Fun and Inspiration with Mary Ellen Hopkins

Back in the early 1980's I was a new quilter. My husband was watching the children while I spent a Saturday at a WQI meeting (Wis Quilters Inc.) At the time, the members had to bring their own lunch to eat between the morning lecture and the afternoon speaker.  This particular meeting, Mary Ellen Hopkins was the speaker for both time slots.  I had no idea what was in store for me that day.

Mary Ellen Hopkins

What a treat, she was a stand up comedienne/quilter.  This was the first day I was ever hit with a big idea, inspiration that kicked off my own colorful quilting career.  Mary Ellen was so funny, her entire talk was lots of fun.  She started to talk about finding a colorful splashy fabric that could be cut up into half squares; arrange the pieces and sew them back together! Just one fabric, not 5, 10 or 20! This is when the inspiration hit.

Only the day before I had been shopping in a local chain store and seen a red, blue and yellow print that I loved, but couldn't figure out what to do with it. You can guess what I did. The very next day, I drove to that store and purchased some of that fabric*.  I set the triangles in a black border and was absolutely thrilled with the result and ready to create another. This quilt led to another, and another, and you get the idea. 

Closeup of a similar quilt, using one fabric and sewing it together.

Mary Ellen has recently died.  She taught, lectured, and wrote books and articles that entertained and inspired quilters around the world.  I was one of them.  Thanks Mary Ellen.

Symphony of Color by Ann Fahl

*Ann no longer has the quilt that was inspired this day.  It was called "Fun with Triangles."  There is no photo of it, but it is in the collection of Wheaton Franciscan Hospital in Racine.  The fabric scraps, if there were any, were all cut up into triangles and used up! Some of Ann's more recent triangle pieces can be seen on her website. Half squares will always be an important part of her quilts.

Hockey Garden part 4

To border or not to border that is the question............ I've been trying to answer this for the last week or so.  I've added a vine or two to the subject, just to add a little something more for the viewer to find.

Look closely under the helmet and purple coneflowers to see the beginning of a little vine growing out of the bag.

When I get stuck like this, and an answer doesn't come my way, then I feel it's time to take action.  A border will add focus to my crazy arrangement, so I know there will have to be one, even though it wasn't in my original plan. So rather than just sit and wait for inspiration to hit, I will play with the idea a bit first with fabric, then with photoshop.

I pulled out heaps of fabric to test for a possible border, I held up the black (a little too harsh)  and the blue (not strong enough..) Rather than cut strips of actual fabrics, I folded the large hunks of fabric into long narrow strips and pinned them on the design wall around the hockey piece.

Here is the piece with a black Photoshopped border.

I like the way the black pulls everything together, and makes the garden more of a focal point, not just a mass of stuff.  However I feel the solid black is a little too overpowering as a border.

Here is the piece with a blue Photoshopped border.

I like the blue better, but will it go in my son's apartment or office?  He has brown leather stuff. It still creates a strong focal point, without the harshness of the black.  So what to do?  I will have a diet Coke and slice of fresh lime and think about it.

Here is the actual border.

I found a wonderful denim-like cotton decorator fabric for the top portions, and used a mottled black fabric for the lower border.  It has an ever so slight masculine feel to it.  Voila!!!!  I've added a few more leaves, and pressed the hockey bag over the border and the leaves from the dandelions too.  I love it.  I can almost smell the scent of the gritty hockey equipment, but you will be spared that bit of realism.

Next week, I will begin the embroidery and applique.

Ann Fahl

The importance of what you don't do............

Many of us have been quilting for most of our lives.  About a year ago, I realized that it was time for me to slow down my quilt production. After 34 years of full time quilting, I needed a break to spend time doing other things.

Detail from A Quilter's Menagerie, by Ann Fahl

In December Oprah interviewed Stephen Spielberg, Sally Field and Daniel Day Lewis about the making of  "Lincoln" the movie.  History fascinates me, especially American history and what affect it has had on our lives. The back stories about the making of movies and other art forms always brings a nugget or two of wisdom my way.

Another detail of A Quilter's Menagerie, by Ann Fahl

 Daniel Day Lewis talked about how he needed at least a year to prepare himself for the role of Abraham Lincoln. Not only does he want to research his character, but he also needs to spend time doing other things. He finds joy in being home with his family and doing mundane things like taking the kids to school and soccer practice. So he has found that he not only needs to immerse himself in his work as an actor, but also spend time at non-theater tasks.  Both make him a better artist.

Swan detail of A Quilter's Menagerie by Ann Fahl

The bells and whistles went off in my head, when he said this. I've been balancing family, traveling/teaching, and making quilts for so long, that I'm not experiencing the many other facets of life. Daniel is so right. It's OK to take time off. I don't work on weekends anymore nor make 12-15 quilts a year.  Maybe just 2 quilts a year will be right when combined with being a master gardener. Yes, time away is much more important than I realized.

It has become very important to write my family history; both for myself and for my two sons. This is a fascinating journey using all the skills I've developed during my career in business and quilting: computer word processing, investigative work, problem solving, writing and assembling a book.  Right now, with the temperatures below 20 degrees, what could be better than working in a sun filled office then learning about all your ancestors? It's good to stay home.

So if a day comes, and you decide to do something other than make a quilt; don't feel guilty, it is OK.

A Quilter's Menagerie, quilt by Ann Fahl

Ann Fahl

Quilt Judge on a Soap Box

Not too long ago, I was one of a panel of judges for a lovely quilt show, in a modest sized midwestern town.  Some of the work was outstanding; there was quite a bit of hand applique, a few hand quilted pieces, some amazing pieced work, a few were absolutely masterfully made, yet there were only 5 entries that were original designs!

Pardon me while I pull out my soap box one more time after a quilt exhibit.......... What has happened to us as quilters? Quilting has enjoyed a great resurgence of interest since about 1976--the bicentennial year. Have we still not learned enough about our art/craft to create more original work? Perhaps quilting has become more of a money making business rather than an art.  There are businesses creating books and patterns, tv shows, tool manufacturers, big exhibitions and contests, there are websites and workshops to teach new ideas,  and the list goes on and on........

We can cut out all the pieces for a quilt by cranking a machine, we don't need scissors and rotary cutters. We can sit at a sewing machine, and let it do the stitching for us.  If we create a top, we send it out to be quilted. Somewhere we have lost the joy and satisfaction of creating our own work.  I think you get the idea.

Everyone is trying to sell something!

Each time I finish a quilt, whether large or small, I feel a great sense of satisfaction in creating something that is truly my own. The process of making a quilt is similar to a treasure hunt. I begin with a small idea, and I keep working on a design wall, until pleased with its composition and appearance.  Yes, it takes time to create something that is your own. Most of the time I never know what the final project will look like until it's done.  Why use a pattern, you already know what the finished product will look like?  Where is the surprise?

Ann almost feels like a queen when she finishes a new project, she feels so proud.

Yes, we all have different talents and skills.  Let me challenge all of my readers to try to add something original to each project you begin.  You may be surprised to find you have the skills to create more than you think. You will become more confident in yourself.  Sometimes this path will put some obstacles in your way, it isn't always easy. Remember that the quilting community is one of the most helpful and supportive group of people in the world.  Ask for assistance and you will find many suggestions and possible solutions. After a few projects your skill and idea bank will grow.

Please give this a try. As a community we need to rediscover our creativity.  It's in there, we just need to let it grow.

Ann Fahl

Garden of the Sun God--The End

The last challenge is to find the right fabric for the binding. At first I thought perhaps it would work best to piece a variety of red fabrics together. But then I realized there was a lot of stuff going on in the border already, perhaps one or two fabrics cut on the bias would be a better solution.

It's wonderful when I go digging in my stash and can find a number of possible fabrics for the binding. I chose a red batik with lights, mediums and darks marbled through it.  Perfect. Always cut binding on the bias, the corners will turn flatter, and the long sides will lay flatter. For a thorough discussion on binding your quilt see my booklet on bias binding.

Announcing the completed quilt, Garden of the Sun God, by Ann Fahl, this quilt is now included in my Ancient Artisans gallery on my website.

The completed quilt, Garden of the Sun God, 52.5 x 63 by Ann Fahl © 2012

Ann

Embroidery on The Sun God's Garden

After spending so much time and thought on the composition of a quilt, it's fun to actually begin the machine work. For me, the embroidery is what adds rich texture, and holds all the pieces in position.  I do this in a hoop so I don't need any stabilizer underneath the pieces.  This creates a softer quilt top and allows the quilting (over wool batting) to add more dimension to the finished product. For more information on how Ann handles her embroidery refer to her book, Coloring with Thread.

Detail of Scraps of a Different Color showing rejected embroidery pattern

Being a coneflower fan, I wanted to begin with them.  I had already decided how I wanted to embroider my angular flowers. First I had experimented on another quilt where I discovered that I didn't like my first idea. This is why it is so important to test out ideas first, so problems can be avoided on major pieces of work. So I had to rethink my ideas and this is what I came up with.

Embroidery and quilting detail of coneflowers with honey bee

Each petal was detailed in the opposite direction with a variegated pink thread. This was a simple plan which I could easily accomplish, yet different than anything I had done before.

The papyrus was another challenge.  How will I embroider them?  I chose to use metallic blue and green thread to detail the heads, and gold thread for the sepals. This was lots of fun and a challenge to work with metallics.  I had finished writing my Mastering Metallics booklet by this time, so I tested out some of my suggestions! The detail on the curved edge is really pleasing and adds richness of texture.  I also love the little circles that hold the seeds in the papyrus head.

Harry becomes the focal point using Superior Thread's Midnight Rainbow #844

 And then there is Harry. I knew all the embroidery on the bird was going to make him come to life. I didn't worry too much about individual feathers, I just wanted texture.  Midnight Rainbow add the color I wanted over the double dyed blue/purple fabric. Notice that the grass behind the bird adds more depth to the quilt.

Now that the embroidery is complete, all that remains is the quilting.

Garden of the Sun God -or- Harry leaves the paper

I have been arranging, moving, shifting pieces of the quilt, taking breaks, looking at the quilt again, and using binoculars backwards. Taking digital photos and carefully looking at the image on the little screen of your camera can also give you another view of the quilt.  I've moved Harry up, then down, over a little bit, and finally he is resting on two lily pads in the pond.

Harry finally gets pulled off of his paper foundation.

Almost all of the elements are in place.  Harry has been oh, so carefully removed from the baking parchment sheet and pinned in place.  Originally, I wanted him to rest on the big carp in the center, but I had chosen a light yellow/green/purple painted fabric and his feet disappeared due to lack of contrast.  So, I wound up cutting the fish in half, putting the fish halves on each end, and moving the lily pads to the center, so he could rest on them. Yes I could have fabricated a fish out of a different fabric, but I loved the first one I made, so this shift in plans made everything work!

Look at the papyrus on the left you will see a similarity in my arrangement  to one of my favorite quilts On the Nile. The "swooping" papyrus that crosses over the lower part of the sashing was inspired by a gold box that was included in the King Tut exhibit that traveled the world in the late 2000's.

There is still that empty red spot in the upper center of the quilt.  The symbol of the sun god will go there.  You can see my white paper pattern in the place where it is to rest.

Garden of the Sun God part 2

So here is the unveiling of the border.  I did struggle with possible ideas. At times of indecision like this, I will look back over my earlier quilts for ideas.  If nothing comes to mind, look through the books and magazines I have saved over the years.

For this quilt I finally decided to add an irregularly pieced border, including as many rich red fabrics as I had in my stash.

3 border strips pinned up around the edges.

Then comes the question of what to do with the corners.  Do I use a square in each or do I just continue with the strips?  Hmmmm, I liked the idea of light turquoise in the upper corners to carry out the feeling of "sky." But what do I do for the 2 corners on the lower border?

Borders are attached, the background is complete.

So I compromised.  Two turquoise at the top and I carried the pieced border all the way across the bottom to create a firm foundation for my design elements. If you look closely you will see that the bottom border is actually a little wider than the 2 sides and top.  This is a technique that I always teach in my workshops. When a quilt is meant to hang in one direction such as a landscape or pictorial quilt, make the lower border a little wider.  It isn't obvious, but it adds "visual" weight to the quilt, its purpose is to create a base for the entire composition. This little trick works well. 

The important elements pinned in place.

OK, so you aren't impressed.  But I was pleased at this point in the progression of the design.  I loved my Eqyptian style coneflowers, and the blue and green heads of the papyrus.  To you as the viewer, all the little images are just floating on the background.  But to me, everything seemed to pull together when the drawing of the bird was pinned up. I did have a few moments of indecision, because my original plan was to include 2 or 3 birds in the center. But the birds would have been sized too small to have a family of them in the picture.  As it worked out, I gave up on that idea and included just one much larger bird. It makes a stronger statement this way.

What will happen to Harry the Heron?  More info in my next blog.

Ann Fahl

Pulling from the Past

The new issue of The Quilt Life, April 2012 is out on news stands now.  What a great magazine!  I admit that when I first heard, last year, that there was going to be a new Quilt magazine coming out, I was less than enthused. I am so tired of pattern magazines!

The April 2012 issue of The Quilt Life magazine

The Quilt Life is different. It is published by the good people at AQS; Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson are the executive directors; Jan Magee is the editor-in-chief.  They have put together a magazine that is artful, well designed and includes a plethora of topics. When my issue came in the mail today I sat down and decided to read it cover to cover.  The articles include a very wide range of subjects by authors that you will recognize and some you will not.  Each is tied in to the subject of quilting in some manner.  Each author was so inspired by some story, experience or subject, that it became a part of their work.  No matter what level of quilter you may be:  beginner or experienced; you will find the magazine colorful and fascinating. I would also like to mention that the subjects are equally divided between traditional and artful quilts. Whatever type of quilts you prefer, you will find something of interest.

The article I wrote is on pages 50-53; it is titled Yesterday and Beyond.  I have to say, that I am pleased with how the editor, Jan, took my mishmash of photos and made a beautiful article out of everything.  Look closely at the first page, and you will find a ginkgo tree from Winona Lake. Suzanne Marshall is featured and one of her hand appliqued pieces is printed on the centerfold.  Yes, quilters can have centerfolds too. On the very last page, p. 86, there is a lovely soft landscape designed by Sarah Ann Smith. This quilt took my breath away.  Go find a copy and check this out!

Take a moment to celebrate this day, March 18:  National Quilting Day.  Go start a new quilt!

Ann Fahl

Quilts in Color, part 5

Rhonda Rodero is featured today. She has no website, but in the Racine Area, quilter's are aware of her wonderful talents.  She is my neighbor:  meet Rhonda.

The Anderson Art Center

January 29-March 25, 2012

6501 Third Ave.

Kenosha, WI  53143

262-653-0481

hours 1-4:00 Tuesday through Sunday

Wisterias Bloom, quilt by Rhonda Rodero

Haiku  by Marisa Rodero
Wisterias bloom--
Laced with a golden breeze stay
Untouched in glory

Rhonda Rodero comes from a family rich with artistic talent; poets, painters and dancers to name a few. She also has had the advantage of a colorful cultural heritage. She grew up in Arizona and studied in El Salvador, Madrid, Arizona State University, and the University of Southern Florida. Her background provides her with a wide range of subjects from which to draw and a sunny palatte of colors to combine in her quilts. Rhonda found her passion when her husband gave her a sewing machine for their first wedding anniversary.  (He thought she could do the mending!)

Detail, Wisterias Bloom by Rhonda Rodero

Quilting became a serious occupation by the time her two daughters were almost grown. She currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Racine County which is rich with quilters at all levels.  

 Photography and drawing are two of her hobbies which serve her well when it comes to designing her quilts.  She chooses subjects from nature; landscapes, birds and plant life. She uses rich fabrics and covers them with lifelike embroidery and quilts them with close attention to detail to create a sculptured look to her subjects. 

¡Pura Vida!, quilt by Rhonda Rodero

Zenith of Color, quilt by Rhonda Rodero

Combined with her artistic eye, her attention to detail has brought her success in shows and competitions. She has been awarded many prestigious prizes in area and national exhibits.

Night Blooming Cereus,  Jasper? Cleo? Is That You?,  and Profusion of Color, quilts by Rhonda Rodero

Quilt detail Profusion of Color

As you can see her ability to draw is very important in her work.  Her sense of color is amazing.

Flight of Fancy, quilt by Rhonda Rodero,  her most recent piece

Even though I don't have a detail photo of this quilt, you can see more of  the attention to detail that I've been telling you about.  Rhonda's heavy quilting makes this quilt come to life with texture. 

Many years ago, Rhonda asked me to come into her house to look at a quilt that she was working on.  I didn't know her well at the time.  She had some questions about some sewing or piecing, I don't remember the exact nature of the difficulty she was experiencing.  I said, "Pull out your thread, and let's see what you might use."  She opened a drawer, pulled out a small box with about five spools of thread in it.  So I said, "Where's the rest of your thread?"  Well those 5 spools were all she had collected!  As you can see, Rhonda's collection of both thread and fabric now includes a broad palette of colors.

Thank you Rhonda for your wonderful work.

Ann Fahl

Quilts in Color: part 3

This is part 3 about the exhibit Quilts in Color at the:

The Anderson Art Center

January 29-March 25, 2012

6501 Third Ave.

Kenosha, WI  53143

262-653-0481

hours 1-4:00 Tuesday through Sunday

The featured artist today is Melody Johnson, who has been a quilt artist since 1981. She was also a professional fabric dyer for twelve years . Melody's education includes a BA in painting and drawing from Northeastern Illinois University in1981 and an MA in Fibers from Northern Illinois University in1994.

Melody's philosophy of quilt making is "all color all the time."  According to her, you can never have enough color! The two of us have had many interesting discussions of color, embroidery and fabric. Her quilts emanate with her joy of color.

Here are Melody's quilts hung above another of the Italian marble fireplaces. The quilts are from her Bon Bon series.

All of Melody's constructions are fused pieces, they appear to be pieced, but they are not.  Her quilting makes them appear to be pieced or appliqued. 

Zig-zag # 5,  quilt by Melody Johnson

 Don't you just love the jagged lines in the "rick rack" segments.  They add such strong directional interest in the quilt.  The edge also has "prairie points" to carry out the zigzag theme; I love the fact that they are irregular.  Melody created the perfect edge for this quilt.  Look closely, this is just a 9 patch block.  Isn't it wonderful and joyous?

Matchstick Moon and Matchstick Moons 2, quilts by Melody Johnson

 To create the surface patterns, Melody has used many fine thin strips to create the circular images and the grass-like textures.

Technique Rebellion III-Redux,  quilt by Melody Johnson

Technique Rebellion, above is without a doubt the most impressive quilt in her gallery.  The color and threadwork take your breath away! I am sorry there isn't a detail shot of this quilt.  It is so rich with thread, it is almost like velvet.

Parallel Paths,  quilt by Melody Johnson

This quilt is reminiscent of some of her mosaic pieces.  This was of course is rich with color and texture.  Her use of her own hand dyed fabrics makes all of her quilts sing.

If you would like to see more of Melody's work, you must visit her website. It is in glorious color and you will love seeing all of her work together.

Melody works in her home studio in Tennessee. "For me it's a balance of making the work and helping others find their artistic gifts. I loved the teaching experience, the encouragement, and mind opening exchange between the student and myself.   Teaching was an extension of my art. I am so happy now to have the time and space to enjoy my husband's retirement, to create new work, and to share my daily adventures via my blog. "

Thanks Melody for adding so much color to our day.

Ann Fahl

 

Playing with Fabrics

Last week, I had some free time. I've had the feeling that I haven't played in my studio in a long time.  I've been doing lots of writing, but not really any quilting.  Hmmmm, what am I avoiding?  Lyric's Bead DVD  arrived and I found it quite inspiring, so I decided to make a collage to both bead and embroider.

Collage, pinned and un-fused, it needs squaring up too

 There are two little drawers full of fused scraps in my studio. To begin I created a pieced background with 5 irregular strips of dark fabrics.  From my stash I pulled out a gray, dark print, blue, red and green fabrics of a similar dark value, pieced them together.  This is not an attractive background but it is interesting.

Next I pulled out all those little fused scraps of this and that.  All saved from earlier projects because they were too valuable to throw out! So here is what I have so far.  It's fun, but perhaps a monstrosity!  We'll see.  Mostly it is a learning and confidence building exercise.

Completed collage, fused and embroidery has been started

There are images in this thing, from quilts that have not yet been finished, and pieces that are as old as the hills!

Appliqued spiral from lower left corner, appliqued with red metallic thread and a programmed stitch

I have no idea where this spiral was from, but I have a bunch of them in warm colors. I am doing as much as the embroidery as I can with metallic threads.  If you look at the right hand column of this blog, you will see my newest booklet pictured:  Mastering Metallics.  So I'm using all the tips and ideas I've discovered in the last year or more, working on that project. My next blog will be all about that booklet.

Rhonda's Ginkgo, embroidered with variegated gold thread, but not trimmed up

There is a large hand painted ginkgo fused in the center right area of the collage.  Maybe 5 years ago my neighbor Rhonda, gave me a ginkgo leaf this size that she found when she was at the library.  I cut this hand painted fabric leaf out immediately, but it never found a home, so here it is.  This is why these collages are so much fun.

Off and on, as I make progress on the metallic thread and the beading, I'll show you what I've done. You can see the endless possibilities for bead-work and threads.  We'll see what evolves.  It'll be fun.

Have any of you been to see my show at the La Conner quilt museum?  If you have, please let me know what you think.  I haven't had any feedback yet, and I'm dying to know what it looks like!

Ann Fahl

Bead it Baby!

Today I had a most interesting afternoon.  Lyric Kinard's new DVD called Bead it Like You Mean it arrived in the mail. I had just finished piecing and fusing a medium sized piece; folded all the fabrics, put them away, and cleaned off my cutting table. I'm ready for something new. What a coincidence!

Lyric's new DVD

After running an errand, I decided that the rest of the afternoon would be dedicated to Lyric and beading.  I put the dvd in my laptop and took instruction from Lyric.  I've been beading my quilts since about 1991, and of course, I think I know it all!  Well, I learned lots of things from her because her point of view is so different from mine!

I loved how her backdrop changed with each segment she taught.  Her explanations were well thought out and very clear.  She demonstrated everything at least once. She used contrasting threads so it was easy to see where the thread was inside of the beads and on each project.  I was very impressed, Lyric is a gifted teacher and presenter.

On several occasions she showed small finished pieces that incorporated the techniques she had just  demonstrated in the previous segment. Lyric always had a little bit of a sense of humor as she explained the possible difficulties and challenges that might come along, this made watching the video both fun and informative.

Briefly, this is what she covered:

• Types of beads
• Setting up the tools and workspace
• Seed beads
• Bugle beads
• Stacking beads and fringe
• Creating cages for large pieces
• How to bead a quilt after it has been finished without any knots showing on the back

She shows a great way to make knots along the way and at the end of your threads. She stresses the importance of making the beads secure.  I enjoyed the segment on making stacks of beads which is something I haven't done, and look forward to adding to my new piece.

This DVD comes in a protective case, was professionally filmed and edited by Bonnie Lyn McCaffery. The DVD can be stopped after each segment, so you can practice the parts that interest you before going on to the next chapter. Bead it Like You Mean It retails for 24.95 plus 5.50 shipping. She accepts PayPal on her blog http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com

Here's a closeup of my collage Still Life with Scraps

In the very near future I will show you my current project titled Still Life with Scraps, when fused, embroidered and beaded.  I am anxious to see how it turns out.

Happy beading everyone.

Ann Fahl

What's a new Ezine #001?

A group of 16 textile artists have been working hard for some time, coming up with ideas for original work. They began a blog in Jan 2011 called The Sketchbook Challenge. They have now combined their ideas in a magazine format, that is available for purchase.You print it at home, and they even give you instructions for binding it, if you desire.

I have just looked over the first issue. 13 of the artists have contributed to issue # 001. There is a wealth of color, art, ideas and information to peruse.  The artful look is a little different than most how-to magazines which makes it fresh and freewheeling. Each article carries the essence of the individual author and delights you with color and ideas.  There will be something in every issue that you will find of interest.  It will stretch your creative muscles.  Mine need stretching!  There are 83 pages, larger and more idea-packed than I expected.

The articles include:

• How to Draw a Pinecone by Jane La Fazio
• Make a Sketchbook Sleeve by Sue Bleiweiss
• Remedies for Blank Pages by Carol Sloan
• Take your Pencil Out to Eat by Susan R. Sorrell
• and the list goes on and on.  Here is the link where you can check it out yourself:  Ezine #001 to look inside the issue and order.

Do not let the plain brown wrapper/cover deter you from opening these magical pages. There is something wonderful inside waiting for you. Read Lyric Kinard's piece on Making Bad Art. I've made alot of what she is suggesting, but she encourages the reader to keep working!

Let me know how you like it.

Ann Fahl

Ten Thoughts on Creativity

© 2011 Ann Fahl

Sometimes you have the time to work, but you don't have any ideas for a new project. What can you do to spark your creative energies and get going?

Pile of fabric that was auditioned for one of my current quilt projects!

1. Always keep a list of quilt ideas. Post it where you can easily look at it or add new ideas! If you don't have one of these, start one today.  Then you can check your list of ideas and maybe find something to work on.
2. Go and touch your fabric, look through the colors, what speaks to you?
3. Go to your local quilt shop and find a fabric that you can't live without; and use it to begin a new quilt.
4. Look through your quilt magazines and books.  You can also check the links on my webpage to see what others are doing.
5. Take yourself out to lunch or go to your local garden center or museum.  Take a notebook or little camera and photograph things that interest you. If you look, you will find ideas all around you.
6. Cut a bunch of squares in one or two colors and construct a background. Or--make some nine patch blocks with your scraps and see what develops.
7. Just sew something.  Do you have a nightgown or piece of clothing that needs to be altered? I am a firm believer in the fact that if you sit down at your machine or start cutting fabric, an idea will come to you.  If you sit with your coffee cup at the kitchen table all day, nothing is likely to happen.  But, if you go to your sewing area where all your "stuff" is and get busy; an idea is more likely to emerge.  Why not make some placemats and practice your machine quilting?
8. Pull out some scraps with Wonder-Under on them, and make a tiny little quilt.  Allow yourself to play or color freely, just like when you were in grade school. Who knows what might develop? 

Buds and Beads a tiny quilt 12 x 10 inches  Made from scraps with Wonder-Under on the back

     9. If nothing seems to come to mind, you are probably distracted by life's events. Or, sometimes your brain is just tired, and needs a creative break. It is called "writer's block" by people that do lots of writing.  I have just emerged from a very long blank period.  Take this time to read a good book, paint the bathroom, or throw yourself into a completely different project. If this is where you are, just concentrate on NON-QUILTING activities.  You will know when you are ready to get back to work.

    10. Try wearing a pair or colorful socks or a wild T-shirt, something that is FUN. This will help set your mood for more creative thoughts.

Good luck.

Ann Fahl