One block a day....

...just one quilt block a day....

"how long does it take to make a quilt?"

my apologies

I missed posting a blog this last Sunday

but.  I was posting, it was a video, tho.

how many of you have heard of the video series called

STITCH!

you can find it on my very own youTube channel

beyond the reef patterns

and also on

Windham Fabrics

but I did want to post a little something for you this week 

on the blog, too

so here's this week's encouraging post

I ask you

what if you just made one block a day

at the end of the year, you'd have

365

blocks!!!!!

I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty impressive

365

(Natalie Barnes at Missouri Star Quilt Company birthday bash)

so I encourage you

take just a few minutes every day

and make just one block

and if you're looking for a new project

tune in - subscribe - to STITCH! for some inspiration

HappiestDays

Natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

What is that song??

(the soundtrack of your life)

how many of you remember the song that was playing

when you first met your husband

or your best friend

what song was playing when you brought your first born

home for the very first time?

it's the soundtrack of your life!

(Makers Home fabrics by Windham Fabrics)

as a quilter, we can say the same for fabric

we can go to our stash, and look at a fabric

and remember who we were with and where we were when we bought it

(Hand Maker fabrics by Windham Fabrics)

fabric is like a song

it's the "soundtrack of our life" as a quilter

you remember when you started a quilt, when you finished it

how long it took

why you left it sit, and for how long

before you finished it

and sometimes just a leftover scrap will bring the whole story back to you

let's try something....let's see how much heart you put into your projects

how much of you was stitched into your very first quilt

leave a message below

and tell us about the first quilt you ever made

when it was made

and what music you were listening to when you made it

(Stitch's heart....worn on his "sleeve")

HappiestDays.

natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

be.do.create

Easter.

Easter.

Spring.  Passover.  a Promise.

it's one of those things

I've done since I was a kid

my mother and I stood side by side in the church choir

singing

Halleluja Chorus

from sunrise service to pancake breakfast

one year I rode my horse to the top of the mountain

for the community service

these days, I walk to the bay alone and watch for the sun to rise

today, the neighbors joined me

and we sat in silence

there was a heavy overcast

and sunrise never came

we just sat in

silence

but as I was walking home
I realized something

regardless of whether we could see it
the sun actually did rise
there was indeed a sunrise

the promise remains

as quilters, we know this better than anyone else
we look at a stack of fabrics
or a basket full of scraps
and we see the finished quilt



so this year, I am reminded that whether or not you can see it
or believe it
each new day brings a bright and shining promise of a life well lived

Passover stories will continue to be told
Easter will be celebrated
the garden will bloom and the shrubs and trees will produce each and every year
and 
fabric will indeed turn in to quilts.

natalie.
be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

ps - we have our shop site link on the website
and we now have an etsy shop
beyondthereefshop

please come visit and purchase a pattern or a bundle
...something new for Spring!

Fabric Giveaway

Do you love fabric?

I do.

I think I mentioned that I have had the chance to work with RJR Fabrics.

I was given the fabulous opportunity to design a quilt for a new fabric line

ASANTE

And I was given the fabulous opportunity to make that quilt in a second line

WOODLAND

by Lori Mason

Which means

You all have the fabulous opportunity to win a set of fabrics from the same line!

Not ALL of the fabrics in the line, mind you, but 15 fat thirds and two one third pieces!

On Lori's site, she says,

"My passion for quilting is about people—the evocative stories told by quilts and the personal relationships pieced through the fabric.  I cherish these connections as well as the beauty that emerges through the patterns; they both soften and become richer over time."

Please leave a comment about a quilt you have made

and the person - the relationship - the connection

that you have made

through that quilt.

And for a little more inspiration, here is Lori herself:

1.  Lori - your new line Woodland, for RJR Fabrics, really has some unusual colors in the line.  They are a delight to work with!  What was your inspiration?

Well, it is a Fall/Winter line, and the subject matter was inspired by some of my findings on walks during the Fall months.  I knew I wanted at least one color combination to have that deep, rich maroon color.  The blue color combo was inspired by the dawn sky in crisp winter.  I live in the Pacific Northwest, land of the evergreens, so the third combination had to start there - deep forest green with the rusty-orange pop of deciduous trees turning color. 

2.  Woodland.  I just have to ask...are you a hiker, rock climber, gardener, naturalist?

Hiking and mountaineering were a big part of my experience growing up in the Northwest.  My dad started us off at a young age going on hikes on the weekends, and as I grew older I never lost the habit.  The beauty found in nature has always been an inspiration to me.

3.  Everyone wants to know about two things - how you work, and of course, where you work.

When I ask how you work, I have to ask specifically do you work in silence or with music?

And when I ask where you work, what I mean is - do you sketch wherever you are, or do you sit down with all of your resources and then get to work?

My studio is located above a packaging company in northwest Portland, Oregon along with a handful of other artist's studios.  I usually carry a small camera with me in case there is something that catches my eye wherever I may be at the time - it could be something as simple as a fence, a leaf, or the side of a building.  I'm fascinated by patterns, especially those found in the natural world.  I also collect natural forms that I can scan or draw when I get to the studio.  When I feel like I've collected enough, then I sit down and sort through what I've got.  If I'm doing any sort of "figuring" or organizing of ideas, I usually need silence, but I love to sew to music. 

4.  The holidays are approaching, you have a new line of fabric being released to stores - - will you take holiday guests to the quilt shops like a 'proud mom'?

Of course, who wouldn't!

5.  Speaking of the holidays, what are some of the secret family ingredients in your cranberry sauce?

Horseradish.

6.  Are you a morning person or a late nite person?

I would have to say somewhere in the middle, but my sweet spot for working is 9-noon when I've had my cup of tea and feel fresh.

7.  If you could travel anywhere in the world, and quilt with any one person for a weekend, not a class or anything, but just 'quilt weekend', where would you go and who would you want to quilt with?

If I could travel anywhere, I would travel back in time and spend a weekend quilting with my Granny Eva who died 12 years ago.  She was a true inspiration to me even though she didn't quilt. She was a sculptor, originally from Vienna, and she spent her entire life making art.  There were many unfinished works in her home studio when she died at age 80.  She never got to see my fabrics, but I know she would have loved to see them.

8.  Okay, I have to ask - speaking of travel...what is your favorite mode of travel?  Road trip in the Car?  A train excursion?  A quick jet to get there and get going? 

I'd have to say a quick jet trip - I don't like to be stuck inside sitting down for too long - although I much prefer riding in a train than a plane.  Perhaps a high-speed train in Europe? 

9.  Are you going to make any holiday gifts with your new fabric line?  Or are you on to the next line already?  Can you give us a hint?

Right now I'm making some beautiful place mats and napkin sets along with some tablecloths - they're really fun.  I've actually already designed Spring 2011 - production takes a while so we have to work ahead.  I think you'll all be happily surprised at the direction I took, but that's all I'm going to say - you'll have to stay tuned!

10.  It's hard to come to the last question, you know, that one last thing that you think people might want to know about their favorite fabric designer....let's see...okay.  I have one.

Cake or Pie?  Ice Cream or Chocolate?  Tea or Coffee?

I reject the premise that I have to make a choice!  Pear-Ginger Crisp hot out of the oven with vanilla ice cream and a cup of homemade chai

Thank you, Lori, for sharing so much with us!

We're inspired now.

Leave a comment to be entered to win the fabric by 

NOVEMBER 15.

Hurry.

Tell your friends.

Oh, and we'd love to have you become a 'follower'...

BeginAgain

natalie

looking for tropical or bright fabric?

look no further...go to:

beyondthereef

Deadlines and the Creative Process

There are days...

There are days when the creative process and the light and the timing all come together.

There are days when the bobbin stays full until you are done with a seam.

There are days when all the pieces are cut and trimmed the right dimension.

And on those days...

deadlines and the creative process come together.

It's tough, tho, isn't it, to work creatively towards a deadline.

Not a self imposed deadline.  Hey.  I've heard you have up to one year after a birth or marriage to present your gift, so let's not talk about those deadlines.  

But I mean the kind of deadline like

DO IT NOW

deadlines

I once heard a motivational speaker ask the question,

"what could you get done in a day if, at the end of the day, if you finished everything,

you could go on a one month vacation to (fill in your own best idea here)?"

Could you get it all done?

Could you work more efficiently?

I have a 7 month old Guide Dog Puppy coming tonite to stay for four days.

And I'm working feverishly trying to finish the samples and the patterns and the handouts and the buying

for the

International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA

My Creative Process is on high alert.

My deadline is now.

My time is now.

When is your time?

When will you get creative?

When will the light be just right, the bobbin full, the fabric selected, the time to do what you want available to you?

I gotta say - there is no time like now.

Because it's all we got.

As Rumi says,

"Don't be like the vessel full of water whose rim is dry"

Enjoy the day!

sparkle+shine

2009

Thanks for thinking of 

b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

How do you Play? aka: remember the slinky

How do you play?

This has become very important to me.

And it should be important to you as well.

Because a life in balance - well, enough said, right there.

Just that, as Julian would say.

I just finished reading an article in American Lifestyle magazine,

"The Way We Were; The Way We Played"

About the slinky.  Mr. Potato Head, and the Slip 'n Slide.

Remember those?

Well.

Every day has it's toy.  It's play.  And it seems way too complicated in today's world.

Insert cable, plug this into that, power up.

It doesn't have to be much - - really - - lessons from the dog - - even a ball found washed up on the beach - - 

The hose.  

(okay, okay, I know - - water conservation and all that - - so, if you water the lawn, do it in your shorts and squirt your neighbor, or your son or daughter, or something to make it play-ful)

The point is to PLAY.

Don't exercise, go run around in the park; PLAY.

Don't cook, have Girls' Night.

Don't go to a business seminar, have a Slumber Party.

Play.

Give yourself permission to Play.

Check out Rose Hughes' blog.  They have a day every week in which they try new things.

Play.

Take life down a notch.

Smile.  Laugh.  Sing.  Whistle.

I heard someone - an expert - on the morning business news.

He was profound.

Wanna know what he said?

He said that the one thing that was a proven fact, was that EVERY recession we have ever had.....

has ended.

Well, there you have it!!!!

Smile. Laugh. Sing. Whistle.

Take life down a notch.

Relax and Play.

And if you have read the blogs in the past, you know I am the one to encourage you to use a different color.

Make something with a different technique.

Make a nice tidy block and take your rotary cutter to it and make it something new.

Go to a local quilt show - flower show - kite festival - car show.

They're all gonna be cheaper than a movie, drink, popcorn, candy and dinner.

And probably more healthy - walk the quilt show, kite festival, car show.

But most of all, make sure you take the time to get out.

Get out.  Get going.  Get.

Play.

(moondoggie at his finest...frisbee!!!!!)

Thanks for thinking of 

b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

sparkle and shine

2009

Natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

Aloha Fish are HERE!! aka Quilted Origami Series

a l o h a   f i s h

...the fish are here.  Well, actually, the fish were at Road to California.

And if you signed up for the class at

Luella's Quilt Basket

you received the pattern before anyone else, anywhere else.

We had a great class, and accomplished a lot.

Some people that have taken other Quilted Origami classes from me

said the fish are easier than the Aloha Shirts or Aloha Muu Muus.

That remains to be seen.

After all, they took the class!!

As a bonus, we discussed color theory, and even got some needle turn applique techniques in as well.

You never know what you're gonna get in one of my classes as a bonus.

Last time we were at Luella's we were dancing - hULa!!

In the Quilted Origami series of beyond the reef patterns, there are no raw edges when you're done with your model.

All that's left to do when you are done, is stitch it down to the background fabric.

And so it is with this little fish.

(well, except for the tail, which you needle turn under, then you're done)

The patterns are completed, and the quilt is completed, and the class is taught!!

We did have a lot of fun in class, tho - - I hope you'll consider taking a quilt shop class in your neighborhood.  Remember to support your local quilt shop and your quilt Guild, as they support YOU!!

Thanks for thinking of 

b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

Natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

PS - my apologies if the pics are loading slowly - - 

I am trying a different camera, and the settings might just be a little off...

let's see how this goes...

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi

"Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened.

Don't open the door to the study and begin readying.

Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.

Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.

Don't go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the door sill where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.

Don't go back to sleep."  - Rumi

Okay, the cat is out of the bag.  I am a student.  Of many things.

I am a student of yoga.  I am a student of life.  I am a student of people.

I am a student of dating and appraising quilts, too.  By the way.

So in my yoga class this last Sunday morning, this poem was read - well, just this part of the poem...it goes on.  I found it of interest that when we are 'so into our head' that instead of going into our head again, that we are to use the OTHER side of our brain.  Reach for something CREATIVE not CEREBRAL.  

Good thinking!  

Fabric!

Quilting!

Art!

Music!

Yeah!!!

I like this.  A lot.  And the part about not going back to sleep to.  The door is OPEN.

How many times do we get to a part of a quilt, project, time in our life, whatever, and we want to 'go back to sleep' about it?  Oh, I know for a fACt.  When I'm trying to finish something, and I run out of bobbin, that's where I want to go.  Or I sew the last square together and the bottom fabric has shifted and now it's not square, or well, you get the point.  I want to 'go back to sleep'.  I don't want to sit and figure it out or get up and go for a walk and come back and finish it correctly - fresh.  I just want to 'go back to sleep' forgetting that the door is open still.

So, while today's blog is a small one, it is packed full of good idea.

When you wake up 'empty and frightened', don't get sucked into your head - reach for something creative.  And when you want to get into your head, just don't.  Don't over think it.  As a song writer said, "Darlin' do not fear what you don't understand."  

And when we choose to do something, let it be what we love.

Finally, listen to the secrets whispered only to you.  

And ask for what you really want.

Go through that open door.

Don't go back to sleep.

be.do.create

2008

Thanks for thinking of 

b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

Natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

Happiness is!!!

"You tell yourself how can you possibly take advantage of what life has to offer if you are not in the right place at the right time.  But even in the right place at the right time, you can miss your chance."

(aka - why is the search for happiness something that makes so many people depressed?)

There are times when we approach things - really, anything in life - in the manner described in the quote above.

"If I had just the right yellow, I could do this quilt.  If I had the exact fabrics that the original quilt designer used, I could get it right."

"If I had the house, the car, the wife, the kids, the job, the tool, the jewel, the body, the mind, the the the...."

So, in today's blog, in this week's blog, I am here to let you know.  I give you permission.  Go ahead.  

This IS your right time.  This IS the right place.  

This IS the only fabric you have so MAKE YOUR QUILT.

Make your life.

Take a look at what you HAVE not what you don't have. Take a look at what's right in front of you and delight in it. Delight in what you do have.  You have (probably, if you're reading this blog) a roof over your head.  Make it your safe place.  Whatever it is.  You may have a car, or a bike, or two legs or even wheels.  Delight in that mobility.  You may not have a wife, a husband, a partner, a love of your life.  But you may have someone in your life that loves you free.  Even if it's the dog, you probably, if you look, will find that even the postman knows your name...The same person checks your groceries every week.  Someone knows you and loves you free.  Thank God.  Look at that person in a new light.  Delight.  I don't have kids.  I delight in others' kids.  Without tuition and books, but the simple glee of seeing them every so often.  I quilt for my job.  Gosh.  Enough said.  I create for a living.  Next.  I have quilted with the scissors I could find in the kitchen that would barely cut fabric - before I was able to buy Ginghers.  As for jewels, consider the mother that delights in the macaroni necklace she receives...and heavens to betsy...thank God every day for your body.  It is a mass of cells that seem to (most of the time) run on autopilot.  THAT is a miracle.  And you DO have an active mind.  You're with me so far on this week's blog.  That counts.

Okay.  Sure.  Pollyanna strikes again.  Glass full not empty.  BUT.

Trust me.

Next time you're a live and breathing, just stop for a moment to look at what's right in front of you.  No more, no less. 

Whaddya see?  Yep.  Probably Happiness.

Happiness IS.

be.do.create

2008

Thanks for thinking of 

b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

Natalie

PS - yes, I mean quilting too...

PHOTOS ARE FROM QUILTING DAY WITH LittleNATALIE AND BeNATALIE

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

"...I'll reach to you..."

"...I'll reach to you from where time just can't go..."

...it's a great line from a jack johnson song.  You know the guy.  He told the record labels he wanted to do it his own way.  And he was a success anyway.  It's the kind of thing we all want - hope for - dream about.

And so it is around here - I'm still looking for that place 'where time just can't go'.

The "Alzheimer Priority Quilts' are done and ready to ship.

The new fabrics are ordered and shipping as we speak.

The warehouse is giggling with anticipation of the next show - Glendale Quilt show at the end of March.

I have housing with a GREAT friend for the Glendale show; I have housing with a GREAT friend's friend in SLO for the Seven Sisters Quilt Show in April.  I have GREAT friends!!

But I'm still looking for that place "where time just can't go".

He also said, "...sometimes it feels like a heart is no place to be singing from at all".

So I won't.

Thanks for thinking of 

b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

Natalie

be.do.create

2008