Stop PIPA and SOPA

I support actions to stop PIPA, SOPA and proposed anti-internet legislation in other countries. I value an open, secure, and free Internet.

Getting my mojo back: The first few steps on the path to regaining my creativity

When I was a kid, say, younger than thirteen, I was very creative. Just as importantly, I thought I was very artistic and creative, it was a part of my identity. I loved creative projects in school, and also did them in my spare time. I wrote short stories, drew pictures, made dolls and created elaborate stories.

The public school system, and then my undergrad and grad school engineering education has seemed to remove almost every ounce of creativity out of me. I make this statement for several reasons: creativity was not encouraged in the classes I took; I didn’t see that society valued art and creativity from me as much as my math, science and problem solving skills; and because I didn’t value things that didn’t lead to a “good job” in the future. Well, and probably because I spent all of my free time riding and racing my bikes.

Quilting has been my creative outlet for a few years, and I am going to add making furniture, refinishing furniture, photography, and decorating my house to my creative projects. I would also like to draw, paint, and write short stories, although these are much scarier for me to start.

Making quilts for myself is when I practice new techniques, like quilting blocks with triangles, or applique. Quilting for other allows me to use different colour schemes than the colour schemes of my house, use different materials than what I would make for myself (the sports memories quilt!), and for a different audience with different uses.

I think that the internet has really democratized the work of arts and artisans, because it is much easier to get your work out to a larger audience, and also for inspiration and understanding the art and thoughts of others. It is easier because it is less expensive, and because anyone can publish their thoughts or photos.

I am going to use this blog to examine my creative endeavours because I think that it is important for me to express my creativity as well as the examination of it; why, how it makes me feel. I look forward to exploring and sharing my new works of art, my confidence in my abilities, and my acceptance of my abilities. I want to see this as a process, and not something I can do perfectly every time, right from the start.

Right now, my creativity makes me feel happy and calm, although I can feel new ideas bubbling under the surface, waiting for the time and budget for their expression. How does your creativity make you feel?

Sports Memories Quilt

I’ve completed my first commissioned work!

I answered an ad on Kijiji earlier in December for someone looking for a quilter. Ms. H was looking for someone to make a quilt with her father’s old hockey jerseys, shirts, curling jacket, and golf shirts. The quilt was for watching TV on the couch. I love how it turned out:

It was a little difficult to get started, because I had little to go by. What was his favourite colour? What was his favourite team/memory? Did he like everything to be super neat? I didn’t know how I would pull it all together, I wasn’t even sure you could make something look good with so much stretchy material.

So, I included all of the clothes. I made it neat, but not perfect. I wanted the character of the quilt to be in the memories of the events, not in the perfection of the cutting of the blocks. As I made it, I imagined little boys playing hockey, and middle age men playing golf in the summer.

I didn’t imagine that I know him, I only know one aspect of his life that he valued, and I hope that I captured that with the quilt, and I hope that he enjoys it.

I would love to make more quilts like this in the future, with hockey jerseys, bike jerseys, event t-shirts, … Its way better than putting them all in a box somewhere.

Designing My Quilts

My quilts come together as a sort of abstract art, through a choice of fabric colour and pattern, superimposed on traditional quilt blocks.

I have so far stuck to beginner blocks, which really means that there are few or no diagonal lines to cut and sew. Cutting and sew along the bias (not parallel or perpendicular to the grain of the fabric) means it is stretchier and more difficult to sew, and it takes a lot longer to piece together. So, I have experimented with a few different block patterns, and I look forward to working with a greater variety in the future.

The next step is considering the recipient of the quilt. I think about who and what I’m making the quilt for. When I make quilts for friends and family, I take the person with me to help choose the fabric and colour. When I make quilts for myself, I bring a friend so I will remember them when I use the quilt. When I make quilts to sell, I imagine who would want it, what their room may look like, and how it may fit in.

After I have a basic idea of what I plan to do, I go to the fabric store, and consider my options. What fabric colour and pattern speaks to me, or the person I’m making the quilt for? How does a fabric make me feel, what does it remind me of? Colour taps into our emotions, and I want to give my quilts a voice. I chose one fabric, then match and contrast others with it.

In my opinion, beautiful quilts (usually) have a range of colour tone and brightness to create visual flow, drawing your eye through the entire quilt. Upon further examination, your eyes will rest on individual fabrics, which means that pattern is also important. The eye is drawn to bright and dark colours before lighter or duller colours. Bright/dull dark/light are only important in contrast to each other in the quilt. Matching or contrasting the colours is slightly less important than the intensity of the colour.

For example, this was my first quilt:

The rail fence pattern moves your eye using the top and bottom strip in each block of three strips. I like to move the eye through with the darker or more intense fabric, add interest with the second fabric, and use the third to compliment. Your eye is drawn through the quilt with the navy blue in the step pattern.

Looking closer:

The lightest fabric, a pebbly, organic, taupe, brown and blue on off-white, has a wavy motion that adds a softer, natural feel.

The middle strip, the weird greenish mountain bikers, was the fabric that was the inspiration of the quilt.

The three fabrics reminds me of riding with my partner and our dog:

It is our mountain biking quilt, always reminding us of spending time together, doing what we love.

What do you see in a quilt?

Welcome!

Welcome readers, to my new blog to support my budding quilting business online at Etsy (I will update with a link when I add my first item for sale) and locally here in Kingston, Ontario.

I love quilting.  I love implementing my interpretation of colour, colour intensity, and pattern on traditional quilt blocks.  I enjoy the straight lines, the challenge of machine piecing efficiently, and the inspiration of visiting the fabric store!