Inspiration

I had the opportunity to go to the Salt Creek Quilters Guild show this last weekend.

The wall hangings and miniature quilts were especially inspiring this year. There was also a hint of serendipity in the fact that one of the classes some of their members took resulted in quilts that suggested a different direction for the quilt I've been planning from my last Sketchbook Challenge piece. Now, I just have to work out some technical issues to get it to look like my vision.

One of the quilters whose work I consistently look for at this show is Denise Havlan. You can find her website here: Denise Tallon Havlan. Her work is always inspirational and stunning. She was showing this and this.

My priority quilt has been sent off to the AAQI. You can find the information here: Scattered Violets. (If the link does not connect to the quilt info, search for the title "Scattered Violets.")

Until next time, I wish you good weather, peace and all good.

Change & Pathways

I worked with some of these this week, designing a pattern, cutting the pieces, drafting the steps:

Slowly, things are coming together, and I am feeling as if I am on the right path.  There is much more work to be done, not only with this pattern, but also in filling out the details of this new life I am living. I've made some progress with that, too.

I am constantly being reminded that nothing stays the same, however. My youngest child is talking about leaving the nest, which will, of course, bring significant changes to my life. He is not only the youngest, he is the last child at home. Over the years, I have learned to communicate with these adults who just happen to be my children, but having them in close proximity is something I miss when they are no longer under my roof. Fortunately, they do continue to communicate and share their lives with me.

My daughter, who, as I've mentioned before, is also an artist, is teaching some classes over the next few months. If you are in her area, I invite you to check them out.  You can find out more about them here:
Fly'n Gypsy Arts & Graphics: Upcoming Classes at Expressions Graphics in Oak Park and the Elk Grove Village Park District: Fly’n Gypsy Arts & Graphics™

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Progress

I had a breakthrough last week that has resulted in a wave of new creative work. It resulted in my being able to finish the Priority Quilt, cut templates for a product, and choose an idea to work on for the Sketchbook Challenge. What happened is that I finally have a schedule worked out that gives me solid time in the studio, as well as time to do all the other necessary things to maintain a business.

The fact that it took me six months from the time I retired from the day job to get to this point made me realize that I needed to learn to live with my altered day-to-day existence before I could make these decisions. It is a reminder of the reasons I have been drawn to the slow-cloth movement. We tend to want everything to happen immediately in our society, but sometimes the best way is to let things move slowly.

This, too, was evident as I was working on the Priority Quilt. Since it is a piece I made with my beloved mother-in-law in mind, I found it quite difficult to work on for too long at a time. The emotional drain was too much. Once I accepted that fact, it became easier to do what I could, as I could, and accept the need to walk away without completing it more quickly.

I am just beginning to explore some of the areas that will make a difference in the scope of my business, as well as the great variety of techniques available to me as an artist. It is my hope that the insights I gained in the last week provide me with new ways to look at the decisions necessary ahead.

Since I want to wait to show the Priority Quilt until after I've made arrangements with AAQI, I don't have that picture for you, but thought you might enjoy this "conversation."

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Creativity

After a minor rearrangement of furniture in my studio, I started quilting the piece I am making for the Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative. It is going well, but somewhat slowly since I am free-motion quilting and deciding on direction as I go along. In addition to thinking about the images themselves, I have been thinking about my mother-in-law, whose struggle with dementia was the catalyst for my desire to help this cause. I hope to bring some of her personality and inner beauty to the piece.

Since I am not quite ready to share the quilt, I thought I'd show you the nerve centers of my sewing studio . . .

and the wet studio. 

I am fortunate enough to have two areas to devote to my work, and yes, they are both rather chaotic. It seems that no sooner do I clean them up than I am spreading out more materials, so they never stay completely organized for long.

Until next time, I wish you happy creativity, peace & all good.

Knitting & Doodling

I have been busy lately doing more knitting (working on a pair of fingerless mitts for my daughter). They aren't quite finished, since I promised to make mitten covers for her fingertips and thumbs, but thought I would share. The pattern I used was modified from Sue Brady's "Basic Fingerless Mitts." I lengthened the wrist to provide more coverage.

I have also been taking, as I mentioned before, Traci Bautista's "Doodles Unleashed" workshop on Strathmore Online. Strathmore Artist Studio Workshop - Traci Bautista While I am not entirely pleased with the pieces I've done, I have been learning more about different media.

In addition, I am continuing to follow the Sketchbook Challenge, which meshed beautifully, of course, with the workshop, since the theme for the month is "Doodling." Here is what I have done so far.

This was done with acrylics oversprayed on various items, water-soluble oil pastels, markers, white-out pen, and gouache;

and this:

for which I used gouache, oversprayed acrylics, and markers.

I do find it surprising that I tend to end up "seeing" a particular image coming out of my doodles, even though I haven't planned anything. I also find that my patience with paint is not comparable to my patience with fibers. (I was having trouble waiting ten minutes for the acrylics to dry.) The upside, however, is that doing the doodles is giving me ideas for fiber/textile work.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Hopes vs. Goals

I've been trying to figure out how to get motivated to start on the things I want to accomplish. Reading Mimi Kirchner's blog Doll finally gave me the method I needed. She talks, not about setting goals, but about making a list of "hopes for the new year." In that vein, I came up with the following:

Create prototypes for several products.

Finish and donate priority quilt to AAQI.

Learn to string dolls.

Learn new mixed-media techniques. As a start, I have begun the latest Strathmore Online Workshop, with Traci Bautista.

Set up an Etsy shop.

Clear out excess (both in my home and in my studio). One way I will be doing this is by using my stash as if it were a store, shopping there for supplies instead of going out for new things.

Finally, make progress on UFO's. Here, again, it is a way to clear out excess, and provide myself with the satisfaction of finishing projects already in process.

Additionally, I have finally begun to feel as if I am gaining control over my schedule, which has been one of the most difficult things I've encountered since I retired from the day job. My time is now divided by research, artwork, and volunteering. It feels as if 2012 is going to be a marvelous year!

I wish you the enjoyment of finding your path and learning to walk in it, and until next time, peace and all good.

Breaking the Silence

With Christmas over, and gifts distributed, I can share a little of what I have been up to during this quiet time. I had been so focused on getting ready for the holiday that I'm afraid I was neglecting the blog.

One thing I did was to get out my knitting needles to make this for my granddaughter. It is something she will have to grow into, since the pattern size is apparently larger than the sizes available in the store. The pattern is a Bernat Chevron Jumper from their Hooray for Stripes book.

Another thing that I have been able to do recently is get some splendid photos of birds that I'd like to share with you. We've had several visits from this bird of prey, which we are speculating may be a Northern Harrier, though it looks more like a Prairie Falcon.

Since we added a suet feeder, we have also had several Downy Woodpeckers visit. Here are a couple of shots of one of them.

I apologize for the fuzziness on the pictures. One thing I haven't gotten to is washing my windows.

I hope you have enjoyed your Christmas holiday and that 2012 proves to be a wonderful year for everyone.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.