Skip to main content

17 Blocks - left to quilt, then bind!



This project is just about complete...yippee! It is not my best piece by a long shot. But it was a first attempt of creating a two-sided quilted wall hanging...one side, a busy one, and the other side, a quiet one.

The important discussion point for this post is that I've had this UFO (unfinished project) stashed for many years. Why I've left it incomplete is a mystery. It could have been being overwhelmed with the quilting I'd have to do given that the basting job was not a good one. It could have been that there was going to be too much material to feed through the harp of my machine to be able to quilt it well. It could have been that I couldn't see my way to a design idea for the quilting. It could have been that I'm not especially in love with the piece. It could have been a combination of these things.

So, when you have a piece that you struggle with the completion of, what is that stuggle about?

I'm taking a craftsy.com quilting video series right now about how to finish big projects on a small machine. Maybe that's what I've needed to get busy and complete some old (to me) projects so that I can begin new pieces without back-burner guilt!

By the way, there are also a few others that languish in the unfinished zone that you may be seeing shortly as well because they too, are calling out for completion. I wouldn't have the heart to pass these on to others to complete because they came through me for a reason. I may not know that reason now, but I still want to exercise and improve upon my ability to see through being stumped, inadequate to a task or intention, or the lack of confidence due to size of a piece. Or for any other reason that is discovered while working on them.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Highjacked Blog Photo

My profile photo was highjacked ! For those of you who are blogging, be wary. There are some unscrupulous folks out there who may be using or about to use a photo(s) you've uploaded to an online photo-hosting site. At the time I created a blog, having a URL for a photo uploaded online was the only way to insert a photo in your profile or to create a custom header. There had been no problems for a long while. This morning, however, I did a Google image search for my name and found my photo linked to a totally different blog than my own! It is possible I didn't mark my file with the online photo-hosting site as private, but I didn't expect this to happen. I don't know whether marking it private would have actually averted the situation, but I'm not waiting to find out. I eliminated my membership to that online photo-hosting service today and caution anyone to be careful with uploading images to the internet . If you read the terms of agreement at many sites, you'...

Life Book 15 - Week 36 Project Completed (or nearly completed)

This project went in an entirely different direction than the Life Book 2015 lesson.  That's ok because we're also working on accepting those times when we move in our own direction using the lesson purely as a launching point. This piece involved experimenting with collage on a substrate (muslin covered with joint compound), followed with paint, more collage, and then the felt, fabric and beaded plant. This piece was created through a class offered by Tamara Laporte from Willing Arts Ltd. For more information, visit this link:  www.willowing.org .

Get to Work and Get Clear - Stop the Waffling

I haven't painted in some time. So it seemed like the perfect time to sign up for Louise Fletcher's 10-day free taster course titled 'The Creative Reset' that recently started.  She has re-engineered the taster since I took it last, and I'm liking how it is rolling out.  The images below are from our first lesson that were timed studies with additional constraints.  The purpose was not to have finished pieces.  Rather it was to help students identify their preferences and gain clarity about our likes.  This means not choosing to like what others want us to like or think we should, but what we honestly like.     From my six-block painted sheets, I chose one favorite from the first grouping and two favorites from the second grouping.  The step I'm choosing to do is to write down why I like those three in particular.  The reason is because being able to articulate my reasoning will help clarify, strengthen and hone my voice -- not just in art bu...