It's April. Which means I have to get real serious about finishing up the taxes this week, but it also means there is a new discussion topic for the fostering creativity discussion. This year, in addition to working in 15 minutes of sewing each day, I'm trying to find ways to improve my creativity. For me that means designing more of my own quilts and being more open to different color themes and fabric styles I don't normally use. This month's theme is "become an observer".
If you quilt and you have a presence in blog land, then you are an observer. The biggest linky parties are those where we show works in progress or the on line quilt shows. In general quilters like to share their work and look at what other's have made. Quilters attend quilt shows and most shops have a full range of quilt samples up on their walls. It's not hard to find examples of how the latest fabrics are being used. Do any of those things spark your creativity? It's hard for me to see almost any pattern and not imagine it done in different fabrics or wonder what if the block was tweaked this way. What would happen if you changed up the borders or framed the whole quilt in a different color?
For me observing how others use color has had the biggest effect on my own projects. I'm more adventurous now that I was at the beginning. I'm not as prone to be so matchy-matchy. My OSU quilt is probably the biggest evidence of that. A few years ago I would never have put all those different oranges together in one quilt. I would have diluted one or two fabrics in a sea of black or white. Not that you can't make (and I still do make) beautiful quilts that way, it's nice to not have all your quilts look one way.
More on observations and creativity next week. Moving on to looking back at the last seven days, I didn't do too badly on finding time to spend some creative time at the sewing machine.
Six out of seven days is a pretty good week. Evening Star is almost finished (it will be my first of 2013). I also started a new project last week, though it took me two days of pre-work to actually make the first block.
Did you manage to find some creative time with your sewing machine or other crafty needles? If so, or even if not, link up and share how your creative crafting life is going (or not going).
| 1. Marti 2. Susanne | 3. Lesley A 4. Amanda | 5. Kate |
Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.
7 comments:
I'm like you, I envision quilts in different color schemes, particularly when they grab my attention at a quilt show, or in blog land!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one just starting my taxes. I still dread it.
Unlike you, I can't look at the quilts of others and imagine them differently. I guess I'm a paint by the numbers kind of gal.
Six out of seven sounds good to me!
You’ve had a great week considering all the other demands on your time. Well done.
I often look at other quilters work and marvel at the colours and fabrics they put together . It’s quite inspirational . I tend to still be a bit matchy matchy myself.
Thankfully I got my taxes done a few weeks ago! Great job on the 6 of 7!
Nice week. Taxes-wise, we usually extend ours and do them in the summer, but this year we did them super early. nice to not have to think about it. I observe and get ideas, but that's about it for me so far ..
Great week on the challenge. We just had a lazy easter this year, just rest and recover the weather wasn't all that great we did venture out for a walk down to the beach and back and that was about it apart from egg hunting for the kids my son at 12 is still into the hunt lol.
Post a Comment