...let's!

Hi there!  I'm Sarah.

(The one on the rope swing about to bellyflop).  Welcome!  As I imagine most of you are dropping by via Beth of (fellow "no caps") plum and june's 2013 Let's Get Acquainted New-ish Blogger Blog Hop, I've elected to answer a few head-scratchers for you today ;)  Let's get started...

cool-hued makes:  sea crystal + plaid, {rocky} chicago star, sam's quilt, my sister loves her all stars, my second quilt
sidebar:  you'll have to forgive those tacky watermarks splashed all over these mosaics.  my bad!

what's this about hats?

The somewhat nonsensical nature of my blog name has become increasingly apparent these days.  (Even I do a double take sometimes).  I hope you'll take a look at this tab for some {evidently} much-needed context!

...okay.  so, why quilts?

I've actually never really given much thought to this until now.  I guess it all started back in college.  I couldn't quite come up with the right gift idea for our (then) dating anniversary.  My (now) husband had mentioned liking quilts before (keeper!), so my mom helped me pick out a pattern and taught me how to cut, assemble, and quilt his present from start to finish on her trusty old Pfaff.  Of course if I were to include a picture of that quilt alongside anything that came after it, it'd without a doubt be the proper response to the question,  "Which of these things is not like the others?"  Maybe one of these days I'll dedicate an entire post just to that experience's influence on my approach to sewing ;)

warm-colored queue:  bloom bleach pow, carpenter's star, boston pavement, santa in the sky..., ruby medallion, dainty dresden, jets

do you still sew on that Pfaff?

I hijacked borrowed my mom's Creative 1471 for almost eight years.  Then, last fall, said husband who inspired this hobby o' mine bought me a beautiful new Pfaff, which admittedly had its share of issues this spring (quilt drag, veering seams, and predictably uneven stitching? Good riddance!) but has since been swapped out by my dealer for its much-improved and now well-loved counterpart.

roygbiv experimentation:  new star of north carolina, selvage 16-patch, color-wheel quilt, ahsoka/gladys blocks

why do you blog?

The reason I started blogging and the reason I keep blogging couldn't be more different.  I started blogging because I decided—being the thrifty then-grad student that I was—to open an etsy shop to try to generate a little extra cash (most of the shop owners I tended to follow were active bloggers).  No brainer, right?  Fast forward seven months, and I have yet to list an actual quilt for sale (whoops!  Though to be fair, I did discover craftsy and have refocused some of that original energy into pattern designing).  But I keep blogging because although to non-quilters it might be about as intriguing as, say, civil war reenactment, I'm a quilter, and I love everything about this community and its collective process.

paper-pieced bling:  amethyst,  diamond,  emeralds

what's your sewing style?
Being (up until recently) the aforementioned pauper student, I tend to sew more by color rather than by collection.  It's actually quite liberating to be able to pull a fresh and vibrant color scheme from a stash heavily comprised of prints from years past (did I mention I love prints?)  Don't get me wrong, I'm actually quite envious of all the amazing designer fabrics out there, and I do splurge every so often, but as a practical matter such a sewing philosophy would be personally unsustainable (and quite frankly, not really "me").  That's why more often than not, you'll see {predominantly} monochromatic colorstories coming from the house of {no} hats.

low-ish volume endeavors:  steam punk, forest qal, rocky diamond, sunshine on a cloudy day, hunter's star

so who's this sharpie character?

Interesting story.  When I first signed up for blogger a few years ago to enter a Centsational Girl giveaway, I thought the "name" field was akin to a unique username field.  Assuming "Sarah" would already be taken (isn't it always?), I opted for a spin on my last name instead.  Well, my heart nearly skipped a beat when blogger immediately accepted the alternate—arguably equally common—alias (score!); it wasn't until after I started actively blogging earlier this year that I realized my mistake.  Not wanting to confuse matters (at least, not anymore than I already had), I figured I'd stick with sharpie.  The end ;)

tula pink city sampler series:  feed sack blocks

ten other random "me"-bits...

01  I <3 alliteration.  Symmetry too.

02  I make up words.  And frequently ignore commonly accepted rules of punctuation and capitalization.
03  I have a slight addiction to paper-piecing.  And {less common} traditional blocks (enter, the INDEX).
04  I overuse "and" and "so."
05  I suffer from start- and 'along-itis.
06  I think quilt backs can be fronts, too.
07  I was once conversationally fluent in French.  (Mais c'était il y a longtemps.)
08  I like math.  And logic games (or "mindbenders," as my grade school teacher called them).

09  I (really, we) love to travel.  Ireland + England are next up on the list this fall in case anyone has any tips!
10  I try not to take myself too seriously.  "Try" being the operative word ;)

Curious to see what's next?  My flickr faves are a good indication of what's inspiring me these days.

Still here?  For more {no} hats-ness in your house:

And if you haven't already, be sure to say "hi" to other quilty friends on the hop this week:

Karen @ Quilty Creations  >>> Upcycling in your wheelhouse?  You're in luck!
Anne @ Play Crafts  >>>  If for some wild reason you haven't heard of her (Palette Builder 2.0, people!), change that.  Stat.  
Rachel @ Let's Begin Sewing...  >>>  Don't know about you, but I'm diggin' her Lucky Stars BOM blocks...
Jan @ Sew and Sow Farm  >>>  She literally does both.  Well.  How cool is that?
Anna @ Quilting Along The Grain  >>>  Solid-lovers out there?  Looks like you're in good company ;)
Cath @ Wombat Quilts  >>>  "Paper Piecing Monday" ring any bells?  One look at her addictive aesthetic and it most certainly will if it doesn't already!
Sarah @ {no} hats in the house  <<<  Well, since you're here, I'll leave this one to you ;)  P.S. Thanks for stopping by!
Christen @ Love by Hand  >>>  Because really, who among us doesn't love handmade?
Julie @ 627handworks  >>>  Fancy music as much as fabric?  Block Rock'n is right up your alley! 'Swear!

Hope to see you around again soon ;) 

xx Sarah