Sunday, September 6, 2020

Creative Quilt Play


Flower Child

September moved in almost without incident last week. My work flow has been steady, and I have a routine. I never thought I'd be in favor of life in a pattern, but it feels better than all the craziness we've been through. I had a couple small quilts that were E2E with long stitch outs, and that gave me time to continue my studio revamp. Sorting bins and fabric is therapeutic to some extent, but I came across a jelly roll pack I had bought a year ago. The colors were bright, and I craved a creative fix. 



I started with a freeform plus sign made by slashing the fabric without a ruler one way, and sewing a strip in. Then slash through the other, insert the next strip, and finish up with borders. Then I fleshed out this house top quilt with the brighter jelly roll strips until it was near 36" x 45". It was okay, but as I left it on the design wall for several days it begged for something more.

I used some Kaffe fabric to give it a raw edge appliqued flower head, but then it needed petal hands. The hands aren't attached yet as I'm still wondering what it wants. This one may get very crazy, but it's only fabric. It's just a quilt--a canvas for playing with ideas. 

It's been such a long time since I allowed myself to explore creatively. Is that because life was so unsettled, and I needed some part of it to be like my pre-Covid, regular life? We draw in and we let out. It's the push-pull of finding balance between novelty and stability. Right now I need more color, more joy, and permission to open up my creative self again. Maybe I'll meet you out on the playground.

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.


1 comment:

audrey said...

This is bright, happy and definitely joyful. Wonderful to have that little window of creativity!:)