I saw this article on Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood’s Grand Rapids Press blog (isn’t it cool that they have a craft column??). This man is amazing and I just shiver thinkng about what the world would be like if everyone did something as creative.
|
Creative Prompt #1: Beginnings
The Creative Prompt project was inspired by many people and blogs. I started thinking about it after listening to many of the Creative Mom podcasts. Just FYI: I did a review of the CMP as well. I have some ideas for creative prompt projects that don’t involve quiltmaking, but this latest phenomenon just exploded on to the scene. A few people started talking about it after I wrote the Illustrated Journals post. Suddenly, the idea became something. I am pretty excited: excited because of the enthusiasm shown my Linda and Sherri, excited by the support shown by Julie and excited to just do it, like the Nike ad says.
Here is what I am going to do:
1. Every week (probably Friday) I will post a creative prompt. It may be words or pictures or something else.
2. I will do a drawing or some kind of creative endeavor with that prompt
The rest of the gang have said that they will:
1. Do a drawing, doodle, collage, write poetry, jot down a few words, origami, whatever every week.
2. Post a link to their efforts to the comments section.
Just see what you think of for the prompt and draw, write, collage, sew or whatever something. If you don’t like the prompt, look around and let something else inspire you.
If you want to join in, please feel welcome. If you don’t have a blog or website, open a Flickr account for FREE and post your work there.
There is more information on the Creative Prompt Page.
We’ll see how long it lasts and what comes of it.
_____________________________
The first creative prompt is Beginnings.
Anna Maria Horner talks about Beginnings in her blog post.
New Elements Line from Mark
Mark Lipinski also, apparently, has a new line of tone-on-tone fabrics called Elements. They remind me of the swirly fabrics from a few years ago that I used in Spiky Stars.
Mark at McCall’s
Mark Lipinski of Quilter’s Home fame highlights the recent issue of McCall’s Quilting, which has more bags in it. I might just have to get a copy, or at least check one out. Lots of people are asking me about bags now.
|
Blues are Back
Remember the Hop, Skip and Jump pattern I tried in December?
I thought I was, but I am, apparently, not done with the blues. And there is that rectangle shape again (2.5’x4.5, FYI). While the Tarts Come to Tea has been on the design wall, these blue rectangles have been up there, too. They are actually taking too much space (both physically and mentally), so they are coming off the wall and will go back up later.
Last weekend I had a little time and wasn’t organized enough to work on an actual project, so I cut blue rectangles. I have to be honest, though. I was trying to prevent a fabric avalanche and decided to fill in some space in the fabric bins. It is much easier and more accessible to stack fabric up on the sides of the closet. Sadly, four foot stacks eventually end up in fabric avalanches. Appropriate for this time of the year, though…
A fabric avalanche was definitely imminent and by moving fabric around and pulling out the blues, I felt like I was actually working on a project rather than organizing.
Some of the fabrics I cut from the scraps that appeared after I made the back for the Crazy Test . It was interesting to see some of those older fabrics mixed in with the newer turquoises.
More about Machine Quilting
One of the things I did to prepare for my longarm day was to doodle. I got out the sketchbook and did some doodling in it. It wasn’t true doodling, because I used some reference materials, including some designs from a Melody Johnson class I attended in 1999 as well as some worksheets and the book from a Sue Nickels (nice little bio) class I took sometime later, perhaps around 2002 or 2003. This was all before Diane Gaudynski exploded on to the scene.
The paisleys and little 3-petal flowers would be too difficult for me at this stage, but perhaps later. Still, the whole idea is to get your muscle memory into shape. That flowing doodling kind of motion is what you want to achieve when longarming.
You can see how into those sashing curved designs I was. I really wanted them to work. I may still use them in another quilt even if they aren’t perfect.
One of the things I did when I was in the machine quilting groove was make a worksheet of designs for my quilt class. It has some basic designs and ideas on it. I still need to make the other class information, but at least this part is done.
I know I haven’t mentioned it in a while. Frankly, they all kind of bailed on the basting part and I don’t know if they will continue. It is a little disheartening, but I have an idea in my mind to teach a class like this elsewhere at some point (no plans at this time), so perhaps the work won’t all be wasted.
FOTY 2009
The FOTY 2009 block has been selected. It is from a quilt called Zanzibar by FunQuilts. You can find it in their book, The Quiltmaker’s Color Workshop, a book I highly recommend for the in depth discussion of putting colors together.
TFQ and I are going to make the same block and see how that goes. I made these first two thinking that I would use each fabric twice. I want to see a bit of the fabric, so I will use each fabric for the outside of one block and inside of another. I am interested to see how that idea works out.
I also am thinking that I will continue with the “waves of color” Jag I seem to be on and put like colors together. This may prove a bit of a challenge and I will have to change later, but for now that is my idea.
These blocks go together very quickly as each patch is 3.5″.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I read Dear Abby this morning and Abby had printed a letter from Eric, which really made me happy. Remember those beautifully decorated boxes with the little slit from first grade? Eric’s letter made me remember how nice it was to look through the Valentine’s.
Coffee Sketch
Nina Johansson is another sketch artist whose work I am admiring lately. I have a soft spot in my heart for coffee cups and hot drinks. I really liked this drawing. It is one I would buy a card or print of if offered.
|
![[cafe_piccolina.jpg]](https://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/3.bp.blogspot.com/img/830EA0C3-638A-42D6-B5DD-6ED405F90131)
Illustrated Journals
Words are important to me. I like to use the correct word for the correct item, thought or feeling. “The quilt on the back of the couch,” for example, is much better than “the thing on the back of the other thing.”
TFQ and I had a discussion about visual journals a week or so ago. A lot of stuff had been rattling around in my brain. She was obviously thinking about these issues as well, because she clearly and cleverly articulated what I was thinking. There were some of the central points of our discussion:
- Both of us have writing journals, which we use to rant and rave and explain and digest.
- Neither of us wanted to try to express our feelings in art in addition to doing it in the journals mentioned above.
- We agreed that we both wanted more of a daily art practice.
- Both of us want to try different techniques that we read about in blogs and magazines. We don’t always know how to do these techniques.
- We are both having trouble getting started.
The conversation, a subsequent letter to TFQ as well as a variety of comments I have made in my journal have all been working towards getting myself started and clearly articulating the issue. It has all been the product of stuff floating around in my mind as I try and resolve this issue for myself. I have decided that what I want is not to do visual journaling, which for me means explaining or working out my feelings and commenting on my life using media other than words. I want to illustrate my journal – or a journal. By illustrated journal, I mean that I want to sketch little vignettes or paint scenes that have nothing to do with my words. I want to do this to inform my quiltmaking and to inject more creativity into my life.
I use the sketch above from Gabi Campanario as an example of my idea. He sketches what is around him. His sketches don’t seem to have anything to do with how he is feeling. He obviously has taken it to an art form, which I am not planning on doing. I want to test ideas and sketch for myself. My quilts are really for others.
My biggest issue is starting. I need someone to hold my hand. I thought that decorating the box would kick start me into shape. No dice. It was hard, it took a long time and didn’t dry very fast. I did enjoy making it, though.
I thought getting some creative prompts, like from the Creative Mom podcast, would jumpstart the process.
No dice.
Finally I told Julie that I needed her to hold my hand. We haven’t set a date yet, but I am hoping we will both have time soon.
In the process of this hand wringing, I have identified a couple of issues:
- My stuff for non-quilt creativity is everywhere. I have to haul it out in order to do anything.
- I have supplies that I don’t know how to use.
- I don’t have a messy space in which to work (and it is Feb and raining outside).
- I still want to focus on quiltmaking and fiber. I want this endeavor to be a little extra.
I did some sketching in 2008, but stopped for some reason, so I guess I could consider this small amount of work the start, which means my real problem is continuing….
Anna Maria Horner and Blogging without Obligation
You may have noticed the little badge I added awhile ago from TartX. The Blogging without Obligation badge is a reminder to myself that if I don’t post every day, nobody will die and the world won’t end.
To that end, I try and be patient with people who don’t post as often as *I* 
would like them to post. Thus, I was thrilled today when I saw a couple of posts from Anna Maria Horner. She obviously reads her blog comments, because her post is answers to a number of questions that came up in comments when she posted her multi-tasking bag -soon-to-be- pattern. I really liked the post. I clipped a little piece of it to get you there easily, though I really wanted to clip the part about the patterns and couldn’t.
|
Inspiration Thursday
Julie said that this photo had the structure of my quilts.
Look for this image in the future…a taste of what is to come.
Inspiration Tuesday
A great example of adding art to your life.
Inspiration Monday
Inspiration comes from everywhere and I found it on the Blog. freepeople.com site, which I had been looking at because of a cool bookmobile. These little vignettes are hilarious. The post links to a Flickr group for more.
|
Quilting By the Sea #2
The second CQFA Retreat was the weekend of January 25, 2009 (read about the first retreat here). What a great weekend for sewing. You have already seen my completed top, FOTY 2008, but I thought I would share some of the highlights of the trip and other people’s projects with you. I highly recommend going on a weekend retreat once in a while, especially if you normally don’t get several hours of uninterrupted time to do your sewing.
On Saturday, I went out for a walk and to get some food and saw this flower, which I thought might make a nice sketch or a “Big Idea” for a quilt.
Terri, a talented writer whose books you should go out and buy right now, is also a talented quiltmaker. Above is her Kaleidoscope project. Since I had recently completed the Eye Spy top, I gave her some unsolicited advice on putting the top together. One of the things that I enjoy about the retreat is that I like seeing what people are making. Terri uses a very different color palette than I do, but it was great to see how she worked on the hexagons.
CQFA has a free fabric connection. Julie went and got some free fabric and made the above couch throw out of it. I love the cabbage rose feel that this top has, mostly because it is not too sickly sweet.
I didn’t crop the photo above, because I wanted you to see the set up. Julie and I were working at the table on the left side of the photo. You can see FOTY 2008 on my portable design wall in the background. Dolores was working on the right. We had nice big tables to work on.
Dolores, the organizer, had a goal of getting to know everyone better. Last year people did introductions and everyone talked about how they got into quiltmaking. This year she asked everyone to talk about what inspires them. Above is a picture of everyone gathering around one person’s work.
Debbie talked about taking a summer course at Cabrillo College with Richard Elliott. The class was called something like Frankenstein Fabric and they learned to manipulate fabric in new and interesting ways. The fabric above has been manipulated so that it has little puffs all over it.
The fabric has a high polyester content. Debbie does really interesting things with fiber and is very involved with SAQA.
All in all, the weekend was a big success. I certainly got a lot done and was pleased to be able to spend some extra time with Julie.