Friday, February 17, 2017

Week in Review 2017 - 02/17



I did take time to dash out on the balcony
and capture this glorious sunrise.
Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

I'm having difficulty focusing these days. It reminds me of being a young mother trying to have a professional conversation on the phone, while my toddler hanks at my pant leg with pleading eyes for attention, and a pot is boiling over on the stove. I do not excel at multi-tasking. 

The reality is there is no such thing as multi-tasking. Instead we may rapidly switch between focuses, appearing to be multi-tasking, but we are really do only one thing at a time. A good way to understand what is meant by this is to write out your full name. Next write out the numbers from 1 - 25. Finally alternate between writing out your name and the numbers, interspersing the numbers with the letters. So, for my first name it would look like this: G1w2y3n4e5d6. Even typing it is a nightmare.

The result of a week being pulled in numerous directions is I have very little completed work to show for it, as you can see:

Last week I shared a possible design
for Picking Up the Pieces #2. This week
an idea for Picking Up the Pieces #3 
wouldn't let me go. It will require many butterflies. 

1) Work on the design for Picking Up the Pieces #2 - No

Instead I moved directly into playing with designs for Picking Up the Pieces #3.

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 - No

Didn't do this either.

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

I attempted to make butterflies three different ways. One was so diabolically difficult with such poor results, I tossed it. I 
think for the purposes of this quilt, I will stick to fusible appliqué, backed with a stabilizer, and surrounded with black satin stitch. The stabilizer keeps the satin stitch from distorting the work and was very easy to remove without tearing stitches. 


4) Free motion quilting practice - Done

I wanted to see if I could recreate the combination of motifs I saw on Pinterest post without marking the top. I could. 👍
There will be lots of open space for free
motion quilting in both Picking Up the Pieces
#2 & #3
. Time to test out some ideas I've
found in Pinterest.

5)  Attach a sleeve to Siren's Song - Done

I finally took the time to just sit down and do it. 

Next week will probably be more of the same. I have several appointments and another active SAQA exhibitions week to attend to. When I can manage to make my way to the studio this could be the plan, or maybe not. I'm comfortable going with the flow for now.

1) Work on the design for Picking Up the Pieces #2 and/or #3

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1

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.

5 comments:

  1. re:multitasking. I never considered it before, after all I grew up doing homework in front of the TV. Now I sew while listening to books being read. It's true that we're actually bouncing from focus to focus I guess... My husband says we're all stressed because we're now responsible to keep up with technology, medicines and their interactions, and every single motion by the pol's. We exhausted! It's amazing any of us can make art at all!

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  2. Your free motion quilting looks lovely! Are you quilting on a domestic machine or a long arm?

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  3. Great photo and I'm in awe of your FMQ.

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  4. For an "unproductive" week you got quite a bit done. With the week had, I can see why the best creTive outlet was the meditative free motion. Looks great!

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  5. Hello Gwyned,

    Multitasking - yes I have been having the same problem. Getting distracted too easily and only working in short spurts. In fact, butterflies just about sum it up.

    Your FMQ is beautiful, such a lovely combination of motifs.

    Thank you for linking up with Free Motion Mavericks!

    Love, M1u2v3

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