Let's not get sidetracked

I find it so hard to stay on track with what I am doing. Whenever I am doing something I want to have it completed now and become impatient and start to lose interest. One project can often inspire you for something else that you just have to start straight away and before you know it you are drowning in many many works in progress and no inspiration to finish them.

I am trying to work on getting some of my recycled clothing down - I want to make a large quilt with some of the shirts (cut intou four inch squares). And of course while doing this I hit on an idea to use the pockets (large squares containing the pockets cut about 6 inches) on a wall hanging and use the pockets to put small treasures into etc.

I am trying not to get too side tracked onto new projects and stick to what I am trying to achieve and that is to get the list of unfinished projects down by actually finishing a few things. Some of course require more work than others and if I didn't procrastinate and got down to it then a few more would be finished or closer to being finished. At the end of the day all I want to do is start a new prject - it is the sewing that I enjoy - it is soothing and relaxing. And of course I keep getting new ideas.

At Christmas I have started to try and work on a small project (8 x 8) easy to start and easy to finish - sort of. It is a bit of a play with what we did in the Dottie Moore class. The project is not so much important in itself but the creativity that it brings to me. To come up with a small sketch or drawing and then to execute that in fabric. I started my first one as a sketch of a woman in a flowing garment - Because of the small jumble of fabrics for her garment I didn't want to use any fusible web and used my glue stick instead. I am pleased with what I accomplished - there were one or two compromises made but I am happy with them. I now have to decide what to do about quilting it or attaching it to the backing rather than just the glue. Could I peel it off the backing and perhaps put it onto some fusible web and then iron it back - it would put off having to decide about stitching.

My second effort was a palm free. I had seen the idea a couple of years ago and was very taken with it. So pencil in hand I drew a sectioned palm tree on a scrap of paper. It was a bit untidy but a good start so I fished out some webbing and my scrap dyed fabrics and set to work. The background is very dark so I needed bright colours for the tree, an orange/red trunk and light bright green fronds. The fiddly part is cutting all the shapes out and laying it out. At the end of it I was very impressed with what I had done.

This is something I should try to do more often - I will try to do the drawings myself even if I have a picture in front of me that I want to try to emulate - I rather like a folk art theme. Something creative every so often like this would keep me going and sooner or later will lead to something bigger. I don't think I will keep them for a larger project but let each one stand by itself. I might find one that I particularly like and want to do a series on a theme or use them as a gift for someone.

The ultimate goal is to keep the creative energy going and challenge myself to get other larger projects nearer completion so that I can get onto my next small picture.

The small inspirational project needs a name - you know - "I must do XYZ before I can get onto my next ??? (small inspirational project). Something fun and catchy. Something for me to think about while I procrastinate. As usual the name will come to me at an odd moment.

Possum Dancing

Darn that jolly possum. He hops up on the roof and clambers about making a racket - running this way and that - like little possum races around the roof. And then down he comes and into the garden, he particularly loves the Rheus tree but it is too brittle for his weight at the tips and they keep breaking under his weight. I keep hoping that one day he will break his neck. I can't think of any ways of getting rid of him that is safe and doesn't endanger the cats. They are particularly thoughtful of me when we hear the possum on the roof, they all snuggle closely to me to reassure me that they are there keeping me safe. And they are very brave and come outside with me sometimes when we hear the possum and stay very close around my legs to the point where they almost have a peace pact, all to ensure my safety.

The rain over the last fortnight has kept the possum away a lot of nights but I am sure he makes up for lost time racing around the roof on the nights when it is not raining or is a little drier. I don't know what it is about the roof that he does this or is he after the birds and their chicks that nest under the roof that he is trying to get to. Whatever it is I wish it would stop and leave me in peace.

Company at Christmas

What is it about people that they cannot conceive that there are some people who want to be by themselves, even at Christmas. I got to the stage I had to tell lies about what I would be doing on Christmas Day just to have peace. I was happy to be by myself afterall it is just another day. Admittedly I did decide to clean off the kitchen table and put all my quilting things away - Christine was coming on Boxing Day - and I wanted things to be tidy for the two days. And of course my Christmas treat was a box of Cherry liquor chocolates - yum, although I didn't actually eat many. And utter decadence, I made a chocolate cate - nothing fancy just a plain microwave cake that wasn't quite as good as an oven cooked one but it was good. '

Christmas Eve was a wonderful hot day and so what did Christmas Day do - it was wet and cold and then of course come Boxing Day it was wonderful and not again - grrrr.

The water is still not right - still that smell of sulphur. Oh, that is right I forgot to mention that the neighbour forgot to shut an irrigation gate one night and flooded our property - really flooded the place well - the poor cats were trapped in the house as it was totally surrounded by water. Thankfully it wasn't too too high but darn well high enough. And I think that some of the water may have seeped into the tank. Although I don't like to think of that because it has never happened before - I mean why doesn't it seep in when it rains or is there not enough to cause a problem them but with the flooding and all the shit and much that is carried in the water there was. I keep trying to think that it is the Council that is at fault but then surely someone else would have complained about it surely? I keep hoping that eventually I will get ahead of whatever is infecting the water and eventually dilute it out - dreams are free.

Christine's quilt just needs the binding now to finish off and of course a label. She has decided that she would like to hang it on the wall at first so I will put a hanging sleeve on it for her. So to give her a bed quilt I have given her my dyed fabric quilt - the one that I hand quilted all my old microwave dyed fabrics - it is a wonderful and colourful quilt with a very simple four patch and half square triangle blocks.

It was wonderful to catch up with Christine and to spend a couple of hours with her. Ritchie is wonderful too - he is so easy to talk to and comfortable to be with.

And now back to life as we know it . Must set up the sewing machine and start to do some more work on my WIPs and UFOs. The garden needs some work (clearing weeds) and I must do some more housework - dusting would be a start.

And thankfully people left me alone at Christmas - I was worried that I would have lots of people checking up on me but in the end they left me alone which is what I had wanted all along. Phew!

Approaching Christmas at speed

It is that time of the year once again when we are bombarded with advertising for all the sorts of expensive gifts we should be buying and all the cheap knick knacks in the shops that only come out for Christmas. All the food and the decorations, all the wine, and even more food. And then there are all the Christmas parties that everyone seems to feel are necessary.

Why do we need all this - why can't it be simple and relaxing shared with friends and family without all the stress that we put upon ourselves. It becomes so expensive buying not so wonderful presents for people you don't really like and don't see all that often anyhow.

Why do we do it? Is it because that somehow we are not seen as fitting in with everyone else, that we dare not step off the line and a touch of oneupmanship creeps in - we have an image to maintain. What happened to the simple handmade gifts and homemade food?

I would rather a nice picnic with friends somewhere relaxing and enjoy their company without the stress of buying presents and far too much food. Yes, I would like it simple and easy.

Managing by myself

Well it is a month now that I have been by myself and I have been fine - I think the only time that I really needed someone else around was when establishing a broadband connection was being difficult, now it is just expensive.

I haven't done as much as I would have liked but I have tried to be steady with my quilting and keep doing something each week. I have a lot of Christine's quilt quilted, Tony's quilt just needs binding which I don't think will be an easy job, I have nearly finished sewing the binding down on the second wall hanging and now that I have found the Japanese Black fabric I can do the binding on the third.

I have started on the Club Quilt Challenge and have most of the top made - very imaginative with four inch square sewing together 10 x 8 squares. I am not sure about a border or not and I will tie it with buttons I think and add a couple of shirt labels.

I was questioning myself recently, do I really need to keep all the furnishing fabrics. I mean what am I really going to do with them. The same goes for a lot of the fabrics that I have got from the Op Shop - what am I going to do with them. Oh yes, it would be nice to do some art quilts/wall hangings but will I really get there ??? But then what will I do with all those fabrics, I don't want to just give them to Tracey - I don't think she deserves them. The furnishing fabrics are easy, I can give them to the Tuesday group for charity quilts.

I really should look at a lot of the other things that I have lying around as well. All that beautiful silk needs to be made up into whatever it was that I planned to make with it. All the wool that I bought for needle felting - well perhaps Shirley might like to have it. I really didn't get into the trading cards much as I wanted to and still might do something provided it is fabric which means there is a lot of "stuff" that can go out and I can give away some of it to people who do scrap booking.

If I have a good "dung out" I can concentrate on quilts and not be side tracked as I so often easily am. It will give me more space and room in my quilt room.

With all the rain we have been having I haven't got into the garden as much as I wanted to - there are a small number of jobs that I wanted to do and some plants that need to be put out. The poor lawn needs mowing too - I don't know when Derek is going to come again but I may have to do it myself when the weather dries out a bit.

Time Management

I have two months of just me and the cats so I want to manage my time a bit better. It is amazing how much more time I seem to have when I am by myself. I think when others are around me I slow down to their pace and don't do as much.

I have sort of made a plan of some of the things that I want to do and if I break it down into weeks and so much every when then I should achieve something if I can stick to the goals. As long as I make them manageable goals and can maintain the momentum.

There is so much that I want to do. Of course there is the quilting - I have a lot I want to achieve. I have three wallhangings that I want to get the binding done one, I want to try and get as much of Christine's quilt done as I can if not finished. I also want to finish Tony's quilt and the puff quilt that needs to be tied. After that everything is a bonus I suppose. There are a number of quilts that just need borders to finish them and I don't want to have just plain borders on all of them either. And if I get the borders all done then it is down to making backings for them all and starting to sandwich and quilt some of them. I really don't want to start any major projects in the meantime but that is easier said than done.

I have my swap parcel to put together and that needs something hand made to go in it so I must remember that too.

Back to my plans. I want to go through the house room by room and do a minor spring clean in all of them. And then there is the garden - I want to tame more of the jungle out the back and tidy up the small area by the computer room and plant the shade loving plants that are sitting on the deck in the full sun.

Not a lot eh?

In a Garden

I had a wonderful gardening weekend - in other people's gardens. The NZ Trillium Group had their annual get together this weekend and there were some wonderful gardens to visit. It was pouring rain but that didn't stop a good turn out but it did stop me after I got soaking wet despite a good jacket and umbrella. It is totally inspiring the wonderful large country gardens that some people have that cover more than a few acres, especially when they do all the work themselves! It inspires me to get into my garden more and try to tame the jungle and reclaim some of the garden beds from the weeds. I don't want to take on too much that will draw me away from my quilting but I really should spend some time each week in the garden. I think the first tasks will be to do lots of spraying with Round-up to kill off the weeds and then to put down lots of compost and mulch. After that it is to carefully maintain each area as I bring it back into some semblance of order.

I also bought some small treasures for the garden but it isn't worth getting too carried away and buying too many at once. For me often the best way to keep track of myself and what I am doing is to have a gardening type diary and write all my plans in that.

Ken will be away soon and I have my plans for when he is away - time will need to be found for gardening in all my plans - there seems to be so much that I want to do during this time - two months will go along very fast.

Creative Urge

My creative urge seems to be waning at the moment. I am keen to start something new but just cannot find something that calls to me. There are lots of ideas that I am keen on but again nothing stands out. I really must get into my stash and start to use it more but when I decide go look through for a set of colours there doesn't seem to be much selection - if I want a dark blue they all seem to be medium or pale or too patterned or not quite the right colour or shade. I have been dyeing lots of fabric lately so the creative urge hasn't quite left me but when it comes to making a decision to overdye some fabric or do some printing then I seem to not quite find the time or the weather is wrong or some other reason. I am the same with housework at the moment too - mind you I am always like that with the house work.

When Ken is away for his two months sabbatical then I really must get stuck in to all the things that are sitting waiting for me. There is so much to be finished off with my patchwork and I really must put Christine's quilt together and start to quilt it for her. I thought I might set up the sewing machine on the dining table which will give me lots of extra light during the day and at night I can have the TV on for company. I really should dive into 43 things and add my plans to that - I really don't go there much but it is a good place to put those sorts of private lists. Ahh those secretive little lists that I have on bits of paper in my pockets and in notebooks. I keep meaning to have a book of lists and one day I will have one - it can be an art book too with doodles in it and some pictures just to give interest in it. Another of my wonderful ideas that really doesn't seem to go far I suppose.

What's happening

After a big busy weekend retreat I am going to have a lot of quilt tops sitting waiting to be quilted - ten in fact. I think I might send a couple of them away to be professionally done just to get the numbers down (and they will be my largest quilt tops too). There are five quilts that just need borders and three to be bound. I am on the lookout for something new to get on and start sewing.

Small change of plans

My timing has had to be changed and I now go over to the US in July. Hopefully I can get to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. It would be good too to catch up with other quilters over there - I always enjoy seeing what other people are doing.

Time Flies

My goodness it is so long since I have written anything. Have things been bland and boring - not really, but I suppose there just hasn't been anything that seemed exciting enough to inspire me to write. And of course now there is.

I have finally decided when I want to travel to the US next year. I saw a quilter on TV who takes week long residental workshops in her home - it look good and sounded great so I contacted her and it all has gone from there. I am now hoping to spend a week with Judith Trager at her home in Boulder, Colorado. And finally I will go at the end of April and hopefully catch the AQS show in Paducah Kentucky and end up home again mid June. It feels good to have started to make some definite decisions re my travel.

It is not long until Ken is away on his own trip too - only about 5 weeks which is not long at all. I have big plans for myself when he is away. I want to do a spring clean on the house and set up my sewing machine in the dining area and quilt there during the time he is away. I will have to get Christine's quilt done then as it is the only bit opportunity of time that I will have. I really need to get on and quilt a couple of my other larger quilts as well.

Lots to do, lots to plan - lots of my beloved lists to write!

Spring

Spring seems to be early this year or is it just that Winter has never really happened. We haven't had much rain which the paddocks really need though I don't miss all the mud and puddles.

The garden is leaping ahead and I really need to get into it and rediscover more of the jungle out there - I am finding that a little bit every day helps - I don't feel overwhelmed when I am only intending to just a little bit and it is always good to see how much of a difference even that little bit makes.

The early bulbs are up and flowering and it seems that every day there is something new to see in the garden. Tabby is enjoying rolling around on the earth though I wish he wouldn't squash everything in the effort.

Time marches on

I can't believe how long it has been since last posting - probably the winter cold weather keeping me away from the computer. It is so cold up in the computer room at night, not a lot better during the day either.

I have started my mystery quilt and it is so much different to how I imagined it would be, even knowing how it would look. One lot of blocks are very blendy and the alternate set are very "look at me" - I almost want to replace the blendy blocks.

I am trying to get on with some of my UFOs and WIPs to get them a bit further out of the way - the Friday nighters once a month have helped - I just have to stop myself from starting new projects but that is easier said than done. At the moment the only project if you can call it that is cutting up a lot of novelty fabrics from the club stash. I am finding it boring and uninteresting though.

It has been good to have a clean out and send a few bits and pieces away to the UFO orphanage - it stops me feeling guilty that they have been hanging around for so long.

I have what seems to be a growing list of small jobs to do with my patchwork, those small jobs that don't take too much time to do just one small step. I think I will use my club Friday nights to do these. Waihola is coming up soon and I want to look out for those larger more time consuming jobs that I can take down with me. There are 3-4 wallhangings that need their quilting finished. Hopefully my parcel from the USA will arrive with all the fabrics that I ordered for borders and then I can put the borders on 2-3 large tops and have them ready to sandwich. And it would be nice to have something cut ready to sew for when I just want to relax.

It is amazing how relaxing it is just to sit and sew simple blocks together.

Life goes on

Just when you don't expect it the computer keyboard goes on the fritz. I didn't realise how much more I use my right thumb on the space bar than the left. And of course it is the right side of the bar that has gone, rather difficult to type at times. Almost like when I had to change which finger I typed my B with after getting a split keyboard with the B on the left and up until then I had been using my right hand for the B. Strange considering that I am left handed and you would imagine that I would naturally use my left hand over my right hand. I wonder if that is part of being ambidextrous (?sp).

Mystery quilts

I have to select fabrics for a mystery quilt and thought it shouldn't be too difficult even though I know I can procrastinate a lot with making decisions choosing fabrics. The biggest problem turned out that I have so many fat quarters and not much else in the larger pieces (except perhaps for the Hoffman Bali fabrics). And even then everytime I thought that I had found just the right fabric it was only in a FQ - darn it. I was not wanting to buy fabric but to use my stash.

Actually looking through my stash for another project that used FQ it was hard to find say 3-4 co-ordinating fabrics that could be mixed and matched for the project. I seemed to have so many individual fabrics that didn't really go with much else. I must look at finding something to use them in but I don't want to be forever doing scrap type quilts. I suppose if I did something using the same colour family - say a 9 patch or something might be a way of doing it. An idea to work on for the future.

I recently worked on a mystery quilt from the net although I had seen how it turned out. It was still quite amazing to see it finished as it still looked quite different. I really liked the pattern and have come up with a couple of small variations that I want to try out with making another one. Must get on with working on some more UFOs and get some projects crossed off my list. It helped with organising a parcel to send to the UFO Orphanage - I don't feel guilty sending away projects that I do not want to continue with - they will go to good homes.

Catching up with myself

I feel as though I have been doing nothing exciting or interesting for a while but I have been getting a lot of quilting done. I just need to make time to do more quilting and some of the other crafts that I want to do. I have had a couple of work days over the last month and have managed to get a lot done. Three wallhangings have been sandwiched and the quilting has been started so there shouldn't be too much to do, one of them is to be finished with minimal handquilting around some applique. The cabin windows quilt needs to have the large blocks sashed and then put together - I will have to decide whether a border is needed or not - I could probably order something through Hancocks - cheap, cheap, cheap. I have finally started on Tony's quilt top and will buy the batting soon for it - I will only be tieing it instead of quilting so that shouldn't be too bad - I could even put the binding on quite early while still tieing the quilt. I still have a couple of scrap quilts that I am slowly working on. Oh, and the dyed earth quilt top is progressing well - just have two diagonal rows to sew together - setting triangles to be cut and sewn on and hey presto the top is ready for a border (or not).

I had a big parcel arrive from Hancocks - lots of yummy batiks again - yum! I really must plan to use the batiks for some quilt tops - my collection is getting large. Actually I really need to make a dent into my stash and use some of the older fabrics - makes room for lots more new fabrics! I do have some ideas for lots of simple quilt tops - something to work on in the future.

Relationships

The more I get to know people the more I appreciate my cats

bits and pieces

Well my workshop was interesting. We had a slide show first on the work of Don Driver and some of his influences. We were to then do a small fibre collage based on what we had seen. Obviously we weren't working to quite the same large scale as some of his works but it was fun to work even on a smaller scale. With the speed that we worked it was all very intuitive in placement and design. We used staplers and glue guns to attach a lot of pieces. There was an amazing variety of fibres to work with - nothing really very traditional. Lots of feed sacks, tea towels and larger pieces to use as backgrounds and then lots of less usual pieces to put on them including cutlery, metal pot scrubs, suede, silver heat blanket etc. I can't say it is something I would do again but it was fun to do something totally different.

Our embroidery guild had a friendship day during the week and we had a very successful day with lots of visitors. I didn't get around and see what everyone was doing this time - ended up being very busy with a new piece that I have started. It took me ages to decide what to do for the day, not being a traditional embroiderer, and I ended up with a piece of calico that I had dyed and then ironed on a large piece of painted vliesofix (wunder under I think some call it). I am doing herringbone stitch in the crease lines with a little straight stitch and some couching. There are interesting lines of movement and shadowing that should make it look interesting when I have finished.

I also did some quilting. My maths was out in calculations and I need to do about four times as many blocks as I had originally thought. They are just some basic stuffed puffs using a lot of my scrap basket fabrics. It was started in an effort to radially use up a lot of my scrap basket and something easy to sew while I procrastinate in finishing a lot of other projects. I didn't want to start anything new that was too complicated and distract me from what I should be doing which is sandwiching and quilting about 6 tops. What I really need to do is take myself off somewhere peaceful where I can sit and quilt without interruptions.

Oh, and I did some paper collage - I tried to do something a bit different and it was fun - I work better if I work quickly and don't think too much about what I am doing and don't dither too much on my decisions. If I start to think too much about what I am doing and the whys and wherefores of what I am doing then I start to procrastinate about what I am doing and end up in a muddle and very unsatisfied with my choices and decisions.

Next week I must make a start on a quilt that a friend asked me to do for him. It is really easy peasy - just two large pieces of printed fabric to be sewn together and then bound and tied. It is a wonderful ethnic fabric that is too nice to cut up and really doesn't suit a lot of machine or hand quilting. It shouldn't take too much time to do once I get started so since he is coming next weekend for a visit I should at least make a start on it for him.

cruising around

I had a bit of a surf amongst one or two blogs this morning. It is great how someone will mention anothers blog that they enjoyed and so I checked one or two out this way. They are definitely ones that I will check out again. I was good too and let a small note that I had visited - it is nice to know when someone has visited. It made me even more seriously aware that I need to organise myself with regards to doing some photos. I always enjoy others photos - they can be quite inspiring for me and lead me to one or two ideas of my own or they just inspire me to get out and be creative (in any form). One in particular had some freeform embroidery on a background that looked interesting and reminded me that an experimental piece at a recent "play day" wasn't that bad afterall and was really worth trying that technique again. The one good thing about freeform embroidery is that my lack of skill with embroidery doesn't show - the stitches all look as though they were mean't to look so rough and haphazard.

I also enjoy the humour - I am still finding it hard to put words on paper but the more that I write the more my style will improve. One of my biggest problems is the worry of what other people will think of me and that I am not really good enough or as good as "the others". I usually talk myself out of that by saying to myself that I am doing it to please me, it is something that I am enjoying and the more that I do the better I will become. Well that is the theory but on the way I try to make sure that I am enjoying myself and having fun. Life is too short not to have some fun in our daily life.

So I am off today to our local art gallery for a workshop. I am not quite sure what to expect except that we will be creating with fibres in the style of one of the featured artists in the gallery. He had created an amazing large wall hanging with old feed sacks and old garden implements. I am looking forward to doing something totally different and out of my usual comfort zone - this definitely fits the having fun criteria. Will have to report later on what the workshop is like.

May Day

I had a creative day playing with textures. We were using furnishing fabrics - all the synthetic ones and after cutting the fabrics up and laying them onto a background we stabilised them with a few stitches and then got out a heat gun and singed them - they really shrunk up and melted to create interesting textures. Something interesting that I want to play with more. They were also using a paper that reacted similiarly to Tyvek - it is normally used to wrap flowers in by a florist - will try to see if I can get some. We also used the same types of fabrics and wrapping them around a satay stick and burning to create beads - they looked quite interesting and were a lot of fun. It was interesting to see how the different fabrics reacted to the intense heat.

I had a bit of a spend as well (as you do). Bought another book on silk paper making which was excellent - it goes before the other book I have in that it has more basics in it for beginners to silk paper making. I bought a small pack of silk in very dark colours and some silk rods. I had seen an article in a magazine that used silk rods that had been sewn together and embroidered - very nice. Bought a mould as well that I want to use with silk and some very nice dyed thread that I have no idea what I will do with it beyond that it appealed to me.

I have also been playing with some ATCs and silk paper that I had cut up. I did a few embroidery stitches on the silk and then glued it to a painted card. They look quite nice but I wondering if they might be too plain for some people. I shouldn't worry about it because the cards are an expression of me.

Dancing to your own drum

I love that saying. It came up somewhere recently when someone said (about someone else) that she danced to her own drum. It sounds joyous and fun. I think it is something we should all do for ourselves more often if we don't already. It is fine to go along to the shared beat but every so often to dance to your own drum. Don't we always admire those people who do just that or are we afraid of them and turn away from them for their non conformity. I think it is a good thing for all of us to do from time to time - to be ourselves and to do something for ourselves without thinking what others would think of us or how they would see us.

Yes, let's dance to our own drum!

silk paper and book binding

Had a wonderful day learning how to make silk paper. We used different types of silk, mulberry, tussah and a couple of "natural" looking types - very rustic looking. Oh, and we also used hemp to make paper as well. It was a lot of fun - I particularly liked using the "natural" silks and the hemp to make paper - I am not so sure about the other papers - a bit thin perhaps. I was a little disappointed in the texture that the netting we used imprinted itself on the surface of the paper and made it "matt" and not the glorious shiny texture that I was expecting. We made bowls which was fun - again I think I would use a thicker silk paper than I did but I was pleased with what I made. Used a mixed silk/hemp paper to make a book cover - very basic but gives me an idea to go further. But I particularly liked and enjoyed making moulded silk shapes - I bought a leaf and a cat - they were neat. The leaf particularly will be good to use on my ATCs. And of course I can use snips of my silk paper and beads to decorate ATCs. I figure if I make a leaf a day (well probably most days) then that will give me a good supply for swapping.

I bought a lot of colour packs of silk fibre to make more paper. I will see what moulds Ken has from his scenery moulds that he made for his train layout. They could give me some good textures to use particularly with my ATCs.

I am also enthused to do some more book binding - had an idea for making a book using very heavy thick paper and only one folded sheet per set for coptic binding. It would give lots of scope for decorating and plenty of room if I don't do the binding too tightly. The heavy paper would bind well and give a good base for decorating. I bought an American magazine in stamping and scrapbooking and in it there was a very good idea for a small bound journal that would also be good for using as a decorated book as the binding is very open and there are good gaps between the pages.

So many new ideas, so much to do........

doodling

Having fun doodling and drawing. My latest are some horizontal and vertical lines on a page without taking the pencil off the page. I tried to then put black lines in some of the areas without having the black in adjoining areas. Could effectively use just the black lines to create an art work (very modernist). I like the look of some but obviously there are others that just do not make the cut. I will try these for my ATCs with just a slight colour wash for the background or should I add the background wash after drawing the lines? Worth some experimenting to see just how to adapt this technique. Another adaptation would be to use paper collage in the black line areas on a more tone on tone type background. Hmm , I think my weekend is going to be taken up playing with this and see how I can extend it into embroidery and fabric as well.

Creativity

I love to be working with my hands, to be creative and making something. It seems my problem is that I want to master the techniques of whatever I am trying to create immediately and don’t like to practice, practise practice.. Is that why I become despondent and don’t always finish things or stay the course. I love my quilting – just need to make more time for it in larger blocks of concerted effort. I think that one of the things that I like about quilting is that it is quick to (usually) make one block (at a time). There is something relaxing almost hypnotic about sitting at the sewing machine and piecing. Quilting itself is another matter – I concentrate very hard and often end up biting my lip with pulling all sorts of contortions with my face because I am concentrating so hard

I love reading “creative” and “inspirational” books but often am at a loss as to how to apply it in my own creative endeavours. It is going that next step of interpreting all the wonderful imaginative ideas and putting them into something achievable (for me anyway). I often can come up with the ideas for other people but never for myself. Funny how that is – I can always give lots of support and advice to someone else’s creations but get stuck with my own. Perhaps I become too intense and involved that I find it hard to step back and see things from another perspective.

Much as I value my privacy I find it easier to work creatively with others around me – as if I am drawing on their energy. It is always wonderful to see what other people are creating and it inspires me in my own creations. Perhaps I should surround myself more with other creative people. I did try that with a friend once where we tried to have weekly sessions of playing with decorating fabric with different techniques but she wasn’t prepared to explore beyond her own ideas and comfort zone and try anything that was too different. She was going in a set direction and had blinkers on that would not let her divert from her course – shame really. It didn’t stop her later coming to me and wanting all my ideas on some different techniques that she had shunned earlier. I had to admit to being not as helpful as I should have been – I was feeling a little piqued and used.

We should always be prepared to try different ideas beyond our comfort zone and it is always good to have someone else exploring with you – you can feed off each other and can often reach higher levels of creativity and inspiration than you would have achieved working by yourself.

It has been great to read blogs of creative artists and see their photos and just read about what they are doing and what inspires them. I think in part that is what I like about books – although I can’t always translate all the ideas and inspirations from them they help me maintain my curiosity and creative thoughts for when that lightning bolt of creativity hits me and I actually do something that works out! In part too I fear failure (don’t we all) and I don’t like to do things that might fail .

Surfing

I have been doing a lot of surfing the net lately. Checking out one or two blogs and some photo galleries. There are some wonderful creative people out there and I love to see what they are doing and it is interesting to read about other peoples lives. People are so interesting even in their day to day activities - well I suppose not everyone but lots of people though. I pick up all sorts of ideas and have read a few books that others have talked about and recommended. I always find it interesting too when I am waiting somewhere to watch people - what they are wearing, how they are wearing it, how they walk, their interaction with other people, their behaviour - it is fascinating to be that fly on the wall to their world. I can't say that I am really that observant, in one eye and out the other type of thing at times but at the time it is great to just sit and watch people.

When I was young I loved to go visit the airport and watch all the activity going on out there. It was a wonderful adventure to wander all through the buildings and outside onto the roof. People were everywhere and there was so much activity. A wonderful place to just sit and observe all that goes on.

These days the only people watching I do is while I am at the supermarket doing my shopping - seeing all the people and what they have in their trolleys and wondering about the significance of some of the items they are buying. Mind you people might equally wonder about the contents of my trolley too!

Old Friends

Wow - out of the blue I had an email from someone I had been to school with over 30 years ago - makes me realise how much I have change and how much has happened in all that time. It bought back a lot of memories and it was interesting to hear what she remembered as well. This unexpected contact is like a message, a beacon almost to me. I am not sure fully of the message but I do believe in signs and this to me is definitely a sign of something more. I am really enjoying this contact that we are having and hope after such a long time that it will be maintained and will last.

rain, rain go away

I know that we need the rain for the paddocks but it is so cold and miserable. The fire is on which is good and the cats have all the good spots close to the fire. I somehow think there will be no biking today (I am not that stoic). I have already been playing with some new stamps that I bought (for printing onto fabric) and they were great. I think I will get the water colour paints out later and have a play with some new paper that I have bought and see what sort of mess I can come up with. Sure as eggs I will have a little helper want to walk through it all and have coloured paw prints everywhere - could add to the texture! Must get on and get some cards finished for a swap - I have the backgrounds done and now it is just to decorate them a little more to finish off. I really must pull myself together and get some fibre ones done too.

And now back to the warmth of the fire.

Photographs

I must find out how to put in photographs - it can't be too difficult surely. The biggest difficult I will probably face will be getting my hands on a digital camera and it isn't that we don't have two high quality ones in the house. There is sure to be a how to do it type page somewhere so I must check it out and try some photos. Something to add to 43 things.

Trotting along - only just

I haven't been out cycling lately and just haven't been particularly active lately. I can't totally blame the weather but I do need to get outside more - fresh air and all that. I need to be stronger with myself and not procrastinate.

I must take control of my time and write a list of what I want to accomplish each day, mane and nocte. From my experience of writing to do lists it will need to be realistic - little steps. It should help stop me wasting my time that could be more creatively utilised. I have been managing though to do more doodling which I am pleased about. But I must be more positive about my doodling and stop doing it on scraps of paper and have a notebook with my doodles in - be proud of them.

ATCs

It is ages since I have written and so much has happened. After receiving my latest Quilting Arts magazine I was keen to do some Artist Trading Cards and of course fabric ones but I have gone completely in a different direction. I joined up with two Yahoo groups that do cards and swaps. The photo albums are great to see and I have so much to learn. I am not sure about doing so many themed swaps and at the moment would prefer more one on one swaps. I find it hard to think about doing more than one of each card but I suppose when you start into a theme you just want to go on and on. It has encouraged me to doodle more which was one of my 43 things. And boy did I cut that list down - I didn't really visit the site much to make it worth having too many things on my list - too easy to neglect the list. I must have a hard copy of the list written somewhere to remind me of the 43 things that I wish I could accomplish (but not necessarily so).

But I digress away from ATCs. I have had a few attempts and gone off the fabric and have found that I like collage but not sure about the talent, it may be lacking a little. Still it is fun and creative. The Keepsake Quilting catalogues have been cut up and lots of pictures and bits of colour have been put in a bag, ready to use. The paper is a bit shiny though so must come up with a way to cut the shine down a little. Saw a wonderful technique of crackling that could be interesting to use over them. I did some collage with newsprint and liked that.

Need to get away from white card as a background for some things. I have found all my hand made paper and glued those to card and cut up ready to use. Love the texture that I now have as a background. When I do use a plain card for background I should at least use an Ecru and look at other colours.

Found a blog - Janeysjourney, that has encouraged me to doodle more and so that is what I have been doing for the last hour. Must get some marker pens to colour them in though.

There is so much to share but that will have to do for the moment.

43 things again

Well I gave myself a small list here, not quite the 43 things. It felt good initially but then I started to feel as though I had a list of New Year Resolutions - those near impossible dreams of good intentions. I have cut the list down to three items, two are hard goals and one is a softer goal. There are always going to be things that I want to do but priorities change and they all tend to come and go.

At the moment I want to try making Artist Trading Cards and have been finding out what I can about them and have joined an internet group (well trying to join). I think they would be a great way to try out ideas on a small scale - a great creative outlet without it becoming a large project. Obviously I want to do them with fabric and fibre using my own dyed fabrics and decorating them with threads, beads, stamps, applique. So let's see how that goes.

Achieving my goals

I have just been an reviewed my list of 43 things (well there are only ten). I haven't really done much about any of them. Is it because I don't have the list close to me and more visible. Do I need to cut the list down to just 3-4 things and work on them and only add to the list as I either achieve things or start to do more. I will have to at least write the list down in hardcopy somewhere and review it and put in an action plan of how I am going to achieve them.

It could be confused with a list of New Year Resolutions and you know what happens to them - they are not achieved! I think that is why an action plan needs to be made because I am sure that I have kept the list simple, achievable and realistic.

Creativity

There are so many projects and ideas that I want to follow up but end up doing nothing about them. Is it because there are so many that I don't know where to start or that I worry about the result. I shouldn't worry about what others think about my creations as I only make them for my own satisfaction. I really need to have one of my famous lists with all the things that I want to make/do on it and slowly work through it one item at a time.

A creativity/inspiraton book would be good. Something not too small (or too large) with plain pages in acid free paper. I can draw, make lists and have all those little sayings that I love in it. Actually a nice bag to hold it all in would be good - I could also then have a lot of those postcards and pictures in a small folder in the bag as well. It would be a chance to make one of the lovely looking bags from my recent book purchase of Bags With Style. Not as big as my library book bags, perhaps something that will comfortably take A4 size.

I want to have a go at making Artists Trading Cards and follow on with a fabric postcard that I can post to Christine and following on again an altered book would be fun as well. So then I must look up my Qulting Arts books for information on all these.

First things first - look for a book for all my creativity/inspirations
Second - decide on my bag
I can look through my magazines and draw some ideas etc.
Well then, off I go

Containers

After cutting out lots of small pieces of fabric for an upcoming class I was looking around for a small container to put them in. Now although I couldn't find just the right container I realised that this is another thing that I like to have lots of - containers. I love having something to put something else in. All sorts of little containers right up to larger ones. Lots of variety and some more practical than others. I gave myself a surprise to realise this but it is something that I can add to my collection of and they can all be useful and have a function.

This speaks for itself

Life is not a journey to the grave
with a pretty well preserved body
but rather to arrive totally worn out,
thoroughly used up and proclaiming loudly
“wow, what a ride!”

Lists

Some lists are working lists and will continually change.
Others are also very short term, for a specific occasion or time.
Some are nothing more than action plans, hope to do lists rather than achievement lists.
There are longer term lists that can also change but not so often.
Another set of lists are those that are used as guidelines and set the standard for whatever purpose they are written.
Some lists will be double edged in that one part of the list is what I have and the other part is what I need or want to acquire.

I need to develop a Book of Lists – a ring binder with plastic inserts would be the best
And then I will need a list of all the lists that I want to have

I love my lists

I can't help it, I like writing out lists. They give me stability and order in a disorganised world. They help me to maintain control. I don't always use my lists but just the action of writing a list sometimes is enough to help me relax and remain focused.

43 Things

I know that I am going to change this from time to time but this is a start

Keep in touch with my friends more – telephone, write, visit, invite them over
Read more fiction
Watch less TV – turn off, leave the room, do something else (like read)
Go to an Eric Clapton concert
Get out on my bike more regularly – buy a new seat with suspension
Save on a regular basis
Have more pot plants on the deck
Grow more trilliums
Doodle
Explore new places

starting over

In an effort to keep my blog private I thought I would try to change my login and ended up deleting my blog notes but nothing else – darn it. So I need to start over with all my thoughts and ideas.

I thought the 43 Things list was interesting. When I went to the web site that supports these lists it was amazing what people had on their lists. And of course with my love of lists I couldn’t resist of coming up with my own but I didn’t register it with the site. On reflection I wondered if people were using it in part as a resolution list – all those things we want to do, but never get around to doing them. Some of it seemed very much wish list – the things we would like to do if it were possible but know there is no way that it could happen. But anyhow I will try my list of 43. I have made a start but most of them are more resolution type things – all achievable if I put the effort into them. There are other things (like going to an Eric Clapton concern) that are not quite so achievable (or possible). I thought that some of the items on the list warranted a fuller explanation of how I was going to achieve them. Should I have ongoing items on the list or cross things off the list once I have started to be able to achieve them on a regular basis. Those sorts could be relegated to a “sub list”.

Thinking early

It isn't mid day yet but here goes:
Great to be sleeping in the waterbed again, very comfy and a lovely floaty feeling
The cats are enjoying having the waterbed back again
Keeping things tidyish

Simple things

It seems hard to come up with my three good thoughts today but here goes:
Lunch was yummy - bagels with cheese and tomato - must see if I can buy some more
The black bull wasn't difficult to get back into one of our paddocks from the neighbours (usually it can be quite a merry chase)
Now that the bedroom has been repainted Christine's painting looks really good hung on it.

power of positive thinking

I know I read somewhere a long time ago that instead of being overpowered by the negative that we should think more positively about things - find the good in everything or some way of putting a positive spin on even the most dire situations.

So then I will try to regularly put in three (or more) positive thoughts about things that are happening in my day to day ramblings.

So to start for today:

It is a lovely sunny warm day, not too much wind
Went for a nice bike ride which felt good
Found a blogspot that I know a friend at work will want to know about
Found some bagels at the supermarket and had two for lunch with cheese and tomato - yum