Saying Goodbye

On Easter Sunday, my Mom passed away at the age of 85. 

She was a wonderful artist.

 Here sits her loom.....now still.

 Mom's 85th Birthday, last July. 

 I made this quilt for her birthday. 

I was testing Cheryl Arkison's pattern "Stripes" for her book A Month of Sundays and as the quilt progressed, it just seemed to have Mom's name on it. The colours reminded me of her weaving. 

Her death was very sudden....and now we face the process of saying goodbye. She lived a full, healthy, and very creative life, filled with family and friends. 

Thank you so much, for all your heartfelt comments. Your kindness warms my heart during this difficult time.

Every evening, since her stroke, I sit snuggled under this quilt......and I suspect that will continue, for many evenings ahead.

Marianne

A Clean Dress....Really???!!!

We've come a long way, baby. One of my sewing buddies saw fit to put this on facebook today. I just had to share it with you.

As it was our quilting day today, they actually had to the audacity to suggest my house be spotless, before they arrived and they expected to find me in a clean dress. Hmm....do I even own a dress. Never mind, this set the tone for the day and we did more laughing than quilting today.

As I read it to my husband he said "EXACTLY!....oh, to live in that time!!" My response to him was....oh never mind, you can imagine my response.

We have come a long way.

The Love Hate Relationship

Yesterday I hit that inevitable LOVE HATE relationship with my project....yup, the one I can't blog about. Yikes, now I can't even get a second opinion from my fellow bloggers.

 

You know what I'm talking about, right? One minute you are in love, the next the minute....."What the bleep was I thinking?" is muttered under your breath more than once. Okay, maybe out loud is a little more accurate!!  I can't even get an unquilterly opinion from my husband, as he is away on business....ah, a nice few days on my own, except for this love hate thing going on and then there's the deadline to stress about.

 

This morning I made some headway and I just may be in love again.....but you never know, talk to me in an hour. Of course, then there's the aftermath...................

 

 

 Yup, fabric everywhere.....sort of the down side of my crazy process!!

 

 



 I did pick up this wonderful book, the other day.....well worth reading!!!  So happy to see so many amazing quilters in this book!!! As you can see I am rather easily side tracked.

Well, back at it.....I so hope I'm still in love when I go back to my design wall!!

Balancing Act

Not only am I a quilter.....I'm a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a friend. Often I fall short in all of the above, because finding balance is not always easy!!

 This week I'm in Grandma mode, as I have my little Autumn Claire (15 months) for the week....her parents and big sister are in Mexico, for a much needed vacation. Smiling brown eyes and dimples.....need I say more, we are so in love!!! There's a reason women my age don't have babies.....every evening my husband and I fall into our easy chairs exhausted, even though she is good as gold.

Just as I have more than one role so does the space I live in.....my quilting studio has to serve more than one purpose. I have the toys for the four grandchildren in a bedroom right next to my studio....this room also serves as a guest room for out of town guests. As you can see the playpen is all ready to go for my wee girl.

 My studio has to function as a family room and a home office as well as a sewing space. The cutting table makes a great craft table for my three year old granddaughters.....I love to nurture their creativity. My biggest challenge so far is to make the space look good (the stairwell from the upstairs is very open), have it function well and be safe for when the little ones are here.

The glass door hides a multitude of equipment.....needless to say, I have a lock on the door. Curious one- year olds and long-arms don't mix all that well.....I have a fear that my one year-old grandson will think of the frame as monkey bars.

As you can see, my fears aren't totally unfounded!!!

Behind those doors it's still a work in progress!!!!! During nap time I try to keep working, on getting this organized.

I even managed to finish this little sweater....I started it almost three years ago, sigh!!!

Sooon very sooon I hope to get some quilting done.....the quilter in me is feeling neglected!!!

What Goes Up.....Must Come Down

Quite often, for me, the last step or stitch of a completed quilt is the first step down, into a time of creative discontent. This is especially true if I've been riding high on a wave of extreme creativity....you know the kind; fabric flying, ideas bombarding you from all directions and almost non-stop stitching. 

After coming down from a euphoric quilting high, a low is almost sure to follow. I chalk it up to the ebbs and flows of creativity. This is not unusual for me, yet each time it happens I'm unprepared and restless. Riding the crest of the wave is exhilarating....but what goes up, must come down.

My motivation comes to a screeching halt......yet the discontent and restlessness gnaw away at me. Do any of you   go through this as well?? How do you cope? How do get your muse back?

I've listed a few things I do to prime the creative pump...so to speak:

1. Finish something previously started, especially if there's only mindless sewing involved.
2. Go through my quilting books.
3. New Fabric perhaps??
4. Start something new.....even if I have several other projects waiting for me to finish.
5. PHYSICALLY GO INTO MY SEWING SPACE....even if all I do is stand there.
6. Take a complete break.
7. Organize my space.
8. Start playing....just for the heck of it, no expectations
9. Spend some time outdoors.

It sometimes helps to ask myself what's stopping or blocking me:

1. Does a specific project have me stumped?
2. Is there something else going on in my personal life?
3. Am I just to busy or perhaps not busy enough? There's a balance to be had with that.
4. Too many deadlines...or not enough deadlines, again what works for me?
5. What stymies me and what motivates me? 

The answers aren't always the same just as the solutions aren't. The recurring theme as I go through this process is: I DO MY BEST WORK.....WORKING FOR ME. Sounds rather selfish doesn't it. I don't necessarily mean the quilt doesn't go to someone else in the end it means giving myself compete creative license  Trust me, it's a liberating way to work.

• No rules
• No palette restrictions...except by me.
• No deadlines.....only self imposed ones.
• Not for any specific person
• Not for any specific place.
• Not for any specific purpose

When I work for me....the creativity unleashes itself, whereas when I try to create something tailored to another person's taste.....things seem to go awry.

At the moment I do have a few projects on the list that aren't for me and that could be part of the problem. And of course, as you can see from the pictures below, I have no shortage of works in progress to choose from (these are just a few).

I would love to hear how you keep up your creative motivation.

Ripple Effect II / Bloggers Quilt Festival

My usual tendency is to work on multiple projects, but every now and again, I stick to a quilt from start to finish, unable to stop. Ripple Effect II is one of those quilts.

Ripple Effect II (50" x 68")

One Sunday afternoon, I went down to the studio feeling restless and to be honest in a bit of funk, with a lot on my mind. I started playing with some wonky, curved piecing.

The quilt seemed to make itself as I tapped into the melancholy side of my temperament. I was hooked!! A little over three weeks later the quilt was done.

I was surprised by the visual impact the over-sized blocks created.

Life is not always easy....relationships  are often complex. The ripple effect of our words and actions can work for us or against us. Negativity and criticism can spread like a cancer, taking on a life of their own but positive actions and words also have a ripple effect.

As I quilted the individual blocks with ripple like quilting I thought of the many positive actions by others that have effected my life....and how even a smile or kind word can have a huge effect on someone else.

This quilt is my personal reminder........I would much rather have positive effect in this world than a negative. In other words....I do need to bite my tongue now and again or should I say on a regular basis.

I'm submitting this quilt in this year's Blogger's quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side. Amy does a wonderful job of putting together this amazing quilt show....pop over and enjoy, you won't be disappointed. Thanks Amy, this is always such an amazing event.

Lessons Learned.....while quilting

As I'm spiraling away, I always get to thinking....... now that can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the day. Lesson one, whatever fabric we cut, can be sewn back together. After all, we are doing patchwork, what's an extra seam, here or there?? And if we are doing improv, heck, we can be fearless.

 I'm really am fearless....when it comes to my fabric (most of the time), but not so much in real life. My family will attest....I'm rather a ninny (their word). I don't like speed or risk....the minute I became a mother, at the age of twenty one, self preservation became of utmost priority!! I had to stay safe for my child, now I digress.

When I pull out my fabric, I can slice it, dice it, and slice it again....and if I still don't like it I can throw it in the corner until tomorrow.

 Still spiraling.....still thinking

Lesson two, let it simmer.

I have no idea where this is going....but that's alright. I can put it on my design wall and let it simmer, move it all around and let it simmer some more. I don't have to have all the answers, I can take the time to process.

In real life, I don't always let things process or simmer enough.  I'm the "Let's get it all out on the table" type and of course, it goes without saying...... I'm married to the "Let things unfold as they unfold" type. Yikes...do opposites always attract???

So where am I going with all this?? Simply this... words spoken cannot so easily be taken back and feelings hurt cannot simply be sewn back together. Also, taking time to process and letting things simmer or to quote my husband "Letting things unfold as they unfold" often avoids those hurts in the first place.

As I was reading the different blog posts, regarding the judges comments on peoples' work, I was saddened to hear how devastated some of you were. One commenter stood out to me, as they mentioned some of the blog posts criticizing the judging at Quilt Con.  As you know, I wrote about my own feelings, on that topic.  Some of the criticisms of the judging and possibly (very likely) my own critique, diminished some of the pleasure in their winning. It did not occur to me that perhaps my own words would shake the confidence of another quilter.....it should have.

I am so sorry, if anyone reading my words felt "less deserving" as a result. If I would have waited longer  and processed more I might have avoided hurting some of you. Please forgive me if I caused you to question or if I diminished your wonderful moment in any way.

Marianne

We Regret to Inform You.....

Is rejection part of my quilting journey?  ABSOLUTELY!! 

 I know we all like to share the upside of the journey but what of the downside? 

We regret to inform you that your quilt......was NOT chosen. But is it really a downside? I believe it is an intrinsic part of the process.

When I started blogging two years ago my intent was to share my personal quilting journey with you...I don't want to start wavering on that mandate now, by Not sharing my "dear john quilt letter". 

So just how did that make me feel? I entered a quilt for the very first time, only to have it NOT be chosen. But but but.....how could they not choose my beloved Colour Shot???? I don't know. I think not knowing is probably the thing that gets me wondering. There's no interaction in this process, only the words.....We regret.

Will it get me down? ABSOLUTELY NOT. When I choose to put my work out there, rejection or criticism is part of the risk I am very willing to take. When I go to Quilt Con in February it will be interesting to see which quilts were accepted into the show...as I said, "it's all part of the experience." 

I Was Starting to Wobble

Last week my Christmas Crabbiness was starting to creep up on me. Deadlines to meet, gifts to buy, multiple Christmas events and a sore knee that has me spending way to much time at the Chiropractor's office. 

And yes, Mr. Christmas was cranking up his usual Christmas cheer.

This week has me heartbroken over the recent tragedy in the States. I'm holding my little ones closer and pray that God will hold close the victims, of this senseless crime.

As my little granddaughters baked cookies with Grandpa, my thoughts kept going to the families that have lost so much.

Just a little more icing.... 

The Most Amazing Christmas Cookies Ever!

Even Mr. Christmas needed a nap after that event.

And he's not the only one.

It's so easy to take our loved ones for granted. My heart is heavy but thankful. 

Finding My Process

I'm struggling to find my process, as I work on a small writing project. The first time doing anything can be challenging....it's like creating a prototype. It feels like I'm working from scratch and its placing a substantial drain on my creative energy. 

I find myself working on everything and anything but the project at hand. And yet the feelings are familiar, I've been in this same place before. Scattered unsure and not quite understanding my own process.

How does one know what their creative process is? I believe one can learn a lot from studying their own successes and failures. Observing when something really works and when something clearly doesn't. So as I slug through this I'm trying to discover the approach, that works best for me.

What works for you, as you create a quilt or another type of project? Do you draw sketches, use a design program or dive right into the fabric like I have a tendency to?

 I've discovered something interesting....you are part of my process. Since I started blogging, almost two years ago, I find sharing my process, with you  as I work, gives me a creative spurt of energy. I value our interaction tremendously.

 I remember feeling that very same uncertainty as I wrote my very first blog post. Doing something new often brings a certain amount of uncertainty, but there are rewards in working through the process.

 I'm glad I didn't let my doubts stop me from blogging. I would have missed out.
 

I've left the snow and busyness behind for a few weeks and returned to the beautiful West Coast. 

 

Here's hoping that will give me the creative surge I need to complete my project. Nothing may come of it, but I view it as an essential part of my quilting journey, no matter what the outcome.

I've also fallen behind on my last Free Bee Block. It's for my friend Dan of Piece and Press, who made me the most incredible block. I just can't quite get my head around what I want to make for him.

 

 I'll probably go with the very first thing that came to mind when I saw his inspiration quilt.  That's worked for me the other months of the bee....so maybe going with a process that has been successful, in the past will work again.

 

Thanks for listening and being such an important part of my quilting journey

 

Marianne

Sometimes A Snow Day is a Good Thing

Even the best plans are waylaid sometimes. We got snow....I mean we really got snow. No visiting with my little granddaughters today (such a pleasant diversion).

 Instead, it's time to face few things things on my to do list, that I've been avoiding....some of them even have deadlines. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I've been twiddling my thumbs....remember all those design walls. 

But moving  rooms around can create a fair bit of chaos. I DON'T FUNCTION WELL WITH CHAOS.....It puts my chaotic brain into overdrive. But chaos is such a great way to procrastinate doing the things I really should be doing, but in the end just creates more stress.

Seriously, there wasn't a fleck of snow on this deck last night.

So back to those deadlines.....

On another note...................

Inspiration is everywhere to be found.  I saw this area rug yesterday (before the snow came)  at Walmart,  as I was running errands, and yes some of them were actually on my to do list.

I'm a Colour and Pattern Junkie

Colour and pattern call my name.....continuously. 

 

it shows up in my work...

in how I display my scarves and purses...

 the purses I choose to buy....

 in my stationary and notebooks...

yikes, even in my coasters... 

And yes, last not but not least, on my dinner table....

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Canadians out there.

 I hope you've had as much to be thankful for, as I have. Two beautiful new grandchildren this year....words can't express, how thankful we are.

Using Your Quilts

I'm definitely in the
"quilts are made to be used" camp. 

My West Coast Quilts really got some love this week.....

Add a little fun in the sun 

A Little Water Play 

 Chase a few ducks

Hug a dolphin

A lovely week with family.....so much fun.