Has this site ever featured porn?

Do us both a favor and don’t click on the link . . . I need to sort this out.

I took inventory a couple days ago.

I have sixteen completed quilts, ready for photography and posting on the site . . .

I have four quilts to bind, photograph, and post . . .

I have several pieces that just require further work . . .

I have twelve quilt tops to quilt . . .

Now, where did the UFOs come from?? Obviously, in my haste to make my next quilt, I set aside my current one.

Needless to say, I won’t be working on anything new in a manner of speaking. My new motto is, “Sew nothing new until you’ve sewn everything old.”

While sorting through the projects, I found a small hand-basted quilt sandwich that screamed, “Quilt me!!  Quilt me NOW!” and I walked directly to the sewing machine and started quilting.

I think I made this about ten years ago, using a patch that’s unfamiliar to me. I used 6-7 teal fabrics to make the entire surface background for a fish-shaped tessellation. I began quilting the fish with several different threads, but abandoned the project.

There’s still a perfectly good pattern in the background though. I decided to quilt along all the seams with a wide decorative stitch to draw attention to the pattern. I may have to come back to this pattern and play with the shapes.

People have often told me how much they appreciate this site.

They tell me I provide a good value at no charge.

Here’s their chance to prove how much value I actually give.

I have launched a Patreon crowd funding campaign. The goal is to raise funds to continue creating art.

Would you consider donating??

Making art is work.

Sure, I love coming up with new designs and seeing them come to life in fabric, but there’s work in the midst of the play.

But, it’s like I can’t afford to be an artist . . . I work a job to pay my bills, then buy materials and equipment for my art with what’s left.

I could do with a little more month at the end of the money.

A reader once suggested I place a “Donate” button on the site, but I wasn’t sold on the idea.

I rejected kick starter crowd-funding campaigns because I needed funding for ongoing projects, not one big project like a book or video.

Then, I ran across Patreon.com.

The site consists of a community of artists (and the fans who love them). The fans pledge a recurring amount (as low as $1 a month), and become the artists’ patrons, funding ongoing projects. The artists reward the patrons in return with premiums.

One week from today, September 1, 2014 (Labor Day in the U.S.), I am launching a Patreon page. I am asking for pledges for the following projects:

1. Complete online publication of a library of possible patchwork designs from a single patch. The ultimate one-patch quilt has millions of possibilities, but I only want to publish a thousand or so.
2. Commence a series of small (24″ by 24″) miniature quilts featuring designs from the library that feature bird-shaped tessellations.
3. Make my art available to a wider audience by making them more affordable (less than $100).
4. Develop methods and techniques to share with other quilters and artists.
5. Dream up new ideas to try out.

I am asking for a pledge of only $1, $5, or $10 a month. For all tiers, donors get access to my private news feed for breaking project news (before I post anywhere else). For $5 a month, donors get a 10% discount on all quilts for sale. For $10 a month, donors get a free custom quilt (valued at $180). Other rewards may come to mind (or suggested) in the future.

Because the bulk of the donations will fund the “Book of Birds” quilts, I will donate 10% of funds collected to bird and wildlife sanctuaries and organizations (I’m open to suggestions, if you’ll share them).

It sounds like a Win-Win-Win situation to me.

I hope you’ll join me and help me debunk the “Starving Artist” myth.

Will our wanderers find a roost to call their own??

Will our wanderers find color in their lives??

Stay tuned . . .