Let's Get Acquainted! My Turn

For those of you who are first time visitors to my blog – Welcome!! A big shout out to Beth over at Plum and June for setting up this fun blog hop for all of us.  A lot of work (and follow-up) goes into organizing this and I just want to say thank you to her.

Beth has suggested some questions to help us get to know one another better so here we go!

Do you belong to or would you like to belong to bees, QALs, etc.. Because it has been so long since I first joined Flickr (where I have participated in over two dozen bees and swaps) I don’t recall where I read or who suggested that as a good bee/swap platform but it is fantastic! If you aren’t on Flickr, I would highly recommend you join.  You can dip in slowly and do a bee like NuBee’s where you only have a one month commitment or you can go for the gusto and join one with a six month or year commitment – it’s all up to you. 

The swaps and bees I have been in have exposed me to paper piecing, hexagons, sewing curves, sewing pillows, piping, dresden blocks, and many other techniques. Frankly, if I wasn't required to do it for a bee, it is likely I would have never tried them on my own.  I appreciate the bees pushing me outside of my comfort zone and strongly suggest this for beginning quilters.  Lori and I also host the Modern She Made Swap so stay tuned this fall if you are interested in making a project for your secret partner with {insert shape here, not determined yet} on it.  The first round we incorporated a circle, then a triangle and our latest round was a star so browse on over to the finished projects if you are interested in what we created. {warning: lots of eye candy!}

Have you attended or are you planning to attend any sewing get togethers like Sewing Summit, Quiltcon, etc.. Last year I attended Sewing Summit and had a blast, it was awesome! Because the group of friends I bonded with prefer smaller gatherings, we are headed to the Northeast this fall for a private retreat so I won’t be attending this year, but if you have a chance to go or are "thinking" about it, I highly recommend it not for the classes, but for the friendships. You end up hanging out with other girls who LOVE to sew as much as you do - really!  Quiltcon-yes!  I was so excited to attend a quilt show that was all modern!  Funny thing, it was mostly modern, but there were a few quilts that I wouldn’t have considered modern at all.  In addition, there was a lot of conversation about the judging, the winners, the entrants and the topic that is always spinning in our modern world...modern vs. traditional.  Let me direct you to Craftsy to the Quiltcon Lecture Series.  I am in love with the perspective of Mary Fons . She comments on that very topic with some fantastic points in her presentation titled – Notes from a Quilt Mafia Daughter. Download the series (free) and listen to her – you will be glad you did.

What are you working on now? Where do I start? I am enrolled in Lucky Stars BOM (a new paper pieced star every month), Skillbuilder BOM (two blocks every month with new techniques each month), Simply Solids (one block a month for each bee mate, Modern Stash (just finished Q1&2) and signed up for Q3&4, and so many more! I won’t bore you with the details, but I am list person and it makes me happy to check off these projects every month, not to mention, make things for other folks.

The latest block I completed in the Skillbuilder BOM is called Switz.

and here are a few of my Lucky Stars

What type of sewing machine do you use ? – I use a Bernina 630 QE, which I have used more and more often as my quilting appetite has grown larger.

What is your favorite/least favorite part of sewing/quilting? When I paper piece and try to be stingy with the fabric, then turn it over and it doesn’t fit – Gah! I hate that! I can’t stand to pick out those little 1.5” stitches, one at a time.  You would think I would know better because I do a lot of paper piecing, but nope, it still happens.  My favorite part is sewing the last seam on a quilt top – It is in that moment that I am most happy!

What other hobbies do you have? I am a voracious reader.  I have never taken a speed reading class but I can read a novel in about 3 hours.  My favorite flights are exactly that long, just enough time to get through one book (DFW-LAX) is great for that!  I love John Grishman books but lately have been reading Michael Connelly too. I enjoy the lawyer/crime type books but books about the mind/marketing influence/human behavior are just as interesting. 

Don't judge...but...here is what I have lined up next to my dresser (and I have 3 books that I requested at the library that have come in and are ready for pick up). If you are ever stuck in an airport (or anywhere you can people watch), I highly recommend What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro.  Great read!! It's about body language and he talks about reading people, which came in quite handy when he was an FBI agent. (see - crime and human behavior in the same book - no wonder I loved it)

I love to travel! I love to fly! It is important to go to new places to be exposed to how other folks live.  Sometimes it makes me humble and appreciate what I have but other times it helps me consider other things I want to incorporate in my life.

     

What are your favorite quilting notions? Clover clips! They work well for so many projects! They hold your binding to your quilt, allow you to sew a zipper without pinning and really clamp down on thick projects (like bags) without fighting with pins.  These are well worth the investment!

Do you have any blogging or blog photography tips/tricks to share? Try to always take pictures in natural light.  It makes a huge difference, I promise you!  When I go back and look at some of my first photos, the difference is obvious.  If you want to add your blog name or do some basic photo edits to your photos, I would suggest Picmonkey.  It is a free program and allows you to round corners, add text, sharpen colors, enhance exposure, make a collage and more! 

One tip I read a while back that I really try to incorporate in my blog posts, is to always include at least one link back to a previous post of yours.  This will allow readers to easily see more of your work.

What other social media do you actively use? I have a Twitter account but currently, I just love Instagram.  Follow me @joliemaxtin on Instagram and #joliemaxtin on Twitter.  You won’t see many tweets from me but I do share random shots of our two Labradors and of course quilting projects, on Instagram.

I hope I have not gone overboard on the personal component as it is rare for me, but based on some conversations lately, it seems that readers like it so there you go! I write like I talk (fast and bouncing from topic to topic). For a bit more, my About Me page covers that, if you want to view quilts I have made,  go here and to browse my flickr stream here.

This post got long but I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to see you back here soon!

Please check out the other fabulous bloggers today as they have some great posts! And if you just can’t get enough, go back to this post for the lovely gals who kicked off the blog hop for us last week.

Friday, June 14

Julie @ Jolie Maxtin {you are here}

Melissa @ Melia Mae Quilting doesn't collect pins or needlebooks, but she has 6 of ????

Adrianne @ On The Windy Side got one of her quilts published just from posting on Flickr

Molli @ Molli Sparkles shows you how to "cinch it up"

Laura @ Little and Lots has wonderful photos on her blog

Sarah @ Duck Egg Threads has a funny reaction when her photo is being taken

Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation hosts the Thursday "Needle and Thread" Link-up

Cari @ There's a Thread has a tutorial on how to print your own fabric using the sunshine

Valerie @ Between Quilts : Her Racing Stripes quilt has really gotten around!