Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Welcome to My Sewing Blog!

I am passionate about working with fibers. No matter if by machine or by hand, fabric has unlimited potential. I am drawn to traditional crafts with a modern touch. When I pick up a piece of fabric, it speaks to me. The way it drapes, it's texture, how it frays and unravels, where it has been, and what it wants to be, this is how fabric speaks.



There are so many options for working with fabric. Embroidery, pattern construction, soft sculpture, plush, wearable art, pin cushions and sewing tools.... the list is endless and I intend to try them all. Then there is fabric creation in crochet, knitting, weaving.... whew! I'm working my way through these, but I have a lot of learning to do. I also love to dye, stamp, embroider, embellish, and of course sew the daylights out of the fabrics I find.



I love to find lovely pre-loved fabrics. Unlike new, I feel compelled to continue the story of where it has been without a thought to what it was. A woolen blazer, a man's shirt, a bright knit, they bring a story with them. I feel especially compelled to dye, rip, felt and mangle them until they are altogether something new. I love old table clothes, hankercheifs and cloth that has been touched by an artist from another time. Crochet doilies and knit sweaters all carry the heart of an artist with them. The uneven edges, stains, and button holes create a challenge in their shape. They demand a challenging thought process. They inspire problem solving and forgiveness. They need other fabrics to make them larger and whole.



I also adore the hunt for a new fabric. It is a blank slate. I get to make it conform to me and my idea. A trip to the store is a lovely adventure. I am intoxicated by all the colors and weaves. I wonder how far I can push one fabric to work when another would be more ideal. So many possibilities. In reality, I often find the clearance table and dig for something amazing. A rich wool comes home in half yard increments- a delightful cotton print by the yard. The more I can bring home, the more I dream.



So, in choosing, touching, twisting, pleating, runching, fraying and stitching, the fabric and I begin our journey. What will become of our collaboration is anyone's guess. I hope to share with you some of my works, my processes, my techniques and my projects. I hope you enjoy them and they inspire you to create something from your hands and your dreams.



Don't get me started on threads, yarns, trims, buttons, etc.... well just not today. Much more to come!



Please visit my Etsy shop to see more of my works- www.jillverbick.etsy.com.

4 Painter Smurf Coloring Pages

Smurf Coloring Pages

Smurf Coloring Pages

Smurf Coloring Pages

Smurf Coloring Pages

4 Painter Smurf Coloring Pages

Smurfs Fun Coloring Pages

Smurfs Fun Coloring Pages

Smurfs Fun Coloring Page

Friday, August 26, 2011

Smurf and His Friend Relax Coloring Pages

Smurf Coloring Pages

Smurf and His Friend Relax Coloring Pages

Smurf Run Coloring Pages

Smurf Coloring Pages

Smurf Run Coloring Pages

Quotes for Kids by Kids

I came across this site with Quotes for Kids by Kids.

Some of the quotes are really cute and tells a lot of how and what kids are thinking. I like these few Quotes for Kids about Moms. :)

"If mom's not  happy, nobody's happy"

"If mom's asleep, don't wake her up!"

"If mom says no, she means it. If dad says no, he means maybe"

"No matter what I do, my mom can always tell when I'm lying"

"When mom is mad at dad, don't let her brush your hair"

Funny, cute and smart kids. I think they got it all right. For more funny Quotes for Kids like this, visit generationterrorist.com

   

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Procrastination

Are you a procrastinator? Do you keep on procrastinating? Do you keep on putting off the things you need to do? Procrastination is a bad habit and it has a snowball effect. Very soon, you will start feeling overwhelmed especially if the thing you are procrastinating happens to be in your to do list.

I guess it all boils down to how much you want to do that something. I would never procrastinate when it comes to blogging. I walk around with ideas for blog posts in my head. As soon as I am able to get to a computer, my blog posts would all pour out from my head onto the keyboard and transferred on the computer screen.

However, when it comes to exercise, which is so much more important and should therefore be the top of my priorities, I keep on procrastinating. I guess to stop procrastinating, one has to prioritize, create schedules and follow it strictly. Self discipline is very important in order to carry this out.

Here are some procrastination quotes I want to remember to help me get out of this bad habit.
"If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it."
~Olin Miller”
"Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow."
~Gerald Vaughan
"Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it."
~Quintillain

   

Weird and funny tatoos




Cute Baby Smurf Coloring Page

Smurf Coloring Pages

Cute Baby Smurf Coloring Page

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Quotes Widget for Your Blog or Website

Be Happy and Make Others Happy

Today I added a Quotes Widget on this blog.

Bloggers who love quotes will love this one. It is a quotes widget for your blog or website. The above quote and image is an example of what you get in the quotes widget. There are plenty of sites offering free blogger or wordpress widgets with quotes for your blog but I like this one because it is colorful. Some of the sites offer text quote widgets. This one includes colorful images.

You can customize the widget by changing the size to fit your blog. Mine is 210 by 210. I guess I will keep this Quotes Widget for a while until I find something better.

Bloggers who love quotes may also like these Quotes for Bloggers about Blogging.

Happy Blogging!