"inspiration"

New Inspiration


With a million projects on the go I felt the need to start a new one. I bought this necklace in Austin, at this awesome store selling only products from Texas artisans called Parts and Labor. Oddly, this necklace came with no info. It didn't stop me from buying it. And it's become the jumping off point for a new quilt. Also oddly, I had the sketch and pattern written before I'd picked fabric.

Seriously, what's happening to me?

Peace


Peace.

Both a complex and simple thing. We all know we need it and it is about the hardest thing to create.

As a quilter, a creative soul, I find peace when I see, cut, play, sew, and even fold my fabric. I get inspired by the creations of the designers or other quilters. And when I get those moments - whether they are stolen in the early mornings, between naps and loads of laundry or I am luxuriating in an entire morning of hot tea and a pile of fabric - I find my peace.

Sure, there are many among us who love and adore solid fabrics and revel in the quiet energy they reveal in a quilt. I am not one of them. I love exploring the patterns and concepts that designers put out there. I love playing with the patterns, mixing it up and seeing who plays nicely together. I like creating order from that potential playground catastrophe.

there is peace in pattern


My jumping point for the fabric selection, and the inspiration for this piece definitely comes from this stack of Architextures from Carolyn Friedlander and a strong compulsion to create.

Free pieced letters, a la Unruly Quilter. Slabs upon slabs as we outline in Sunday Morning Quilts. A design wall to bring it together.

And there was peace.

Capturing Inspiration


Just because I was on vacation, it doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about quilts. 

Confession: I brought some hand sewing with me, but it never left the bag.

When you are open to it, inspiration is everywhere. Even my daughters were getting in on it. They pointed out textures and colours that would make a good quilt. 

I try to capture all inspiration one way or another when I see something interesting. Sometimes I sketch it out. Just a rough doodle and a few notes. I put date and location on the sketch that act as a trigger for my memory. Quite often I take a picture. It doesn't have to be a perfect picture, if the colour is what matters then who cares if the focus isn't perfect. My cell phone - which does not have a good camera on it - is filled with images that serve as inspiration scrap book.

It is pretty much impossible that I will make all the quilts that these inspiration images conjure, but it is nice to have a bank of concepts. You never know when the right fabric will appear for one idea, or you need a quick quilt and can't decide what to make. Then there are the times where you just HAVE to make something because the inspiration is too strong. I don't know anything about that...

Here are the images from my trip that may or may not get translated into a quilt one day.


Texture, all about texture.


Colour and stripes! Plus that age and fraying.


Light and texture. This is the sun through my hat.


My daughter loved the woven effect of this palm. Me too.


Blue.


Energy and colour contrasts.


This may be the start of a mild pink and white colour obsession.


Shape and line.


Curves. Simplicity.

Lucky Penny Stripes


With no discredit to the designer, whenever I write the words in this post title I automatically default to Lucky Stripe. Blame it on Mad Men or a lack of sleep. I can say, however, that this fabric is a helluva lot nicer than a pack of cigarettes.

The colours are incredibly rich in the Lucky Penny line. I fell in love with these wavy, dotty stripes as soon as Allison Glass previewed them. The rest of the line is gorgeous, but I was definitely smitten with these. So much so that Allison sent me this stack of fat quarters. I've been fondling them since they arrived, a little too much like Gollum and his precious ring.

Those of you who know my work can recognize that the colours are a bit earthy compared to my usual choices. Sometimes, however, you can't explain the love you feel for something. It might be the arrival of winter, it might be that the richness is tempered by the amazing grey and that awesome chartreuse, it might just be because the fabrics are so damn pretty.

I'm not entirely sure what will become of these. Perhaps something that does indeed connote a lucky stripe, or some curves or, or, or...