Creative Life Sampler

Exploring Color Options Recently, after finishing a couple of small projects with the same color palette, I got to thinking about color choices and how it is often the easiest and most comfortable choice to stick with what is familiar to us. But that can feel uninspired at times and we search around for fresh color combinations.  What can be done to break out of the hum drum of our color habits? One option is to take advantage of the tools at our fingertips. Often technology has a way of distilling information through its unprejudiced, engineered, and standardized processes that is different than the average person would process that same information. This can lead to a fresh perspective for its users. For instance, in the early 1800's the introduction of photography caused quite a stir in the artworld. Images captured through the rectangular frame of the camera lense inspired artists to look at things with a different eye. The result was a new approach to composition and the treat...

Starting a Project with Purpose  First letters of a new ABC quilt Creating words in fabric was a particularly meaningful form of expression for me in 2020. I have been dusting off my early graphic design skills and my love of type/words. I regularly add new ideas and concepts for future text quilts to my idea journal now, and then I'm presented with the problem solving challenge of how best to put these ideas in fabric. As I execute ideas, I'm getting more comfortable with different techniques, like appliqué and reverse appliqué, and my creativity "tool box" has expanded. In December, I was asked to give a trunk show/lecture and workshop for our guild, so I have been planning out a presentation of my work with the theme of text quilts in mind.  When my thought turned to the structure of a class, it occured to me that there are a lot of things that we take for granted, and do automatically, as part of our creative processes. Knowing that sometimes it is hard to verbali...

Durable Blues   News of snow, and other inclement weather across the country brought to mind the color palette of this crazy quilt.  White denim shapes pop against various shades of blue and grey, while weathered and patterned fabrics add interest and texture to the design. There are so many options available in denim, and it is a sturdy fabric that will hold up to a lot of wear and tear. It is also pretty heavy; assembling this with batting would have added a lot more weight. So, a polar fleece was used to finish off this quilt, giving it the warmth of a batting without all that weight and a soft, cozy backing on the reverse side of the denim. It was quilted very simply with a "stitch in the ditch" that follows along the seam lines of the 8x6 square gridding. I have used this block pattern on multiple occasions and have grown to appreciate the odd shapes that emerge as blocks are randomly placed side-by-side and fabrics within adjacent blocks match up. (For a description of ...

Here's to a Fresh Start in 2021    "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is  a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"   L.M. Montgomery 1874-1942 Note: Lucy Maud Montgomery  was a prolific Canadian author of 20 novels, 500 short stories, and 2 poetry collections. She drew from her experience of living on Prince Edward Island to create a series of books, the most beloved of which is Anne of Green Gables , written in 1905.