Bari J.

I turned in the rough copy of my book on Monday. After which I sat on the sofa going, "What just happened? Did I just write a book?". Weird.

When I started this process all those months ago, I truly was not sure how I'd pull it off. So, it was uplifting to feel the shift of "I don't think I can do this" to "I most certainly can do this". A slowly building confidence in what I do know, what I have learned and what I can do came along with the process of creating each project for this book. And, with each project I learned something new. 

It's not over yet, but I think I enjoyed this experience very much.

I now have actual strike-offs for Art Journal rather than the digital prints, and I can't wait to show you the difference! The COLOR! So much richer. Boy am I thrilled to see it! I'm especially in love with the blues.

 

 

Here's an example of the original prints so you can see the difference. Wow. Look at that brown compared to the strike-off brown above! Cool. 

Store owners: you can now see (and order) the whole line! Click here!

Well, back to book-deadline-land. Getting there! Pinch me. I'm having so much fun!

I had such fun at market that I am absolutely exhausted. I spent a lot of my time there interviewing folks for Boutique Cafe as Miss Daria who is very pregnant couldn't make it there this time. I have 12 videos that will be featured as she sees fit. There's Anna Maria Horner, Paula Prass, Sandi Henderson, Genevieve Gail, and Jessica Levitt just to name a few. And I have to say, after I told Daria I would do this I was immediately thinking, "WHAT IN GOD'S NAME HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?". But alas, I absolutely loved doing it. So, Mom, maybe all that theatre school paid off after all, right? Still a bit of a ham.

As for photos, I didn't get as many awesome shots as I'd hoped (I left the good camera at home in favor of traveling light which was a mistake), but here are just a few to get you started.

Here's Miss Pokey Bolton in front of my Art Journal display (shoot the lights washed that quilt out... or did I have the flash on?). Pokey's newest quilt world baby, Quilt Scene magazine debuted at festival and I'm proud to say my quilted patchwork belts are in it. Yes, directions on how to make them and all.

 

And, Anna Maria Horner's booth. Sigh. Love. 

 

And speaking of "Love". I do Love, LOVE from Amy Butler. Who wouldn't?

 

Well, that's it for now fabric-nistas! 

I'll be buried in book-deadline-land for the next couple weeks, but I'll try to pop in every once in a bit to say hello! (Sheesh! Who knew this would be such work? Just kidding, Susanne! I knew what I was in for!)

...my new pattern, Home Sweet Home. This piece will be displayed at Quilt Market in Houston this week. And the pattern will be available for free download when Art Journal hits stores in April. The piecing and collage was artfully (and expertly) executed by my good friends, Janis Stob and Margaret Linderman (a mother daughter team... aka, December's Child), and beautifully quilted by Deb McPartland.

Hugs and kisses to all three of you! Can't go it alone! Thanks for being there! 

 

 

In the roughest of times, good friends will get you through. Frankly, I don't know what I would have done without them in getting ready for quilt market and trying to finish a book at the same time (which is crazy and I do not recommend doing these two things at one time).

Here are some of the delights made from my new fabric line, Art Journal, by my sweet friends.

Jackie (Wren's Nest) made these beautiful pears and eggs. 

 

And Janis (December's Child) made the dress form, Mathilda as she is called. Janis and her mom, Margaret also made my quilt (Home Sweet Home) which I'll have pictures of soon! 
 

Ladies, I can not thank you enough! You've totally saved me.

More of what others and I have sewn up soon! 

ttfn,

b

I have issues. Vintage bling hoarding issues. Even when I say, "Man, I've totally run out of vintage goodies for my bags". That really means, "There's nothing I feel like using... right now.".

Last night I was searching online for a piece of jewelry to go with an outfit that I want to wear at market next week. And I soon realized that even if I did find that fabulous piece, it was never going to arrive here on time. So... because I have SO much spare time, out came the goodies and the old jewelry making materials... (Did I ever tell you I used to make and sell jewelry from salvaged pieces? No? Wellza, I did. It was like a thousand years ago. My youngest was two or so when I started so let's see... it was almost a decade ago.)

Anyways, I digress... I got out the old jewelry making materials and fussed and mussed with it until I came up with a couple options. 

I like 'em, but I am super pleased because Anna called dibs on one (didn't matter which one) for "When you get back from market, Mom.". 13 year old girl likes it. Now, that's a compliment (Don't tell her I said so... she'll take it back.)

 

Just received copies of two magazines that my patterns are in this month. Hope you'll enjoy making my Stephanie Mag Bag with Art Tree in Haute Handbags this month and the Pretty Petal Pocketbook in Sew Hip! I'm thrilled to have features in these great magazines! Both can be found at Barnes and Noble.

Happy Sewing! 

I was not a kid who liked to play in the dirt. I don't like to get dirty, and I don't like to get sticky. But a girls gotta' do what a girl's gotta' do, so I pulled out the Mod Podge and Mod Podged me up a little storm. And then for good measure, I threw in some Fabri-tac and applique glue. Plus sandpaper and steel wool. Good times.

If you were wondering... that little girl in the back of picture 2, is indeed me. I think this photo was taken at my fifth birthday party. (I printed it out on fabric for the project above). In the background: Cousins Cornelia and Heidi and Great Aunt Anne for whom my Anna is named. 

Now back to less messy endeavors, like sewing. 

Just popping in to say... I'm sewing... 

And sewing...

I thought the pillow might need a sofa...

There's more, but alas, the light got dim before I got to pick up the camera. So more tomorrow.

G'night. 

So, when I heard Flip was letting you Design Your Own Flip Camera, I HAD TO HAVE ONE. I wanted one for a long time, but when I heard that, well, I FLIPPED! Then I find out, I can list my design on Cafe Press, so you can buy one too, and I was totally sold. And now you can get your own Bari J. designed Flip Cam here... LOL.

But then my little brain started whirling, and I thought "Oooh, what else can I design?". So, I went and designed some of these... for all of my favorite Fabric Junkies... and now, you can get one here.

I'm so excited. I can hardly stand it. What should I do next? I'm just itching to design... Book and fabric lines be damned  But I think I'll get back to work... on my book.

FIN-A-LLY!!! I can speak. I can speak. Well, a little anyways. Enough to give you a line name and a tiny preview. Here it is (well, sorta'-kinda' a little bit), Art Journal, my new line for Windham Fabrics...which will be available for quilt shops to order in October (in stores late April 2010).

 

Ok, fine. Twist my arm. Here's a little tiny bit more, the front of a post card I'm sending out.

 

 

One of the most wonderful things about my job these days is all the wonderful fabric I get to play with. Recently, I've been playing with Art Gallery Fabrics by Patricia Bravo. I just love the peaceful palettes and sophisticated patterns. In fact, I finished one project using them, and loved them so much that I decided my book needed a "companion" project to the one I had just finished.

 

A couple days ago, I emailed Patricia to tell her how much fun I was having using her designs... and to my complete surprise, she called me to tell me thank you. Yes, people. The actual telephone. Now that's nice. I didn't get a chance to meet Patricia at either of the fabric markets I went to, so I'm looking forward to meeting her in person this time. 

If you don't already know about her work (I'd be surprised if you didn't), you've got to visit her. I loooove her website and blog. Make sure you check it out!

 

On another note, in regards to the picture above... see the half square triangles? This has become a whole debate I'm having with myself about how these directions should be written. I've heard four hundred thousand (ok, 2) different takes on how quilters like to do them. So, I'm taking a survey, quilters.

This is a multiple part question... 

Tell me, do you like cutting your squares at 7/8" larger than the desired finished size, or do you cut up an entire inch and trim? And why?

Also, do you do the "Sandwich" method of sewing them together (ie one square on top of the other right sides together, draw a line corner to corner on the diagonal center and then a line 1/4" to either side of center, sew on the quarter inch lines and cut up the center giving you two finished squares in one shot.) OR do you cut the triangles and then sew on the bias? And why?

And, did you just understand what I said, or am I speaking Greek? 

Thanks guys!

 

Crikey! (Don't you love that word? I once said it in a play.)

It's hard to write a post when everything you are working on has to be reserved for it's Big Reveal Date. And, what's worse, is all this stuff gets done so far in advance of the time it gets released that it could drive a woman mad. Just sayin'. Seriously, I might start showing you what I'm cooking for dinner cause I got nothin' else. Oh, I forgot. I haven't been cooking much in the way of dinner. And I warned the people in this house that there wouldn't be much of that coming from me for a bit longer. Thank goodness for Super Husband. He's saving our souls around here lately. Pretty much. Except laundry. (I don't know what's up with that.)

None-the-less, I'm going to throw out a big little unauthorized hint about my upcoming fabric line. Which I learned this morning is scheduled to ship to stores in (I told you things get done in advance) late April. Actually the 25th. The day after my 41st birthday. 

So here's the hint: At least one of the pieces was inspired by soap. This soap to be exact. And that nest.

I can tell you that I will receive the discs with the final prints and colors tomorrow, will be creating cards, and probably just before I head off to Quilt Market (Oct 9) I'll give you the low down.

In the meantime, let's talk book. This is kinda' a funny and sorta' sweet story. Last night I'm chatting with Mr. Scott over at Blue Nickel. And he asks me who was writing my "Foreword". I didn't even know I needed a Foreword. 

Panicked, I emailed my "editor" (LOL that sounds silly), to ask, "Uh, do I need a Foreword? I know who I'd ask. And I think she'd say yes." . And apparently I don't NEED a Foreword. But, power of suggestion, after Scott mentioned it, I WANTED a Foreword. Yeah, I told him he is a turd. A nice, sweet talented turd, but at that moment, a turd. 

All that said, there was really only one person I wanted to ask to write my "Foreword". She's inspired me, encouraged me without even knowing it, and without her I would never have had the wonderful exposure that I've had (that was a hint). Plus, she writes (that was also a hint).

So after much hesitation and prayer (Because holy toledo! What if she said "No."?) I emailed her. Then I sat on pins and needles and prayed some more. But guess what? She said yes! Guess what else, I don't think I have authorization to tell you who it is. Arggggghhhh! That would sorta' give away the heart of the book, maybe. 

But I can tell you I am Thrilled-To-Pieces about it. And you know her, and you love her. That's all I'm sayin'. That and, it's not Martha or Oprah (I don't have their email addresses).

I've been wanting to do this forever! 

What I don't know (is under there) won't hurt me.

 

Recently, I started running. Just to prove that I can. Here's the truth. I CAN run. I just don't LIKE to run. But I am running even if it is a run/walk thing that takes forever and people walking their dogs and pushing strollers zoom right past me when I am "running". And even if I am on my fourth week of this run/walk thing and I still can't go more than 2 minutes "running" because my knees and shins feel like they may pop and it doesn't matter how much I stretch and that I have new shoes.

As kids we are told. We are told what to do, we are told how to do it. We are told who we look like, what we are good at, what we are not so good at. We are constantly learning, evaluating. That's what we are meant to do.

I decided I couldn't run in the 3rd grade because I was the slowest one at the 50 yard dash. Seriously. That's why I decided this. But just because in the 3rd grade when I was eight years old, I was slower than the other kids, does that mean I could never ever run or be a runner? Maybe. I truthfully don't think I have a runner's shape, but does that mean I can't run?

Through our learning and understanding about the world around us, our place in it, our place in our own families, we come to believe certain things to be true. And a lot of times, these things aren't the nicest of things, and probably a good portion of the time our evaluations of ourselves especially aren't even true. 

Even if I was pretty correct about the running thing, why I personally chose to believe some of the craziness I did, I'm not sure. 

I hear my sixth grade teacher saying, "Bari Palles, if your head wasn't attached it would be long gone!". Hence the belief in my perpetual disorganization. 

I decide that since my sister and my brother are good at art, that I am not. I'll be good at something else. I'll be good at singing, acting, dancing. (I was too!)

I decide that since in the second grade, I'm struggling with math, I must not be able to do it. I'm just not smart enough. I avoid it from there on out.

I decide a whole bunch of other not-nice-to-myself-negative-self-image stuff too.

And I hold these truths to be self-evident. For a very very long time.

But as you know, over the past few years, I decided to knock these beliefs off their dirty dusty old shelf. And create new beliefs.

I've totally put holes in my laundry list of "things I can not do." Even math... although a good algebra class might help that situation a lot more if ever I should feel the need to torture myself in that way.

Write a book is one of them. Pretty cool. I'm getting there on that one.

Today, I put holes in the "I can not illustrate" belief. How I thought I could draw two whole fabric lines and more but not illustrate sewing diagrams is sort of unbelievable when I say it out loud, but there it is. Ok, so, I can sorta' illustrate stuff. And I really like it too.

So, what (self) truths do you hold self evident. And why? 

How much ya' wanna' bet it's not true?

The thing about creating patterns for handbags and "one size fits all" aprons is... there's no grading involved. Throw in a piece of clothing and uh oh! You gotta' grade. Now, I know that I could hand it off to someone and say, "here you go, grade away," but there's something about learning the skill myself... I love to just Know. 

Today, I went to a sewing "lab" which actually turned out to be an almost private lesson in pattern making as there were just two of us due to summer vacations. Thank goodness because, boy! Did I ever need help. 

First of all, I learned that I absolutely must have one of these. You gotta' have this for sleeves, hips and more. Here I was just matching things up and curving the way I thought they should go, and come to find out there's a much easier (and apparently... ahem... standard) way.

I also learned that I know even less than I thought I knew. Which wasn't much.

But more importantly, I learned that really, it's not rocket science, it's definitely a skill that I can acquire. And though I'm glad I'm learning how... I now know that it takes a Whole Bunch of Time ... time I could spend in other places. Like, oh, I don't know... Creating, writing, spending time with my kids, getting to that stack of laundry... stuff like that. Stuff I can't get someone else to do (and wouldn't want to).

So, next time I'm just gonna' have someone else do it. 

But there really is something to be said for "knowing how", isn't there?

 

I've been one lucky chicky lately, and have been somewhat remiss in handing out the Thank You's... at least publicly... I always write a nice email and feel guilty that I haven't hand written a note, but ...

I do think some pubic displays of affection are in order! Forgive, the length. I've been really lucky and grateful to be featured, and I'm also late enough posting about it that they have piled up. 

First, today, I was featured on Today's Creative Blog! Sweet. I've always wanted to be featured on Kim's blog! Picture dancing going on... Cabbage Patch. Thank you so much, Kim! I'm going to add this to my side bar right away. A blinky! Yay!

And then in no particular order (because I can't remember the order)...

Thank you to (three more Kim's or Kimberly's)

Kim at True up for the wonderful interview that you can find here! 

And Kimberly at Spoonflower who also interviewed me... here.

And Kimberly at Kimberly Shaw Graphics (to die for water color tea cup... be still my heart... cards) who won a fat quarter stack and blogged what she did with some of it here! I loooooove this!

And the ladies of Fat Quarter Shop put up a little post I wrote... here. (((Note: hours later... Kimberly Jolly owns The Fat Quarter Shop!!!!)))

And my family over at Windham posted a little blog entry I wrote too... Like the header? I may have designed it... ;) 

 

Plus, one more, and if I'm forgetting anything, forgive me... I'm sure to remember right after I hit "post".

The Laura Zarrin (an incredible illustrator) also won a stack and wrote about what she was doing with it.

Thanks, you all!!!

PS... AGGGGG! Damnation! I did forget a very important thank you!!!

Thank you to Bowie at Print & Pattern!!! How could I forget that? I practically begged for her to feature me! Been reading Print and Pattern since I started Bari J. in '04 or was it '05?  

Thank you, Bowie! 

Messes can be very pretty, especially fabric messes. I started cleaning and folding and organizing in here, but some of the heaps (individually) looked so pretty I had to take some pictures. Now, if I showed you the whole thing, you might get sick, but just these little bits... I kinda' like 'em.

But now it's time to get things off the ironing board, fold up the scraps and get organized. 

So that I can make a new mess tomorrow.