HtbaS 318: Corporate Training and Catching Up (fixed)
WIP Whoopsday - Introducing the Soft Pant Studio!
I’ve been doing more work on my as-yet-not-revealed quilt project but I took some time out this weekend to set up a new video recording space. At my house, it’s upstairs in what used to be a small bedroom next to the master bedroom.
This room served as a nursery for my daughter, who is now 11, and since she moved out into a regular bedroom 9 years ago, it’s been the Christmas wrapping paper room and place where the cats hide all of their ping pong balls (I discovered that last bit when re-arranging furniture this weekend).
The only furniture in here (besides the wrapping paper bin!) was the vanity in the picture and a cedar chest. The nook where all the quilts are hanging used to be a closet with a door, but we re-jiggered it to act as a nook for the vanity long before The Stitch TV Show even existed. Our plan for this room was to serve as a giant walk-in closet, and we can still do that on the empty wall to the right of this set-up, but for now, it’s my new studio space!
Normally I would keep the vanity in the nook from a room arrangement flow, but just to the right of the current position is a window, which can give daylight during daytime recording. The mirror on the vanity is not so I can gaze adoringly at myself while stitching, but rather to reflect more light onto me during filming; ditto for why there’s a lamp right there on the vanity.
You’ll note there’s no sewing machine. That’s because we learned, to no one’s surprise, that sewing machines can be loud, so Lynn and I focus on doing handwork as we’re doing the virtual stitch-ins (next one on May 12!).
So, exciting times ahead. With this set-up, I’ve considered publishing my podcast recording as a video hosted on our YouTube channel for those that prefer video. Fear not, the podcast is not going away! There will still be audio files in iTunes and Google Play for listening while commuting, and it’s a matter of me figuring out how to pull the audio feed from a video (probably easy) and also how to add the front music bumper to the video stream (also probably easy, knowing YouTube).
If you want another sneak peek of what else will be happening at Soft Pants Studio starting in June, go see this post in Facebook!
HtbaS - Episode 302
WIP Wednesday - It Still Totally Counts
It’s 11:33 so I’m just squeaking this under the line! Mind you, I don’t have a picture of anything I’ve been working on since it’s been recovering from the Vegas trip, computer stuff for The Stitch, getting used to being in an office again a couple days a week, and getting ready for family vacation.
It’s going great!
Sunday Stash - Gifty
Merry Christmas to the last little bit of the day that is left to celebrate in. Up next, Boxing Day! Celebrate with us on social media for the Boxing Day Sew-In Monday using #BDSI on your quilting and sewing related posts. I cleverly planned an all day sew-in at Lynn’s house Monday, and am packing up the projects I want to take. So far I’ve got a king-size quilt and a mini quilt, as well as my full-size handquilting project to work on. I’m sure all that will keep me busy. For the morning anyway!
I’ve got two small finishes this week that I can share pictures of after tomorrow. I realized I forgot to take pictures of a set of gift quilts I finished months ago, so oh well, go ogle the original from Edyta Sitar. Only imagine it one column narrower so I had enough blocks left to make a junior baby-size quilt to accompany it. My sister and her husband got the big version, my baby niece got the junior version, and my 3 year old niece got a dinosaur quilt I picked up at Tiny Stitches and didn’t have to make! The 3 year old is very into dinosaurs - we also gave her a book about dinosaurs (with roar buttons for optimum annoyance) and a stuffed dinosaur. The baby is delicious and very squishy; here I am pointing out all the verboten ornaments on my parent’s Christmas tree to both little girls. Not to be forgotten, my son and I worked with my oldest niece in an Escape Room game. Good news: we escaped from Santa’s (Slightly Creepy, Doll-Filled) Attic with 7 minutes to spare!
I also kept up top of the latest Bonnie Hunter clue on Friday - 80 HSTs. In the past, she’s released the final clue on New Year’s Eve, so maybe we’ll get back to back Friday/Saturday clues this week? You can check out other participants progress on the linky on her blog Monday.
I’m off to quilt a donation quilt in the dying hours of Christmas; hope everyone had a happy day and has more time off to enjoy with family (or alone, recovering from family visits - whatever flips your skirt, as Grama Eddie would say).
- Used this week: 1.75 yards
- 1.75 yd for 2 gift quilts
- Used Year to Date: 339.5 yards
- Added this week: 0 yard
- Woohoo!
- Net Used YTD: 195.75 yards
- YTD Used for Charity: 126.5 yards (37% of total used)
WIP Whoopsday - Of Sportsball and Technologyball
I had every good intention of posting WIP Wednesday yesterday, but I was a bit taken aback when I discovered that Google Hangouts on Air, which we’ve used for the Virtual Stitch-Ins for The Stitch, is no more, and really cramping the Virtual Stitch-In Friday night. So I spent a good bit of last night trying to figure out video encoding software and YouTube Live and what’s feasible, and then eventually just starting at the television in slack-jawed silence, cursing technology for dis-intermediating us from our audience yet again.
I’ve also written a lot of blog posts for work this week and I’m a little burned out on words. And technology. So possibly Lynn is coming to my house tomorrow night and we’ll be virtually stitching-in together and streaming it since I’ve got baseball/art class/Fall Festival for elementary school/a work event for me tomorrow that are going to prevent me from really sitting down and figuring out a video solution in the next 34 hours.
I’m also submitting a design to a magazine for the first time (!!!!) so that’s stressing me out a bit. And Fred the dog has wandered off and rolled around in a dead deer carcass for two nights this week. So, in the mean time, here’s Nina helping with another quilt on Cindy. Nina has the right idea to get in good lighting while surrounding herself with quilts.
HtbaS - Episode 282
I’m Not Dead (Yet)
Just a quick note to let everyone know that I’m fine, but traveling for work and not focused on quilty things this week. I did not record the podcast last week as I had hoped, but am hopeful to feel up to it Friday afternoon. I may not, though, and would end up missing a week - time will tell!
Until then, quilt long and prosper!