brought tears to my eyes. She even let us touch them. Breathtaking. I just don't have the words to describe how awesome it was. I can only hope to be a fraction as awesome as she is at some point in my career. Sharon recently won the $100,00 quilt challenge with her gorgeous quilt Scarlet Serenade. She has won countless quilting honors and shows. I can tell from just hearing her speak that she is a very happy and fulfilled woman.

Grunt work

2008-01-10T00:06:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be re-working my website this month and making some samples to be photographed for some advertising I am planning on doing. I feel a little overwhelmed by it all but it has to be done...I just wish it didn't have to be done by me. I am not the best businesswoman on earth, just ask my husband, but I am working on it. I wish I could just do the quilting and some magical gnome from the land of OG would do all the stuff I hate like working on my website, pricing my work, selling, collecting money, etc.
It is difficult to do tedious tasks that don't involve art for me, but I am learning and doing a little bit more every day. My dear husband has been my salesman, financier, and my voice for far too long. I have been leaning on him too much. It's time to be a big girl. Blah. I don't wanna grow up.

Mother and Daughter

2008-01-04T01:12:00.001-08:00

This quilt was a commission for Christmas. I had quite the time of it trying to get this one done but I think it turned out fairly well. I like that it is a tender moment between a mother and child captured in cloth. Now what could be better than that?
Nothing.

Bridal portrait

2008-01-04T00:59:00.001-08:00

I just love the way that this one turned out. I think weddings are such a special occasion and I love being a part of making them even more special. Sometimes I feel like people think that bridal portraits are old fashioned but what a great reminder of how beautiful you looked on one of the most important days of your life. I'm checking this one off as one of my most favorite portraits ever. My Adi quilt would be a close second.

Stitchy background

2008-01-04T00:27:00.000-08:00

I am a seamstress first and foremost. Making clothes is my first love. When I was sixteen I made my first quilt and it was interesting to say the least but I was hooked. Two and a half years ago I bought my longarm sewing machine and I took to it like a duck to water. It felt like going from doing things the hard way to doing things the super secret easy way. I think it helped that I like to draw and doodle because that is all that quilting is. Today I am an APQS dealer and know a whole lot about quilting that I didn't know before.
I love making quilted portraiture. I made my first portrait quilt of 50's pinup Bettie Page while my husband was out of town on business and I was bored and wanted to create something different and I have been making them ever since. A friend of mine once called me a frustrated painter and I would probably agree except I work in fiber and thread. I make wedding quilts, signature quilts, t-shirt quilts, baby quilts, and corsets. I am a real Jane of all trades when it comes to fiber. I dye all my own fabric for my portrait quilts and my big project right now is to write a book detailing the techniques I use. I hope to have it finished before the weather breaks. Busy, busy!