Week in Review 2017 - 02/10

We frequently see this fox walking
in front of our condo, or dashing across the
lake. This photo was taken by our neighbor
Lynn Riviere from her condo. This could
be the view from my studio. :)

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Sometimes before you can make pots you have to start with the basics. I recall from my grade school days being taught the importance of working the clay before you began to sculpt with it. The goal, if I remember correctly, was to meld the clay into a unified blend with no air bubbles. The point being, before you can begin to create, even to experiment, there is prep work to be done. 

I focused one of my studio days on working out the basic structure of my design on EQ7. I'm still a relative newbie with the program, although I have made it a point to do a tutorial of 15 minutes to an hour most weeks for a while now. The design I wanted to play with pushed the limits of my knowledge. It is part of making pots, trying this, testing that, a step or two forward only finding I must start further back. 

Possible design for Picking Up
the Pieces 2 created with EQ7

With my other studio day I began the experimentation of the best way to piece the compass block. My instinct is to turn to paper piecing whenever I need precision piecing of this complexity. Where I have gotten stuck in the past, though, is combining paper piecing with curves. I decided to give it a whirl anyway. Much to my surprise, since the seam lines are straight, the piecing worked well. Even more exciting, I was easily able to turn under the outside and inside curves with an iron. This meant I didn't need to use glue or starch. No glue or starch means those products don't have to be washed out after the work is quilted. 

My studio time was truncated this week by other obligations. This can be an advantage. It kept me focused. Here is what I managed to do:

1) Finishing Where Have All the Flowers Gone? - Done!

2) Design Picking Up the Pieces #2 - Started

The design may change. The one shown is my favorite from multiple false starts. I'm going to play a bit more with color placement. I do want lots of open space. Where you see white, will be more of the background (sky blue fabric). I want to make my quilting a strong part of the design, and lots of open background is a good way to showcase it.

I used my yellow scraps to test the advocacy
of paper piecing an arch. The arch is machine
appliquéd with a blind hem stitch. This method
was comfortable to do. I'm pleased with it
technically, too.

3) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 - Not yet.

4) Pot(s) made this week - Done!

I made many pots on EQ7 as I worked out how to translate my design concept onto the screen. Most of the attempts were deleted. Sometimes it is just easier to start over, rather than fix problems. This is precisely why I like using EQ 7. I can make many more pots designing on the computer, than working with fabric.

5) Free motion quilting practice - Didn't get to it.

6)  Attach a sleeve to Siren's Song - Started

Next week I plan on trying another method or two of creating the arches for Picking Up the Pieces - 2. I also want to spend more time on EQ7 playing with my design before I commit to actually making it. It is good to have plan, while staying flexible. Here's mine for next week:

1) Work on the design for Picking Up the Pieces #2

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1

3) Pot(s) made this week

4) Free motion quilting practice

5)  Attach a sleeve to Siren's Song

I am now linking up to two blogs on Fridays. The first is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays and the second is Free Motion Mavericks.