Let’s talk about Quilt Market! Before I get into the booths and the incredible talent I saw, I have to tell you a bit about my personal experience with the travel and being in a city! I’ll keep it short and show you the good stuff. I traveled to Minneapolis last week. It was the...
Today I want to talk to you about buying fabric. Its something that is useful for every crafty person who needs fabric regardless of what your budget is. So let’s begin with budget. This is your beginning point, and its the bottom line. Some of us have very little to work with, and others have much...
Enjoyed the sentiments in this post. My mother was a fabric hoarder, and when she died we had to dismantle her sewing room. Aaaargh. I decided that day not to collect anything anymore. I became a quilter and learnt to trust that I would find what I needed, when I needed it. It’s become a metaphor for living. And as I buy second hand fabrics, mostly, from markets and thrift shops, it tests the premise further. And it generally works for me. Good luck, good nouse, along with a bit of magic.ReplyCancel
[…] I know this was a long post, but it is something that has been weighing heavily on my heart. I wish I would have had someone tell me this years ago when I was just discouraged and not doing anything well. Just remember it’s all a process, and your life and family is unique. If you could use some advice and encouragement about buying fabric (because the temptation to have every new line is real!), you can read this post about responsibly buying fabric. […]ReplyCancel
This post has taken a good bit longer for me to write than I anticipated, but its an important one. I hope that at the very least it will cause you to pause and think. Beyond that, I hope you can leave here inspired and more driven. I’m going to be using myself as an...
I loved reading this post, it really hit home with me. My man and I talk often about why we both pursue our hobbies, mine quilting & his painting miniatures, and I think the pleasure of allowing our creativity to have free reign is not to be ignored. I quilt as a hobby and I have a small Etsy shop and can attest to not waiting until retirement comes knocking before putting your plans in motion, I find great enjoyment working with my customers to make an heirloom quilt that their children will cherish just as I do making place mats for our table at home. For me it’s about broadening my creative horizons, legacy as you say & I simply get a kick out of working with beautiful supplies!ReplyCancel
Well said! People often suggest that I sell what I make. I sew and crochet because I love to (plus it’s a good way to relax and de-stress after a busy day of working full time and having 3 young kids). Nearly everything I make I give a way as gifts (making baby things are so much fun!). I do make things for my self once in a while, but I love gifting the items, whether they are appreciated or not. I love to see the mini quilt I gave my mother-in-law used as a table runner, or the tote bag I made my mom come to my house with her every time she visits, or my infant daughter chew on her lovey blanket I made her. Those images plus the personal enjoyment of the craft, make it worthwhile and incredibly important to me. Keep up the beautiful work, and thank you for encouraging crafters to think about why they create – it’s such an important part of the process!ReplyCancel
Hi Meredith!
I’ve been a reader for a while now and have loved seeing the quality of your work and the lighthearted passion you put into it. It always seems like your quality control is impeccable and that you have a balanced and stress free way of accomplishing what you set out to do. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post. I just posted my first blog post this week, with it being Kids Clothes Week, and your post really touches on some of the things I’ve been juggling with trying to learn to sew on my own and also pushing to get projects accomplished, sometimes at the cost of quality. In the last few months, with the assistance of some wonderful Oliver + S patterns :), I’m starting to have a more balanced and PATIENT! mindset to sew because I love it, and sew because I need to (my kid caught up to our hand-me-downs source who is 2 years older!). I’m also learning when to accept that I’m a student of sewing and when to get out the seam ripper and commit to a quality garment. I haven’t attempted quilts yet, but I loved your Anna Maria feather quilt. I hope to attempt one sometime before Christmas. You’re inspiring and your taste in fabric combinations and commitment to quality is top notch. I’m sorry you got some poor feedback. It’s a rare legacy these days to believe in taking care of what we have instead of just treating everything as disposable and to be so disciplined as to mindfully work even the smallest of tasks with a sense of artistry and craftsmanship. I look forward to your next post as it is 100% applicable to where I am with sewing!ReplyCancel
What a lovely well articulated post. I’m definitely in the category of creators where some thing I make are temporary but always for a reason, which is why I’m glad you pointed out that no style is wrong as long as consideration is put into it. I’m in a fortunate position where the cost of materials is “just money” and it’s my time that is more valuable. I will tinker with an idea to learn something from it and possibly not have a high quality product yield from that experiment. To me, that’s not only acceptable; I encourage that out of myself because that’s how I’ve always grown creatively. A series of mini failures is better than any school lesson I’ve learned and then from that craft room education I am able to take what I have discovered with my own two hands and apply it thoughtful to something more lasting and truly meaningful.
One lesson that touches on this topic is also to know when it’s okay to cut corners and “just finish” and when it’s time to really rip out those seams and do it over. I think it’s fascinating hearing different creators take on where that line is for them!ReplyCancel
I create as therapy. And I love to belong to a community of quilters that get what they need from their craft as much as I do from mine for varied reasons… I saw a quote the other day that I love and I plan to have it made into a sign for my sewing room….
“They are all there in that quilt — my hopes and fears, my joys and sorrows, my loves and hates. I tremble when I remember what that quilt knows about me.”
Truthfully, my quilts are a part of me.ReplyCancel
Wow! I REALLY needed to read this today. Thank you so much for such true and sincere words. I am just starting out on this blogging/crafting journey and am in the process of seeing how viable it is for my family for me to pursue something like this full-time.
I feel so humbled by your words of using the best that you can and also doing your best work. I tend to rush through projects because I have so many bouncing around my head that I want to move on to the next thing, but I still need to do my best, because I really do want to create that legacy for my children. My inspiration came from my husband’s grandma and I love seeing my kids wrapped in creations that her hands made. I need to slow down and love the process of creating not just the finished product. Thank you!!ReplyCancel
I was recently asked to make a unisex quilt for a not-yet-born baby. I was excited by the challenge to go gender neutral yet stay within my vibrant style. I don’t think the person who commissioned the quilt was concerned with the style as much as they were with gender neutrality, but it was important...
It’s beautiful! Stitcher’s Garden in Franklin, TN has quite a few AMH voiles from Little Folks, etc., but not sure if they will sell online – you might have to go in person. It’s not a store for the claustrophobic, or thin-skinned.
Whatever you do, NEVER EVER ask them if they ever have sales (they DO NOT, EVER). I’ve heard they will run you out of the store if you ask.ReplyCancel
Hi Meredith, I actually found two listings on etsy for you– I will try to post the links here for you:
https://www.etsy.com/no-en/listing/153630713/anna-maria-horner-vah11-innocent-crush?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=innocent+crush+voile&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
and
Hopefully theres enough foryou there to get a few bindings done!
Bel (@ bellacoconut on IG )ReplyCancel
This is SOOO lovely!! I am certain the parents (and the babe, eventually) will cherish it!
(I found your blog googling ‘hand quilting voile w perle cotton’ ~ I just finished a quilt top (with quite a few AMH fabrics :-) that will be backed w some AMH voile. I assume it’d be an absolute dream to quilt, but then I got worried that the tighter weave may not be so nice to hand-quilt after all – but it sounds like it will work fabulously…
Funny thing is – I recently finished a quilt that took me about 150 hours to make, so I wanted a quick project. This one fit the bill, and the blocks went together quickly, and were so much fun to make. I wanted to use wool batting, but that seemed almost wasteful, since i was going to machine quilt it (save the good stuff for hand-quilting, ya know? ;-) I talked about it with my husband, and he’s like, “So, basically, you’re going to take all that work (it really wasn’t all that much…) and go with something that you think isn’t as nice for this quilt, because of $15 -$20??” Gosh, put like that, the wool batting was a no-brainer :-) THEN – I started thinking, maybe I should hand-quilt it….)
I’m looking forward to poking around your blog a bit more as I get the chance ~ what I’ve seen so far is lovely!ReplyCancel
I’m so glad you stumbled across my blog! I LOVE quilting voile by hand. Really, hand quilting is my go to method because I’m way better at that than machine quilting. And I think those lusciously soft fabrics like voile and lawn just beg for a little hand quilting. I’m a sucker for a quick, well done project, but honestly its the one’s that take the longest and the most love that I treasure the most. We only get so much time here, so I like to spend it doing what I love rather than what I like. Thanks for stopping by and don’t be a stranger! :DReplyCancel
Last week I was going through my bits of leather and decided they needed to be used. I had several small cuts, and offered to make some custom bags via Instagram. I had a few takers, and today I want to show you two of the bags I was able to make. First, I got...
Wow! these handmade leather bags are incredible! I’ve seen custom cosmetic bags very similar to these, but nowhere nearly as well done as these. Awesome job and I cant wait to see more of your work.ReplyCancel
Welcome to Olivia Jane Handcrafted! I'm Meredith and this is my creative journal. Here you'll find loads of inspiration for a handmade wardrobe, home decor, bags, and quilts. I even have plenty of projects and tutorials to get you started or help you along the way.
Categories
Archives
copyright 2021 Olivia Jane Handcrafted, LLC|ProPhoto Blogsite
It’s too bad that I didn’t get a chance to meet you as I was walking around with Liesl most of the time!
That would have been great! I stopped her on her way to speak to Heather Ross. I probably shouldn’t have, but I was a little starstruck. :)
Wow Meredith! What an amazing adventure (despite the hairy start!). Lots of gorgeous photos and so jealous of you meeting AMH. Thanks for sharing xx
You got to see Tiger Lily! I think by the time it hits stores I’ll have talked myself into buying full yards of the entire collections. I am hearing such great things about Loominous too!
Glad you got a chance to travel away from your littles. I still haven’t since my daughter was born 3 years ago!
great recap!! it’s like having a front row seat to your adventures!!