Episode 181 In Which I Get Reorganized 4-19-15

In this episode, I talk about my work road trip and why I didn't have a whole-lotta quilty goin' on, but how I'm setting myself up for more success (and less stress) in the future. There's also the first half of a backlog of listener feedback!

In this episode:

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen. (Also good as an audiobook.)

(I'm an Amazon associate so using those links helps support this podcast and blog--thank you!)

Lifetopix App (this link goes to ITunes description--if you're another platform, just check Google.)

For more information on David Allen's GTD system, you can also visit his website at gettingthingsdone.com. 

An interesting, but very fast/surface "energy profile" based on Loehr and Schwartz' work can be found at www.performanceprograms.com. However, you need to be familiar with their work to understand what the categories mean. I really do highly recommend their book!

Episode 180 In Which I Announce Giveaway Winners and I Am Poking Away at Stuff 4-6-15

In this episode I announce the lucky winners of my 5th Podcastaversary Giveaway--woo! Thanks, everyone--it was a lot of fun! Then I talk about what I've been up to as I've been wandering hither and yon about the country for the last couple of weeks, and I let you in on big news in my personal life (it's announced at the beginning but I don't talk about it at any length until the very end so you can choose whether or not to listen in at that stage). 

In this episode: Color Play by Joen Wolfrom

The Episode in Which It Is Not an Episode 3-11-15

This is not an episode, it is only a test. Please give it a listen and comment here about the results! 

Episode 178 In Which I Take Another 'Nother Class 3-8-15

In this episode I talk about exhaustion and embroidery, some improvements in my free motion quilting, hunting and gathering, and yesterday's art quilt design class (take 2). I also do some listener feedback. 

Episode 177 In Which I Took Another Class 3-1-15

Did I fix the sound issues? I'm using a new recording software with a HUGE learning curve. I think I figured out the basics so hopefully the sound will be fine this time around. However, I apologize for the large file size for those of you who are downloading. I haven't yet figured out how to reduce that in this new software. Baby steps. 

In this episode, I talk about my happy dances on a benchmark reached in one of my current textile projects, plus a teaser for my upcoming giveaway. And did you know it's National Crafting Month? Get ready for National Quilting Day on March 21! I also talk about the class on Colors and Curves I took yesterday and two books she recommended. Plus, I finally do a couple of week's worth of listener feedback.

Mentioned in this episode:

Intuitive Color and Design: Adventures in Art Quilting by Jean Wells

Vivacious Curvy Quilts (which I may have misnamed in the episode--If I did, I'm sorry), by Dianne S. Hire

Episode 176 In Which I Got Some New Toys 2-22-15

In this episode I feel like I got a bit rambly, but I think it's okay because I still gave a lot of information about tools, notions, apps, and books that I've recently gotten my hands on. Plus a Sandy update about what I'm currently working on. Listener Feedback will happen next week, so get those comments in!

Felt Magazine (which I mistakenly referred to in the episode as "Felted")

Embellish Magazine

Tray Dyeing: Exploring Colour, Texture and Special Effects by Clarie Benn and Leslie Morgan

Quiltography App 

Supreme Slider

Episode 175 In Which I Have a President's Day Sew-in 2-16-15

Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now? In this (hopefully louder) episode, I talk about pushing myself to do something I don't like doing very much (and still not particularly liking it), then treating myself to something that really gives me a buzz. And then I talk about some other stuff too. Mostly, I've had a pretty productive weekend--yay!

Episode 174 In Which We Talk 2015 Quilty Resolutions (and Other Stuff)

Yep--I share some of what y'all decided you're going to do in 2015! But first, I talk about the Art Quilt Design class I took yesterday and all the immense fun I had with it, plus the fact that it sent me down into my Mad Quilt Scientist studio this morning to dye me up some more fabric to play with.

Episode 173 In Which We Experiment 2-1-15

It's snowing! And that means pretty, pretty colors spring to life in my basement. In this episode, I announce the winners of the 2015 Quilty Resolutions Giveaway and a throw-down-the-gauntlet challenge between me and Sandi of Quilt Cabana Corner podcast and blog involving snow-dyes. I also talk about the possible chance of a meet-up in Kansas in June. I give an update of my current quilty projects, talk a little bit about reading plans for 2015, and do some listener feedback.

Website for the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival (June 19-21): http://kcrqf.com/

The book podcasts I refer to in this episode are:

• Book Riot
• Books on the Nightstand
• The Readers

Daisy of Very Lazy Daisy Quilts podcast and blog lifted these up to my notice, although they've also been talked about by Tanesha of Crafty Garden Mom podcast and blog as well.

The books I referenced are:

• Half Resurrection Blues by Daniel Jose Older
• Almost Famous Women by Meghan Mayhew Bergman

The Audible audiobooks I referenced are:

• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, full cast recording
• Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, read by Peter Dennis
• When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne, read by Peter Dennis

And, finally, the monthly short story magazine subscription I mentioned is One Story, at www.one-story.com. 

Episode 172 In Which I Make Progress on Stuff

I'm back in the land of the living...mostly...and talk about some projects I've been poking away at over the last couple of weeks when I wasn't busy coughing, sneezing, or laying in a darkened bedroom with warm compresses on my eyes. 

I forgot to go back and tell you the name of the audiobook I reference in this episode: it's A Demon Summer by G.M. Malliet, a cozy British mystery read by a great narrator. (Malliet is American but went to school at Oxford and lived in the UK for a period of time.) I'm enjoying it, although only about halfway through so check in with me later when I've finished it.  

The Tooly Tool Holder Easel pattern by Sew Together available on Craftsy (this is not an affiliate link)

The Missouri Star Quilt Company zipper pouch tutorial, in case you're interested, is at the bottom of this page underneath the podcast.

(Sorry--I misnamed the episode in the MP3 file--oops!)

Episode 171 In Which We Talk 2015 Quilty Resolutions 12-31-14

I'm skipping the "travelogue" portion of report on my trip to Burma/Myanmar for now (and explain that a little bit in this episode). Meanwhile, back to our regularly scheduled programming--it's time for 2015 Quilty Resolutions! In this episode I give a Sandy Update about what I'm currently working on, as well as a summary of how I did on my own 2014 quilty resolutions. Then I announce the 2015 Quilty Resolution Challenge!

I'll have a submission form and Rafflecopter up on my blog sometime before the end of this week so you can enter my 2015 Quilty Resolution Challenge Giveaway. Have fun thinking of what you want to do!

Episode 170a In Which I Am Back from Burma--Textile Mix 12-27-14

This episode is for textile lovers--quilters, weavers, spinners, and fiber artists. In this episode, I talk about all the wonderful textiles I met while in Burma/Myanmar in December. You'll hear about silk, cotton, and lotus spinning and weaving, and my adventures with a talented seamstress/tailor. 

Pictures will be on my blog sometime next week.

For more information about lotus weaving, visit:

http://silkandlotusweaving.blogspot.com/

(I believe that may be the place we actually visited, but it's a little hard for me to know for sure from the pictures. In any case, it describes the process.)

Episode 169 In Which I Do Embroidery 11-16-14

No take-backs! I promise--this one will stay. I'm done messing with your minds for awhile. In this episode, I talk about machine quilting words and doing some hand embroidery. Plus the usual listener feedback. This may or may not be the last episode I'm able to post before skipping the country. If I don't manage one next week, I'll catch ya on the rebound!

Episode 168 In Which I Have Visa Will Travel

Remix! 

I posted the original episode 168 on Sunday afternoon, then pulled it back off again on Monday morning as I woke up thinking, "Sheesh--I could have done better." So this is the remix version.

In this episode I give a couple of announcements about upcoming happenings in the social networking world of quilters, as well as a Sandy Update including how a Craftsy class helped me figure out a quilt design and how purple dye is back in my life again, and the highlight: My experience of Jenny Doan doing a trunk show. In a nutshell: Fantastic! Plus a podcast suggestion and listener feedback. So much fun in an hour!

Mentioned in this episode:

Twilter Nametag Challenge Flickr group

Podcast series "Serial" 

Missouri Star Quilt Company video of the design I'd like to make:

Episode 167 In Which I Actually Get Some Quilting Done 10-26-14

In this episode, I talk about what I learned from my latest Craftsy class and was able to immediately put to use on my current project; I also review two books (see below for links). 

In this episode:

Dot-to-Dot Quilting with Angela Walters (Craftsy Class)

Shape by Shape: Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters

Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece by Gail Callahan

(Craftsy and Amazon links in these show notes help support this podcast and blog. Thanks!)

Episode 166 In Which I Traveled 10-22-14

In this episode, I announce the winner of the Q3 quilty resolutions giveaway, and talk about fiber-related shopping in Canada, Atlanta, and gifties at home. (Audio player link at bottom of post.)

In this episode:

Stitched from the Soul: Slave Quilts from the Antebellum South by Gladys-Marie Fry

SkyDyes: A Visual Guide to Fabric Painting by Mickey Lawler (Kindle version)

Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial for tube-method pillowcases:

Episode 165 In Which I Play with Form 9-28-14

In this episode I explain a bit about my yet-another-absence, talk about meetings of the minds with fish, a bit about eggs and pasta, a lot more about quilty projects, and do some listener feedback.

Episode 164 In Which My Mojo Was Missing 9-7-14

In this episode I talk about why it's been so long since my last episode. There's also a little bit about pasta, purple scarves, Scrapitude, and coloring with colored pencils. 

For information about Scrapitude 2015, click here.

Episode 162 In Which I Live in Emptiness and Chaos 7-13-14

In this episode, I talk about panty dogs and empty walls and bobbins and miters. And a few other things.

Episode 161 In Which My Mouth Hurts 7-6-14

In this episode, I manage not to whine--at least, not much--about a tooth emergency that happened. But mostly, I announce the winner of the 2014 Quilty Resolutions 2d Quarter Check-in giveaway, talk about quilt projects I've completed and what I'm working on now, and a bit about holographic threads, paint sticks, and all sorts of sparkly pretties.