Week in Review 2015 - 07/10

Dancing Scissors
10" x 8"

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

A few weeks back I was struggling with reentry into my home routine after multiple trips away. One way I find to ease my way back is to play in the studio versus work on something serious. So, when I received an e-blast from Lyric Kinard with an intriguing method of how to create abstractions, I couldn't resist. I was off and running with scissors. :) As an incentive, not that I needed one, to tackle this assignment, Lyric would select a few of the works created by her followers as demo pieces for a segment she was making with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. What's the worst that can happen? Another rejection. Not this time. Lyric accepted Dancing Scissors. It now appears permanently on her website and should air on The Quilt Show sometime in 2016.

Detail from Deconstructed Sunrise
The free motion quilting on this is so fun!

A second detail from Deconstructed Sunrise.
The combination of free motion quilting and
walking foot style quilting work well here.
I used my quarter inch foot to achieve such even
lines, evenly placed.

Now that Dancing Scissors is behind me, I am able to focus on Deconstructed Sunrise. This piece is growing on me. Usually when I begin a new piece of art I LOVE the idea of it. In the beginning phase I am eager and excited about the work. Then sometime during the process the work takes a turn for the worse. This is a dark place, when it is tempting to just throw the work and move on. Deconstructed Sunrise has felt as though sun hasn't risen for a long time. This week I started to quilt it and attach one segment to other. My confidence is growing. I feel the work pulling together. Phew!

Here is what a managed to accomplish in the studio this week:

1) Start quilting Deconstructed Sunrise - Due November 30, 2015) - Done!

I managed to quilt three of the panels. I had a lot of fun thinking of ways I could quilt the different sections. I was particularly pleased with the FMQ suns I achieved in a couple of sections. I love repeating ideas in my art, through the piecing, color palette and stitching, but with a different take each time.

2) Free motion quilting practice. - Done!

3) Post the number of days I have worked in my studio in 2015 - 50.5/126

4) Perform a random act of kindness - Done! 

Will I still be excited about Deconstructed Sunrise next week or will I be down in the dumps again? No matter my mood, having a plan keeps me moving forward. This is my plan:

1) Continue quilting Deconstructed Sunrise - Due November 30, 2015)

The top three panels of Deconstructed Sunrise
are joined using the quilt as you go method.
Click on the image for an enlargement.

2) Free motion quilting practice. 

3) Post the number of days I have worked in my studio in 2015

4) Perform a random act of kindness 

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.

Week in Review 2015 - 06/19

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Lyric Kinard deserves the credit for this lesson. It is based
on a method she uses to teach to how to develop an
abstraction from tracing a pair of scissors.

How do the touring quilt teachers, lecturers and authors do it? This is a question I've pondered on and off for years. I was privileged to belong to the Rhododendron Needlers Quilt Guild for twenty-five years. RNQG had the coffers to hire at least four such teachers each year. Most lectures included a peak into the world of the quilter and how they did or did not balance their time, often presented as humorous stories. Yes, I laughed. I also realized that I wasn't willing to make some of the same sacrifices. I feel very fortunate that my passion for creating art quilts never deprived my family of time or money. Nor was it ever necessary for me to earn my living making art. When our children were growing up I quilted while they were napping and later while they were in school. I held on to the hope that when I became an empty nester I could spend 100% of my time working on my art. How naive was that? Before my youngest graduated from high school I was enmeshed in elder care.  That segment of my life ended thirteen years later with the death of my aunt, last month. She was many things, including an artist. Will I spend 100% of my time on my art now? Probably not. Age is catching up with me. I am weary. I find the transition to get back into art after a week or two away more and more difficult.  How do those traveling quilters do it?

I make my work oversized (14" H x 11" W)
so that I can easily quilt beyond the edges
of the quilt and then trim to size.

I haven't given up entirely. As you can see from the images in this post I worked on a "just for fun" project, but did zero on my one project with a deadline. Here is what I was able to manage:

1) Deconstructed Sunrise - Due November 30, 2015) - I needed to take a break from anything beyond playing in the studio, so treated myself to a mini lesson/project instead. This is also part of the way I ease myself back into the studio. It makes the studio feel less daunting.

2) Free motion quilting practice. - Got some FMQ in on my just for fun project.

3) Post the number of days I have worked in my studio in 2015 - 44/126 

4) Perform a random act of kindness - Done

I created a frame so that I could test different
potential croppings of 10" x 8" and also to see
whether I preferred a landscape or scroll orientation.

5) Do some surface design experiments - Opted to skip this

Fortunately, I have nearly two months at home before my next planned trip. I'm confident that I can regain my rhythm soon. When I do here is what I will be focusing on:

I opted for a very simple echo quilting. I can tell I
haven't been practicing my FMQ. Close enough,
especially since this is a just for fun piece.

1) Deconstructed Sunrise - Due November 30, 2015)

2) Free motion quilting practice. 

3) Post the number of days I have worked in my studio in 2015

4) Perform a random act of kindness 

5) Do some surface design experiments

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.