Creative Life Sampler

First Project Completion for 2019   Blue Transitions I continue to work through my fabric stash.  Last year I used a warm color palette of mini prints to create Pink Lemonade , and followed it up with Pink Lemonade Deconstructed which used all the scraps left over from the first quilt (see these links if you missed them:  https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2018/07/quilt-project-update-finally-pink.html  &  https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2018/09/project-completed-this-quilt-is.html )  The idea of "transitions" in both pattern and color has caught my imagination for some time. I got to wondering what kind of color transition was possible in a hexagon pattern. So, I went back to my collection of mini prints and found there were more blues than I'd realized; a great color palette to experiment with this idea. Of course, I thought I'd use up the rest of the fabric for the backing. (The larger hexagons tie in wit...

Libraries Still Pull People In (3 of 3) I was chatting with a gentleman while I was browsing the used books at one library, and he said, "If you think this is good, you ought to see the Camarillo library!" Well, how could I let that go? My curiosity was piqued. This is the most amazing community library I have ever seen. I have to share it with you. I kid you not, I just walked through this place in wonder. It is so inviting, so thoughtfully designed.    The children's wing at the Camarillo Public Library. What child wouldn't want to explore this  pirate's  cove, and go back again and again?! Lest you think I didn’t turn over ever stone in my quest to find that cookbook, I should say that I did try the book store… in the middle of the afternoon... after school got out. What I found there was pretty interesting. Scattered among the rows of books, in every corner, at tables, on the floor, all over the place, there were teenagers. The...

Library Visits Continued (2 of 3) For Christmas, I ordered a cookbook on line as a gift and found out too late that it would be delivered after the holiday. So I thought I would get a substitute to take its place under the tree; something to give a hint of what was to come. What better place to look than the “Friends of the Library” section in many of our local libraries? Off I went to check them out. In the back of my mind I was hopeful that I would find some more examples of creativity as well. I wasn’t disappointed. At the Newbury Park Library, there was a multitude of paper  cranes  in all colors and sizes descending from the rafters. In the Thousand Oaks Library I found this stack of books...  folded pages create symbols, textures, even the word "Read".   I thought these were really cool examples of creativity.  But are you seeing a theme emerge here, or is it just me? As I was putting this together, I reali...

Creativity in Libraries (1 of 3) It started when we were on the east coast last year. We had gone through our reading material, so my daughter and I decided to check out the local library.  There in the lobby was a display case featuring the work of paper folding artist Sophia Han, (foldsandcrafts@gmail.com). Honestly from across the room I thought this was actually a living cactus!... this is constructed of paper!! She also had a few smaller items which seemed simple, but I'm sure require a good deal of proficiency.  I'm glad she included these items in her display; they helped give an idea of the folding  techniques used in tackling the more complex three dimensional plants/flowers. What I appreciated about this work was its adventurous spirit. I could almost hear a conversation with the artist... (me) "You are clearly very good at paper folding, but why did you create this cactus? Why try to replicate nature?" (Sophia) "I wante...

Linen Closet- Lord’s Snowfall (2 of 2) "Lord's Snowfall" was appliquéd and quilted all by hand. It measures 87.25 inches x 91.5 inches, and contains 46 unique appliquéd and/or quilted snow crystals which are surrounded by echo quilting.  This quilt has heard many a shared confidence, deep thoughts, and world views. My friends were lovingly supportive through it all and contributed in their special ways. Sara was my "snow crystal teacher" and made sure I was creating authentic snow crystals. Erin shared fabric pieces from her stash which helped make the background transitions more harmonious. Since we came together through church, it's title has special meaning to me. It was finished in February 2018- yes, it took 2 years and 4 months to complete. I have been waiting to show this quilt to you because I entered it in a juried show and hoped I might have the happy news that it had been accepted.... but it wasn't... competition i...

Quilting Friends (1 of 2) It's always a special moment- learning something new about a friend. It's like finding a treasure within the treasure that is your friend. When I heard that two friends from church also quilted, it was happy news; yet another thing we had in common.  For many months, we talked about getting together for some quilting: “We really ought to… Yeah, we definitely should…!” Finally, in October 2015, we decided to take turns hosting a little get together each month, nothing fancy, just a chance to catch up, share ideas, and be productive. Knowing that we would be rotating locations, I wanted a project that would be easily transportable. I had already completed several small quilts with the Hawaiian appliqu é  method, and had been thinking about how I could use that technique in a new project. My mind kept going back to the cut paper snowflakes we all make as children. So, I resolved to see if I could make snowflakes in fabric, centering them o...

And Bigger Still   (3 of 3) So, the basic unit for a Hawaiian quilt is the square. And the bigger the square the more detail you can create at the cutting stage. But the biggest challenge is to retain those great details. Remember that in appliqué of any variety you are turning under the edge and blind stitching to prevent fraying. Points, interior and exterior curves and intersections can be most vexing. This pattern is called Coconut Palm  from Vicky Fleming's book,  Hawaiian Appliqué. When I did decide to go bigger, I created a wall hanging with simple lines that felt like California to me... palm trees. In off white and a sage green fabrics, the threads for each fabric match the colors on which they appear and the lines of quilting move outward from the appliquéd pieces in the "echo" effect. I kept the quilting on the palms simple as well, with a line around the edges and very little other detailing. And thus began my experimentation with this s...

On a Roll- Multiplying the Appliqu é d Panels   (2 of 3) I found this appliqu é process ingenious! This pattern is Hana O Hawai ´i (The Birth of Hawai ´ i)  from The Hawaiian Quilt by Poakalani & John Serrao After completing my pillow, I decided I really liked working smaller, portable projects and wanted to experiment more with this technique. In 2007, I created a tryptic wall hanging to display on a rod over a bed. (Note that in California, one doesn’t lightly put anything over one’s bed that could come crashing down in an earthquake while one sleeps- this rod is secured with wire to the wall brackets.)      Once again, my mentors for technique were authors who shared their knowledge in their books and I'm sure there are nuances to this which I haven't perfected. But in a nut shell, one places a square of the top color on top of a square with the same dimensions for the background fabric. While they are together, one folds them in h...

Trying Something New- Hawaiian Appliqu é   (1 of 3) Some years ago, we took the family on a trip to Maui, Hawaii. That is where I was happily introduced to the art of Hawaiian appliqu é quilting. I found a shop filled with these impressive quilts which can be very intricate in design, but only use two colors in their execution. I was fascinated with the patterns; their symmetry and elegance really appealed to me. So, I bought a small kit to try my hand at creating an  appliquéd pillow. This turned out to be a wonderful way to start; a small project to “get my feet wet”. I really enjoyed this project and was ready to explore this new (to me) art form…

New Year’s Resolution When the clock struck 12:01 on January 1, I wished my loved ones a Happy New Year and shuffled off to bed. But I lay there pondering how the flipping of the calendar from 2018 to 2019 could generate so much excitement and expectation… for change, for progress, for good. It is not unlike pulling out a pristine, white sheet of paper to begin a drawing. There is only potential in that blank space. A pregnant pause fills the air and the artist makes the first mark; the end product still to be determined. Perhaps that is why so many people seize upon this day to make New Years’ resolutions. This blank page of a new year holds the promise of a fresh start, a new beginning. It is a chance to re-create ourselves as we envision our better selves to be.  (Remember my posts of mid-December: “… the future we create…” ? check out this link for background: https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2018/12/museums-source-of-inspiration-3-of-3-of.html ) And yet,...

"…’Tis well an old age is out,  And time to begin a new.”  John Dryden 1631-1700 The Secular Masque, line 96  Note: As a prolific and successful English writer, John Dryden developed the heroic couplet as a poetic device and became  England's first  Poet Laureate .  He was also a playwright, translator, and a literary critic.