Week in Review 2015 - 04/10

Finally, the beading on
Mondrian Tackles Fibonacci
is done!

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

I had barely clicked on the publish button for last week's blog before I realized my error. The error didn't make much of a difference to the blog. It did catch me up short. Was this a senior moment? For those of you who follow my blog you know I have been obsessively focused on beading the final section of Mondrian Tackles Fibonacci for many weeks. I announced in last week's post  that I had just half a day's worth of beading to go and I would be done. I truly believed that. Then it hit me, I had half a day's worth of beading to do on the improvisational tendril like sections. I had another couple of days to go to finish the vines. How could I completely forget those vines? Why, after more than 25 years of making quilts, do I still find it difficult to accurately calculate the time it will take me to finish? A while back I heard that most people under predict the time it takes to do something that they love doing, while over predicting the time it takes to do something that they have an aversion to. This makes sense to me.

Click on the image for an enlarged version.
This will help you distinguish the tendrils
from the vines and the quilting.
The photograph was taken before washing the quilt.
All the blue marking ink washed out nicely.

The upshot of last week's work is that I did manage to finish 100% of the beading, both tendrils and vines. I just didn't get much more done. Here is what I accomplished:

1) Mondrian Tackles Fibonacci - (Due May 1, 2015)

a) Finish beading - Done
b) Wash and block - Done
c) Trim to size - Not yet
d) Make and attach bias binding - Not yet
e) Make and attach sleeve - Not yet
f) Make and attach label - Not yet

2) Free motion quilting practice. - Done

Is it free motion quilting done densely or thread painting?
Does it matter? Next week I hope to add highlights to
the stem. If I do that then it will be thread painting.

There is a fine line between thread painting and free motion quilting. This week I began a practice piece to do a little of both. The fabric comes from my stash of hand painted, surface design style fabrics. I think this was a drop cloth enhanced with Shiva Oil Paintstiks. I find it easiest when attacking a new free motion quilting piece to break it down into segments, much the way you would when creating a zentangle. What I love most about zentangles is the value differentials achieved dense and sparse designs. There are usually a few very strong solid lines as well. That is what I am starting with as I experiment with this piece.

3) Post the number of days I have worked in my studio in 2015 - 29/126

4) Perform a random act of kindness - Done

5) Night Vision - 

a) Add the label - On hold until I need a second label

Will next week go by quickly or will it drag? I suspect a mixture of both. At least I have my art planned out as follows:


1) Mondrian Tackles Fibonacci - (Due May 1, 2015)

Where will Lola nap now that the beading is done
on Mondrian Tackles Fibonacci? 

a) Trim to size
b) Make and attach bias binding
c) Make and attach sleeve
d) Make and attach label

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) Night Vision - 

a) Add the label - On hold until I need a second label

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 - 05/24

I have been infatuated with quilting “Adoration” this week. I set myself the Herculean task of quilting quite a complex pattern in the background section. I made a few mistakes that I picked out and one near an edge that I opted to leave in. I doubt even I will be able to find it. How did this infatuation effect my week? Not a single item on my to do list got checked off, BUT if I can maintain my pace for a few more days I should finish quilting, squaring up and facing “Adoration” in time to make the June 1, 2013 deadline. This week’s plan remains my plan for the week ending May 31, 2013, so I will only state it once.

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

a) Finish quilting “Adoration.”

Full view image of "Adoration" with the balance of the
Grandmother's hair and navy blue background left to quilt.
The dangling threads will be buried in the quilt.
Click on the image to see an enlarged version.

 Areas quilted this week were the medium blue background, the grandmother’s face and neck and half of her hair.

b) Bury dangling quilting threads

c) Square up the piece in preparation for facing.

d) Face

2) Express Your Love

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

b) Do whatever assignment Leah comes up with next.

True, the hair is part of "Adoration" but the quilting motif
is my interpretation of Leah's Connecting Ocean Currents.

I actually did try Leah’s latest lesson on a free motion quilting pattern she named Connecting Ocean Current. I used it for the tendrils in the grandmother’s hair.

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.

Tips, Techniques and Thoughts:

A question I am asked frequently is “where do your ideas come from?” The simple answer is from my way of being. Where did that way of being come from? I expect a part of it came from a combination of nature (I am adopted) and nurture. However, the root of tapping into this being happened when I joined an on-line study group that tackled “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. It is from this book that I learned about synchronicity. Call it what you will, the more observant you become the more aware you are of connections and signs everywhere. That is what happened when I was debating how to quilt the grandmother’s hair in “Adoration.” I had several ideas, but it wasn’t until I checked into Leah’s latest assignment that I found my answer just when I needed it. I am so convinced of the power of living “The Artist’s Way” that I use it as my text for mentoring private students.