Small Gifts Part II on Off the Wall Friday

Curves, Still using the scraps from this one!

 Well here on the banks of the Great Lakes, we are still waiting for spring to arrive.  I'm not sure how much snow and cold this girl can take but I'm getting close to my limit.  More daylight has helped though, and I started a new sleep routine ...working back to my goal of 8 hrs a night...every night.  I'm quite sure I haven't done that since the early 2000's so this ought to be interesting.

The nights I'm getting over 7 hours, I'm noticing that I do have energy to do stuff after work.  To that extent, I've started the small project for my teammate's birthday. First I started with a simple design.  When you are designing small, you don't need a complicated composition.  What I'm thinking is to do this simple flower that will show case big stitch embroidery.  Then add a simple quote...or words....or something of that nature.  As always, I like to make one design decision at a time. 

 

Then the fun stuff.  I tackled my stash.   In true Disney Princess fashion, my co-worker loves all things pink.   To that end, I had to find fabrics that said HER rather than ME. Starting with the backgrounds....

I have in mind doing a pieced background that will be stitched to a foundation . I'm not sure exactly how, but I think raw edges and stitching will be involved.  

Then the flower fabrics...I started in my stash...nothing that would work there, down into my studio's stash...nope.  All of them yelled NINA and nothing said Disney Princess.  Finally, I spied my scraps.  It really felt great to get back into my studio.  How did I forget that I had cleaned it so well?  My whole body just relaxed stepping into it.  For as messy as I can be, I love things neat and tidy.

Sorry I digress...yes I did find what I needed in my scrap bin.  This is about the time when I realized something that you probably caught on to ..that the background wasn't pink but actually coral.  Once that realization set in, finding the right scraps was easy.  I chose some left over from my curves quilt.  The improv piecing is already done and they will be the right value for that medium to light background...a Win - Win .  Plus she's so going to dig knowing that a bit of a quilt was in her little piece.

Running my fingers through fabric again made me think...why did I stop quilting again?

Just typing it all out gives me a solid plan on finishing this ...because finishing it I must ...her birthday is the beginning of April.  

Under Things I Like....

My sister in law, Susan recommended her new favorite show...The Great British Sewing Bee.  Am I the last to discover this show?  It has all the things I like in a reality show...regular people, showing us a bit about them and what they do and not too much ridiculous drama.  Honestly, I would rather watch this type of reality show than the Housewives of BumFEygpt anytime!  Because I've been limiting my screen
time in favor of ...wait for it...sleep, I'm only 2 seasons in but I just love to watch people create.

I'm always a little shocked that for as little as I know about garment sewing, I totally understand what they are doing and why.  It's nice that needlework crosses over.  Plus, I think this counts as cross training like we I said in last week's post.

You can find the show on Roku here ...watch online or download the app to your smart tv.  Commercials are short and not obnoxious.  Plus, it's all free which is refreshing.  

Has anybody else watched it?  What do you think?

and of course...

What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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Color by Emotion on Off the Wall Friday

Inspiration

 It's been a tough week.  Nothing like a crippling icy snowstorm to cramp your creative style.  The bright moment in the week was Cindi Gay's Rug Hooking class.  I really look forward to her classes.  They have just enough structure to make them productive but she doesn't mind going off on a tangent of everything rug hooking.  Because her background is originally painting, lots of times it comes with a fine arts bent.  

This week we finally summarized our Geometric Rug Journey.  What started off with how to do a geometric rug back in September ended up with a season long lesson on how to design a rug overall.  The funny thing is that it's not really that much  different from the way you design a quilt.

The Process

1. Find Inspiration and Do Research

2. Brainstorm Design Ideas

3. Settle on One or Two Ideas

4. Do Value Studies

5. Pick a Palette by Color Emotion

6. Pick a Directional Hooking Plan

7. Do Small Sample Pieces

8. Transfer Design

9.  Hook the Rug!

Looks cut and dry doesn't?  No, its a LOT of work.  The nice thing is that when you are doing this much work ahead of time, the hooking will go quickly since you know it's going to look great.  

Most of these weren't unfamiliar but one concept that was new to me was pick a color palette by emotion. Anybody who has been paying attention knows that I love color.  I've explored a ton of ways to pick palettes.  But Cindi's favorite way is to take pick two emotional descriptive words and go from there.  I could explain it but it's more fun to show you....

Romantic and Muted

Joyous and Bright

Moody and Mysterious

Neutral and Serene 

You get my drift. Plus, Cindee doesn't like to limit herself to a handful of colors like they do in these examples.  She's happy to pick as many colors as she wants as long as they stay in that emotional category.  I think this is really smart.  I always say that the color palette you chose for a piece is going to go a long way to helping you convey what the message of the piece is overall.  After all, emotion is at the root of most art.  

All along I've been doing the exercises she's assigned, but now it's time to 

Defecate or Vacate

Fish or Cut Bait

Paint or Get off the Ladder

Or simply decide on one of the MANY designs from step 2 and work my way through the process.  

Stay tune...since our homework is to do exactly that, I should have something to show you next week. 

So What Have You've Been Up to Creatively?

 

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The Start of a Design on Off the Wall Friday

 I've had a week.

 In typical manner, just when I've thought, I've created some boundaries with work, nope...it comes roaring back in.  But honestly, that's how life is.  You try to compartmentalize different aspects but it's not unusual for the boundaries to get crossed and some compartments to get bigger than others.  Luckily for me, I actually like my job so I don't mind giving a bit more energy than normal this week.  As long as it's the exception, not the rule.

I did finally carve out a little creative energy to start my next design.  I decided to design a rug pattern, like I do a quilt pattern. 

The Inspiration

I finally am using the greeting card that has now been sitting on my dresser for years.  This is a Forever Card designed by Ge Feng who resides in England.  I love their work.  I could have used many cards for inspiration, but this one really captured my attention. 

The Design

The idea to is to use this as inspiration, not a copy.  But I wanted to get the feel of the proportions.  So, I first made a photocopy of the card. The reason I did this, is because an important design element of the card are the paper cut lines.  Those won't translate to a rug pattern.  

Now I trace over the important elements of the composition, playing attention to the pattern and proportions. In this black and white representation, I'm starting to divorce myself from the original. 

 With that by my side, I start brainstorming my new composition.  Out of my handful of tries, this is the only one that comes close to working.  

Like I said, not a lot of braincells this week left for creating....but still it's a start and there isn't any big rush since I'm still finishing Autumn Fruit.

And speaking of my current project....

On this week's Rug Watch...I chose the background! 

 Cindi Gay mentioned in one of her lessons that it's not a bad idea to choose the background before finishing the whole rug.  Her reasoning is that you make sure the main composition elements worked nicely with the background.  I never really thought of it that way.  Normally, I pick a palette that all works together and make one design decision at a time. The background color is one of the palette colors.  Sometimes the background is first - sometimes last - rarely in the middle.  

This time apparently it was going to be in the middle.  I already had in my mind that I wanted Autumn rusts.  I bought a few quarter yards of wool in them varying the values, cut them up in a size smaller than the fruit cut ...background - 5 - Fruits - 6.  The thought process is that the loop size won't detract from the main subject of the rug.  

I wasn't quite sure when I started hooking, how all those values would look. One thing is for sure, it's not the background you'd see from a traditional hooker.  I'm thinking it's giving more "tell me you're a quilter turn rug hooker" vibes more than anything.  I wasn't quite sure I liked it actually, until I took the picture for this post.  Yep, it's working.

This weekend, I start packing for my Rug Retreat at Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio next week.  Can't wait. I sooooo need a few days away!  

(linking with Kathy's Slow Stitch Sunday) 

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Designing with Geometrics on Off the Wall Friday

 

Heritage Medallion, 60" by 60
Nina-Marie Sayre, 1996

Well, you can imagine what I thought, when my rug hooking teacher, Cindi Gay announced the next big topic was designing with geometrics.  I mean as a 35-year quilter, geometrics is kinda like our bread and butter, right?  Apparently, some rug hookers shy away from geometrics because the rug police said your lines must be straight, edges perfect (hard to do with fluffy wool!).  That totally reminds me of the quilt police judging if your points match and your seams are press properly.  (huge eye roll)

Her design directions were very loose.  Design a geometric pattern that would fit on a square grid. To get us started she gave us a PDF full of geometric shapes to cut out and play with.  Oh, that's new.  I never tried to do it that way.  Over the years I've tried a ton of ways.  

Back at the beginning, I would grab graph paper and pencils.  With my engineering diploma all shiney I had a ton of graph paper left over from school.  Here are a couple of my designs from the early 90's...

Nothing fancy but I already was playing around with new designs and geometrics.  

But really who am I fooling...I've been playing with geometrics since the '70's when I got the book Altair Designs by  Ensor Holiday at the book fair in 5th grade  (1977...lol).  In those days a coloring book of geometrics was an oddity.  I found the patterns fascinating and had no problem spending hours working out designs.   My husband couldn't believe I still have it and easily pulled it from the shelf to take some pictures to share here ... this is 10-12 year old Nina's work...

Am I the only one that is amazed at how good markers hold up after 50 years?
gasp! Lord Jesus, where does the time go?

Along with color books you can look to traditional quilt blocks for inspiration....and there is no shortage of them!

I even had the first version of Electric Quilt back in the late 90's to design with but found it way too clunky.   What I haven't tried though was taking geometric little cards and forming them into blocks.  So, I took some time to at least play with Cindi's blocks and here are some of my attempts.....

If I was actually going to do this, I would print them on card stock and they would be much easier to move around.  I do like how keeping it black and while you can just concentrate on the shape.  Adding in the circles was interesting and I think I'll explore that some more. 

You could take it one step further and get a set of mosaic blocks to play with shape.  

It's funny how there are so many ways to create and brain storm simple geometric patterns.  Cindi encouraged us to look at the world around you and see what shapes you are drawn to.  Look at the rhythm of the shapes and the composition ....

After taking the week to explore geometrics, I realized how much more I had to learn.  I haven't even really started on my design, but I have some good ideas going.  It's going to be so much fun to do this as a hook along with the rest of the class...it's fun to discover something new on a topic you thought you knew so well!  

Also, as I discover rug hooking bloggers, I'm starting to invite them into our link up.  As always - if your post is creative, it's welcome! 

So, What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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Another Idea on Off the Wall Friday

 

Anybody who has been paying attention would know that the last 6 months, I've been a bit obsessed with my new job.  Let me just say that Customer Service is not for the weak at heart...but...if you love your product and you love working with people, it can be really fun.  Not to mention throw in a nice work environment and a touch of technology and its really is fun.

That all said, my creative side is slowly but surely coming back to life.  I've had this idea baking in the back of my brain for two weeks no.  Has that ever happened to you?  You get an idea, and it just sits there and grows little by little while you're doing other things?  

Well, here is my story of the day...

Another passion this summer is my return to thrift clothing...a little because it's good for the environment...a little because it's cost effective...and a lot of it is the thrill of the hunt.  Last month, I was looking for long sleeve shirts when I spotted a rack of linens.... Where this was on the end....

 

Pretty, right?  Folded up I had no idea what it was but it felt like a polyester/cotton blend with a good hand (not too slinky).  For $2.40 where could I go wrong.   I actually thought it would make a nice skirt.   Then it sat on my shelf all folded up, just waiting for weeks.  I swear, I had no idea it was a tablecloth till I opened it up to take the picture! Then I went to our fair and I was lamenting how boring the quilt offerings were.  Plus, nightly I would look on Instagram where there are some really great upcycling and Re-making going on and it gave me the bug to give that flowerily fabric new life.  

The print made me think of a card that has been sitting on my studio wall for a couple of years just waiting.  It's a pretty card but I thought it would be a better art quilt.  I never wanted to copy the card exactly but just let it inspire me into piece with the same kind of feel.  Which got me thinking....

What happened if I put the two together?

I was hoping to have a sketch done by tonight, but I've been too brain dead.    I'm quite sure my boss told me twice this week, I better slow down and maybe this is what he means.  Apparently, there is more to the world than USA made Pliers.  

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Let's Talk Improvisational Piecing on Off the Wall Friday

 

Curves II,  Nina-Marie Sayre
Improved pieced to a planned pattern

Improv Surface Design with a little bit 
of Improv Piecing, 

Taking a class in improvisational piecing, got me thinking of how many uses there are for the technique.  For that matter, how much a non-technique, improvisational piecing actually is.  The reason I say that is improvisational piecing's only rule is that there are NO RULES.  So, it can basically do whatever you want, whenever you want, letting your fabric, your vision or even your intuition be in
the driver seat. 

That can be very freeing or a little scary for a quilter whose modus operandi is to plan out a quilt before making it.  It's even scarier if they are used to following patterns and the fabric choices.  I never thought of it that way until I watched my class of traditional quilters take the plunge.  By the end of the week though, they all definitely got the hang of it for sure.  

So, want to dip your toe into the pool of improvisational quilting?  Here are some suggestions...

Improv pieced background....Give the background of your applique a little extra interest with making an improv background.  It's also a great way to play with the value of the background to give emphasis on your subject.

Notice in Praise Ladies II, I used an improv background gradate diagonally across the piece to give emphasis and movement to the subjects.

Abstract Improv piecing...In this quilt by Janet Windsor, she uses improv piecing for the whole composition.  She plays with both value and hue to get her point across.  I love how she improvs the strips but then pieces them into columns to give it added structure. 

Unnamed, Janet Windsor

Improv Traditional Blocks....whose says traditional blocks need to be made with a pattern?  The one I tend to see the most is the log cabin block.  BUT I ran across this challenge by Sarah Goer and found it super interesting.  She asked her group to improv the Sawtooth Star and they came up with these.  Traditional + Improv = VERY Interesting!

Sawtooth Star Challenge on Sarah Goer Quilts

Improv to Abstract the Representational...and that was where I'm going with this piece.  Now don't ask me EXACTLY where I'm going but it's at least the beginning of an idea.  To take something everyone recognizes and then to use improv piecing to give it a little twist!

WIP, Houses

See what I mean?  You can take this simple idea of just piecing stuff willy-nilly (or not so willy-nilly) and come up with endless ideas.  Remember the only rule is that there is NO RULES. Remember you are the queen of your quilt.

Speaking of queens...

My classmate, Marsha G. sent me a project she did upon arriving home.  She took all her orphan blocks (left over blocks from other projects), improved them together and added a panel in the middle to get a totally new piece.  Didn't it turn out great?  I was so blessed to meet Marsha and her husband the first night we were there.  Plus, then we got to sit together all week in class.  Let me just tell ya, she literally sewed me under the table.  Nothing better than having a partner in class that will work as hard as you! 

Bring the Orphans Home, Marsha Gordon

So, I hope I gave you some ideas to start experimenting with piecing.  I mean we all have stashes to use right? 

And on that note...

What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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Improv Piecing on Off the Wall Friday

Hard at Work

You know sometimes all you want to do is sew and boy, have I done that.  Taking Improvisational

Piecing with Veronica Hofman-Ortega at John C. Campbell's Folk School was one of my better ideas.  I love a class that starts with design exercises that will lead into bigger and better ideas.  Not to mention the ladies in my class were great!  There was a full range of quilters in the class  - from the very experienced to the beginner.  All were traditional, so this was pushing pretty much everyone out of their comfort zone.  But let me tell ya, they were up to the challenge.  After the first day our design walls were already starting to fill up.  By the end, it was amazing what we all got done!

Sewing  + Challenges + Great Company = Perfect Class.

We learned all sorts of improvisational shapes - strips, triangles, curves.  All design exercises were pretty loose, and Veronica told us that we could play with them as much as we wanted.

The strips were to be made with black, white and a color.  This is where it took me...

It definitely needed some zing so I added lime green which I thought was much better.

The triangles gave me the most problem since the colors were #1 solids and #2 chosen from a limited palette.  I ended up with a design wall of pretty sad triangles.  We tried some improv curve piecing which I liked marginally better...but still sad.  

What's a girl to do?  Well, cut them up and try piecing them back together.  The most interesting idea was taking two triangles and curve piecing them together.  With a few of those units and more curves piecing, I ended up with this.  Interesting, but not completely finished.  

Finally, we could explore on our own, so I did some brainstorming which led me to these simple ideas (by this time, I was pretty tired)

This time I picked a palette I loved - orange, golden yellow, purple and blue.  By then end of the day I got what looks me to me like a Dr Suess house  - which makes me smile. All it needs is the roof!!  I'm kinda diggin' this idea.  I can see it leading to bigger and better things for sure!  It's fun to play something representational but still give it that improv twist.  

Improvisational quilting is really so freeing creatively.  It was extra fun watching the class see the joy of it.  So although tired ... I do have a full design wall!

So, What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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