I recently listened a podcast (CraftSanity or Annie Smith, can’t remember which) where the hostess interviewed the Lizzie B Cre8tive girls about their new book, Whimsyland. I am not much of a pattern person, so Lizzie B Cre8tive patterns never really registered on my radar until I heard them on podcasts. Also, the whole applique’ thing is love-hate with me, though you wouldn’t know it since I have been working on the Tarts for months
Anyway, I received an email from Liz and Beth about the fun tour that their editor, Kent, is doing of Europe that sent me to their blog. I laughed so hard when I saw these pictures that I just had to share. Take a look.
The weekend was filled with picnics. Both Saturday and Sunday included hot dogs and potato salad, chats and a bit of sun. It was nice to be outside, but I was pretty tired after all the sociability. Also, I didn’t get to work much on my projects.
Sunday was a beautiful day to be outside. After greeting lots of people, I was able to sit and do some hand stitching. I had some of the block (right) finished, but did most of it at the picnic. The completion of this block means that I have only two blocks left to make for the center of the Flowering Snowball quilt.
I still haven’t designed the border, but put an idea into the Sun Creative Prompt response. I know what I want; I just have to figure out how to make it a reality.
People are coming up with fabulous stuffed pincushion-like items. I saw a chicken not too long ago that made me want to start a collection. Now Retro Mama has a pear. I want this pear, but I am terrible at stuffing things. They always come out misshapen and too soft. Perhaps I will have to practice?
I have been staring at this quilt on my design wall for months. I am glad it is progressing; the end is finally in sight. I will be very glad when I get it sewn together and off my design wall!
I made one tiny change to the arrangement of the Tarts Come to Tea. Can you identify the change? You can see the previous iteration on the June 4th, 2009 post. What do you think?
OK. I won’t keep you tortured in suspense. I moved the china cups up. I am still considering their new spot. It is less fabric and seams next to the twirly handle coffee pot. Also, it is fewer cups next to each other. The heart makes a bit of a break for the eye for the middle cups. My eyes were looking at all of those cups in a row and wondering if they would fly off the quilt.
As with the Nosegay, I wasn’t able to get the whole Eye Spy quilt in the photos. Still, I am happy that I finally got a mostly entire picture of the quilt.
The Child loves his quilt, which makes my heart happy. He doesn’t search out the pictures that I carefully fussy cut. He arranges the quilt and folds it carefully over him.
On Sunday, the sun was right, I had an assistant and time to fool around, so I went outside and made an attempt to take full photos of the Nosegay and the Eye Spy. They are large and hard to photograph in the house.
The session wasn’t quite as successful as I had hoped. I did get more of the Nosegay in one picture than I ever had before, but not all of it. I have to face reality that it is a HUGE quilt and I may never have the space to photograph the whole thing. I may break down and take it somewhere to be professionally photographed.
Nosegay, corner detail
I took the opportunity to take some straight on detail shots. Right, is a corner – or most of the corner. There was a slight breeze that seemed to kick in just as I snapped the shutter.
Nosegay, center detail
This bottom photo is the center of the quilt. The whole reason this quilt is so big is because I put everything on point and had to have all the blocks spaced a certain way. I hope it brings tears to the eyes of quilt historians someday, because at this moment the quilt feels like a big pain!
I am glad I got the photos I did. I had waited for a long time for everything to be right to photograph this quilt.
So, this post is about what inspiration can do for you if you look at an inspiring object you long enough. I have been in that kind of mood lately. The “What if” mood. The light has been the way I like it, too, not too glary and not too grey. I have been seeing everything through this light and have been inspired by it all lately. The machine quilting I did on Beach Town last weekend was a direct result of some lines I saw while driving the previous Friday. It is a good reminder for me to look around.
I pulled this batik out of the blue bin for the variety of projects that require blue. For some reason, it ended up on my desk with the detail (left) front and center. For days it lay there. For days I looked at it. For days it lurked in my peripheral vision.
Then, the other night, I just sat down and drew it. When in doubt, what else do you do?
Drawing the Blue Batik
This is what I drew. It doesn’t look the same without the color, other motifs and thicker lines. Still, I like the various elements. It is clear to me that having a variety of sizes of tips on my black pens would be very helpful.
In looking at this version, I wondered what the design would look like if I straightened the lines out a bit.
Blue Batik Extrapolation
In the drawing to the left, I started too far to the right and had to cut off my drawing. I am trying to go with the process and be flexible. Again the thickness of the pen was a problem for me, but I can always do the drawing again later with a thicker pen.
I thought I was finished, so I put the drawing book away and folded the fabric, though I left it on my desk. The way I folded it, however inspired me further.
Batik Ice Cream Cone
I folded the fabric so that the detail motif (blue, above) was almost exactly in half. It made me think of a symmetrical version of the design. tried what was on my mind. Even though I didn’t finish the whole thing, I can see what I was envisioning. I just wanted to get the idea on paper.
As you can see, looking at something over a period of time can make your mind work with the inspiration in different ways.
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.
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.
Beach Town, Machine Quilting detail
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
One of my first quiltmaking books was The Quilter’s Album of Blocks and Borders by Jinny Beyer. It is also one of my favorites because it is just a dictionary of block designs. It is NOT a pattern book. When I first started listening to podcasts two or three years ago I heard Jinny Beyer interviewed and she talked about her new and updated version, which I saw today on Amazon. It isn’t coming out until August. I can’t wait to see it and look forward to hearing Ms. Beyer interviewed about it again at that time.
Providing quilters, researchers, and design enthusiasts with a comprehensive tool for finding, identifying, and drafting more than 4,000 unique patterns, this encyclopedia of quilt block designs presents a method of categorizing designs that eliminates duplication and allows quilters to understand exactly how each one is constructed. Each design is analyzed in terms of the grid on which it is drawn, making it easy recreate the pattern in any size or color scheme desired. Each block is thoroughly researched and listed according the original name and date of publication. Double names and duplicates are cross-referenced for easy use. Packed with information and inspiration, this also contains photographs of full quilts, as well as a detailed bibliography and indexes.
I am not a big pattern maker, but I like to point out the products of hardworking quiltmakers. I have not had this pattern in my hand. I looked at it on the Etsy site and noticed that they have extension and Jelly Roll directions, which I think is a step in the direction of making patterns that people can expand out to be more personal. Good luck to Amy and Opal on this new endeavor!
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?
