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Saturday, July 10, 2010

random thoughts

The worst of the heat wave has gone, but I'm still not quilting...


I dreamed a quilt last night and remembered it long enough to get it down on paper.  Here's the base of it, as designed in QuiltPro3:


(I figured out to print, then scan it.  Otherwise, I still have no idea how to get it into Blogger!)

Inside those white centers would be black, wonky letter-ish blocks.  A plus-sign with arms that don't quite match in the center...a K that the arms aren't evenly spaced...  Those will be the challenge to figure out how to do.  And maybe it will never get done, but it was a very pretty wall-hanging in the dream!


A few of you asked about me writing a tutorial for the Quilter's Project Manager.  Fantastic idea, but here's the problem:


The envelopes come in boxes of 500.  I tried to find smaller boxes and maybe they're out there, but do you really want to buy this many envelopes?  (Yikes!)

My initial plan with the idea a few years back was to try to sell them at quilt shops.  But I don't really have connections with the owners (I'm a relatively shy quilt shopper and wait for you to talk to me...).  So that lead to maybe craft fairs, but you kinda have to have more than just one product, so that was out.  And now I'm wondering about maybe Etsy, but questioning myself if it's worth the effort to learn the ins and outs and set up a shop to sell just this one thing.  (And are there enough people out there interested?  And will they find my shop?  And, really, how much will someone pay for this?  And do people really want these anyways?)

In the meantime, I have about 450 envelopes in a box...


Any thoughts?


And last, I said I would give you my opinion of Revolutionary Road when I'd finished it.  It was a relatively easy read and it's been so hot, lounging on the couch in front of the fan, this was really about the only thing to do!

The book was just okay to me.  There were a few lines that really made me stop and think, but overall it seemed like it was trying to be more than it was.  A book about a suburban couple and their life didn't match up with the movie previews I'd seen and thought "That looks like a movie I'd rather read the book for."

So about halfway through I googled it to see if I was missing something.  See what other reviews had to say.   Wikipedia had this quote from Richard Yates, the author:

"I think I meant it more as an indictment of American life in the 1950s. Because during the Fifties there was a general lust for conformity all over this country, by no means only in the suburbs — a kind of blind, desperate clinging to safety and security at any price."

That helped put the book in context and make it a little more interesting to me, but I still can't say I loved the book.  I'm not sorry I spent the time reading it, but I feel like the movie previews led me to believe there was more to it.  (And from what I can gather, the movie followed the book pretty closely, but maybe I'm wrong.)  (And it wouldn't be the first time movie previews led me to believe the movie would be super fantastic and I was mislead!)

So I'm sorry if some of you have read it and loved it.  You're all welcome to your own opinion and if you were thinking about reading it, please do!  You might have a completely different opinion of it than I do.

And please don't hate me for using Wikipedia (I know some despise it and I know it has its down side, but here it was helpful). 

I love historical fiction and maybe that's my problem...this book was written about 1955 in about 1960, so though the years are history, when it was written, it really wasn't history.  Instead of collecting the fantastic things that happened that year and putting the characters into those happenings, this book is about the more mundane events of everyday life.

I know there are a lot of reviews out there praising the book.  Maybe I'm just too niave to see what they see...

I feel like I'm apologizing for not liking the book.  Maybe I should stop now?

The hubby is sleeping again.  Next week his hours go back to normal, and though that's not truly normal (who has ever heard of a 1am to 11am shift?), it's at least routine.  Maybe then I can get my quilting routine sorted out again?

Happy quilting!
Katie

9 comments:

  1. Never apologize for expressing an opinion about something!;) It's always interesting to see how people respond to the same thing you may have experienced. It kind of acts like a sounding board;)
    As for the hubby's shift....my previous place of employment had weird shifts. I spent two years getting up at midnight to be at work by 2am, and worked until 2 in the afternoon. That was a pain.
    As far as Etsy goes....do your research. Go to the sight and search for what you are interested in selling to see if anyone else out there is doing the same thing. You might find that you are the only one with the idea, or that the market is saturated. What I've noticed is that patterns for items that sewers/crafters might love sell more than the items themselves. You can make a pattern for something and sell it a hundred times, or you can make the item and sell it once. Just food for thought.
    I would love to see your dream quilt come into reality. It sounds interesting.
    Happy Quilting!!

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  2. Terrific quilt design! I hope you make this one. I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions for the Quilt Project Manager but they are a super thing. Cheers, Ann :-)

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  3. I'm glad you remembered you dream enough to get it on paper. I once dreamed I was playing a new and complicated hymn arrangement of my own on the piano. I woke up, and at 2 AM, I went to the piano and played it exactly like I heard it in the dream. My husband and sons (upstairs) thought I had gone crazy! That was many years ago, and I still play that arrangement at least once a week! I've recorded it on tape, CD, and in my brain, but unfortunately,never got it written on paper!
    I'm going to tell one of my reader friends about the book; maybe she will read it and tell me what she thinks about it. ---"Love"

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  4. Katie, I think the Quilt project manager is a great item. I will have to think on how to "market it".
    Your dream quilt sounds really cool...hope you do try to make it.
    Enjoyed your book review. I know I have read books that got great reviews, but I didn't care for them and I have read books that I totally enjoyed, but didn't get rave reviews.
    Hope you are back to quilting soon!

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  5. Interesting quilt pattern. Really outside and "box", LOL. Lots of interesting things can be done with it.

    Liri

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  6. I think your quilt design sounds great. I'd love to see it all made up! Since I have one, the Quilt Project Manager is really super. Keep thinking about it. If you decide to sell the instructions, maybe you could include some of the envelopes with it. That would reduce the amount you have and give your customers the supplies they need to work with.

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  7. Wow I can't believe you dreamed that!! Good luck figuring out the selling issues. Etsy is sort of a mystery to me too, but I have bought things off there by searching for items. You never know what someone might be hunting for.

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  8. Okay, we all think the project manager is a great idea! Beth works in a quilt shop (bet she knows what people would buy) and Marsha's idea of including the envelopes with the instructions sounds great for emptying the box. Include the button cover and we'd all be set to go! I'd bet if any of us go shopping with it, there would be questions about where to buy! Mary

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  9. I have to confess, Imissed your idea for the Project Manager. I've often looked into Etsy and it seems so confusing to this old lady. I understand that alot of people buy from it and Ebay. Can't wait to see your quilt come to life. Connie

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