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.