Week in Review 2016 - 02/12

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

The final assignment for Elizabeth Barton's dyeing class
was to select a photo, isolate some colors from it and
then dye fabric to match the selected colors. I chose this
photograph, taken by my husband, of a sunrise over
Lake Winnebago.

This week I have felt like student who has been gifted with multiple snow days in a row. I had thought I would be spending my days waiting around the courthouse with a 100 or so of my fellow citizens wondering if I would be asked to sit on a jury or not. Every time I've been assigned jury duty that is how it goes. Not this time. I called the night before, as instructed, and learned that I wouldn't need to come in the following day. Checked again the following night and lo and behold I wasn't needed at all! This meant the week was my own again. I haven't felt so gifted with unexpected free time since my daughter and husband went away for a school camping trip and my son was invited to spend the weekend with a friend. That was in 2000. How did I use my time in 2000? 100% in my studio except for when I was eating or sleeping. I began and nearly finished a quilt that I dubbed All About Time. It was sheer bliss.

These are the colors I selected from the photo.

Here is the same grid, but with the
colors that I dyed. Elizabeth kindly
told me that it is most important to
achieve a palette that works well
together vs. matching the colors
exactly. Close enough.

I didn't spend 100% of my week in the studio this time. I have too many other obligations to do that. However, knowing that I would have jury duty I had worked ahead or cleared up many obligations. How did I spend this bonus time? Pretty much like any other week but with a deeper appreciation because it was unexpected. Here's what I managed to accomplish:

I had fun using my newly acquired EQ 7 skills to good
use to design Sunrise Obsession. This is an EQ 7
rendering and NOT a pieced quilt or even my fabrics.
I have started a quilt based on the diagram using my
hand dyed fabric from the class. 

1)  Finish Deep Waters  by hand stitching the facing and adding a sleeve - (Due March 15) - Nearly done.

I have finished hand stitching the facing and begun to attach the sleeve.
2) Free motion quilting practice. - Done!

Isn't this a lovely floral motif. It is so simple once you
understand the concept of how the petals are formed.
The design is Faye's Flowers by Lori Kennedy.

It's been a while since I have treated myself to doing an Inbox Jaunt motif. Lori Kennedy tends to create images that can be repeated in borders or used in open spaces in a block. I love the look of her work, but have little practical use for it in my quilts. I just couldn't resist Faye's Flowers though. It was remarkably simple and fun to stitch out. 
3) Do some surface design work - Done!

After several very, very intense weeks of dyeing yards and yards of fabric for my class with Elizabeth Barton, I was expecting the final class to be more, if not twice as much of the same. Instead, I only needed to dye eight different fabrics and I was done.

4) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open. - Done!

My favorite part of my twice weekly yoga class is shavasana. It took me many tries to reach the deep relaxation I achieve, but now I am there within seconds of getting into the pose. This week it was suggested that we try reclining with a block behind our spine and another behind our head to achieve a chest opener or expansion. My first thought was absolutely not. Then I realized I had shut down before even giving it a chance. So, I tried the modification. No, adding blocks to my shavasana is not going to become part of my yoga practice, but at least now I am making an informed, open decision.

I am anticipating carrying forward the feeling of abundant time I achieved this week into next week. Here is how I plan on spending that time:

1)  Finish Deep Waters  - (Due March 15)

a) Finish attaching the sleeve;
b) Create and attach the label; and
c) Add it to my website.
2) Work on Sunrise Obsession

3) Free motion quilting practice.
4 Do some surface design work
5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open.

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.