Work in Progress

I am so glad you decided to join me today. Whether you are returning for a second visit or are new to this blog – welcome! It was very exciting to publish my first blog, but not nearly as exciting as finding out someone actually read it. Thank your for the nice comment, Michelle.

A large part of this morning was spent “unsewing” what I sewed by hand last night. I knew I wasn’t happy with it when I went to bed, and when I woke up bothered around 2:30 a.m. I knew I had to redo it. As a result, the end product is a much higher quality. If I have something worrying me, I can usually work to a resolution (or at least a solution) in my sleep. This skill came in very handy in college. I don’t know how many term papers I wrote in my sleep. The true art is remembering when you wake up. Here is the finished product.

I retired two years ago and we moved from New Jersey to North Carolina. I took a beginning quilting class from the local needlecraft club as a way to meet people since we were new to the area. I did not once dream that it would become such an important part of my life. Not only did I meet some wonderful friends, I discovered an entirely new part of me. Before deciding to pursue Hummingbird Treasures, I gave everything I made to family and friends. (I was running out of people to give things.)

I want to show you some of my early work when Hummingbird Treasures was created. This is a picture of the first baby quilt I made to sell. I found these precious Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit prints in a local quilt fabric shop already cut into charm size squares. This was also my first time using prairie points as the border for a quilt. Not bad for the first time. This has become one of my two favorite quilts. Its smaller size is perfect for a wall hanging or small enough for a newborn.

My original plan was to make and sell baby quilts combining quilting and machine embroidery. It was not long, however, before I started venturing into other areas. I enjoy taking something and making something unexpected out of it. (Photo of Jean tote bag) This tote bag was made from a pair of my grandson’s jeans. I like the outside pockets front and back. (The rest of that pair of jeans went into several baby bibs coordinated with the baby quilts.) I showed this bag at a book club meeting and I now have at least 10 pairs of jeans ready to be repurposed.

Since these early items, I have expanded the Hummingbird Treasures line to include tote bags, diaper bags, and home décor items. I’m currently working on holiday and seasonal items, the first of which is posted on www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com.

I started work on this last night and finished it up this morning. It was fun because I was working from a dream and not a pattern. I like the boldness of it. Even Big T commented that he really likes this one. I would never have put these colors together even a few months back. Who knew there was this part of me?

Meanwhile, stick with me while I continue to expand my knowledge of the internet tool set available to me. Please share your comments and feedback. I promise to read every one.

Marie