Week in Review 2017 - 09/29

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Forest Flora

One of my favorite Yogi Berra quotes is, "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." Although I write about the practice of my work, the reality is I have tendency to whitewash it, and what is shared comes closer to theory than practice. I can procrastinate with the best of the procrastinators, finding all sorts of more appealing things to do than facing up to a task that needs doing. One such task that has weighed me down for years is what to do with the mountain of artwork I have accumulated from more than 30 years of creating fiber art.

I know I am not alone struggling with the dilemma of too much work and too few people to pass it on to. Some people put their work on E-Bay or Etsy. Others have reached heights in their careers (not me) where museums might be willing to accept a few a pieces, especially if those pieces fill a gap in their collection. I have heard of quilt artists who pass their less satisfactory work onto animal shelters for bedding. There is always Goodwill or similar style charitable organizations. Nothing felt like the right fit for me. So, I procrastinated, and watched what others did, and procrastinated some more. 

Detail of fiddlehead fern and mushrooms

I am pleased to announce, I have found an organization, possibly two, willing to take any work I am willing to give them. The first is Habitat for Humanity. If you are from the US you know what this organization does. I've been tempted over the years to help them build houses, but have little interest in doing the basic carpentry required of their volunteers. However, I can brighten their new homes, and office with my work. They agreed. I am hoping Harbor House will be just as happy to receive my work. They are a safe haven for women and children of domestic abuse in the city where I live. 

Now that I have a solution for what to do with my work, I can create more, knowing I can always find a home for it. This is why I went to the studio and worked on the following with a glad step:

1) Work on Experiment in Equilaterals: - Done!

I am working on renaming this piece, perhaps it will be Forest Flora. I've had lots of fun free motion quilting mushrooms, imaginary ferns, and am in the process of filling in the voids with fallen leaves. 

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3, #4 - not yet.

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

I'm getting a feeling for how to intertwine fallen leaves and fill in those pesky gaps.

4) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

I will be away from the studio next week. When I return I plan on attending to the following:

1) Work on Forest Flora

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3, #4

3) Pot(s) made this week

4) Free motion quilting practice

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 2017 - 09/15

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Scraps from creating
Experiment in Equilaterals
are used to build a sample
block to test quilting motifs
and determine how a one
of the likely thread choices
will read on the fabric.

One of the most difficult aspects of creating new work, for me, is overcoming fear. How scary can making fiber art really be? It isn't like dealing with a debilitating illness, a natural disaster, or living in a war torn country. Still, it can feel paralyzing to take that next which may be pure genius, but could also be a complete, possibly irreparable disaster. It feels like choosing to dive off a cliff into a lagoon many feet below. What if I don't leap out far enough? What if the lagoon is too shallow or there are hidden rocks below? Is that momentary thrill of sailing through the air to the water below really worth it? The wise person will use due diligence. Have other people made the dive safely? How far is the actually distance? She will check out the lagoon first for hidden hazards. There comes a time when everything which can be checked has been checked, but fear remains. There are several choices. One is to chicken out and not go through with the dive even if it appears safe. Another is to have faith in yourself and make the plunge.

This week I have been standing on the edge of the cliff. I looked over to the lagoon below. I have taken measurements. I have checked for hazards hidden in the water. After days of circling, hemming and hawing, I have taken the plunge. I started quilting Experiment in Equilaterals. 

Here is what a week of peering over the cliff looks like:

1) Work on Experiment in Equilaterals - Done!

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3, #4 - Not yet

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

I took the scraps from cutting the triangles for Experiment in Equilaterals and created a mini block to test out some quilting motifs I had in mind. The first potting session was creating equilateral triangles from the half triangles left over and seaming them together. Next up was drawing multiple pages of potential free motion quilting possibilities. Then trying my favorites on the scrap block. I'm still not sure how to do the filler around the fiddlehead ferns, but I do like my artistic rendering of fiddleheads. I liked it enough to begin the process of quilting Experiment in Equilaterals.

I used Golden Threads Quilting Paper to
line up the best location for mushrooms
and fiddlehead ferns to be quilted.
Once these have been stitched, the paper will
be torn away, and I will fill in around them.

4) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

Fortunately, pushing through my fear to start quilting Experiment in Equilaterals means I know precisely where I will begin working next week. I might do other things as well. Here is what is on the docket:

1) Work on Experiment in Equilaterals

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3, #4

3) Pot(s) made this week

4) Free motion quilting practice

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.