Sister Sampler Quilts Blog Hop/The Name Game Special Edition: Gen X Quilters

I'm a fan of sampler quilts, so I have been a fan of AnneMarie Chany for a long time. She takes traditional blocks and incorporates them into the most creative settings. When she asked me to be part of a blog hop to get the word out about her new book, Sister Sampler Quilts, I didn't hesitate for a minute to say yes!

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you may be aware that every other year I make a king-sized quilt for an auction where all the proceeds benefit Third World Relief. I chose AnneMarie's Moccasin pattern for the upcoming auction in April. Isn't this an amazing setting?  I needed the quilt to be larger than the original pattern, so I included some Vice Versa blocks as well.

It's being quilted by my husband's cousin--we work in tandem every other year--and I can hardly wait to get it back!

I totally "borrowed" the fabric selection from Kristi Owens (@71 stitches on Instagram). She graciously gave me the list of fabrics she had selected and I was able to track nearly all of them down and duplicate the quilt she made.

I had originally planned on making the Vice Versa Sampler in shades of blue (before I was totally sidetracked by the Moccasin design!), and without a doubt, this will be made for an upcoming auction.

The premise of Sister Sampler Quilts is that blocks are made in pairs. In Sister's Ten Sampler and Bonfire Sampler, the blocks can be the same (identical twins) or made from different fabrics (sisters).

However, in the Vice Versa Sampler, one block has the lights, darks and backgrounds in the most common location, while the sister block is just the opposite. I LOVE this concept!

Vice Versa blocks, Bear's Paw

I decided that in addition to showing some blocks from AnneMarie's book, it would be fun to have her play The Name Game for her blog, Gen X Quilters. So here we go.

How did you choose the name for your blog?  

Does anyone actually start a blog on a whim?  ​Yes!  I did.  I didn't even really know what blogs were when I sat down at a Blogger.com screen and decided to invent one.  I had looked my cousin-in-law's photography blog as she started a business and decided I wanted to do one too.  So without a single clue, I created a blog called Quilting Chronicles.  I think I only lasted there for a month or 2 while I tried to figure out what a blog was all about.  Somewhere in there I discovered the reason I wanted to begin a blog: To meet other quilters.  I had been sewing alone in my basement for 5 years.  Alone.  Alone.  Alone.  None of my friends quilted, let alone sewed.  Every time I went into a quilt shop, I was the youngest one there by 20, 30, 40 years.  I realized I wanted to meet someone who was in my age group and also enjoyed quilting as much as I did.  At the time, I was a young mom and balanced my hobby between raising babies and growing new ones.  I decided to revamp and called the new blog Gen X Quilters as a desperate call for friends.  :)  I figured that no matter what phase of life you are in - your generation never changes.  And you have an inexplicable bond with those who grew up in the same times as you.  When I am 70, I will still be a Gen Xer, hopefully retired and looking for someone to go on the Quilt Shop Bus Tour.  I have met SO many wonderful people through blogging of all different ages.  And it's pretty clear that true quilters quickly become obsessed.....

Vice Versa blocks, Mosaic No. 5

 Were the other names you considered?  

Since most of the beginning of my blog career was done on a whim, I can't say I spent a lot of time brainstorming on a name.  I'm more of a jump-in-feet-first kind of person.  So I wanted to get writing and sewing right away.

Vice Versa Blocks, Shoofly

 Now that your are recognized by your blog name, are you happy with it?  Or do you wish you could change it to something else?  

Most of the time I'm happy with it.  There are days when I wish I chose a prettier, more flowery name.  Something cuter and feminine.  There are other days where I consider switching to use my own name. 

AnneMarie agreed to some bonus questions too. :)

What is the best piece of quilting advice you have received?

 I found my local long arm quilter in 2010.  From the beginning, she encouraged me.  At that time, modern quilting was getting started, but certainly didn't exist locally for me.  My quilts were always a little bit different from what she normally saw and she encouraged me to pursue something further.  I thought she was crazy.  I don't think I would have had the guts to showcase my work online without her commentary and advice in the back of my head telling me that my sewing was good enough.  I think we naturally doubt ourselves and our abilities.

What is your go-to snack food for quilting?

Ummmmm.  I'm a bit of a loony health nut.  I don't eat while I sew.  What if food got on the fabric?!?!?!?!!?!?  I drink a lot of tea in my studio. :)

Beyond designing, what is your favorite part of making a quilt?  

Hands down, piecing.  I absolutely love to sit at my machine and piece.  There is something about watching the blocks take shape that I just love.  That and the soothing hum of my sewing machine.

I hope you will check out AnneMarie's blog because there is a wealth of information, tutorials, block library.

Also check out her new book. Sister Sampler Quilts is beautifully written, Along with three creative samplers, there are some great tutorials--half square and quarter-square triangles, flying geese, curves, etc. It will make a great addition to your quilting library.

If you have missed any of these posts, there is a lot more inspiration so please check them out.

Monday, January 18  

AnneMarie Chany / Gen X Quilters - Introduction

Sara Lawson / Sew Sweetness

Tuesday, January 19 

Leah Day / Free Motion Project
Brenda Ratliff / Just A Bit Frayed

Wednesday, January 20

Faith Jones / Fresh Lemons Quilts
Angela Pingel / Cut To Pieces

Thursday, January 21

Lynne Goldsworthy / Lily's Quilts
Amy Friend / During Quiet Time

Friday, January 22

Christa Watson / Christa Quilts
Violet Craft

Monday, January 25

Lee Heinrich / Freshly Pieced
Melissa Corry / Happy Quilting

Tuesday, January 26

Karen Lewis / Karen Lewis Textiles

Amy Gibson / Stitchery Dickory Dock

Wednesday, January 27

Sherri McConnell / A Quilting Life

Melissa Mortensen / Polka Dot Chair

Thursday, January 28

Amy Ellis / Amy's Creative Side

Heather Valentine / The Sewing Loft

Friday, January 29

Cindy Wiens / Live A Colorful Life/You are HERE!

AnneMarie Chany / Gen X Quilters - Wrap Up

Sister Sampler Quilts: 3 Modern Sampler Quilts with Paired Sister Blocks

By AnneMarie Chany

Fons & Porter/F+W; $19.99

http://www.sistersamplerquilts.com

The Name Game: Chasing Squirrels

I'm really happy to have Sue here from Chasing Squirrels. Don't you love that name? She was one of the first people to answer the call when I asked for submissions.

Welcome, Sue.

Wonky Baskets, a work in progress---currently have a challenge with Mary 

Elizabeth Kinch, who also has one, to finish these by the end of 

February 2016

How did you choose the name for your blog?

a work in progress, some DAMQG quiltalong blocks, going into a sampler inspired by Gypsy Wife by Jen Kingwell

I've been a quilter for a long time (about 28 years) and always loved it.  It's been a huge part of my life and pretty much affects everything I do---who my friends are, where I go, what I do, what I buy, how I spend my time (workshops, quilting conventions & shows, etc.)  I've also been in a traditional guild for 23 years and modern guild for 3.   But about five years ago, I got really fired up and focused on my work and had such passion and excitement.    A friend & I were talking about our art,  how many projects we wanted to make,  and she said something about the dog who is distracted  all the time, can't focus too long on one thing-----'look!  There's a squirrel!!' and in my head that went BAM!  That's me!  That's me quilting right now!  Start something, see something else, get all charged up & excited and start that too!  Now, I have always been a very prolific quilter & finish lots of things, but it also hit me that, hey, just because that's sitting there, you started it, there are no quilt police to make you FINISH it!  Follow your passion!  There are so many things in life that must be done a certain way, at a certain time, finish it, why on earth let that apply to our passion?   I decided right then that I would follow my muse and the excitement, and do whatever I wanted to quilting wise.  Life's too short not to.  I firmly believe that sometimes, you may get what you need of a project just by making a few blocks.  It's given you something.  Go ahead and try the next thing, it's ok!  Quilt with abandon!

How many of you relate to that? I know I sure do!!

 one of my favorite finishes ever, a Wagon Wheel quilt, 

quilted by Barb Lusk (usually I quilt all of my quilts myself)

Were there are names you considered and can you share any of them with us?

Chuck Nohara QAL, doing with an Instagram group

my sometimes-companion in the studio, Iris, my sweet cat

Nope---never thought of another!  I knew this was it.

 a work in progress, EPP, pattern is Fruit tingles by Sue Daley

Now that you are recognized by your blog/IG name, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?

Red and white quilt, for a challenge, completed November 2014

I only joined Instagram about 2 years ago.  I had joined a new chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild, the Detroit Area Modern Quilt Guild, and our President  Houseofduke1 (she's now a very dear friend) urged us all to get on Instagram, start establishing some relationships in that quilty world prior to Quiltcon 2015, and I am so glad she did.  The quilting world on IG has been HUGE for me---so inspiring,  vibrant and supportive, so much fun stuff going on!   Initially I didn't know WHAT name to pick, so I went with SLCQuilter, my initials----but then, some people at Quiltcon 2015 thought I was Salt Lake City Quilter, LOL!  So right after I got back I changed my IG name to SusanLorettaSquirrel to link it more closely to my blog. There's also been an ongoing joke about my name & I am frequently called Loretta, as that gets my immediate attention.  I love that IG name and don't think I would change it.  Instagram and my #DAMgirls are very important to me---they inspire me every day!

a few of us #damgirls in Austin for Quiltcon 2015 with my apologies to those not in this particular picture;

Thanks for being with us today, Sue.

You can follow Sue on her blog and Instagram @susanlorettasquirrel

Next Monday, Clare O'Rourke from selfsewn will be here and you won't want to miss it. I will also apologetically explain why it has taken soooooo long for Clare to be highlighted.

The Name Game: Evil Demon Devil Dog

I'm happy to say that The Name Game is being revived this year. I realized how much I missed the series that revealed how blog names were chosen.

Things will be slightly different this time around. It seems that blog writing has waned somewhat, especially with the popularity of cell phones and Instagram. I will readily confess that Instagram is my social media of choice, and I have spent more than a zillion few hours scrolling through my feed. There are lots of very interesting Instagram names out there and a lot of these creative people don't have a blog. So I'll be inviting Instagrammers to play along as well.

To kick off the new series is Paul Hallinger of Evil Demon Devil Dog. Paul represents a first for this series (but not the last)--the first male quilter to play along.

So please welcome Paul to the new version of The Name Game.

I have followed Paul on Instagram for a long time (and you should too-- @evildemondevildog). There are so many things in his instagram feed that I want to make--he has a great sense of color. This is one of my recent favorites. It appeals to me on so many levels--the blocks as they increase in size, the beautiful combination of colors. This is definitely on my to-do list for 2016.

Things became especially interesting after the publication of Modern Bee, a collaborative book written by Lindsay Conner.

All of a sudden beehives were popping up right and left on Instagram to make quilts from this book.

A few of the quilters participating chose Neon Ninja Star, the quilt I had made for the book.

I have a collection of screen shots of all the many Neon Ninja Star blocks I started seeing. But that's a post for another time.

Paul's version gave new meaning to the quilt's name, as his version was literally a ninja version. Isn't it great?

After seeing some of the fused glass art that Mark does, Paul even commissioned the fused glass version of the block.

Do you have a favorite quilt block? You could have a fused glass version too. Send me an email. :)

How did you choose the name for your blog?

The blog and instagram moniker came at about the same time.  Evildemondevildog is from my dog Cody, who during his puppy years came to earn this nickname.  He inspires me so having him as my blog/IG co-conspirator seemed right.

Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

I considered a variety of names - there was PaulQuilts, QuiltingPaul, and other derivations of Paul.  Then came the Rainbows, Unicorns, and Kittens.  Then there variations of my first and last name.  Nothing seemed as right as the one I settled on.

Now that you are recognized by evildemondevildog, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?

I sometimes think that it might be too off-putting.  I sometimes think that for marketing, etc, maybe I should go back to something like Iamarainbowkitten or Paulandhisdog.   When I start to think about it, I still go back to being the evildemondevildog 😊

I want to thank Paul for playing along this week. You can learn more about him on his blog, and be sure to follow him on Instagram (@evildemondevildog). 

I have lots of interesting people who will be sharing their blog/instagram names in the coming weeks, so I hope you will follow me on Instagram as well (@liveacolorfullife). Additionally, I'm always open to suggestions, so if you are curious about how someone chose their name, email me at liveacolorfullife@comcast.net.