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The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #1: Melanie Tuazon

Hello! Hello! I’m so excited to kick off this year-long series with you all! Thank you for stopping by for the first of what is certain to be fifty-two weeks of insightful and thoughtful conversation. In the year ahead, I’m looking forward to getting to know more about each of the featured quilters in a meaningful way, as we delve into the heart and soul of why we create.  In each of their stories we will find something universal, and yet, uniquely personal.  This series is a celebration of the very community that will read it.  I hope that as the year progresses, it will provide a permanent place to go when seeking meaningful creative inspiration. Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
xo -Kim



The Creativity Project Week 1 Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios Melanie Tuazon

Melanie Tuazon discovered quilting as a creative outlet during a transitional period in her life. She was no longer working full-time as a writer in the media world, but was working full-time at home as a mother to her two boys. Through the wonderful people at her local quilt shop, she learned to quilt, and immediately discovered a new form of art  that expressed her creative voice. She has since gone on to teach and speak at numerous guilds and retreats, and will be teaching her “Planned and Unplanned” quilting method at QuiltCon 2018 in Pasadena. She served as the president of the North Jersey Modern Quilt Guild from 2013-2015, and her work has won numerous awards and accolades as well as appeared in numerous publications and shows. If you peruse Melanie’s work, you will notice a distinct progression over time — her quilts have become more intentional, at times political, and undoubtedly meaningful — to reflect the current social climate. Continue Reading

finishes

alison glass rainbow mini.

Alison Glass Rainbow Mini by Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

The Long Island Modern Quilt Guild does not meet over the summer months. So we usually set up some sort of swap for members to work on over the break. This makes the return in September something to look forward to — we get to reconnect with one another and get prizes! This year’s theme was a rainbow mini swap. When I hear rainbow, I usually think Alison Glass, so I raided my stash for as many AG prints as I could find.
Alison Glass Rainbow Mini by Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

I assembled the scraps into a star-shape known as the “Arkansas Crossroad” in my book of 1000 Great Quilt Blocks by Maggi McCormick Gordon. I quilted it with a simple horizontal and vertical cross-hatch 1/2″ apart.Alison Glass Rainbow Mini by Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

 

The final size of the mini quilt is 16″x16″. I really love how it turned out, so I hope my swap partner will be happy! If you’d like, you can check out some of the other minis made by our members on IG with the hashtag #limqgrainbowminiswap

Hope your summer sewing has been going well, or if you’re like me, your back to school catch-up sewing! It’s been a game-changer to have all three boys in school for a full day – – I’ve gotten so much accomplished! I can’t wait to share it all with you over the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

finishes

a mother’s heart is a garden of love.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

They say it is impossible to understand how much your mother loves you until you become a mother yourself. I quite agree. Before you have a child of your own, if you are lucky enough to have loving and supportive parents, then you know love. But once you have a child of your own, you feel love so deep that it hurts, but in a good way.

Being a mother is like watching an actual, physical part of yourself, existing outside of your own physical body. And not the parts of yourself that you’re not too happy with. (It’s not like big thighs or cellulite walking around out there, so you could care less about it.) No. It’s the parts that you love the most. It’s your dreams, it’s your spirit, it’s your heart.

I’ve been a mom for officially 8 years, 46 weeks and 4 days. And I can tell you, it only gets harder to watch your heart walking around outside your own body. Especially when that heart starts talking back, making not-so-great choices at school, or doesn’t want to kiss you goodbye because his friends on the bus might see. I can only imagine what’s to come.

So it makes it all the more important to step back every once and a while and recognize that our own moms went through these very same struggles. With us. And that sometimes it’s just our job as mothers to hurt. But once we are able to appreciate that hurt, it deserves to be honored — with a a big ol’ quilt!

Kim Soper/Leland Ave StudiosMade with a mix of Outback Wife fabric and chambray, this quilt is both cozy and lightweight at the same time. I chose a simple patchwork for a very simple reason: my mom really loves it. Plus, with the fabric being so special, I wanted it to be the star of the show.

I stitched a heart in the bottom corner and quilted it with curved lines to represent a beating heart — the connection between our lives before we even met.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

I am grateful to my mom for her endless love. The love that this daughter truly comprehends, now that she is a mother herself.

quilting events and conferences

an it’s-about-time catch up.

Leland Ave Studios/Kim Soper

Guys,

Its been a long time. A really long time. I have had no way to post about QuiltCon without feeling just the slightest bit embarrassed — like I was tooting my own horn or something. Every time I started to write about what really was amazing about QuiltCon — the quilts, the people, meeting my dear friend Michelle in person, getting to hear lectures and attend classes with teachers I’ve admired for ages, touring the SCAD fiber department, exploring a beautiful, historical city that  I’ve never been to before, having lunch at The Olde Pink House, sew-lebrity stalking, taking a vacation by myself!!! — every time I started to write, I would get caught up in having to address. . .  the ribbons. And then I felt like I was bragging. So I would stop writing. And then I never did.

So, after months have passed, I realize that that was kind of stupid. Like anyone cares! Everyone that reads my blog is so nice!! What am I worried about anyway?? Why let my blog sit idle because of fear. What a waste. of. time.

And that’s why I’m going to share some of my favorite moments about QuiltCon with you. And if you were there, you probably already shared some of these same favorite things (months ago, because YOU, unlike moi, are timely!). And if you weren’t there, then you probably saw all of this on other people’s blogs and you are so over it. But I’m gonna show ya anyway!

So without further ado, here is a play-by-play of my first ever QuiltCon. . .


8am that first morning. THIS HAPPENED! And yes, I am epically dorking out because Jacquie Gering hugged me and then handed me a handwritten note– from her!

Leland Ave Studios/Kim Soper

(Let’s just pretend that the humidity in Savannah wasn’t atrocious for my hair — and that I look adorable holding my name tag with my little ribbon — instead of like Donald Trump on an airport runway.)

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Immediately following the awards ceremony, I went straight into a 9 hour class with Heidi Parkes. (Secret: The class was awesome, but I didn’t do my best focusing in that class because I was really, really excited!!!!).

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

So the next morning when I woke up, it really sank in. I AM ON VACATION! I didn’t have to tie anyone’s shoes or ask anyone to go to the bathroom before I left the room! It was incredible!

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Michelle and I took a trolley tour of the city, and, as I’m sure you’ve heard. Savannah’s architecture is amazing.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

In the afternoon I took a guided tour of the Savannah College of Art and Design. This is a total highlight of the trip. Not only was the fiber department so inspiring (read: I was so jealous and wanted to go back to school for art so badly!) but I had an awesome group to tour SCAD with! I met so many awesome people on the tour: Hillary @entropyalwayswins, Laura @sonicstitches, Laura @laurahartrich, Valerie @valbetweenquilts, Betsy @betsy.vinegrad and so many others. Seriously, if you aren’t following these ladies already, then you need to be.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

This exhibit by Chiharu Shiota called Infinity Lines was nothing short of incredible. It was like walking through the womb — and entirely made of red yarn!

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

After touring SCAD’s art museum and the fiber exhibit, we viewed the Pamela Wiley show and, HUGE BONUS, Pamela happened to be there!

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

That’s Pamela talking to Hillary — double sewlebrity experience — head explodes.

Here’s a view of the hotel from the other side of the river. Because, vacation.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Me with my quilt.

Leland Ave Studios/Kim Soper

Here’s Michelle with her quilt in the show, Mix and Mingle. (p.s. – i’m convinced she totally color-coordinated her outfit to the quilt so that she’d look even cuter in this pic! Don’t you??)

Leland Ave Studios/Kim Soper
Later that afternoon, I finally toured the vendor booths. I really love this quilt by Jen Kingwell.
Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

And this paper airplane quilt in the Windham Fabrics booth.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Here’s a stalker photo I took of Anna Maria Horner, because I am a wimp and wouldn’t actually go up and meet her.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Adorable pincushions from the French General booth. I purchased an embroidery piece and some hand-dyed sashiko threads – my only real purchase of the trip. 
Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Here’s a picture of QuiltCon volunteer and sewlebrity himself Dan Rouse @dsrouse showing the back of my quilt to someone.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

The Olde Pink House is a legendary institution in Savannah and I was adamant I was eating there at least once. It did not disappoint.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Allow me to detail this awesomeness for you: Thats a BLT salad made with a fried green tomato, buttermilk dressing and chicken added on. It rocked my world.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Selfie on the bridge with Michelle (@frombolttobeauty) and Megan (@sweetfeetstitches)

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

And a shot of the ginormous freight ships that would pass our hotel window at least once, if not twice, a day.
Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Finally, it was time to head home. Here’s me looking like a goober bawling my eyes out when my kids ran to greet me at the airport.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

And here’s me looking like a goober again when Elizabeth Dackson called to tell me that at that moment, Windham Fabrics was pinning the People’s Choice Award ribbon on my quilt.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Unreal. It was probably one of the most amazing moments of my life — you know, aside from all those other amazing milestones like getting married, becoming a mom, etc. Truly.

Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

And there you have it. My version of QuiltCon 2017 only 1,000 months after it happened!

Leland Ave Studios/Kim Soper

Since QuiltCon, Lincoln has been a part of the Best of QuiltCon 2017 Traveling Show. He’s already been to a few US shows and to Australia(!) and is next headed to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon.

I’m also excited to share that Lincoln will be a part of the Modern Quilt Guild’s first book Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century to be released in December 2017 but available for pre-order now.

He also has been featured in two magazines: QuiltCon Magazine (2017)  and Modern Patchwork (May/June 2017) which also features an interview with yours truly and is available on newsstands now!