Week in Review 2015 - 05/01

Photo of Little Lake Butt des Morts taken by
the my husband, Dana B. Eagles.

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

A question that creative people get asked is, "Where do you get your inspiration?" A common response is "from nature." Although many of my artworks are drawn from nature, including the one that I embarked on this week, I honestly feel it isn't nature that inspires me as much as the curiosity of exploring uncharted territory, at least unexplored by me. Although I don't technically work in a series, I do find that working on one piece will suggest another piece. So it was with Sunrise Over Little Lake Butt des Morts. Ever since I made that piece it has haunted me. What else could I do with the photo taken from our bedroom window overlooking Little Lake Butt des Morts?

I typically begin with a general
blue print of the design. Click on the
image to see an enlarged version. You
will be able to see where I intend to
feature different areas of the sunrise photo.

I decided to answer that question this week as I launched into design mode and began making Deconstructed Sunrise. I was so focused, even fixated, a common state of being when I begin a new project, that breaking away to do anything in the studio other than work on this piece just didn't happen. Here is what I did manage to accomplish:

1) Design and start the next artwork - Done!

2) Free motion quilting practice. - Opted to go with my
obsessive need to work on Deconstructed Sunrise and take a week off from free motion quilting.

3) Post the number of days I have worked in my studio in 2015 - 37/126

4) Perform a random act of kindness - Done!

5) Do some surface design experiments - Not even
on my radar this week. :)

Rather than use a separate fabric for each piece of the quilt,
I have chosen to create log cabin blocks, that will be sewn
together to make new fabric for the pieces to be cut from.
This week I nearly finished the first twenty-five 3" blocks.

I like to use a mix of fabrics I have created myself by dying,
painting and last week inking, with commercial fabrics. I
used the original photo to audition which fabrics to use.

I am anticipating a few construction issues that will require resolving next week. Chances are as I circle around and eventually face these hurdles I will ease into the difficult work with some free motion quilting practice and maybe some surface design play. Whatever I opt to do, I find having a plan, such as the one I have listed for myself, helps ground me when I am feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Here is what I might accomplish next week:

1) Deconstructed Sunrise (Due November 30, 2015) - Continue piecing

 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.

Week in Review 2013 - 08/09

The week began and ended well, it was midweek that got a little dicey. When my husband and I went to bed on Tuesday night, we knew rain, possibly heavy during thunderstorms, was expected after midnight. What we didn't expect was howling wind, the trees outside our window blown nearly horizontal and the sky lit up brighter than any fireworks display. Turns out we were witnessing the fringes of one of five tornadoes that bounced through northeast Wisconsin. We consider ourselves lucky. There was no damage to our property and minimal tree damage in our community. We did loose power almost instantly and it stayed off until Friday morning at 4:00 a.m. 

I had already spent Monday and Tuesday in the studio. I usually spend Thursday as well. Wednesday being my computer/business day. Needless to say no business was transacted on Wednesday. Here is how I adapted to unforeseen circumstances.

1) Companion Oysters (Deadline 9/01/2013)

a) Determine whether to add shadows and if so, paint them. - Done!

As you can see I opted to paint just a hint of shadow leaning
towards wet sand.

b) Layer and baste the quilt sandwich.

This is how I spent Wednesday. Fortunately, I had already
prepped the three layers, cutting out the batting and backing
and ironing the top and back. You may recall that Companion
Oysters is over 42" x 42" in its unfinished state. I actually
needed some of Thursday morning to finish the basting.

c) Start the free motion quilting. - Not done.

2) Leah Day's weekly assignments

a) Finish last week's golden lock. - Done!

I finished the foundation pieced golden tress on Monday. I
was curious to see how it would look in situ. The sheen in the
picture is a layer of plastic that I have drawn the goddess
portion of Express Your Love II on. I find this one of the best
ways to position appliqué pieces. 

b) Do whatever assignment Leah comes up with next.

This week's free motion quilting motif was Happy Stitch. If you have been following Leah than you know this is the biggest leap I have ever taken when tweaking one of her motifs. To see Leah's click here. I thought it would be fun to see if I could create a crowd of faces watching an event. I played with hairstyles, mouths and eyes. Perhaps next time I will even add ears! Lots of travel stitching was required. I focused on flow more than accuracy. Those faces do make me smile.

Gwyned's version of  Happy Stitch
renamed Smiley Faces.

3) Pictorial Painting - Face "Canyon." - In my dreams. 

Assuming the weather cooperates :) here are my plans for next week.

1) Companion Oysters (Deadline 9/01/2013

Start the free motion quilting Companion Oysters.

2) Leah Day's weekly assignments

Do whatever assignment Leah comes up with next.

3) Pictorial Painting - Face "Canyon."

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

Week in Review 2013 - 05/10

"Adoration" after it was pieced, but before it was painted.

What was I thinking? Clearly I wasn’t thinking because I didn’t come close to following my game plan for the week. This leads me to…

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

I have one word to wrap up the week – focus. There are times when focus is needed to meet a deadline. There are also times when one becomes so obsessed with a project that it becomes all consuming. My advice is to grab that overriding need to work on a project and hang on. That is precisely what I did this week in my studio, which is why my plan and what I actually did barely align.

1) Pictorial Painting

a) Watch the lesson that demos how to quilt the Canyon piece. – Not done.

b) Quilt "Canyon." – Not done.

2) Express Your Love

a) Do whatever assignment Leah Day comes up with next. – Watched the assignment video and took the first small step. Not a big enough step to photograph.

3) Adoration (Shooting for a deadline of June 1, 2013)

a) Paint the shadows, highlights and fine details necessary to bring the piece to life. – Done!

"Adoration" after the it was painted and inked.

b) Sandwich the quilt. – Done!

A close up of "Adoration".
The brown herringbone stitches are basting stitches.
They will not be removed during the quilting process.

c) Bonus – I ordered the thread I will need to quilt Adoration next week.

4) Signature experimentation

a) Design a new signature motif. – Done. (I’m counting this as my free motion quilting project that allows me to link to Leah Day’s blog.)

I'd love to say that I thought turn the date
90 degrees. However, it seems my sewing
machine stitches numbers and letters from
top to bottom versus from right to left.

5) Plan the next art piece. – Didn’t even give it a thought.

My hunch is that I will continue to focus on Adoration for the week ending May 17. It really depends if I receive the thread by Monday. Fortunately, there are other projects to catch up with should the thread not arrive on time. Therefore, my plan is to start with step 1 unless circumstance force me to start at step 2:

1) Adoration (Shooting for a deadline of June 1, 2013)

a) Quilt Adoration.

b) Square up the piece in preparation for facing.

2) Express Your Love

a) Finish last week's assignment from Leah Day.

b) Do whatever assignment Leah comes up with next.

3) Signature experimentation

a) Design a new signature motif.

4) Pictorial Painting

a) Watch the lesson that demos how to quilt the Canyon piece.

b) Quilt "Canyon."

5) Plan the next art piece.