January TIF Challenge

I finally got round to getting something done on the TIF Challenge. I must admit I had a lot of commitments to finish this month and TIF took a back seat this time unfortunately.

To recap, the concept for this month was to expand on feelings of admiration, to pick someone, something you admire and work from there.

After a few days of thought I chose my friend, Susan. Despite the ups and downs of her life, her ability to produce meaningful, prolific artwork is a quality I greatly admire. Her tenacity and forthright manner and her get up and go attitude is something we should all strive to emulate.

From Within"

The piece I made is called "From Within". It is so named because for many of us like Susan who choose to make a living as artists and trying to maintain some sort of balance in our lives, we call on that core part of ourselves, that inner strength that we sometimes forget we have to carry us forward and keep us centered despite all that we encounter as we live our lives.

My idea came from wanting to depict a life unfolding, constantly moving (the center portion) with wands or tentacles of creativity constantly being developed and reaching out to become full expressions of ourselves, our art as a part of our center souls.

The piece still needs to be quilted. I will add some hand stitching and more machine quilting to further develop the piece. But for now challenge #1 is done (sorta kinda).

Check out other January TIF Challenge pieces here.

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

The Piece That Wasn't Supposed to Be

I design patterns. I like designing patterns. A friend suggested, however, that I design a quilt pattern around a particular fabric line, get some attention coming my way. So off to the quilt shop I went.

I chose 9 different fabrics from the April Cornell line "A Little Romance" by Moda Fabrics . Had the quilt in mind that I was going to do and skipped all the way home (taking literary liberties here...me skip?)

The small quilt I had in mind only needed 1/8th yard of 8 of the fabrics but I got a full 1/3 yard (big spender I am huh?) of the beautiful mint green solid you see below.

I washed and ironed the fabs and got ready to create. I cut a background from the solid green and laid it on my worktable. Somehow, 4 hours later I came up with "Windy Day". Not one blessed piece of the April Cornell fabric made it into the quilt, not that I didn't like the fabs mind you.

Moral of the story, sometimes you gotta go where the muse takes you (yeh, she found her way back to me eventually).

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

A New Addition

No people, I am not pregnant (oh no, no, no!), no more baked goods coming out of this oven. But we have the cutest thing just join our family. His name is Logan, he's a 4mth lab mix and he's just way too adorable. I say he's lab/boxer mix, DD says lab/german shepherd mix and DH's is going with lab/retriver mix.

We really don't care what type of dog he is because he is as cool a character as cool can be, real laid back. Just take a look at that face. Our neighbor has fallen in love with him as well and is promising to kidnap him but the kids have made a plan to head her off at the pass.

I have a new friend to keep me company in my studio. Aren't you jealous?

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Deadlines

Deadlines are good for me. They have a purpose. They keep me on track. They help me finish the things I tend to put off.

Procrastination, on the other hand, is an even better friend to me sometimes because I get to delay something my mind can't settle on in the moment. So the question becomes how to not let procrastination take over so much so that the deadline is compromised.

One thing I've found that works for me is to work in small sessions...I mean really small. In those small sessions I might do some prep work (like fuse sheets of fabric) or doodle in my sketching journal (with no pressure to create any one thing) or organize my studio (oh no, I said the dreaded "O" word). This way I let my muse figure out she can come back from her mini vacation and help me out a bit before she saunters off again. I swear she must think we head south for the winter or something.

Procrastination can be good sometimes. Like when you really want to throttle your teenager for doing (or more likely NOT doing) whatever it is they are not supposed to do (see, I can find the good in anything).

With that said I have decided to start a new creativity club for us all . It's gonna be fun. It'll help us overcome all those pesky little obstacles to creativity.

I'm sorry to report though that the first organizational meeting has been put off till next week.

Smile today and give your face a break.


See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

A New Class

I've been interested in colour theory for a long time and have wanted to come up with a class that was interesting (not having your students fall assleep in a theory class is a good thing) but also informative, covering everything you ever wanted to know about colour (not really, just the important bits like value).

Today I taught this new class at one of the shops I regularly teach at, Quilter's Loft in Mooresville, NC and it went much better than expected.

I've been teaching for close to 14 yrs (egads! who told me to put that bit of info in) and find that new quilters struggle when picking colours for their quilts, heck I still struggle at times. The class was small, only 2 students, but it gave me a chance to test my concept for the class.

My quilt, Blueberries and Mint Parfait (above), was the teaching sample. The reason I think this quilt works so well is because of how simple it is to piece. Students could quickly get to the theory part of the class without having to think real hard on how to piece the block.

When I teach I like to provide a complete picture of the subject at hand so that students walk away from my class being able to transfer that information to any quilt they produce. I'm finding these days that I prefer to teach techniques rather than how to make a particular quilt or pattern. The satisfaction I get is seeing the light bulb come on (or at least flicker a bit) in a student who was struggling before.

The class was 3 hours long (I hear a big sigh out there) but wait...it included a lot of playtime on the design wall, interspersed with all that scrumptious theory. Even so I think I can expand the class to include some colour exercises so students go home with work they can reference. For now though, I think I did good...or so my students told me.

See ya next time" In the Hayloft",

Mummy-ism

My mother called me to wish me a Happy Birthday today and, as usual, we started talkin 'bout other things. My mother is West Indian and every once in a while she comes up with these sayings that she heard while growing up.

Let me recap, my husband loves the fact that hes is 7 months and 2 whole days younger than me and relishes the next few months cause I am, in truth, the older and much much wiser of the two of us (he just doesn't realize that part). I told my mother about this and, without missing a beat she says:

"Better to be an older woman's honey that a young woman's sugar daddy!

Well said Mummy!


See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Today I turn 45!

And I am quite happy at the prospect. I have never been a person to worry about my age (in my head I'm still 28 anyway) so to reach this milestone is wonderful.

I believe we expound to much energy in worrying about the number we are and not enough time celebrating the fact that we are still alive and get to do all we do. I am grateful all the time for the little things including the fact that I can still see all the beautiful things this world has to offer, can still walk to where I need to go (even if it's just to get in my car and drive) and can still hugs those I love

My mother and sisters called me today to wish me Happy Birthday and we have all decided that since we all turn a significant age this year we'll have to get together at a splendiferous spa to celebrate our wonderful selves.

My older sister is older than me again this year (can't mention the exact number cause I'll get in trouble but I know your math is good enough to figure out her significant number.....), my younger sister is 40 and I am 45. This doesn't happen all the time so we'll have to take advantage of it. At least that's what I'm telling the husband

So come celebrate with me and make this a good day for you as well. Tell me what YOU think my sisters and I should do to celebrate our birthdays this year.

Happy Birthday to ME
Happy Birthday to ME
Happy Birthday to ME- eeeeeee
Happy Birthday to ME


See ya next time "in the Hayloft",

Get Up and Go Has... Been Temporarily Disabled

It's only a few days into the new year and I feel a bit like a train has struck me. Yes, I've got a bit of the blahs hanging over me and I'm finding that my body is not as young as my mind thinks it is anymore.

It didn't help that I traveled 20 miles to an early moring meeting that really takes place tomorrow and not today. But no matter, tomorrow is another day and another chance to get back into things with fervor (and make the real meeting this time).

What I have been doing though is following the political goings-on in our fair country. As usual I watched my Sunday morning news shows and...lo and behold....I found myself turning the channel. What shock! What horror! What is to become of the world when Grace doesn't watch her regular Sunday morning programs?

It says that there's too much of the same punditry, too many people analizing, too much talk on on the same things time and time again and nothing new being said. I'll still keep watching cause things matter way too much not to, but I wish the over analizing would stop and the pundits (whose numbers have risen over the years don't you think) would just let us see and hear the candidates and make up our minds for ourselves.

Nuff said!

Leave a comment and tell me what you think?


See you next time "In the Hayloft",

Ringing in the New

Happy New Year!!

I collect saying of all kinds dealing with all things but the ones I love the most have to do with being who you are and feeding your creative muse.

I dreamt about my blog last night in terms of my artistic endeavors. I know I need to start the year out right and commit myself more fully to this creative journey I find myself on. This means committing to it, in a serious manner, in my head. No more hanging about.

With that in mind and today being the first day of a new year, here are a few of the saying that are winding their way thru my mind and hopefully will express themselves in my art:

• Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower.
  

• Break thru your colour barrier and see the world thru your own coloured glasses.

• Creativity is allowing ourself to make mistakes; Art is know which ones to keep. Scott Adams

My mission for myself this year is to express myself more openly thru my art, to reach inside and pull out from the depths what I know is there and to not struggle with the how of it, and to push the boundaries when it comes to promoting myself, my art and my business. I have more concrete goals written down but the synopsis of them is such.

My wish for all of you of is to do what you know you MUST do, then do it some more. Keep looking towards the light and keep reaching for the stars.

Peace and prosperity and much success, however YOU define it.