Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
Use for posts written in 2009
Moonlight.
Howling at the moon.
Artemis is the Greek goddess of the moon.
You are the moon.
Paper moon.
Over the moon.
See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.
Post the direct link or URL to where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. blog or Flickr) in the comments area of this post. It is a good way to keep all the artwork together.
There is more information on the Creative Prompt Page.
I have been drawing studies in my journal as my designs get more complicated. I also have been doing studies of parts of the drawings as I try to work out the perspective and proportion of elements. In this drawing, I found that I didn’t know how to draw a bicycle. I had to go and look up where the main parts of a bicycle connect to each other before I could draw it.
I spent 10 hours in my workroom on Sunday. I spent most of it machine quilting Beach Town. The piece is relatively small, so I was surprised that it took so much work. The really surprising thing is that I have more machine quilting to go!
It was surprising, because I thought I did most of the machine quilting during my last session. It turns out that I really wanted the quilting much closer together. I filled in some areas I already done. The new areas were quilted much closer together – only about 1-2 stitches apart.
The skinny tree needs some more stitching. It is raveling away and I’d like to save it before it goes completely.
I really hope you can see the machine quilting in this picture, because that is how it is almost all over the piece. There are a few sections left to do, but the bulk is done.
I was thinking, for future Pamela pieces, that I really needed to get the machine quilting done before I start in on the hand stitching. Not that the hand stitching hampered my machine quilting at all. It just makes better sense to do the machine work first and finish with the hand work.
This drawing didn’t turn exactly as I expected, but I still like it. I am enjoying the series immensely and the opportunity to move the story forward every week is great.
My warm up for Sunday turned out to be some FOTY blocks. I have not been diligent about pressing and cutting up my new fabric. I have fabric I washed a month ago still sitting on my chair. It isn’t as if I haven’t been in the workroom, though. I will get around to it eventually. These were the fabrics that were already cut up and ready to sew. I sewed them up and now have additions for the FOTY pile
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Dana Barbieri has created this wonderful piece that is stuck, like glue, to my mind. I LOVE it and want to make one, perhaps two, myself.
My sister recently received the Cricut software which allows you to print letters out any size and any font up to 6″. My idea for my piece is to have her print some letters on scrapbook paper for me, find a rectangular frame at the Goodwill or other thrift store and then sit down with my art supplies and make something like it to hang in my workroom. I would also like to make one that says “Imagination.”
Have you ever been so inspired by a piece or the concept of a piece that you have made one of your own?
Last week I went to Borders to buy some magazines for the Wellness program at work. I couldn’t help stopping by the hobbies section and picking up a few bits of inspiration.
Yes, you do see an issue of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine in the batch. It had an article on pineapples. Despite my hiatus from my pineapple project, I still love them and couldn’t resist. One issue purchase doesn’t, however, mitigate my annoyance at their abrupt and sneaky change in publishing schedule.
In addition to the pineapples, QNM packs a lot into their issues. This issue has a lot of pictures of quilts. There is an exhibit of President Obama quilts, an article about quilting vintage tops (to quilt or not to quilt), which mostly interest me because of the wonderful photos included. There is a fun batik basket quilt as well as a Jewel Box that includes a self bordering technique. Luana Rubin also wrote an article on colors she developed for the quilting industry for the coming year and some paper piecing patterns of a bride and groom. Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy have ‘designed’ a quilt that is included. It is a large-ish rectangle surrounded by borders. The fabrics are, of course, fabulous, but I don’t see the need for a pattern. I also didn’t read the pattern, so there must be something special I am missing. There is an interesting Christmas tree quilt pattern with some Liberated Quiltmaking type stars in one border. I, also, have to say that I do like the cheerful layout that QNM is using.
Stampington & Company has a new magazine called Art Quilting Studio. The words “premier issue’ caught my eye and I grabbed it. I haven’t been happy with Quilting Arts lately as they have mostly scrapped the techniques section and are providing only projects. Art Quilting Studio shows some avant garde pieces, has an interview with Denyse Schmidt and lots of detail shots. The colors appeal to me, though the layout colors are more subdued that the issue of QNM mentioned above. I liked the Layered Collages of Art article by DJ Pettitt, because the faces in her pieces are very appealing.
I also bought a copy of Stitch magazine. This is a product of the Quilting Arts family of magazines. I only bought it because I fell in love with the pillow on the cover. I glanced through it quickly and thought that was the only thing I would like in it. Later, I sat down at a cafe and looked through it page by page and found a few other things I liked.
There is an article about thread. I find thread to be completely mystifying so the more information the better, as far as I am concerned. That article talks about different types of stitching as well as the qualities of different threads.
The article with the log cabin pillow also has a round pillow called the Pi Pillow and a pillow called the Fabulous Floor Pillow. I think I might try one of those as well. I also saw a tote bag, which has possibilities without the fog grey bottom and an apron which might make a nice gift. There is a glossary of sewing terms, which I might dismiss quickly, except the stitch glossary which shows the reader how to make arious stitches.
Quilter’s Home also came in the mail recently. Mark is on the cover, as usual, with his son, Evan, which is not usual. I have enjoyed Mark’s story of his son in previous issues. The patterns in this issue are very ordinary. He recommends buying all the books he reviews so he must be getting pressure not to pan quilt books. He has the decorating section, which I can take or leave. I think the edge is wearing off of Mark’s style. It could be that CK Media is making him tone it down.
Fortunately, there is still thr3fold journal! This journal really makes me happy when I read it. It makes me really happy when the package comes! I know it sounds dumb to say that, but I feel an actual uplifting of my spirit when I read the articles. The style is quietly confident. The colors are cheerful and interesting. The articles are well written. While I may not want to make every project or try every technique, I enjoy reading about their process. I also feel that I can try their projects if I follow their directions. I have written about this journal before and think that I will stop liking it, but having received issue 4 I still feel excited when I open an issue. I am looking forward to issue 5 already!
I saw this picture – found from a Twitter link – and really liked it. One thing I like about it is the abundance, but I also like the fact that the background is white. There are no distractions from the background in the picture. This style allows me to focus on the elements of the picture. Take a look at the website.
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I might have showed this site before. I thought the pillows they show are similar to the Stitch magazine pillows and I could use their directions to supplement the Stitch magazine directions. More on Stitch magazine in another post.
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How do you get from Here to There?
Where is here and where is there?
Do you read the Here2There blog by Amy and Opal?
See the Creative Prompt page if you want to know how to participate in this project.
Post the specific URL or deep link where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is an easy and good way to keep all the artwork together.
There is more information and inspiration on the Creative Prompt Page.
You are my sun.
Sunrise.
Sunset.
Apollo is the Sun god in Greek mythology.
Helios pulled the sun across the sky every day in Greek mythology.
See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.
Post the URL where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is a good way to keep all the artwork together.
There is more information on the Creative Prompt Page.
Most of the work on the Tarts has been mental lately. Those of you thinking mental case, may be right. 😉
With all of the rote sewing I have been doing lately I haven’t made the time to sit down and do the next drawing, which will be another pastry.
I am liking this layout. I think it adds a bit of movement at the top, though I am not sure why. I like the vertical checkerboard next to the tea kettle and will put a piece of it above the tall frothy drink as well. The orange squiggles between the red cappucino cups and the tall frothy drink will probably be replaced by some vertical silverware. Onward!
As promised, here is an up to date picture of the Flowering Snowball (Cross Blocks). I found myself short of backgrounds the other day when I had the perfect opportunity to hand stitch.
I laid it out in order to see what background fabrics I should cut. I don’t want to have too many of the same fabrics. I want it to look scrappy.
As you can see I have 3 more blocks for the middle section before I start on the outside. I need to make the pattern pieces for the outside, too. I thought of combining the pieces that will become background, but I may just leave them as individuals, so that I can use a variety of fabrics. The former method means the rest of the project will progress much more quickly. The latter means that I won’t have to figure out a new piecing order.
