Creative Life Sampler

Happy Autumn!                                                                                                                        © Lauren Klementz-Harte                                                           This year, given the restrictions on movement most of us have experienced, it would be easier that usual to let the world go through its motions without a notice from us. But the world does continue to turn and a new season is upon us.  It starts out gradually, hardly discernable, and then flashes of autumn change the color palette in the landscape around you. There are interesting combinations: shades of yellow against the deep blue sky, red maples next to rich pine green, orange and brown beside the olive green of grasses; evidence of the land preparing for winter. Even on the west coast where autumn is less dramatic, the subtle changes are there to appreciate,- we just need to look for them.  As shadows lengthen, days shorten and temperatures lower, may you find the time

 Just Finished! This is one of those patterns that can play with the eye. The many squares within the largest square visually accentuates the overall diagonals, as if to make an "X" in the block. In this "on point" setting, there is the illusion of a horizontal/vertical grid. So, if you look for those axes, the eye groups the squares differently and another pattern emerges.    I ran across this pattern in The American Quilt Story by Susan Jenkins & Linda Seward. The example they showed was quilted in the late 1800's, but it struck me as remarkably modern. This is the traditional setting for Carpenter's Square What is really cool is that Carpenter's Square has a very different look depending on the orientation of the blocks.  These are two options I considered before deciding to rotate the setting to put the blocks on point. Both of these versions preserved the traditional square gridding, while rotating the blocks. On the right there is a strong dia

Creative Process: Slow or Fast? I'm always on the lookout for quotes that speak to creative people in all sorts of disciplines, so I thought I'd share this one with you:  "Without totally insulating themselves against everyday matters, many quilters state that the quilting process itself is an aid in setting one's pace, offering social and communal contacts, and developing respect for oneself and for others. Quilters are learning through practice that creativity is best nurtured, not through exhaustion, but by allowing sufficient time for leisure, and they are realizing that their work partakes of their personality."   Contemporary Quilts, essay by Luella Doss                                                                                  America's Glorious Quilts (pub.1987)   Though Doss was writing about quilters, this quote addresses the creative process in an interesting way. The first point that impressed me is that creativity doesn't happen in a va

  Linen Closet: Christmas Pillow Stepping Stones block pattern, created in 2014 For those creative types that plan for homemade gift giving, this is the season to begin holiday projects! It's far more gratifying to take these things at a comfortable pace and relish the process than it is to struggle through the process at the last minute, risking dissatisfaction with the end product. And we all know that trouble shooting under the stress of an approaching deadline does not make for a joyous holiday season. So, there's no time like the present to get started. The nice thing about going with a holiday theme is that your gift becomes part of a family's holiday tradition. When it comes out of storage for seasonal decorating, it is a gentle reminder of your presence in their lives. The pillow above was created as a wedding gift for a friend who had given us this lovely pillow as a gift for our wedding: Cathedral Window block pattern Fortunately, crafts people no longer have to w

Machine Appliqu é Farm Themed Wall Hanging My discovery of Wonder Under fusible webs opened up new possibilities for creating with fabric. The webbing comes in different weights and has a paper backing. The heat of the iron is applied to the paper backing of webbing centered on a piece of fabric; then a shape is cut out. When the paper backing is removed, you have a crisp edge that won't fray and adhesive that covers the whole shape, making it easier to iron in place without bubbles or puckers. A zigzag stitch around the edge finishes it off nicely.  This quilt is one of a series of children's wall hangings I designed back in the 90's. It was inspired by the agricultural fairs that take place in late summer/early autumn across the country.  Unfortunately 2020 has up-ended everything in our lives and these festivities have been cancelled. So, with happy memories of many county fairs my family has enjoyed through the years and with a note of encouragement to children across t