Tag: Thinking

I was sitting at the dentist the other day thinking about my quiltmaking. I was actually feeling quite depressed about it. For a couple of different reasons I feel like 2015 was filled with quiltmaking anxiety. I know I got a lot done. The 2015 Year in Review post tells me that. None of it felt significant, though. None of it felt important. A lot of it felt like I was marking time in front of my machine.

I had a lot of ‘must dos’ and that was part of it. Also, I felt like no project I did was exceptional* at all. I just felt dissatisfied and somewhat unhappy with my work. The good part is that I kept working and didn’t get discouraged. Any work is better than nothing.

I don’t want 2016 to feel anxious and not worthwhile. Yes, I have projects to finish, but I don’t want 2016 to feel anxiety ridden. For example, I don’t want 2016 to be all about UFOs though I still want to finish some up some things on my list. Finishing things cannot be the whole idea, however. I have to enjoy the process as well. I want my quiltmaking to be joyful. I have to figure out how to do that.

I already started this ‘project’ (or idea) after Christmas. I wanted to make another Sew Together Bag and I needed some downtime after a busy few days of holidays and the prep beforehand. I felt like it was the right time to make it (photos soon!). I put all other projects aside and worked on the second Sew Together Bag. It went a lot more quickly, I guess, since I knew what to expect. Also, I enjoyed the process more because I was doing just want I wanted not what I felt like I had to do.

Yesterday, as a follow-up, I worked through some things on the list and did some cutting of fabric that had been ironed. A couple of the items on the list were the Thanksgiving table runners (look for a post soon) I bought in Oregon. I put them together and prepared them to be quilted. I plan to quilt them myself at the CQFA Retreat in January. I also got back in the groove of working on donation blocks. That feels good and I now have 3 of the 8 (a la Mrs. K) I want to make in order to make a quilt I can finish with the Cutting Corners Ruler. They are nice looking as well. Mostly I am using blues and purples.

I think I need to stay away from making things as gifts in 2016. Not completely, but I mean on the scale of the Christmas Pillowcase project. I think I also need to work on some projects that have been in my head and may take some time. I guess we’ll see how it goes, won’t we?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I don’t think my projects are generally exceptional and feel that if I come up with an exceptional project it is a gift. I am happy with the work I do and the quality of that work.

I mentioned the Stitched in Color blog the other day. After I looked at the ticker tape information, I browsed around recent posts and found a post called ‘Dare.’

Both Pam and Katie have mentioned recently feeling anxious, not feeling like sewing, etc. I have been feeling old. I am not old, though I am older than both Katie, Pam and some of the other podcasters. I never felt my age before and I don’t know if I really am older now, but I just feel old. It could be that the Young Man is talking seriously about colleges and we have gone to speak to some people about a university he might want to attend. I was never really a gooey mother and all of a sudden I feel gooey thinking about sending my “baby” off to college. Perhaps gooey goes with feeling old?

Also, I have been working on small projects. Small projects are like eating M&Ms. You eat a thousand of them and still don’t feel full. I am glad to be plowing through some yardage on napkins, receiving blankets and gift bags. However, the small projects seem insubstantial, unsatisfying and I don’t feel like I am accomplishing anything.

Sigh.

So, somehow all of the above made a connection in my mind to the Stitched in Color blog.  Reading Stitched in Color’s blog post reminded me that I don’t have to do what everyone else does to be successful at quiltmaking. She writes:

“*you don’t have to keep a fabric stash”

• to which I add: It is also ok if you do, or if you keep a few pieces of fabric by your bed to pet. Remember: fabric is a cheap alternative to drugs and therapy.

“*you don’t have to buy designer fabrics”

• to which I add: buy fabric you like. If you like to work with velvet and quiana, go for it! Just go and make stuff and make yourself happy. Banish the quilt police from your mind.

“*you don’t have to hand sew bindings”

• to which I add: when sewing machines became popular household items it was a sign of wealth to machine quilt and machine bind. Quilts from the end of the 19th century have been found with machine bindings. Sewing machines were seen as timesavers. *I* enjoy hand sewing the backs of bindings onto my quilts, but I would love to learn to do a really nice looking machine binding. Do what you like. If hand binding is a terrific trial, don’t do it. Whatever you do, focus on having fun and having good technique. Practice.

“*you don’t have to press seams open or even to the side”

• to which I add: Press in a manner that is best for the piece. You may press to the side and open in the same quilt. The seams will be on the inside of the quilt and nobody will see them once you put the back on. Just make sure you don’t have lumps of seams (like the center of an 8 pointed star) that can be felt when your quilt is used.

“*you don’t have to care when your points don’t match”

• to which I add: I try my best to get the points to match. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen. If I have ripped out a seam more than once, then I try to let it go. I try for good technique, but am not perfect. If I can live with the boo-boo, I move on. None of my quilts are perfect, but neither do the errors take away from the overall effect. The goal is to not have the errors be so obvious that they are all the viewer sees. Reach a happy medium

“*you don’t have to have a tidy or pretty sewing space”

• to which I add: I like a tidy sewing space, but the reality is that I don’t have enough horizontal space or storage space, or the right kind of horizontal and storage space. I make due and dream about the future studio that is perfect. Try not to compare your space to others. What matters is what comes out of your sewing space.

“*you don’t have to make anything “original””

• to which I add that there are plenty of fabulous patterns out there. I recently followed a pattern, including the fabric, exactly. What I found was that I could see a method to the “madness” of the pattern designer that was more than just “use this pattern and fabric to make this quilt”. By doing an exact replica, I could see her vision. This has made me think about using the same concept myself later. It also make me think of how different fabrics would look using the same pattern. You can copy everything in a pattern exactly and just use the process as meditation. You can also use a pattern, change the fabric and the construction and make the piece your own. There are a multitude of levels between the two as well. We all need something different from our quiltmaking at different times. Do what works for you.

“*you don’t have to blog, Tweet or Instagram”

• to which I add: no, you don’t. If you just want to sit in front of your sewing machine by yourself and sew, do it. Tweeting and blogging are fun, but they are not sewing.

“*and you definitely don’t have to have a fancy sewing machine to turn out really great quilts”

• to which I confess that my machine is nearing 17 years old. Would I love a new machine? Of course, but don’t let having a very basic machine stop you. I make great things with my machine. We are pals and I know him/her well. Keeping this machine is also saving me the time it would take to shop for a new machine. Use what you have and go make stuff!

The blog post also reminded me that I don’t always do what others do. When was the last time you used pink as a neutral?

What works for you? Do THAT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***all of the quotes are from a post called ‘Dare‘ from the Stitched in Color blog written by Rachel.

This is the last one. Did you do the homework? Did you do one of the homework assignments? C’mon, people, pick one and do it. You’ll like it 😉

Weeks writes “Evolve. Lastly, look at your work over time. What makes your best quilts the “best”? How have you evolved? How will you continue to evolve?”

I find it useful to do this. sometimes self reflection is valuable (though if I can’t stand what I am seeing, I know it is a time for a change).

One of the things I am doing with my Vintage Tuesday posts is to look at my old work, as well as the work of others (I am not that vintage, after all!). It is interesting to revisit the work I have done in the past.

One thing that really jumped out at me is the change in colors that I use. I have always thought of myself as using brights, but in looking back at my old pieces, such as the Spiderweb, Starry, Starry Night and the Women’s Work pieces, there is a lot of black. It makes me wonder what that was about?

Black is a relatively easy background. It goes with everything. It is easy to grab for a class or group project and two of these projects fell into those categories.

Still, I have always thought of myself as using brights. And, there are brights in these quilts, though fewer in Starry, Starry Night. I find that the brights have to be very bright to not be overshadowed by the black. OR I should have been more careful about the ratio of black to color in these pieces.

Despite the brights, the pieces mentioned above are not Sparkle Pink, which is an explosion of bright happiness. If anything, I have been working with color. The work might be subtle, but I find myself saying, mostly to myself, “what if I combine this color with this?” or “will this transition be smoother, if I move this blue next to this turquoise?”

I also think that trying new techniques and taking new classes is a great way for me to evolve. I took a lot of dyeing classes at one point and despite my best efforts, found that it wasn’t for me. I also couldn’t really get on board with the whole trumpeting of “I dyed this fabric” messages that went along with the dyeing. It is fabric, I use it in a quilt (or bag or apron or….). Mostly, it was just too messy and there was no convenient wet studio to rent. Finally, despite my painstaking detailed recipes, I ended up with more than my share of chartreuse hand dyed fabric.

My recent formal classes were hand applique‘ (also not my thing, but good to check periodically) and inset circles. I love that technique.

Craftsy really makes this easy as you don’t have to pack up the machine and travel, and you can do the work at your own pace. Oh how things have changed!

Mostly, though, I sit at home and try to make really hard blocks- or sort of hard blocks. or I try new patterns for bags that have the kind of construction that makes your brain do flips, but ends up really cool.

I want to learn new stuff; I want make quilts that are hard sometimes, quilts that have souls. I don’t want to stay where I am in my quiltmaking process. I want to move on.

See my last installment of this homework, which was posted last week.

Images courtesy of the Modern Quilt Studio.

Weeks writes “Document your ideas. Use a notebook, a sketchbook or a box to collect even the most simple sketches or ideas for future quilts. Photograph everything you make and keep those images together. Print them and put them in an album so you can see them all at once.”

She is correct. Stop surfing after you finish reading this post and go document. No excuses, just do it. Trust me you will be happy later.

I rip pages out of catalogs that might be inspiring. I keep colors and brochures. All of these go into a [overstuffed, very full] box. Periodically, I look through this box and toss things that don’t work, but once something gets through or groups of bits look cohesive I make a file. Looking through this box is a good source of inspiration.

I make a folder for each quilt I make. I also make a folder for each project about which I am thinking. I am selective about the projects that reach the point where I am actually collecting stuff to include or use in a project, but once I have even a few pieces of paper, I make a file.

I make a file, because I like everything to be together. I am a librarian after all. 😉 I like to open the file, see my drawings, measurements, color palettes, notes to self, etc. all in one place. When bits and bobs are all over, I get crazy.

I also use my sketchbook and journal to jot down quick ideas. If any of these come to something then I photocopy the page from my journal to put in my file.

I also label all of my quilts. My quilt labels are getting more and more elaborate in terms of the information I include. A couple of weeks ago, I dropped quilts off at the County Fair. I made a mistake in categorizing the quilts for the Fair, so they had to be re-measured. I am now including the size of the quilt on the label, because it is easier to look up than measuring the quilt again. I had a quilt stolen, so I am somewhat manic about labeling my quilts. I do have one quilt that is unlabeled. If I can figure out when I finished it, I will make a label.

I want to create a scrapbook that includes each of my quilts. I have a file for this project, but have never gotten to it beyond creating a gallery on this blog.

Obviously, you have to do the type of documenting that is right for you and fits into your life and schedule. What works for one won’t work for everyone. Just do something.

See my last installment of this homework, which was posted last week.

Images courtesy of the Modern Quilt Studio.

This is part of an ongoing series of essays responding to Weeks Ringle’s post called QuiltCon Homework. Read my first essay on Encourage. Apparently, I have more to say.

In her blog post, Weeks writes “Encourage one another. Bill and I have an agreement: love it for 10 minutes, which means that before you decide if you like it or not, give it 10 minutes. Look carefully. Think about it. Listen to the point of view and find at least as many positive things to say as negative ones.”

We are trained to compete. We are trained to knock others down so we can feel better than they are. It is so easy to want to be better than everyone else. It is easy to compete and we are encouraged to compete and be better than everyone else.

At some point, this behavior becomes pointless. Not everyone can be the best and constantly competing means that you become secretive and unwilling to share what is not done, your failures, your troubles with a  project. You know by looking at blogs that most blog writers only show their best pictures, the finished, perfect item and not the shredded, ripped out, too large and ugly projects.

We each gain so much more from other people by encouraging them. A kind word after guild show and tell, some encouragement when Twitter shows your correspondent to be down. The encouragement bounces back to us. Giving a bit of encouragement makes me feel better inside, especially if the person to whom I am speaking smiles.

As Weeks says “give it 10 minutes”. While sending a message doesn’t take minutes, looking at projects takes longer than the 30 seconds we usually allot to quilts hanging in shows. Take 10 minutes to look at a piece. Get past the hideous colors and find something to like about it. Ddoes that Sampler have a great block you have never seen? Is there an amazing bit of piecing? Is the sashing put together in a new and intricate way?

You CAN find something to like about each and every quilt you look at, if you look hard enough.

Take some time to encourage someone else. If you are a beginner, you can still say some kind, relevant words to someone who needs them.

By encouraging others, we grow our ranks and teach ourselves to really look at things.

Image courtesy of the Modern Quilt Studio

This is the 10th part in an ongoing series of essays responding to Weeks Ringle’s post called QuiltCon Homework. Read my last essay at discussing the concept of “encourage.”

Weeks writes ” Have fortitude to follow all the way through on an idea, even when you stumble and are tempted to give up.”

It is hard to keep going on a project. We all get stuck or stumped or don’t have enough fabric. That line about not having enough fabric being a design challenge and not a crisis makes me crazy sometimes when all I want is that one last quarter yard to so I can finish my project.

For a long time, I kept leaping around to different projects. I was excited about new blocks and art quilt concepts new techniques I had learned in workshops. This was all great, but  I was also not really finishing those projects where I had gotten stuck or where my attention had wandered. You can see my languishing projects on my 26 projects list.

I have to say, though that I have been quite thrilled when I have finished an old project. Sending a back and top off to be quilted or finished the binding on a project I started in 1997 is a thrill. It is a good feeling to know that a 10 year old project can be salvaged. It is nice to know that I have less guilt about my UFOs.

Design challenges have the word ‘challenge’ in them for a reason. If you run out of that 5 year old fabric, you are faced with never seeing that quilt on your wall or bed or trying something else. Having fortitude to work through the challenges of a project make you a better quiltmaker.

Having fortitude can also mean you face reality and abandon a project.

If you want to make quilts out of 6″ squares for the rest of your life, that is absolutely fine. More power to you. You still need to have fortitude. You need to have fortitude to not let the parameters you have set for yourself weigh you down.

If you decide to make a hand pieced Mariner’s Compass quilt with a Double Wedding Ring border, your need to have fortitude comes a lot sooner in the process. You have to power through difficult piecing challenges that will continue through the project.

At the end of the day, regardless of your skill level, the difficulty of the pattern you choose, or the time you have to devote to quiltmaking, you need fortitude. You need fortitude to power through design challenges. You need fortitude to deal with a precocious kid with scissors, lack of time, depression, not enough fabric and a multitude of other situations that could completely derail your quiltmaking adventure.

You also need fortitude when you consciously want to extend your reach in the quiltmaking world. If you decide to make a Double Wedding Ring quilt, you need fortitude through all steps, even if you never finish it, because it is a difficult project. difficult projects should not discourage you. Yes, you will curse and rip out stitches, but you will also learn and be proud.

Quiltmaking should be fun. If you are not having fun, ask for help. There are lots of people around (LQS, Twitter, FB, church quilt groups) that would be happy to help you. Just ask. Have fortitude and just ask. You can do it.

Image courtesy of the Modern Quilt Studio

I know you thought I forgot or got bored with this series of essays, or something. I didn’t. I just had a lot of other stuff to do and a lot of other things about which to write.

This is part of an ongoing series of essays responding to Weeks Ringle’s post called QuiltCon Homework. Read my last essay at discussing the concept of “giving and receiving.”

In her blog post, Weeks writes “Encourage one another. Bill and I have an agreement: love it for 10 minutes, which means that before you decide if you like it or not, give it 10 minutes. Look carefully. Think about it. Listen to the point of view and find at least as many positive things to say as negative ones.”

The bottomline is that it is not going to kill you to encourage someone else in their quiltmaking process. It is easy to be nasty about someone’s work, especially if they are a beginner and don’t have a clue.  It is easy to disparage someone’s work because you don’t like the fabrics, there is cat hair on the quilt or you are in a bad mood. Everyone is striving to do something great and YOU, by a kind word or comment, can encourage them.

I am terrible at math. I can do addition and subtraction and most multiplication. I have a calculator for big number multiplication and long division. I sort of know what ratios are good for. I always need to ask my DH about certain formulas I use at work just to make sure I still understand that cryptic note I hid under my monitor. That thing called calculus is really just a myth in Jaye-world, like a griffin (unicorns are real, BTW, you just haven’t seen one. 😉    ) Math really makes no sense to me. Really.

I get along fine without it, mostly, but I am not scared of it.

I worked really hard at math in the 4th grade to , because of Mrs. Gellman. I did 3rd and 4th grade in the same year, so I came to Mrs. Gellman’s classroom after Christmas. I was small and scared and didn’t know anyone and I had missed half a year of work. The friends I had were all back in Mrs. Saraceno’s 3rd grade classroom. Mrs. Gellman was not a warm fuzzy teacher. I remember that she had grey hair and could be described as buxom. She wore calico housedress-type dresses and black orthopedic shoes.

Mrs. Gellman, however, was inspired. She had the best art projects. Her classroom was always mobbed during open house. People who had been in her class years before would come back to see what her class had done that year.

We made a city. Each person had to bring in a variety of boxes that would become the buildings. My dad gave me some clear plastic tubes with red ends and the class made a monorail (interurban train) system out of them. Mrs. Gellman was VERY pleased with me.

In the fourth grade, here in California, everyone does some kind of Mission project. In Mrs. Gellman’s class, we all worked together and made one mission. I am not sure if the design was from one of the real missions or if it was our interpretation of one of the missions. We made real bricks our of clay (I think the hay in adobe was a problem) and built them up into the mission and its outbuildings.

We made Japanese kites. Mine was a large pink box kite.

The key to the art projects was that you had to finish your other work first. Once that formality was out of the way then you could go over and work on the art project. English, history and all the liberal arts subjects were a snap for me, but math forced me to sit at that &^%$#@ math table struggling with my multiplication tables or with 20 long division problems. I did them for the art, but I also did them, because Mrs. Gellman didn’t leave me there alone to struggle. She would come by and give me a tip or a little help and always, ALWAYS tell me she knew I could do them. She encouraged me and her encouragement kept me working.

She knew how to teach and even in the 4th grade I knew it. Now I have coping skills for math (DH, Excel and a calculator), but I am not scared to do math. I know my limits, I know what I calculate will probably be wrong and I know how to cope. I hear Mrs. Gellman in my mind telling me that I can do it, so I continue to try. A few kind words have stuck with me all these years.

I promise you that nobody will die when you encourage someone else in their quiltmaking process. Nothing will be taken away from you or your quilts. You might learn something by having to look for the smallest thing with which to encourage someone. AND you might be the subject of a blog post when someone writes about how they were encouraged at the beginning of their quiltmaking journey.

Image courtesy of The Modern Quilt Studio