Think about where the journey starts. Do you browse the Internet and see a pattern or a ‘Block-of-the-Month’ that calls your name? Is your guild planning a guest speaker who will lead you down a path? Do you visit the fabric store and shop for ideas?
A common scenario: We see something we like, and decide to buy the pattern. We may get a kit, or shop for the recommended fabric, whether in the store or from our stash. Shifting into high gear, we study the pattern and begin to cut and sew. Before long, something else has grabbed our attention; we weary of the repetitive sewing involved; or we find the pattern more difficult than we first thought and are unhappy with the whole process.
The anticipation of embarking on a new journey can carry us forward to a point somewhere in the middle. We have done enough to see a where the quilt is heading. We no longer focus on a vision of the quilt, but long hours of repetitive tasks. Self doubt steps in: Is my sewing good enough? Why don’t the corners match? This doesn’t look like the picture; I’m tired; my blocks aren’t square...why did I ever start this big a project? I just don’t have the time and energy right now. Maybe tomorrow - or next week - or next year.
Problem #1- We are materializing someone else’s vision
If the only investment we have is the purchase of fabric, and a book or pattern, it isn’t really ours. We may think it is, and vow to finish this one. Spending money, time and labor will never make it our own. Too often we see those expenditures as disposable.
We have made no sustainable investment. Before we can own a creative endeavor, we must invest something of our creative self in it. Appliqué lends itself to enhancing patterns, or can be the basis for a new pattern, in which we are 100% personally invested. We invest ourselves by adding to the quilt or modifying it according to personal significance.
I still buy patterns I love. At the very beginning, I decide: Will I copy the designer or traditional block, or will I use the pattern as a foundation on which to express my personal vision. How will I adapt it to my vision and purpose?
If I am following every step of a pattern, it is usually because I want to learn the lessons embodied in the design. When I have achieved that, chances are I will lose interest.
Problem #2 - Self doubt is a double edged sword.
Self doubt can be a useful tool, or it can stall our development.
Every artist I have ever known has learned to deal with the ugly specter of self-doubt. It’s a fact of creative life. We either give in and give up, or doggedly work away, disliking ourselves and the piece. Another alternative is to examine the niggling discomfort of self-doubt. Ask yourself if those thoughts are valid. Are you really incapable of sewing a straight seam? Or is there another way to do the same thing that makes it easier? Find a way that works for you.
We all make mistakes. When I get down on myself I joke that I am “suffering delusions of adequacy.” By joking about it, I’m reminded to not take those feelings seriously.
Problem #3 - Mental fatigue sneaks up on us.
Could you be working past your most effective level of energy? Or is the impetus carrying you along till you become tired without realizing it?
When we schedule a dedicated time to work on our craft, we can set the time frame to allow for rest periods. When feeling daunted by the work ahead of us, the temptation is to work faster - get it done!
In reality, the solution is to slow the pace and work deliberately, mindful of what is causing the frustration and fatigue.
I was working on one commission when I realized I was “taking a break” way too often. Not finishing the quilt was not an option. I had to step back and determine what problems were causing the stress and fatigue.
1. The “invisible thread” kept breaking. Simple fix - new spool.
2. I was having difficulty guiding the layers of fabric under the needle while doing the machine quilting. The fix - a Teflon sheet on the machine bed, and a pair of quilting gloves to replace the rubber fingers and rubber gloves that made my hands sweat.
Creativity is a journey of discovery...
What if we did this? How can I change that? We may not know exactly where the journey will end, only that it starts with the seed of an idea. One thing leads to another as our vision expands. Ideas come from seeing what we like. A photo of a heron on Dauphin Island inspired a ‘sea’ of variable log cabin blocks for my appliqué of a heron in flight. That idea led to adding an appliqué of a hermit crab on the beach of sandy colored log cabin blocks. Sand Dunes have always reminded me of the waving action of the sea. Using the same traditional pattern in both elements made a visual connection between the two areas.
One successful quilt commission began with a young girl who liked ladybugs. The design process began with - I have a ladybug: Where do you see ladybugs? The garden. I decided on a favorite quilt pattern: Garden Trellis. When I had the top finished, I appliqué’d large ladybugs over the surface randomly.
Browsing through beautiful photos of wildflowers led to a quilt of hand painted wildflowers of North Carolina. Permission was given by the photographer to use his photos as reference.
My favorite quilt began with the intention of using my stash of “orphan blocks.” When learning a new technique or trying out a pattern, I often make only one block. Over time, my stash of blocks become the ‘orphans’ that have never become part of a quilt. I re-visit those old friends and while trying to think of ways to use them, the creative process takes over and may lead me on an entirely new journey
A common scenario: We see something we like, and decide to buy the pattern. We may get a kit, or shop for the recommended fabric, whether in the store or from our stash. Shifting into high gear, we study the pattern and begin to cut and sew. Before long, something else has grabbed our attention; we weary of the repetitive sewing involved; or we find the pattern more difficult than we first thought and are unhappy with the whole process.
The anticipation of embarking on a new journey can carry us forward to a point somewhere in the middle. We have done enough to see a where the quilt is heading. We no longer focus on a vision of the quilt, but long hours of repetitive tasks. Self doubt steps in: Is my sewing good enough? Why don’t the corners match? This doesn’t look like the picture; I’m tired; my blocks aren’t square...why did I ever start this big a project? I just don’t have the time and energy right now. Maybe tomorrow - or next week - or next year.
The only thing we have produced is yet another UFO: Un-Finished Object.
Problem #1- We are materializing someone else’s vision
If the only investment we have is the purchase of fabric, and a book or pattern, it isn’t really ours. We may think it is, and vow to finish this one. Spending money, time and labor will never make it our own. Too often we see those expenditures as disposable.
We have made no sustainable investment. Before we can own a creative endeavor, we must invest something of our creative self in it. Appliqué lends itself to enhancing patterns, or can be the basis for a new pattern, in which we are 100% personally invested. We invest ourselves by adding to the quilt or modifying it according to personal significance.
I still buy patterns I love. At the very beginning, I decide: Will I copy the designer or traditional block, or will I use the pattern as a foundation on which to express my personal vision. How will I adapt it to my vision and purpose?
If I am following every step of a pattern, it is usually because I want to learn the lessons embodied in the design. When I have achieved that, chances are I will lose interest.
Problem #2 - Self doubt is a double edged sword.
Self doubt can be a useful tool, or it can stall our development.
Every artist I have ever known has learned to deal with the ugly specter of self-doubt. It’s a fact of creative life. We either give in and give up, or doggedly work away, disliking ourselves and the piece. Another alternative is to examine the niggling discomfort of self-doubt. Ask yourself if those thoughts are valid. Are you really incapable of sewing a straight seam? Or is there another way to do the same thing that makes it easier? Find a way that works for you.
We all make mistakes. When I get down on myself I joke that I am “suffering delusions of adequacy.” By joking about it, I’m reminded to not take those feelings seriously.
Problem #3 - Mental fatigue sneaks up on us.
Could you be working past your most effective level of energy? Or is the impetus carrying you along till you become tired without realizing it?
When we schedule a dedicated time to work on our craft, we can set the time frame to allow for rest periods. When feeling daunted by the work ahead of us, the temptation is to work faster - get it done!
In reality, the solution is to slow the pace and work deliberately, mindful of what is causing the frustration and fatigue.
I was working on one commission when I realized I was “taking a break” way too often. Not finishing the quilt was not an option. I had to step back and determine what problems were causing the stress and fatigue.
1. The “invisible thread” kept breaking. Simple fix - new spool.
2. I was having difficulty guiding the layers of fabric under the needle while doing the machine quilting. The fix - a Teflon sheet on the machine bed, and a pair of quilting gloves to replace the rubber fingers and rubber gloves that made my hands sweat.
Creativity is a journey of discovery...
What if we did this? How can I change that? We may not know exactly where the journey will end, only that it starts with the seed of an idea. One thing leads to another as our vision expands. Ideas come from seeing what we like. A photo of a heron on Dauphin Island inspired a ‘sea’ of variable log cabin blocks for my appliqué of a heron in flight. That idea led to adding an appliqué of a hermit crab on the beach of sandy colored log cabin blocks. Sand Dunes have always reminded me of the waving action of the sea. Using the same traditional pattern in both elements made a visual connection between the two areas.
One successful quilt commission began with a young girl who liked ladybugs. The design process began with - I have a ladybug: Where do you see ladybugs? The garden. I decided on a favorite quilt pattern: Garden Trellis. When I had the top finished, I appliqué’d large ladybugs over the surface randomly.
Browsing through beautiful photos of wildflowers led to a quilt of hand painted wildflowers of North Carolina. Permission was given by the photographer to use his photos as reference.
My favorite quilt began with the intention of using my stash of “orphan blocks.” When learning a new technique or trying out a pattern, I often make only one block. Over time, my stash of blocks become the ‘orphans’ that have never become part of a quilt. I re-visit those old friends and while trying to think of ways to use them, the creative process takes over and may lead me on an entirely new journey
