Hazel Smut Crunch

Hazel Smut Crunch of New Hampshire Roller Derby hooked me up with this square just recently. Rather than try to paraphrase her explanation of the deep symbolism, I'll be a bad blogger and shamelessly lift from her blog, Hazel Gets Crunched:

I used an old shoelace to do the main part of my name. I wanted it to look like old-school Palmer-method cursive writing. I like the piece of scrimmage jersey over a black and gray background that reminds me of the website I helped build for the league. I used pink buttons to spell out NHRD, since pink is our league's main color. I wrote my number and the rest of my name in silver fabric paint, which is how I made my first set of scrimmage jerseys. The red sparkly beads in the corner are there because I'm a sucker for anything red and sparkly. They also symbolize red tape--part of my role on the league is paperwork and untangling beaurocratic mumbo-jumbo like IRS filings and applications for permits from the city clerk's office. Overall, I'm pleased with how it came out and can't wait to send it to Dread.

Thanks Hazel, for your excellent square, and for giving me permission to quote your even more excellent "artist's statement" about the piece.

Rhinestones are our friends

Kara T. Chop of NHRD made this sparkly quilt square at the recent quilting bee at my house. She went craft-store crazy and used an iron-on transfer, puff paint, and stick-on crystals to make this bedazzled piece of awesomeness.

I feel there's a lack of puff paint and crystals on this quilt so far. Remember, people, you can bedazzle the crap out of your squares. Roller derby is all about going against the grain, doing one's own thing, and finding ways to work sparkles into the most traditionally non-sparkle-friendly crap.

Sparkles are our friends!

Mr. Pants wants me to take a break

Sometimes my cat determines when I take my breaks. This is one such time.

-- Post From My iPhone

Boston, Boston, Pinch Pinch Pinch!

I recently had a quilting party at my apartment, and this was one of the squares that emerged. Anna WrecksYa made this representing the Massacre's outstanding achievement this season: becoming #3 in the Eastern Regional Tournament and competing at Nationals. She used the Massacre colors of blue and gold, and threw in a subtle lobster claw representing "Pinchy McMasshole," the team mascot. Way to rock the stretchy gold fabric, Anna!

Starting to connect the pieces...

At long last, I'm putting together the squares I've collected. The project is far from over, so the layout is designed to allow for new squares I'll get in the future. I'm still happy to accept new squares from anyone who sends them, and I'll be making more squares myself in the coming months. I just wanted to start piecing the ones I already have together before the task became too daunting.

After a few hours of arranging, planning, mild bickering, and more arranging, my extremely patient mother and I laid out the quilt on her living room floor. We arranged the squares into columns, broke them into smaller sections, and pinned them on muslin so I'd have a record of the exact layout. Now the pinned pieces are sitting in a storage bin, awaiting all the fun piecing I have to do next.

Slowly but surely, this will all come together. Keep sending squares, old uniforms, and even fabric scraps. I need all the materials I can possibly get in order to cover this giant monster of a craft project.

Wicked Pissah (ahem, Nuts Out!)

After making Harley's square, I still had the front of her old Pissah uniform hanging around. I couldn't possibly let that go to waste, so here it is in a spiffy new role: that that of the Wicked Pissah team square.

I'm especially proud of the gold chains. What Pissah uniform could be without those? Pity there was no room for some giant Revere hair and gold earrings. Maybe down the line another Pissah will hit up a wig store and make me a square with some rockin' 90's bangs. What do you think, Pissahs, are any of you up to the task?

Inspired to quilt

Last night I got a great email from Viva Violence of the Mission City Brawlin Betties:

"I think this is such a rad project. I stumbled across your blog some time ago and was in total awe. Your idea stuck with me for some time, until it was time for my team to get our coach (Dita de los Muertos) a gift for end of the season. So I had all the girls make a square (& I added some simple stencil filler squares) and assembled it for her. Thanks for inspiring me. I've attached a couple of pics in case you're interested.

Derby <3, Viva Violence! Mission City Brawlin Betties Captain #-1"

How cool is this? I love looking at the details on each square and checking out the skater profiles to see who made what. What an amazing gift for a coach!