Wednesday, July 10, 2013

...let's!

Hi there!  I'm Sarah.


(The one on the rope swing about to bellyflop).  Welcome!  As I imagine most of you are dropping by via Beth of (fellow "no caps") plum and june's 2013 Let's Get Acquainted New-ish Blogger Blog Hop, I've elected to answer a few head-scratchers for you today ;)  Let's get started...

cool-hued makes:  sea crystal + plaid, {rocky} chicago star, sam's quilt, my sister loves her all stars, my second quilt
sidebar:  you'll have to forgive those tacky watermarks splashed all over these mosaics.  my bad!

what's this about hats?
The somewhat nonsensical nature of my blog name has become increasingly apparent these days.  (Even I do a double take sometimes).  I hope you'll take a look at this tab for some {evidently} much-needed context!

...okay.  so, why quilts?
I've actually never really given much thought to this until now.  I guess it all started back in college.  I couldn't quite come up with the right gift idea for our (then) dating anniversary.  My (now) husband had mentioned liking quilts before (keeper!), so my mom helped me pick out a pattern and taught me how to cut, assemble, and quilt his present from start to finish on her trusty old Pfaff.  Of course if I were to include a picture of that quilt alongside anything that came after it, it'd without a doubt be the proper response to the question,  "Which of these things is not like the others?"  Maybe one of these days I'll dedicate an entire post just to that experience's influence on my approach to sewing ;)
do you still sew on that Pfaff?
I hijacked borrowed my mom's Creative 1471 for almost eight years.  Then, last fall, said husband who inspired this hobby o' mine bought me a beautiful new Pfaff, which admittedly had its share of issues this spring (quilt drag, veering seams, and predictably uneven stitching? Good riddance!) but has since been swapped out by my dealer for its much-improved and now well-loved counterpart.

why do you blog?
The reason I started blogging and the reason I keep blogging couldn't be more different.  I started blogging because I decidedbeing the thrifty then-grad student that I wasto open an etsy shop to try to generate a little extra cash (most of the shop owners I tended to follow were active bloggers).  No brainer, right?  Fast forward seven months, and I have yet to list an actual quilt for sale (whoops!  Though to be fair, I did discover craftsy and have refocused some of that original energy into pattern designing).  But I keep blogging because although to non-quilters it might be about as intriguing as, say, civil war reenactment, I'm a quilter, and I love everything about this community and its collective process.


paper-pieced bling:  amethyst,  diamond,  emeralds

what's your sewing style?
Being (up until recently) the aforementioned pauper student, I tend to sew more by color rather than by collection.  It's actually quite liberating to be able to pull a fresh and vibrant color scheme from a stash heavily comprised of prints from years past (did I mention I love prints?)  Don't get me wrong, I'm actually quite envious of all the amazing designer fabrics out there, and I do splurge every so often, but as a practical matter such a sewing philosophy would be personally unsustainable (and quite frankly, not really "me").  That's why more often than not, you'll see {predominantly} monochromatic colorstories coming from the house of {no} hats.

low-ish volume endeavors:  steam punk, forest qal, rocky diamond, sunshine on a cloudy day, hunter's star

so who's this sharpie character?
Interesting story.  When I first signed up for blogger a few years ago to enter a Centsational Girl giveaway, I thought the "name" field was akin to a unique username field.  Assuming "Sarah" would already be taken (isn't it always?), I opted for a spin on my last name instead.  Well, my heart nearly skipped a beat when blogger immediately accepted the alternatearguably equally commonalias (score!); it wasn't until after I started actively blogging earlier this year that I realized my mistake.  Not wanting to confuse matters (at least, not anymore than I already had), I figured I'd stick with sharpie.  The end ;)
ten other random "me"-bits...
01  I <3 alliteration.  Symmetry too.
02  I make up words.  And frequently ignore commonly accepted rules of punctuation and capitalization.
03  I have a slight addiction to paper-piecing.  And {less common} traditional blocks (enter, the INDEX).
04  I overuse "and" and "so."
05  I suffer from start- and 'along-itis.
06  I think quilt backs can be fronts, too.
07  I was once conversationally fluent in French.  (Mais c'était il y a longtemps.)
08  I like math.  And logic games (or "mindbenders," as my grade school teacher called them).
09  I (really, we) love to travel.  Ireland + England are next up on the list this fall in case anyone has any tips!
10  I try not to take myself too seriously.  "Try" being the operative word ;)

Curious to see what's next?  My flickr faves are a good indication of what's inspiring me these days.

Still here?  For more {no} hats-ness in your house:

Follow on Bloglovin

And if you haven't already, be sure to say "hi" to other quilty friends on the hop this week:

Karen @ Quilty Creations  >>> Upcycling in your wheelhouse?  You're in luck!
Anne @ Play Crafts  >>>  If for some wild reason you haven't heard of her (Palette Builder 2.0, people!), change that.  Stat.  
Rachel @ Let's Begin Sewing...  >>>  Don't know about you, but I'm diggin' her Lucky Stars BOM blocks...
Jan @ Sew and Sow Farm  >>>  She literally does both.  Well.  How cool is that?
Anna @ Quilting Along The Grain  
>>>  Solid-lovers out there?  Looks like you're in good company ;)
Cath @ Wombat Quilts  
>>>  "Paper Piecing Monday" ring any bells?  One look at her addictive aesthetic and it most certainly will if it doesn't already!
Sarah @ {no} hats in the house  <<<  Well, since you're here, I'll leave this one to you ;)  P.S. Thanks for stopping by!
Christen @ Love by Hand  
>>>  Because really, who among us doesn't love handmade?
Julie @ 627handworks  >>>  Fancy music as much as fabric?  Block Rock'n is right up your alley! 'Swear!

Hope to see you around again soon ;) 

xx Sarah

57 comments:

  1. This was a fun post! I love how you color coordinated your mosaics! Lovely!!! Nice to meet you!

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  2. I like your monochromatic style since I prefer it myself. Lovely mosaics you made up.

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  3. Awesome post, loved learning about you! Regarding travel, my husband came over from Ireland when we got married in 2009 so I can give you as many tips as you like. I'll just go ahead and throw it out there that you MUST visit the Burren, and NOT on a tour bus. Take your time and explore the brown cultural signs, they always lead to something awesome. Don't waste a lot of time on Newgrange, there are other similar locations in the area with far fewer visitors (if any) and better views. Try Loughcrew. It's a steep walk but at sunset it just doesn't get any better. and NO tourists. Do visit Uragh stone circle in Glenchaquin park. Do visit Bonane Heritage Park. The forest on the hike to Cashalkeely is magical. The sheep poo is not. Ardfert Cathedral is also really freakin' cool. Obviously Cliffs of Moher is a must. I've always wanted to visit the Cliffs of Insanity but we've never made it. Do visit Kensale, it's an adorable little town!

    When you're hungry grab a "dirty roll" as my hubs calls it, from the local petrol station. I like cheese and ham and coleslaw, he likes chicken and cheese and coleslaw. Eat lots of sausages. Don't eat black or white pudding. Unless you really want to.

    MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A PAIR OF WELLIES. Hiking through muddy fields to see stone circles is always messy.

    Highfield House B and B in Trim is SPECTACULAR. Make sure you stay there at least a day or two. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g644237-d492597-Reviews-Highfield_House-Trim_County_Meath.html

    Contact me if you want more info, sewwhatsherlock at gmail dot com. I could keep going forEVAR. But again, the best advice is go off the beaten path and follow the brown cultural road signs. Keep your wellies in your trunk at all times. Don't do tourist crap. It's much better on your own with a cultural road map.

    Phew!

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  4. So many fun projects!! Nice to know you better! I, too, am addicted to pp and love traditional blocs made with modern fabrics.

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  5. What a fun quilt show! Enjoyed reading this post and seeing all the beautiful quilts and such!

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  6. great to meet you through the hop, Sarah! Your quilts are so beautiful, and I love how you arranged your collages by color palette.

    :) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

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  7. That was an awesome post Sarah! and if i could direct your attention here for a moment...
    "02 I make up words. And frequently ignore commonly accepted rules of punctuation and capitalization."
    we may have been separated at birth... and also, i was just chatting with Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation about how i have serial startitis :) It's totally a sickness! now if i could just catch that dang finishitis disease!

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  8. Very nice to meet you Sarah! This was an awesome post! Your blog is really inspiring. I love all your projects and I am a new follower! :)
    jan@sewandsowfarm

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  9. Great post! What a fabulous way to get started quilting :) I have yet to make my other half a quilt... I really want it to be EPIC. And preferably feature his favorite video game character, Sonic the Hedgehog. I don't know how to go about it so I've been putting it off :P

    It's nice to meet you! :) I love the design of your blog. Very clean and pretty.

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  10. I meant to comment on this last night- I absolutely LOVE your mosaics. A good mosaic can take some time -so nice job :) I loved reading about your color inspiration!

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  11. Loved reading your post! Your project mosaics are just stunning. Oh and yay for paper piecing love, right?! ;)

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  12. This post is awesome! So great to meet you on the hop. I love how you sew by color. I try not to do that because everything would be blue. I have a think about blue. I have been to Ireland, I loved every. little. bit. of it:) Happy Travels!

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  13. Oh Sarah! What an amazing post! I am stunned! Love your work!

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  14. Well I've been a follower for a while but even I learned some new things :) And it turns out we have quite a bit in common!!

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  15. Hi! Your collages are fabulous and unique. I enjoyed getting to know you and your work better. Glad you are on the hop!

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  16. Your mosaics are so inspirational! My boyfriend is sad to say he's learned more about quilting in the past 2 years than he ever wanted to know :)

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  17. You have GOT to post about that first quilt you made your husband while dating.

    Love all the grays you use, I can't express that enough. For some reason I have a hard time picking it out gray fabrics but I love using it.

    I agree about the quilting community! It's awesome. My husband's eyes start to glaze over before I can even shriek, "ohmygawd! look what she made!" and try to show him my laptop screen. You either like quilty-talk or you don't.

    Loving the paper pieced emeralds. You can just send that right this way. Glad to know you! Have fun on your trip this fall.

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  18. It is great to learn more about you and I love that you quilt by colour for the same reason I do - it started when I did not have a lot of money. I am with Julie, you have to post about your first quilt. I am dying to know how it turned out!

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  19. *fistbump* to fellow quilter-who-started-as-a-pauper-student! I never thought about how that impacted my design aesthetic, but you're right, I'm definitely a quilter-by-color instead of a quilter-by-collection. Your paper-piecing is amazing (fellow paper-piecing addict here!) and I've been familiar with your gorgeous gemstone work for a while. Beautiful stuff!!

    I hope you do dedicate a post to that first quilt. I'd love to read it, and it's great fun to look back at where we came from!

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  20. Nice to meet you Sarah, love your work and would love to see your hubby's quilt:) Who needs all those punctuation rules anyway...:P

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  21. Wonderful post! You have some great work and I really enjoyed reading your history! Can't wait to check out more of your blog! I am now a follower!

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  22. sarah- i love knowing that story about your anniversary gift! what a special memory! that's the best. your quilts are stunning and I love reading your blog - so I'm glad you kept blogging :)

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  23. So nice to meet you! Really nice post. Thanks for sharing.

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  24. I am in awe of your wildflower grove - is this in a quilt yet? Would love to see this finish. Your monochromatic colour stories are very effective visually - I really like the impact of your collages! Thanks for sharing!

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  25. I love the way you have divided your work by color themes. Has a good visual impact. Love your work and the muted color schemes you tend to use.

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  26. Great collages! I just started getting into the use of neutrals and now you make me want to try some monochromatic quilting! It has been a pleasure to get to know you through the new blogger hop this summer, Sarah!

    Lorna:)
    http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com

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  27. Great Blog Hop post Sarah! I have fallen for the Plaid quilt and will have to add it to the "to do" list - it is brilliant! My parents also had lots of sayings for us growing up which attract odd looks when I casually drop them in now with other people as if they were common parlance. So glad to have found your blog.

    Jenny @ A Note to Follow Sew
    http://notetofollowsew.blogspot.co.uk/

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  28. Great post! I love how you colour coordinated your mosaics :-) that rope swing looks amazing!!!

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  29. Positively prodigious post promoting posh, provocative productions!

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  30. Ahhh, YOU are responsible for the Sea Crystal + Plaid quilt! (I saw it on the Pink Castle blog awhile back.) It's incredible! I love how this blog hop is helping me put quilts with their bloggers in my head. Nice to meet you!

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  31. Loved your post Sarah! It was great getting to know you better :)
    I love your work!

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  32. Love your projects. So happy to meet you on this hop!!!

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  33. Wonderful post - I love love love your paper pieced blocks. Great to meet you and find out all about you here!

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  34. Great post! I really love the colour story mosaic you came up with. I quite agree with your philosophy on fabric choice as well. I guess I was a student too when I started quilting, but also fabric in New Zealand is way more expensive than fabric in the US, so cost is an issue for most people. I still think a quilt made with prints you have selected yourself, rather than a single collection, has a more personal vibe to it (plus it's just fun!). I would definitely read your "first quilt" story - I always find that fascinating! Can't wait to see more of your lovely work!

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  35. OK, SO you already know I am a big fan of your work! What a great post! We have a lot in common...perfect grammar is not always necessary, the word "so" just seems to be needed to sound conversational, and math IS fun! Love your style!

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  36. I love the fact that you use so much monochromatic fabric. I love your works above especially the Sea Crystal quilt. I love traveling too....we are making more of an attempt to see new places in the US...next week Charleston. I will probably go home to NZ in October. Thank you for sharing and letting us know more about you :-) Great post!!

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  37. Gorgeous projects and photos - not sure I can pick a favourite but I do like the look of your warm-coloured mosaic! I sometimes teach in the criminal justice department at a college and we usually have to give the "no hats" lecture once at the start of the semester and never again after that - something about calling them out in front of their classmates seems to put an end to that. I enjoyed your post very much and will be back to visit!

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  38. Love to meet you, you have a great blogging voice! I especially like your neutral paper pieced projects. I'm adding you to my reader so I can get more instalments!

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  39. Oh yes and I'm intrigued by the paper plates under the selveges??

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  40. What a great blog post! I love your colour themed quilts - so striking!

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  41. Love your steam punk/hunk! blocks!Thanks for sharing about yourselg on this blogger hop!

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  42. Wow you have really experimented with a lot of things. I really like that. I think I tend to stay in my comfort zone to much! Great job!

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  43. I am glad to have met you through the blog hop, although I am pretty sure I have been following you before that. Your work is amazing. I am working up the courage to paper piece, another step closer after reading this post. The simplicity of using color as opposed to prints makes the block design shine!

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  44. I think you are super cool. I love your projects and your blog. Thank you for sharing. I like to learn lots of things and experiment with different techniques, too. I really enjoyed meeting you.

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  45. Hi Sarah, great to stop by... although I have visited before during the Bloom Bloom Pow. I adore that top mosaic with all those shades of blue and green, those are some of my favourite colours. Look forward to seeing your finished City Sampler...I'm doing that one too!!

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  46. I've been following your blog for a while, but it's nice to learn more about the person behind it! I LOVE your gemstone patterns; if I ever take up paper piecing, they'll be on the top of my list to tackle. Your other quilts are lovely, too, of course, and I really enjoy your monochromatic color schemes. Your City Sampler quilt is going to be amazing.

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  47. Uhh...paper pieced horse face block...amazing! Totally picking up that pattern. Thanks!! I have also downloaded your tartan pattern on craftsy. Love it!! I also want to see that quilt you made for your husband. Mine is still waiting for me to finish a project for him. Oops! (that is a whole lot of exclamation points - enthusiasm plus plus)

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  48. Such a fun post:) I love how organized your collages by color. So much prettiness to look at, definitely a new follower:)

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  49. Hi Sarah, what A lovely Post :-)

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  50. So nice to get to know you better - I particularly love those different jewel/gemstone projects. That is SUCH a great pattern! :)

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  51. Hi sorry to be so late to the party, but it does mean read all the later posts to! Love that purple and blue combo with the succulents.

    My gran used to say ' you have hands like knobs of starve' - which meant that they were cold. My husband misheard and now says 'you have hands like Nobby Stiles' (an old England soccer goalkeeper). Not quite the same thing!

    You have made some lovely things, I love your use of colour. I am a new follower.

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  52. Thanks for the explanation Sarah, I mean Sharpie. :) You have great makes! I am a fan of solids too, and I prefer to use those over prints. But I love buying prints so much because of the prints.

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  53. Nice to meet you - I love your quilting by color!

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  54. Sorry I'm a bit late to your blog week! But you know I love you and your blog! So... What's your favorite colour of Sharpie, Sharpie?

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  55. Nice to get to know you better. It was a great post! I love everything you make--beautiful stuff :) I look forward to more so I started following !!

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  56. Super fun post, and I love that your hubby inspired your hobby, that's so awesome. Your stuff is also beautiful. Nice to meet you, Cant wait to read more :)

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  57. Nice to meet you via the hop - your quilts are fantastic!! Especially love your jewel quilts. I'm your newest follower :)

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so... you're thinking about commenting, are you?

if you don't mind my saying so, please do! i love hearing from new quilting friends! good or bad, let's hear it ;)

p.s. I'm so sorry, but I've had to disable anonymous comments due to sneaky spammers. I hope you understand!