Tag: Inspiration
New Inspiration Source
I found a link somewhere for a blog of blogs. After adding this blog to the list, I scrolled through the offerings and found a blog for Piece O’Cake. One of the great parts is that they have a show and tell page where they post customer photos. What a great source of inspiration! I am including a few for you for your viewing pleasure.
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I like it that people have chosen different colorways and color combinations.
Inspirational Podcasts
People may wonder how podcasts can be inspirational, but I think they can. I am of the mind that if I am not in front of my sewing machine, I want to find another way to be breathing, thinking, seeing, and listening to quilts or creativity or design.
As you may remember I have been on a Bill Kerr/FunQuilts/Weeks Ringle kick lately, so when TFQ mentioned that Weeks had been interviewed on the Craft Sanity podcast, I had to go and look it up. After a lot of drama with the iPod, I was finally able to listen to it and a couple of other Craft Sanity episodes this morning.
Weeks Ringle talks (CraftSanity episode #41) about having a business that is craft/art related and how it works with her life balance. She comes to this discussion from her background and the bio of her life. It is great to get perspective on how she came to where she is now.
I had also downloaded a couple of others. One I listened to was with Rhonda Simmons (CraftSanity episode #31), a Vancouver artist with a website called AlteredEverything.com. She is taking the Art-o-Mat idea to Canada, calling it Outsider Art in a Box and she also does bodycasting.
I couldn’t stop, so I also started listening to the podcast Jennifer recorded with Anna Maria Horner. WOW! I am going to start reading her blog, I think.
The interviews that Jennifer does are quite long and in depth, which offers a very satisfying podcast listening experience.
Spiral Creations
We had show and tell at the CQFA meeting. Linda always shares with something interesting and this meeting was no exception. She showed Sea Glass III.
This piece is about 8″x10″ and is gorgeous! I adore it. It comes out of a lot of work that Linda does. She is always working and moving forward in her art. I admire her greatly. You can see more about this piece on Linda’s blog.
The people at Always Quilting were quite impressed with our machine quilting skills even though none of us had really ever driven a longarm. I think it was because, like Linda, we all have a little bit of practice machine quilting. I also think a lot of us doodle consistently.
Living Life Fully
Here is some inspiration for the day. This from Starbuck’s ”The Way I See It” series. It is number 233.
Beautiful Hidden Space
I saw this little pond behind a gelato shop. Sitting in their eating area was like being in Europe.
Cow with a Border
This is another one of the nature related mosaics that decorate the Ferry Building. I have walked past this particular mosaic numerous times. It wasn’t until this week when I happened to standing near a newly moved table that I noticed the border. I really like the way the border sets off the center. I also like it that it isn’t a traditional checkerboard border. I think the classic checkerboard pattern makes a wonderful element in a quilt, but the rectangular tiles (aka patches) in this piece really give the work something extra.
I hope to get a picture of each of the mosaics.
Old Tile Floor
I was in an old building on Van Ness. I visit periodically and have never been able to figure out the story of this building. It now houses part of California Pacific, a guitar/drum store, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and a car dealership. Where I go has no second floor – only 1, 3, and 4. I can’t figure out where 2 is. The other puzzle is this lovely floor. It is simple, but the tiles are old. They may be pre-1906 as the building is on the side of the street that wasn’t dynamited, but I can’t say for sure. I may have to delve deeper
Was this the entry way of a mansion that has been so obliterated that you would never know it? Was it the offices of a car dealership that no longer exists? I don’t know, but I like the tiles.
Animal, Vegetable or Mineral???
The Ferry Building has some nice mosaics. At the FB 5 year mark some of the businesses are moving out and revealing some of the mosaics which have been hidden.
Stitch Chart Online
As you may know, I have been coveting a new machine for awhile. It didn’t happen last year and this year isn’t looking that good either. Still, I can dream and look and make my choice.
Janome just came out with the 11K Special edition and they put a stitch chart on their website. I used this to see if my favorite stitches will still be available and if the one stitch I didn’t get (kind of a serpentine stitch was available. Also, my favorite star stitch is still available. Hooray. The chart is small, but it is a great idea.
Back to my regularly scheduled dreaming..
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Walking Around and Looking
Sometimes the easiest thing to do it just look at the world around you. I was doing this yesterday and happened upon some really nice tiles. They are on Chenery Street near Church in SF.
One of the things I like about tiles is that, often, the designs of groups of tiles create a pattern I can replicate in fabric. The design is usually made of of different colored titles placed precisely. In this case (above), an ordinary terracotta tiled staircase has been dressed up using these textured and painted tiles. I like the idea of coming home each night and getting a little inspiration as I walk up the stairs. I also am interested in the designs and how they relate to quilt patterns.
I saw this one and immediately thought of a New York Beauty. It is not exactly a New York Beauty as we in quiltmaking know that pattern, but it gives the impression of a New York Beauty.
The tile above isn’t a quilt pattern that I have seen, but it would make an interesting applique’.
I really like the colors in this bold striped tile. It could easily be the basis of a quilt or one quilt block.
Parakeets’ Expression
This is a quilt that TFQ and I saw at the APNQ show. It has been on mind because of the expressiveness of the little parakeets. I think that this quilt tells a story because of the implied movement of the birds. I can appreciate realistic quilts, but don’t always see the point in reproducing a photo in quilt format. This one, however, tells a story.
Quilt vs. Art
This is a giant piece of art made from found objects – large found objects – that is displayed at the American Gallery of Art. It is by Louise Nevelson and is described as an assemblage of found objects.
As you can see from the detail, this piece is about texture. I say that because the color is very flat and the artist does not use color to move your eye around the piece.
Above is a quilt we saw at APNQ, which reminded me of the art above. I don’t know if the quilt artist was informed or inspired by the piece above, but they are definitely related.
Metal Penguins and Exciting Eating Environments
Pacific Place in Seattle is a mall downtown with shops, movie theatres and restaurants. They also have cool art – public and to buy.
I like this penguin, because from far away it actually looks like a penguin. Up close it has great texture.
This is a wonderful set of table and chairs that are painted with lovely designs. They had other pieces such as a chest (like a cedar chest or toy chest).
Pink Flamingos in Mosaic
There were several flavors of these pink flamingos at the San Mateo County Fair. It looks like someone may have been teaching a class. Still, I like them, because they are different. I also love it that people enter things in the fair. It is so great to see the creativity energy of a county displayed!