What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Peppermint Reindeer by Laura Heini

 This week in my spare time, I started thinking about decorating for Christmas.  To tell you the truth, I'm not all that much into decorating, mostly because it takes so much time.  What I do like is designing the composition of the decoration scheme.  Yes, you read that right.  Your decorating has a composition just like your quilts.  One thing I've learned, is that all the elements of design I've been studying over the years can be used in a myriad of ways....like planning your Christmas decorations. 

But this post is ...

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Curves II,  Nina-Marie Sayre Improved pieced to a planned pattern

Improv Surface Design with a little bit  of Improv Piecing,

Taking a class in improvisational piecing, got me thinking of how many uses there are for the technique.  For that matter, how much a non-technique, improvisational piecing actually is.  The reason I say that is improvisational piecing's only rule is that there are NO RULES.  So, it can basically do whatever you want, whenever you want, letting your fabric, your vision or even your intuition be in
the driver seat. 

That can be very freeing or a little scary ...

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 I was looking back at previous posts (and when I say "back" I mean wayyyyyy back) and I realized that

I hadn't shown how I designed the Calendar Cow blocks.  So I thought it was a good idea to, since so many times I hear from people who see my work, "I wish I could draw."  I always smile and answer, "Me, too!"

So here is how to design a representational block when you can't draw but you know how to use a laptop, pencil and tracing paper.

1.  Come up with an Idea.  Since these blocks are ...

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Woman with Folded Arms, Picasso

 I wanted to say a big thank you for all the lovely comments last week.  I'm still working my way through the hop.  It's so fun to see what everyone is doing! Also, I'm still smarting about the fact that I didn't catch on to the theme "Get on Board with Sewing".  It really isn't a bad idea to set "limits" or
"rules" when you pick a project. I remember when Elizabeth Barton first brought up the idea to me of setting limits within a piece.  LIMITS?!?!  Why would you ...

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Walking Through Time, Sue Benner

Flora 6, Anna Brown

Okay, am I the only one that just looked up today and realized it was July 1st?  How did that happen?  I mean it's half the year!  I was cleaning my studio and noticed the little pile of Christmas gifts I got that I never really dug into.  One of them is this amazing book, Exploring the Abstract: an Instructional journey by Joan Blackburn. Although it's explorations using paint, it could easily translate to surface
design on fabric.  It landed on my wish list because this book is loaded ...

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Recently I was reading some old blog posts and I saw one on four questions someone might ask you about your creative process....

1.  What are you working on?

2.  How is it different from other people's work

3.  Why do you create?

4.  What is your creative process?

So here are my answers:

1. Right now I'm in the beginning process of the Cherrywood Fabric Graffiti Challenge.  Since I was sick it stalled a bit but this week, I've been back at it.  I do have the pattern worked out taking inspiration from a graffiti eye ...

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With March comes not just the end of our grey days but ... National Quilting Month!!  I always thought spring was a perfect time to renew ourselves into our favorite passion.  I mean, really, it takes a special kind of person to cut up perfectly good material and then take hours and hours to sew it all back together right?!

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 So last week, I introduced tangents in composition.  They are basically where two lines touch in an annoying visual way.  The reason, I think this is so important is so many times we create a composition that feels almost right butttttttttt not quite.  We then start deconstructing the whole composition to find the problem.  A lot of times, it's simply that the composition contains tangent lines and it's throwing off your eye.   

In a search online I found some befores and afters.

Before

After

Notice the before feels all squished together.   The line of the pan becomes ...

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 First I want to apologize for messing up the link-up from last Friday.  When I said I was suffering from insomnia, I wasn't kidding.  THEN my doctor got me on new medication and  I end up sleeping most of the weekend, I didn't notice that the link-up was not right till late Sunday night.  So again, I apologize. Thank you so much for all your kind words and comments.  I think I'm on the road to recovery.

In that light, let me see if I can manage something readable this week!  Recently, I created a composition that ...

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 Last week I explained how I create an idea from the very beginning.  This week I actually put it into practice.  With the Sacred Threads Art Show deadline 7 weeks away, I really need to get my act together.  Of course, after the year I've had, sometimes I forget where my act actually is so I can get it together.  Luckily I found some creativity I had squirred away for a rainy day and the design is well on its way.  

Red and Orange Streak, OKeefe

#1 Theme - For Sacred Threads, it needs to be themes that explore joy ...

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 My family is a family of creative makers.  When Paul and I were just dating, we both started new
hobbies.  He bought a woodworking Shopsmith on a whim at a mall demonstration and I got a quilting book by mistake in the mail.  28 years later, we are both consumed by our passion for wood and fabric and our marriage is as strong as ever.  

Five years in, along came Tessa.  Now I diligently exposed her to all sorts of media as she grew up, hoping

to spark her "passion".   She played with them  - explored them - enjoyed them, but nothing ...

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You know I'm quite sure that most people don't realize how much time and effort goes into a quilt.  That goes double for a quilt that is an original design.  As I've gotten back into the swing of things, I've been thinking over what I want to do next.  I have a few projects started that really do need finishing but it's been hard to get myself back in there.

One of the reasons is  it literally looks like a hurricane went through from me pulling supplies to go to John C. Campbell's Folk ...

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The 2nd full size quilt I ever made

I was thinking this week of when I first start quilting.  Everything seemed so new and mysterious. I remember I was so excited by it that it would keep me up at night.  Finally, I was on my way to learning how to make those amazing quilts  I so admired.  Now nearly 30 years later, I wonder if I have done what I set out to do.  Now don't get me wrong.  There has been a lot going on in the last 30 years

My first original design inspired by a ...

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 Back!  Finally!!  Thank you all for the prayers and kind thoughts!  This week I entered back into my real life after spending three weeks helping my parents out.  When you're gone that long, you're normal routine starts feeling a little surreal.  Four days back and I'm still not quite into the swing of things.  My good friend Rhonda said that all I needed was a little focus and routine.  She's so smart!

Just to show you how little focus I have, I was cleaning out my room and found the latest book by Jennifer Sampou called ...

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 This week, I was catching up with an old friend who said, "I didn't know you were artistic!"  That

struck me as strange since he knew darn well I've been quilting for nearly 30 years.  "Oh, I know you quilt, Nina, but I didn't realize that you did art too!"  As the inside my head exploded a bit,  I explained that what I do is design art which I then create with fabric.  

long pause

crickets

blank stare

"So do you frame them?"  OMG what this country doesn't know about art is crazy.  I mean. people ...

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 I remember the first time I realized that the amazing quilts I saw in quilt magazines and national shows were made by very human women and not some kind of artistic geniuses.  Before that I thought they must have some special gift from God bestowed on them on some higher level  to achieve such masterpieces.  Well,  they did, but it wasn't really what I originally thought. Don't get me wrong though.
These women are all talented artists but their  real "magic"  lies in the fact that they have discipline, patience and perseverance.   Behind every great piece are hours ...

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After spending two weeks straight in this old Victorian, it's fair to say that I'm suffering more than a little bit of cabin fever.  For once, Erie has escaped most of the bad weather that has played havoc with the rest of the country.  So I'm thinking that this weekend is a perfect time to get out....welllll.... what is consider "out" during a pandemic.  Unfortunately, my state can't seem to get it's act together and very few people are vaccinated, so most restrictions are still in place.  

Despite that, the museums are open for ...

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