Last time I said that I needed to find some brighter colors. My screen saver is the photos from the Alden Lane Outdoor Quilt Show. I went a few years ago and took lots of inspirational pictures. Recently I saw some of the non-quilt photos and thought of you!
Alden Lane Nursery Stock
Alden Lane is a nursery, so I wasn’t surprised to see this group of pots. I was also thrilled because this is the kind of photo you see in magazines. Real people don’t find artfully arranged and pretty pots laying around waiting for me to photograph them. 😉
They also are bright and cheerful and make a good color palette.
Alden Inspiration-Auto
First is the palette the tool chose. I wonder if it tends to choose cool colors? I like the palette, though I think the quilt could end up being a preponderance of depressing neutrals. It is saved by the blue and green. I suppose you could control the depressing nature of the colors by adding in a lot more of the Kona Celery and the Kona Delft than the Kona Coal.
Alden Inspiration
I rearranged the color selecting circles to get a few more warm colors. I was surprised to see Kona Cotton Rose show up. I wonder if it was like the other time where the tool couldn’t read the fuschias and this time the issues extended to orange?
Alden Inspiration 2
I made one more just because this is so fun. On this palette I do like the Kona Wheat and the Kona Stratosphere. Those two colors together (nearly opposites on the color wheel) look fabulous together. I am not such a fan of the Kona Khaki and the Kona Leaf, but I think the leaf works. I might change out the Khaki. To what? I don’t know. I could, as mentioned above, just put in a little bit.
Keep reading these color posts, but try the Palette Builder tool with your own photos and see if you find a palette from which you want to make a quilt.
It never ceases to amaze me that I see new things as I walk around the neighborhood. Then I realized that everything is mostly the same but the details are different. Different flowers are bloom, plants are different colors, people put new decorations up for different seasons and holidays.
Because of the drought, people are using a lot more succulents. Succulents are not my favorite, but I am trying to see the beauty in them. I saw this yellow flower on a succulent and took a super close-up.
Yellow Spiky Flower Inspiration
Because I can’t resist fiddling, I moved the circles and did a, mostly, different palette.
Yellow Spiky Flower Inspiration 2
There are little bits of warm colors – pinky reds and reds – and I capitalized on them. Still, this palette is not bright enough for me. I think I’ll need to find some tropical flowers and make some palettes out of them. 😉
The third chapter in Carrie Bloomston’s book is called Take a Class, thus the third spark is about getting stimulation from an external source. Specifically, she talks about taking a class. I like taking classes, but I am choosy about the classes I take. Just because someone can sew doesn’t mean they can teach. Teaching is a skill that takes practice, though, yes, there are a few natural teachers.
Bloomston says “You get an amazing energy and buzz from taking a class. You learn about technique, craft, and process — the bones of a working practice.” I think this one line is so important.
Local adult schools and community colleges are good sources of classes. Your LQS definitely has a listing of classes that changes regularly. I like to take more arty classes, like color theory at community colleges, but LQSs can have those classes as well. Find out what other types of classes are available at local studios. Here in SF there used to be a sewing studio a few blocks from house. I took a fantastic pillowmaking class there and learned some fabulous techniques such as piping.
Of course, there are also online classes, which can be very good. If there are no local classes convenient to you, then definitely take an online class. I like the energy of an actual classroom and think it adds something to the experience. There are also DVDs with which you can learn some interesting techniques. I was inspired by a DVD I received for review by Sarah Ann Smith.
Bloomston provides a list of her favorite classes and then leaves a space for the reader to write down the classes in which s/he is most interested. She doesn’t include Craftsy, but Craftsy is available as well.
My advice:
Be choosy
Move outside of your medium
Do your best
Banish the “I can’ts” and the “I don’t knows” and all of those other negative self discussion from your class. There is no place for them when you are learning something new.
Buy the best supplies. If you create a masterpiece, it will last (this is something my mom tells her students)
I continue to want to encourage creativity and creative pursuits in YOU via a regular blog post, so this another effort using The Little Spark book. A few weeks ago, I posted about the first chapter of The Little Spark and how to start to use this book to spark your creativity. I also reminded you that I had reviewed the book in November 2015. If you haven’t bought the book, go buy it NOW.
I feel it is important to nurture creative endeavors in myself. If I can encourage creativity in others, I get a huge bonus. It is so easy to get sidetracked by work, housework, kids’ activities, the time suck that is the Internet and take no time for yourself. It is so easy to think that creativity is not important. Creative endeavors nurture your soul. If your soul is healthy all the other things you have to do in your life are easier and come out better.
Like in the Creative Prompt Project, any kind of art is appropriate for this creative exercise. If you are a potter or a cartoonist or a weaver, these reviews and exercises will work for you just as well as for someone who sews, makes quilts, draws or paints.
I did something a little different today in that I was interested in how many different palettes I could create using the photo above. You can see that colors in the image are already limited.
Color Globes – Palette 1
First, I focused on the turquoise globe. I was interested in some of the colors the Palette Builder showed when I first uploaded the photo. I am constantly fascinated with creating a palette that has the right mix of contrasting blues.
Color Globes- Palette 2
Next, I moved to the more green globes and focused the circles on them exclusively. You can see more green/yellows in the tones of the colors in the palette. It is interesting how many colors there are in this picture.
Color Globes – Palette 3
I could probably play with this one photo ad infinitem. I realized that after my third try and the tool doesn’t even have the color discernment that my eye does.
Color Globes- palette 4
I really couldn’t stop playing with this photo. The colors are relatively limited, but there is still enough of a difference, with the glare and light sources to make the colors slightly different.
I may work with this photo again.
I am wondering what a quilt would be like made from all the colors in the three palettes?
I have been working on Under the Sea pretty steadily in the evenings. It is soothing to do the handwork. I am also surprised at how quickly I can fill up an area with embroidery.
Under the Sea, detail, july 2016
Under the Sea, detail, july 2016
Under the Sea, in process again
Under the Sea, detail, july 2016
Under the Sea, detail, july 2016
Under the Sea, detail
As I said a few days ago, I am pleased with the work. I am still pleased despite some design challenges.
I want the embroidery to be simple, so that limits the stitches.
I don’t have enough colors, but when will I have enough colors? This should not come as a surprise to anyone who reads regularly.
The browns, rusts and golds are not my favorite, but I am finding that I don’t dislike them enough to toss the project.
Beads or no beads?
I have been pretty tired or working on other things the past two nights, but I’ll get back to this soon.
This is another picture I took while doing one of my daily walks. These are not plants that I normally have much interest in, but the red color caught my eye. When I look at the plant, I see red. When I look at this picture with my eyes, I see red.
The computer sees something different. The computer sees more green and grey than I do initially. Of course, when I really look, I do see the greens and greys, which make me wonder about what catches my eye vs what catches they eyes of other people.
Color Friday with Bella Solids
Color Friday with Kona Solids
Click on the photos to make them larger. I was surprised that the color selections weren’t that different. The color names are different, but the colors look very similar.
Of course, this tool is too much fun, so I couldn’t stop with the above. I moved the circles around to highlight different parts of the photo to see what I could get. I have to be honest that I skewed the results towards the red tones to see what the tool would come up with. It is interesting to consider the palette without the greens and greys.
Color Friday: Kona 2d try
Color Friday-Bella 2d try
Despite the fuchsia issues I had before, I love this combination of pinks and reds.
Under the Sea has been on my 26 Projects list for a long time. I started it in 2009 in a class with Pamela Allen. I started it at the same time I started the Flower Garden. I finished The Flower Garden in 2013.
Despite my best efforts, this piece has been on my mind. After my Special Whine, I picked it up and have been embellishing it with Perl cotton and other types of embroidery thread in the evenings while I watch TV.
Under the Sea, in process again
I am pleased. Doing the embroidery, though simple, has calmed down my creative crisis, if just for the moment.
Of course, I don’t have enough colors of Perl Cotton. When do I ever have enough colors? I am making due for the moment.
Under the Sea, detail
I know these colors are odd colors for me. It is a problem, because I keep wondering where to add pink. The turquoise additions do help.
I am trying a combination of greys with the turquoises and blues to see how that looks. I am not sure if it makes any difference, in the way my mind wants, because so much of the piece is made up of browns and oranges.
The piece is small and I think I will make it into a cushion cover and give it away. Not my colors, you know. We’ll see.
I have had a couple of slams in the face about my own creativity lately. I have projects; I just don’t seem to be interested in working on them. I have plans for working, if I had days straight just to sew. I guess I have to face up to the fact that I seem to be stalled, even though I am limping along.
The first slam was the Peacock. I was excited when I put the blocks up on my design wall. I really was. The excitement faded as I contemplated putting the blocks together. The work involved, the actual sewing, seemed too daunting and I realized I just didn’t really want to do it. I can hardly believe I am feeling this way. Sure, I get stuck on projects, but to simply not want to sew the blocks together is a new one on me. I think part of the problem is the design wall. (Sense a theme??). I really, really dislike this design wall and this project may just propel me to really, finally do something about it.
Freddy Moran’s Applique’
The second was a lecture with Freddy Moran. I went to the SFQG, because she was going to speak. Yes, I will write more about the lecture. In the meantime, a quick overview: She is over 80. She is the one who made the brightly colored house quilts and did a long term, two book collaboration with Gwen Marston. She always pieced, almost never quilted her own quilts. She has had some personal changes in the last year that have made her look at her creativity. She has been encouraged her to change her style completely. She still pieces, but is doing a lot of applique’ as well. She can, perhaps I should? I don’t think I am happy with what I have been working on lately. I don’t hate any of my quilt projects, but they seem…..boring. Perhaps I need to change my style?
Finally, the third was a lecture with Jane Dunnewold. She talked about her new book, Creative Strength Training. I don’t really think I need creative strength training, but I think there are things I could do to improve my creativity. She talks about cross training. Yes, of course, I do cross training for my body. Running as well as weight lifting. I wonder if changing crafts for a short time would improve my creativity? She also talks about writing. Not angsty teenager stuff, but writing for creativity: capturing ideas that tether them to the ‘earth plane’. ( <– this is how she described getting the perfect dream or shower idea on paper before it floats away).
I write a lot and Dunnewold says that writing begins to open people’s eyes to the idea that you have all the stories inside of you to make great art. This makes me think about what stories I want to use for my art. One of my quilts was made from deep in my heart and was very poorly received. It did not make me want to do such work again.
I do feel that I was smug earlier when I was reading about other people’s struggles with their work and creativity. I feel like now I am getting my just desserts. 🙁
I can remember riding along with my parents in the car on some trip or other looking out the car window at the variety of colors on the hills, as we traveled through forests and in the reflections of lakes. I often think that some scene appears, for example, green, but when closely examined is really a variety of greens.
Greens Palette
I saw this patch of greens (in the salad sense, since I don’t know exactly what kind of greens they are) and I was very interested in what came up in the Palette Builder.
When I look with my eyes, I see a lot of light purple or lavender. I know others would see different colors. The technology is certainly not perfect and limited to the colors available in fabric. I love playing around with it.
I saw this color study in my most recent issue of House Beautiful. One reason I like that magazine is the color. They report on a lot of great color combinations in interior design. I follow them on Instagram so I can get a quick dose of color when I need it.
They often have very energetic color combinations similar to Anna Maria Horner, Jennifer Paganelli and some Amy Butler, but in furniture, wallpaper and dishes. I really love the over the top combinations and would do soemthing similar in my vacation house, if I had a vacation house, 😉 and were starting from scratch with decorating.
Kona Color of the Year 2016
This caught my eye because of QuiltCon. Remember Highlight? The Robert Kaufman Color of the Year? I don’t think the values are quite the same, but the sentiment is definitely the same!
I am really intrigued with the circumstance that brings these two companies to the same color. Actually, there are more companies and House Beautiful saw the similarities and brought them together. I am sure somehow there is some overlap. Furnishings companies need fabric, right? Still I am intrigued by why this particular color?
I have heard many people profess to dislike yellow, even easy to use sunshiney and golden yellows. This neon would be difficult to use if it weren’t the main color in a quilt. The quilts made for the challenge and displayed at the QuiltCon booth were great. (QuiltingMod displayed some in her blog post about Quilt Market). Still, I like yellow in a quilt as it helps the eye move around the surface.
What are your theories about highlight cropping up?
I still want to encourage creativity and creative pursuits in YOU via a regular blog post, so here is another effort using The Little Spark book. A few weeks ago, I posted about the first chapter of The Little Spark and how to start to use this book to spark your creativity. I also reminded you that I had reviewed the book in November 2015. If you haven’t bought the book, go buy it NOW.
I feel it is important to nurture creative endeavors in myself. If I can encourage creativity in others, I get a huge bonus. It is so easy to get sidetracked by work, the housework, kids’ activities, the time suck that is the Internet and take no time for yourself. It is so easy to think that creativity is not important. Creative endeavors nurture your soul. If your soul is healthy all the other things you have to do in your life are easier and come out better.
Like in the Creative Prompt Project, any kind of art is appropriate for this creative exercise. If you are a potter or a cartoonist or a weaver, these reviews and exercises will work for you just as well as for someone who sews, makes quilts, draws or paints.
The second chapter in Carrie Bloomston’s book is called Create the Space, thus the second spark is about space. Space is a huge thing for me. For all of my endeavors, whether work or cooking or quiltmaking, I need a conducive space. Sometimes that space is my workroom and sometimes it is the car when I am traveling with DH for #politicalwifery and have my EPP on my lap. Neither of these spaces are ideal, but they work for me at the moment.
Thanks to http://www.quitecurious.com/wp-content/gallery/loft/windows.jpg
In my dreams, I dream of a large loft space with big metal windows. I want an open, bright space with many different tables so I can work on several projects at once and there are few piles on the floor. Yes, of course there are a lot of practical issues with this kind of space, but we are talking about a dream right now.
Bloomston says “Having a good work space cements you to your dreams.” (pg.13) I agree with this, which is why I am not stuck on my dream, but working away in my ok space.
I find that I go to my workspace when I feel like I have had enough of people and need to be alone. “The creative space is a launchpad, refuge, retreat, temple, labyrinth, and safety net. It gives you a sense of purpose.” (pg.13) This is so true for me. I know what to do when I walk up there and if there is any doubt, I always have fabric to iron until I get my head together.
Despite the imperfections of my space, I don’t have the obstacle of moving everyone else’s stuff before I can work (pg.13). That is a huge bonus!! Bloomston says “the Spark might not stick around for two hours of housekeeping. It helps to have the space ready.” (pg.13).
You might not have a separate room, but you can create space with boundaries. You might have to be creative (HA!), but being able to get started the second you have time is really important. Find a drawer or a cupboard where you can separate out your special tools and supplies from the detritus of daily life. “Own it. Mark it. Protect it. In this way, you advocate for yourself, your pursuits, and your special creative time.” (pg.13)
The last sentence brings up a good point. Creativity is good for my sanity, but it is hard to explain that I make quilts to relieve stress, especially when they are large and taking over my house. If I had a larger storage space for my quilts, it would be less of an issue. Out of site, out of mind.
“Clutter doesn’t help.” (pg.14) There is a lot of clutter in space and I know that is not good. Most of it is things I will get to, especially books to review.
I am constantly trying to organize. In my dream workroom, I would have a counter with drawers underneath running around the perimeter of the room, especially if the windows didn’t go all the way to the floor. My current system, if you can call it that, relies heavily bins. (bins need shelves, though, and I need more of those). Bins keep project pieces together. Ideally, I would like to have cupboards, with doors, so I could shut away the clutter, but open them so I could see everything. The fabric closet works like that, but is too small.
As I mentioned above, horizontal space is important, too. I gained a lot when I commandeered the microwave cart (now cutting table) from our remodeled kitchen. It adds 3 ~18″ x 24″ horizontal spaces. Of course, they are stacked, so only one is useful beyond storage. I would want many LARGE tables. I would want to be able to layout my projects as desired and flit between them.
Make a list of your wants and needs. Think about fresh air, a place to cook a snack, if you are not a baker or chef and your studio is a kitchen. Think about creature comforts, such as a comfy chair an ottoman with a reading lamp.
What does your ideal space look like? The Little Spark is a great book to energize or start your creativity. Please tell me how you light the spark of your creativity.
Nota Bene / Housekeeping: I am not going to tell you all of the details of all of the exercises in the book. It isn’t right for me to give away Carrie Bloomston’s content. You will need to buy the book for that. ( <— It’s easy, just click the ‘buy the book’ link; yes it is an affiliate link, like the ones above**) ???? That isn’t to say that you will get nothing out of the creativity posts that I am writing. You will, if you read through them and think about what I have written. I am using her material as a jumping off point. Her material is valuable and I am adding my own spin to it.
On another of my daily walks, a bit of red caught my eye. I saw this small bit of succulent and liked the arrangement.
I tried both palettes.
Kona Palette
Left is the Kona palette. The red and sunshine yellow (gold??) are really nice colors.
Bella Palette
Because I liked comparing the two palettes last week, I also tried the Bella solids palette. It seems similar, even though we know that the fabrics have different names.
I took this picture on one of my daily walks. This plant, which has become very popular as people convert to more water friendly gardens, is more and more prevalent.
The bottom of the plant is quite ugly, but the flowers are really gorgeous. This particular photo was taken outside of a restaurant where they have recently redone the landscaping. A large-ish area of these plants are in bloom and make the area look like a field of magenta.
Unlike previous palettes, I was disappointed in the outcome of this one. the neutrals seem ok, but the beautiful fuschia/magentas are not represented at all correctly.
Color palette #2-July 1
I redid the palette, switching my option to Moda Bella Solids. This palette is better in that the fuschia/magenta tones are represented. However, the line must not have enough in that value range to accommodate the slight variations in color.
Finally, I pulled out my Kona color card and checked with my eyes. Indeed, the colors in the flowers are not adequately represented. Cerise (#1066) is close to the darker tones, but that lighter shade of purply fuschia is not included.
I find that playing with the PlayCrafts Palette Builder to be a fun and useful exercise. It really makes me look at the colors in a picture and analyze them.
As I said after the Creative Prompt Project ended, I still want to encourage creativity and creative pursuits in YOU via a regular blog post, but I didn’t want to create any more creative prompts. As I also said, that may change, but for now I am trying different things. I have done a couple of color inspirations as you have seen, but I haven’t found a niche yet. This is probably good as then I won’t get bored. Today, I am going in a different direction, still a creativity challenge, but different than the Creative Prompt Project and the color palettes I have been posting.
Some time ago I wrote a review of the book, The Little Spark by Carrie Bloomston. I just read over the review and the things I wrote at the time were things I still thought were relevant as I reread the book’s introduction and Spark 1 for this creativity post.
I feel it is important to nurture creative endeavors in myself and in others. It is so easy to get sidetracked by work, the housework, kids’ activities and take no time for yourself. It is so easy to think that creativity is not important. Creative endeavors nurture your soul. If your soul is healthy all the other things you have to do in your life are easier and come out better.
Like in the Creative Prompt Project, any kind of art is appropriate. If you are a potter or a cartoonist or a weaver, these reviews and exercises will work for you just as well as for someone who sews, makes quilts, draws or paints.
Housekeeping: I am not going to tell you all of the details of all of the exercises in the book. It isn’t right for me to give away Carrie Bloomston’s content. You will need to buy the book for that. ( <— It’s easy, just click the ‘buy the book’ link; yes it is an affiliate link**) 😉 That isn’t to say that you will get nothing out of the creativity posts that I am writing. You will, if you read through them and think about what I have written. I am using her material as a jumping off point. Her material is valuable and I am adding my own spin to it.
While we may have more time for creative pursuits in our modern times and we have more time to contemplate creativity, decorating and making things beautiful is in our DNA. Bloomston says “The Spark is your creativity and you were born with it. We all were. Humans have always felt its pull. We see it in our oldest art representations — paintings on the walls in the caves in Lascaux in France from 17,000 years ago.” There are early quilts that are beautifully stitched even though rougher stitching would have been just as warm. We can easily buy soft, warm blankets from the local department store and beautifully knitted throws from catalogs yet we still make quilts and knit throws ourselves.
“…your desire to make things is bigger than you.” I flagged this quote when I initially wrote the review and it is still one that sticks in my mind and makes me think. Bigger than me. I wonder about what that means. Is there a creativity hive mind to which I am contributing? How does what I make fit into the larger continuum of creativity? This is something to which I have no answers and am still contemplating. It is a thought that is almost too big for my mind. What do you think?
These are the kinds of topics that Bloomston’s book makes me think about. What is important is that “it comes from our human desire to make things beautiful and meaningful — not for the sake of beauty, but because each decorative mark on that cake or that pot celebrates our existence.” (pg. 7). What you make doesn’t have to be beautiful. You just have to make it. Making things is the point. Having your project come out beautiful is a fabulous bonus.
Whatever your art is, “it will enrich and connect you. It will give your life depth. It will fill you with purpose and sparkle. It will allow you to shine your light.” (pg.7)
If I haven’t convinced you, with the help of Carrie Bloomston, that you are a creative being and you must exercise your creativity in whatever way speaks to you, all I can say is Just Start. Make a mark on a piece of scrap paper with the pen you have to hand. Twist some string into a fancy knot. Just Start.
You won’t be surprised if I tell you that Bloomston’s first spark is on getting started. I think we can all agree that getting started is the hardest part. It is hard to get started being creative. It can be hard to start the next step and it can be especially difficult to start your perfect project, the image in your mind being so perfect that you feel you can never achieve such greatness. You can.
I have engaged in creative pursuits my whole life,s tarting with dime store coloring books and pieces of paper. Now, my creative muscles are usually warm and flexible. I feel like I never stop. I try to plan my project steps in such a way that I know exactly what to do when I step into my workroom. Of course, I have times where I can’t move forward as planned. If I don’t have an image in my mind of the next step, then I can’t make the next step. The image of my mind has to consist of exactly how to put the next pieces together. That doesn’t always happen. Or I can work on my creative pursuits if I am upset or tired or don’t want to work on the planned project or I have to do a step that is challenging in some way.
All of these things make me pivot and I have to make a new ‘start’. Often, I will do some mind sorbet type sewing. Hunting and Gathering is also a great way to make a new start or work on something in between. I often make pieces and parts or cut patches and then stack them up until I have enough to make the quilt I want to make. Making 4patches and 9patches are great examples of hunting and gathering as well as a project that is great when you don’t know what else to do or you need to make a start.
I am very fond of mosaic piecing (this is called ‘made’ fabric by some teacher whose name I can’t remember right now). I use my scraps, generally monochromatically, to make new pieces of fabric, which I, then, cut up and make something else. Often those projects are journal covers.
You can cut the mosaic piecing into squares and then make some great 4patches. You can do something crazy quilted. The point is that you have to start. What you start sewing (or drawing or painting or molding) and if starting means just pushing fabrics through the machine and worrying about what it will be later, then so be it.
The Little Spark is a great book to energize or start your creativity. Please tell me how you light the spark of your creativity.
**By clicking on an affiliate link and purchasing something, you help support the hosting fees and other blog related costs. I do not purchase fabric with the money I receive nor do I pay myself for the writing. I also only recommend items I like and would recommend. Thank you for purchasing through the affiliate links.
