My new Polygon Quilts pattern is a riff on hexie quilts and pushes the concept of polygons by taking them toward an improvisational bent. It came about as a mistake, a roadblock due to lack of supplies. And that can be pretty exciting. Who needs a perfect little template anyway???

I'll tell you the story:
A while back on a Friday afternoon just as the kids were getting off the bus, Todd and I were packing up "the brick" (our old red, beater SUV), to head up to the mountains. Rushing to get the dogs in... Is there enough room? The duffle just fell on Indie and Luna! (they're such a putter uppers- love my dogs) Don't forget the kibble... William did you feed the chickens? Marky lock the back doors...Is Tommy even coming? Todd scrambling to get the last bike on the rack and I was sweeping through my studio full force gathering up my hexie weekend project stuffing my supplies into my tote. Let's go! We'll Beat the traffic!

The next morning, waking up in the fresh mountain air, eating a big breakfast and after a hike in the woods I was ready to settle into my sewing project with my new fabric Studio Stash (2015) while the boys went fishing. Peace and quiet at last. Ahhhh.

Within minutes of unpacking my supplies, I realized I had forgotten my hexie templates on my studio table.%$#%#()& !!!! I was frustrated that of all the stuff I packed into that car, I had forgotten that little stack of perfect paper pieces I hoped would bring joy to my afternoon. 

Now what should I do? Too lazy to drive into Truckee... as well as too cheap/irritated to buy another pack of hexies (these qualities drive creativity indeed!) I decided to mess around with my new 5" charm packs. O'well. Let's see what comes of it. So I chain pieced a few HST, cut them and pressed. Felt pretty good. I love the repetitive process of sewing, cutting, pressing, fooling around with turning over and basting the imperfect edges. Within a few hours, I had amassed a pile of wonky hexies. It was a super fun and forgiving process, plus each shape was slightly different than the one before. They each had little personalities...! The creative juices were flowing and I was in the zone. 

 Techniques: Sew baste vs glue. Both work. Polygon layout took more studying, measuring and figuring. Puzzle pieces. 

Machine and hand appliqué are both rewarding ways to secure the polygons to background fabric. 

So there you have it. Thats how this quilt and pattern came to be. Making these wonkie shapes became a little addiction and I had made multiple pieces by the time we were ready to offer the pattern. Endless ideas for Layout of Polygons: Spiral, Wave, Rain etc (images in pattern booklet) and varying scale of polygons is also a fun study. We are tickled at the potential of this concept and can't wait to see what you all do! Make sure to hashtag on Instagram #jennifersampou #polygonplayquilt #polygonquilts so I can see your creativity at work! And hey! I would love to see you in NAPA!! 

Pillows, table runners, bags are all options for projects with Polygon Play Quilts

Polygon Toile. Shows off the main toile fabric while center panel dances with colors and shapes. 

Be well. Make well.
​

HI QUILTERS!
Wrapping up my creative thoughts for the summer-
1. Fear and doubt around making and creativity
2. It's Ok- It happens
3. Pinterest is like dessert...and all other social media!
4.  Just start MAKING- Adopt a YES I CAN attitude :)

​I have been a dedicated creative my entire life. Do I still get scared? Get brain cramp and maker's block? Have a hard time starting a new project. Do I still question my abilities? Do you get these jitters too? I bet you do. 

I do. Not every single time, but my ball and chain of FEAR and DOUBT have a nice little cozy spot in my studio. Sometimes they are loud buggers just bringing me down and sometimes, like my cat Al, they sleep peacefully under the table,  as I hum along in a blissful, timeless process of creativity. Or as my dear buddy, Marcella says (who is an amazing jewelry maker) "They're (Fear and Doubt) in that nicely sealed mason jar up on the shelf, there (as she points up high). Seen, but contained... Crap!! DONT OPEN THAT! WHAT HAPPENED? What are they doing?????Wait wait.....WAIT!!!!  NOOOOOOOOO!!

It's OK. I have come to learn through experience, perseverance and a huge dose of humor,  that fear is a necessary, albeit an unpleasant PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS and it to keeps my on my toes. I used to wonder if it will ever just go away? Sorry, that's not part of the deal. But when I make the commitment to DIVE IN and just DO IT, they settle down. It doesn't mean that I am going to now make a masterpiece or love every minute of the process, but I just got over the hardest part. Lots of creatives feel the same way. I have talked, listened, and shared with so many creatives, as well as read lots of books over the years to really know and understand fear and doubt. If we are honest, thoughtful, reflective and looking to grow and better ourselves/each other, most of us relate to this thing that challenges us. It frightens us and it's our courage that fuels the stubbornness of a committed, creative person. No, I am not gonna let you bring me down!!! You're not going to win. I am!!  

Thoughts 3. and 4. go hand in hand-

Pinterest is like dessert.
Why? It's super rich and if you consume too much, it makes you sick. It's as simple as that.  Just turn it off. It's not serving you when you feel like crap after wasting 45 minutes in that rabbit hole. I pretty much took my entire summer off from social media. It was wonderful :) which leads to number four:

Just start MAKING! 
Here lies the cure for the lazies, the naysayers, the excuses. Just start making! Going back to my previous posts, pull out your fabrics and do 15 minutes of play, take a class with a friend, go online and learn a new technique. Give yourself this gift! You may not be making your masterpiece, but you are oiling the machine. Wiping out the cobwebs. Good stuff!

Empowering others, empowers me. Seeing you shine is what I love to cultivate in the classroom. Not only do I teach color, value and design , I teach confidence and courage. To take leaps, risks and try new things is exciting and enriching. I am offering my second Octagon Shimmer Retreat October 20-22 in my home town of Orinda and it is a wonderful treat. Sewing, creating, hanging out at my home and studio, having chefs cook for you, drinking craft wines, wandering massuese  to keep you relaxed and limited to 10 students. Click here for  information.  I am also teaching at Alden Lane September 20-21 in Livermore, California which will be a ball. 

My new collection, SHIMMER ON is the third in this line and I am still so enamored with the pearlescent glow on the cotton fabric and the palette of nature. It is available now and I hope it comes to a store near you.  You can also find it here.  

​Until next time, go create and shimmer. xo

Part of creating is about having excellent tools to aid you in working to the best of your ability. Today I am sharing my experience of my quest for good studio lighting. It can be overlooked by many makers (me included!) as we spend time researching sewing machines, tools, rulers, batting, mats, buying lots of awesome fabric (wink wink) etc. Yet every fine workspace must have GOOD LIGHT at all times of the day.  I don't care if you are creating at you're dining room table, bedroom, designated studio or your very own she shed. Proper lighting is essential! Right? Yes, I am right. Why didn't I heed my own advice?

HERE'S MY STORY:
Sometimes I am a real cheapskate. And I put things off. So, I squinted through "the bad lighting period" in my studio, scratching my head many a morning about some horrible color choice, sore (whaaaa!) eyes or iffy stitching executed the night before. Don't even get me going on the annoyance of cast shadows as I pulled additional desk lamps from all over the house to my studio space to rid the problem! I had become pretty fed up. OK... NOW It's really really time to do the work to find the best task light and to solve my problem once and for all! No more partially lit work table that was using outdated bulbs that weren't energy efficient anyway! The thing is, lighting can be expensive, especially compared to other important tools such as rulers and rotary cutters. My first attempt "by the seat of my pants" quick solution was a trip to the local hardware store and in an hour I happily erected two huge, cheap, duo painter's lights and was blasting light everywhere! I felt kinda smug thinking my problems were solved! But they were cumbersome and threw off tremendous heat as well as bulbs that burned out every 3 weeks. Plus they weren't task oriented and I still had too many shadows over my work. My family was wondering when I was going to don a paint suit and open a gallon of Ben Moore or go up in flames due to the heat!! Plus the price of my electric bill skyrocketed, not to mention I stumbled over the #$%@#* stands more often than I care to admit!! Bad choice. I got what  I paid for.... and it was a waste in the end. (They are boxed back up in the garage waiting til we change wall colors or when Satan ice-skates to work!)

So, to cut to the chase: About 18 months ago while browsing the booths at QuiltCon in Pasadena, I discovered a sleek, easy to maneuver, attractive line of lights by  DAYLIGHT COMPANY that were beautifully designed, full spectrum, LED (no intense heat!) and made for people just like me. Instant love! They were dazzling my aesthetics as well as having the most powerful, true light to enhance my professional work! I have been happy ever since while using my two favorite Daylight lamps and want to shout them out to you. Top picture, I am appliquéing under the SLIMLINE and also use it at my sewing machine. It is such a pleasure to finally have good light in my studio! I feel special. I also rely on the LUMINOS lamps daily for my cutting and design tables for their broad scope and ease of movement (see below). If you have a favorite light source, or other studio tools you can't live without, share it with us! We all love hearing about great products that make our sewing spaces a wonderful place to be. 

Also I am using my Black&White Collection a lot lately pairing it with mostly Kona Cottons and have a brand new Polygon Play Pattern that has extended pattern options coming out with STASH BOOKS this Fall 2017!
Happy Creating!
xo

We all know there are plenty of classes you can take online with Creative Bug, YouTube, Quilt University, etc. and they offer convenient learning; often technique-based. If you live in the middle of nowhere or have difficulty fitting in-person classes into your life online classes offer a connection to the quilt world. If you live near a quilt shop, a sewing center, part of a quilting bee or are willing to travel to a retreat or special workshop, I encourage you to pack up and leave the house. Nothing beats the real thing, NOTHING. Especially if it's something you value, have planned for, or want to treat yourself. Sparking new ideas by venturing out, seeing, touching and sharing with other like-minded makers is so satisfying. It definitely fuels your MOJO when you HANG OUT WITH OTHER QUILTERS as you always learn something new. You all must be kind, supportive and shine together. You must give and take. You must bring your best self to the party. That's how these things work. Leave the therapy session for a few close friends. And if there is a toxic dose of backstabbing or cattiness, RUN! Find a new group that you deserve and deserves you. Seriously!!

I take classes too. Always have, always will. Sometimes I go solo, with a friend, or with my mom and sister who live on the East Coast! Yes it involves planes, trains and automobiles, but I plan for it! It's not only wonderful for CREATIVE MOJO, improvement of skills and techniques, but it makes the most special memories, never to be forgotten, worth the money and time. Life is what we make it. We need to do special things for ourselves to stay happy, healthy and growing. 

In the spirit of all this learning and filling up our creative tanks, I decided to host my very own workshop here in sunny California next spring, March 24-26, 2017. It's a first for me! I'm going the extra mile (read about it here) as I enjoy teaching and living in the San Francisco Bay Area. My focus is about creating a rich and fertile work space where you can stretch boundaries, learn more about color, value and composition and be supported in the best of ways. To have fun, laugh and feel awesome. I am about meeting you where you are, celebrating what you do know and helping you to shine even brighter. ​

We all hit the wall, lack ideas and stare at our piles of fabric without a clue of what to do with them! It's normal. Knowing that helps take the sting away from feeling uninspired. But do something about it. Take that class you've been thinking about. You'll be happy you did.  If you can swing a trip to the East Bay of San Francisco, take my Octagon Shimmer retreat, I would love to have you. I promise, we will have a ball. 

As always, 
xo