This drawing is different than some of the others. It has a little more detail – different types of detail and was a little more of a challenge. I took the prompt literally; that is a drip coffeemaker and not a percolator, but I often let ideas percolate while I am cooking breakfast. It is usually quiet.
My godmother used to make her coffee in a percolator. I used to watch, fascinated, as the liquid bubbled up in the little glass top. Even though I was constantly warned that I would be burned if I touched it, I couldn’t stay away.
Ideas need to percolate.
Quilts, sometimes, need to percolate.
See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.
Post the direct URL where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. It will keep all the artwork together.
Some ancient historical sites have large stones laid out in a circle.
Rings are circles as is the sun, the moon and other planets.
Marbles, beach balls, bouncy balls and playground balls.
See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.
Post the direct URL where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog post, Flickr, etc) in the comments area of this post. This practice will keep all the artwork together. If I find art or pictures by other artists on this topic, I may post them in the comments as well.
I have a thing about art vs. craft. People obsess about art vs. craft; craft vs. art. For me, it is simply about making stuff all the time. I just want to make stuff. I just want to make stuff all the time. If I can’t be making stuff I want to think about making stuff. As I have said on numerous occasions, I’ll let history decide whether I am a crafter or an artist. Or you. You can decide for yourself. I don’t care right now (may later!)
When I am pout and about, I look at everything with an eye towards inspiration.
Last Saturday, I went to Fisherman’s Wharf with my dad and sister. Dad had been in San Francisco in the 1960s with the Navy. He likes to show us how much he knows about the City and toss out names of fancy clubs he got into for free (The Pine Club?? Anyone heard of it??). He wanted cioppino and decided that Alioto’s on the Wharf, since Scott’s in the City is now closed, was the place to get it. I would, normally, never go there. That’s what he wanted and I didn’t have a better idea, so Alioto’s it was. He loved it and was so happy with his cioppino.
Alioto's Cioppino, June 2009
Afterwards we walked around with all of the tourists. I saw some flowers and walking around art that made me smile.
Garden Art
I love these starfish shaped garden sculptures. I love that they are a bit hidden, but if you look you can see them. I also like the glass rondelles embedded in the metal. I want to hide things like this in my yard. Sadly that means I have to stop sewing and start gardening!
The picture is of wrapping paper covering the door windows of a studio space. I saw the paper and thought the design would make a good quilt layout.
I noticed the four patch-like red block alternating with the slightly tilted asterisk. I think that once could alternate the asterisk with a star block or some round design.
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.
Some years ago I took a pillow making class at the Sewing Workshop. Sewing Workshop classes are fabulous: thorough, and inspiring. I am sorry to say that, although the class was fabulous (with Linda Lee, no less), the pillows are still part of my UFO pile. I recently saw Stitch magazine.
Stitch Magazine, Spring 2009
I fell in love with the pillow on the cover and may make some pillow covers using the pattern (or my version of the pattern) to brighten up some tired couch pillows to go along with the promised new paint job. If all goes well, I may discard the half made purple covers from the Sewing Workshop class and use the Stitch idea/pattern to cover those rather large forms (14″ or 16″) as well. For once I feel excited about throw pillows!
I also may make a pillow or two to raise money for Cleft Palete. MIL suggested using some poppy fabric for the centers. If I had some squares of that California poppy from a few years ago, it would be perfect, but I don’t, so I will have to make do.
Certain individuals are on a statewide board of directors for an organization that among other things, raises money for Cleft Palete. Each year, as part of the process of running for office, the nominees make gift baskets in order to draw people ino their suites/campaign headquarters. They raffle the gift baskets to raise money for Cleft Palete. Certain individuals came up second in the most money raised this year for his gift baskets.
The convention is always in May, so I, usually, cannot attend due to the demands of The Child. There is a small thing called school and another called food. Leaving him at home alone is really not an option. This has the effect of organization voters wondering if I support him in his volunteer endeavors. I think they might forget what it is like to have school age children. Anyway, I thought a couple of throw pillows would:
show my support
be something different that would draw the wives into the raffle
allow me to try something without having to commit to having it in my house
get some new readers to the blog
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.
I know that I ignored you all weekend. I spent about 24 hours over the three days sewing and really got a lot done. It is difficult to be at work today, because I am still desperate to be at my sewing machine. Needless to say, I have a ton to discuss.
Another crazy post about a variety of random topics from while I attempt to find my time management skills and tell you all the various things that have been happening.
Infinity Blocks
I showed these blocks yesterday, because I went to Always Quilting today to see Terri Thayer speak and do a book signing. I took a look at the quilts on the wall and found out that this is an Always Quilting exclusive pattern that they call Crazy Eights. I kind of like what the name Infinity suggests, so I will have to think about what I am going to call my quilt and the block.
Terri and I had a tentative date to go out and talk about writing. I was pleased that we were able to go and have a quick coffee. I like Terri, because she is very approachable and willing to talk about her writing process. We ended up talking about writing and migrating blogs, book promotion and other time management issues.
Terri’s new book, Ocean Waves, is out. As soon as you are done reading this post, go and buy it. 😉 Terri will be at the Chicago Quilt Festival in a couple of weeks. You can buy it from her directly there and get it autographed. Of course, you can buy it from Amazon as well. Just buy it. Supporting local authors is how we get books that have to do with quiltmaking. Terri is in the process of negotiating for the next contract for books in the Dewey/Quilter Paradiso series.
I heard about Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy on the CraftSanity podcast. Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood has interviewed Ms. Paulson twice, once in episode 17 and again in episode 91. She has several things on her blog and website that I like:
Posie Gets Cozy has a list of links to articles and blog posts about Ms. Paulson. Making Things for a Living by Becky from the Hidden Pearl blog is an interesting post/article about Ms. Paulson. The photos on this page are wonderful and I especially like the washtub of fabric flowers. I am also rather fond of the green on the walls behind the Posie letters.
Ms. Paulson has a webstore, where she sells the thing she makes. In it is a Gallery of Sold Things. I like the very appealing layout of the this page and think it shows the wide range of crafts she makes.
Finally, she has a close-up of one of the fabric flowers. I really like this one (it has dots!) and my mind is exploding with ideas for attaching them to tote bags. Or making bouquets that don’t die!
I have been working on the Tarts. It is slow going. My latest task is to find the right color for the tea kettle block in the lower left hand corner. I did the design last week, but haven’t put fabric to machine yet. Photos soon.
And finally,….
2009 Cherry tree
As I mentioned I headed south over last weekend. While driving I found that the cherry trees were in gorgeous bloom all along the highway. The color of the flower petals seemed darker than the petals falling to the ground already in San Francisco. They may be flowering quince or some other flowering tree. I don’t know for sure. I just know that love the cheerfulness of the trees and how they make the City look when they all come into bloom at once. I, finally, had the opportunity and the time and the camera and the tree all in the same place at the same timeand was able to snap the picture above.
My sister is a very talented scrapbook artist and these are some pages that she made for us.
Baby, It's Cold Outside PageChristmas With Page
Yes, the ‘t’ is missing, but I found it and glued it back on the page. Now, all I have to do is fill the pages with pictures.
This photo was taken by TFQ on December 22, 2008 at 9am during Seattle’s December snowstorm. I know it was cold and nasty to be in, but the photo is so gorgeously inspiring.
I sorted a lot of photos this weekend from 1981/82. In the process of sorting, I came across a number of tree pictures. Remember those 3×5″ photos that used to come back from the drugstore? I have lots of them and a multitude of them are trees. Since the 1981/82 photos have not yet been scanned, and I have trees on the mind, I picked this out of my favorite Flickr photos. I think you will be seeing trees in future inspiration postings. Hopefully, I will have a tree inspired quilt in my future.
I have been admiring a variety of photo sites lately. Deirdre put me on to the Photo Museum site. In my quest for cake inspiration I stumbled across this site and its artist, Cory Clifford. This image reminds me of Wayne Thiebaud.
