287: Inspired …..

287: Inspired …..

It has been a rough three weeks since I have been back from Disneyland….

Okay “rough” may not be exactly it…..Uninspired…bogged down by the “normalness” of Workville….Rained on what seems like FOREVER…..those words would be what best describe the last 3 weeks.  I don’t think I even posted anything here, did I?   When I would get home from Workville, I felt like a vegetable… like an overcooked carrot or green bean to be exact, rather lifeless and mushy.  And it’s not like I have TIME for this nonsense.  Quilt Market is coming up in a relatively VERY short amount of time, and I have a ton of projects to be working on.

So let’s get some inspiration going on here, shall we??

I have been wanting  to share some inspiration with you from my friend Bari J Ackerman for a REALLY long time now, but I just have not gotten a round to it; finally I am!!   Bari is a fabric designer extraordinaire for Lecien now and Windham in the past,  and she also has her own line of patterns aptly named “Keeping It Real” ….and well, she is just one productive lady!!  and this book of hers….wow!  Great projects, great drawings & photos, and all in all wonderful encouragement throughout!

Inspired to Sew is packed with very inspiring photos and 15 projects that span the board from Home Decor to Fashion and everything fabricy in between… even just her “ambiance” shots give decorating ideas for lovers of textiles like you and me….A nice little extra.  I have included some snaps of my book just to entice you to go out and get your own copy……as you know you need it now, right?!

I am not going to tell you all about the book because that would ruin the surprise and delight for your own discoveries….but I must tell you that Bari’s dedication to her Grandpa Danny made me cry….How many craft and art books have made you cry, huh??  Bari’s love for her grandfather and his wonderful encouragement made me think of my maternal grandmother who was SO fun from the grandkid’s point of view.  She was so just there and loving and I think she loved color and design like me, but back then it wasn’t something that  was really encouraged all that much…I always felt like other adults thought she was silly….but boy do I miss her….

Oh great, I think I am crying again….THANKS Bari!!   🙂

Here is a very ironic thing that I found in Bari’s book…..Bari is not a huge “quilter” as she is more focused on bags and embroidery and home and fashion accessories ….but she has this little tidbit on binding.  There is only one part of  my binding process that I really don’t ever like.   It is finishing it off.   I have never been quite satisfied with that part, and I have never quite liked anyone’s directions for it either….but in my “not really a quilter so much”  friend’s book,  I found something that I think I can wrap my brain around.   I have tried it once, and it didn’t quite work…but it was close,  so I am going to try it again and see if I can get it better.   THANKS Bari!!

I would have to say that Part of the reason Bari and I get along so well is that we follow the same aesthetic that MORE color and MORE prints are definitely Merrier!!  I love how she piles on the color….Very Inspiring!!

This little house pincushion is one of the things I want to make right away.  I just haven’t had the time to get to it….but someday I will….

I really love how Bari calls what she does with fabric “Fabric Mixology” and just to prove she’s not only talented in art, she’s also very smart because she trademarked that phrase to her method of mixing so many fabrics together!! I told her she was a dog because that’s what I think I do…and now I would have to pay her to use the phrase! She just laughed at me….that’s what is so nice about being friends, you can have little bantering conversations like that and it’s all in good fun!  If you get the wonderful opportunity to ever meet Bari in person, you will know what I mean.  One of the sweetest ladies I have ever met.   And in this business there are a lot of them!

To help celebrate my friend Bari’s new book (relatively new, it came out in January), I am having a little giveaway of some of her County Lane fabric and one of her fabulous patterns that she has generously donated to us today.

All you have to do is leave a little comment about what inspires you to sew…simple right?  and then if you want more chances to win, go to Twitter and find both Blue Nickel Studios and BariJ there.    Follow us there and come back and tell me.  And for a third chance to win sign up for both of our blog subscriptions.  We both have them set up as email subscriptions where you only get an email  when we post…or if you want to put us in your RSS server instead that’s fine too (I just don’t get that whole deal, so if someone doesn’t have an email subscription, I don’t hit their sites as much because I forget easily)  If you already are a blog follower of  one of us,  then sign up for the other and tell me in a comment,  or if you already follow us both let me know that too….

Did I just make that too complicated?

Once more…simply put…

three ways to win:

1. Comment here telling what inspires your sewing?

2. Follow Bari and Blue Nickel Studios on Twitter and comment letting me know you do now or already did.

3. Sign up to get Bari’s Blog post and Blue Nickel posts and comment letting me know you do now  or already did.

I will have Random Number selection next Wednesday the 20th at like 4 AM  Pacific time…(or a little later)

One almost last thing, I have to say that one of the reasons that I think this book was done well is because Bari’s publishing company was C & T’s new imprint Stash Books.   I have been very impressed with this company from one of their first books, Cherri House‘s City Quilts last May.  Stash does a great job on making sure things are very clearly instructed and they have excellent illustrations and photography going on.

And speaking of Stash Books,    I was lucky enough to get myself  a spot on Amy Adams‘ Blog Book Tour of  her new book by Stash called: