Category Archives: Sun Shine and Rust

Were Do Ideas Come From? January 9, 2014

 

Anastasi Ruins 18" X 24"  $ 110.00
Anastasi Ruins
18″ X 24″
$ 110.00

Hello-

The New Year is starting off cold in this part of the country- A feeling that makes me want to hibernate.  But I have just stay indoors and worked away instead.   Last week I said that I was going to choose a word to be my guide for this year.  The word I selected is “EXPLOIT”.  I intend to fully “exploit” my materials, stash and potential for new directions.     Like so many others I have a lot of gadgets and stuff that I have saved for just the write project- but I will not be doing that anymore.  I plan to go ahead and use them now- with out fear or worry.   That is not to say everything will be a big success, but that idea is an illusion anyway, I have given myself permission to “exploit” what I have and enjoy every bit of it.    Saying that I was asked by a friend were do my ideas come from?   After careful thought I decided there are many sources for me.Doodle

First Pay attention to what interests you.  When one is interested in something they look at it and think about it more then other items.   When I was teaching middle school every September when the students all had their new sketchbooks I would ask them to make a list of all the things that they liked in the front.  My lists change and grow from sketchbook to sketchbook as my interests change.    Together my students and I  would use the list as a starting off place for new projects when we needed it.   I still use this practice.

I love to travel and pictures from my adventures can be starting points for work.  Like the  quilt above.

I alsoBlock-and-print doodle and that can be the beginning of work for me.  I used this doodle as a starting place for a stamp that I created and printed this week.  It is not a quilt yet, but I think the graphic is good and I am sure I will use it in the furture.   Sketchbook  I find myself searching out items that I have  interests in and the list helps me remember.  Pomergranates are one of the things on my list.  So when I saw this shampoo bottle it caught my eye.   I then purchased the fruit Shampoo bottlewhen I saw it again the grocery and I did a little sketch to make myself more filmier Pomegranit2with it before I cut a series of stencils of this subject.  I am enjoying using the stamped fabric that I created using this idea. So those are three sources of ideas for me.  I will try to pay attention over the next few weeks and mouths and note were the ideas come from and point them out.

Progress Report : PomegranitPomegranate I   This work is still at the quilting step.  I have learned that I do best if I only work for about an hour before I stop and go to something else.  That way I do not hurry and mess up.   I am nearing the end, but I am not there yet.

 

Charlottes Shadow 2 Charlottes Shadow2  I had just pinned this to the wall last week.  I am building away on the top now.  The quilt is taking shape.   I use the tape measure to help me keep my sizes what I have in mind when I am working.  I want all the pieces in this series to be the same size and this method  really helps me do that.

Sunshine-and-rustSun Shine and Rust I really love the print fabric that is in this top.  That is the real starting place for this work.  I also wanted to work with a sunny color this week when the sky was so gray and it was so cold.  This project did help me feel more cheerful.

Foundations VII   I still have not settled on a title for this piece, but I am enjoying the BJ914FoundationsVIIprocess.   There is so much wonderful texture here and the free motion work is so very calming to me now that I have done so much.  This close up shows the use of  waded green organza, wool fabric and wool yarn.    There is also a little bit of colored pencil drawing in the lower left hand corner here.  I am exploiting all  my knowledge and talents on this work!

Daily'sDaily’s    I am still going strong on this project.

Stay worm and keep creating.

Carol