Cool link about one of my quilting inspirations

Denyse Schmidt from the Wall Street Journal

Her book, Denyse Schmidt Quilts: 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects,  is one of my favorites, for the yummy photos and the awesome "how-tos". 

Motivation*

*quite different from inspiration!

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary. [Picasso]

I have been asked how I get my quilts completed in what seems to be a short period of time. Well, I am a "completer", I have no UFO's {Un-Finished Objects}at the moment, just several quilts in different stages. I like having 1- I am piecing, 1- I am quilting, with one on deck. I have something I can do at any given time, to fill the time I have available. This is my therapy, my relaxation, my expression, my true passion. When I do not have the opportunity to do my quilting, I feel crappy.  

At the moment I have just completed a charity quilt for a fund drive at work, I am hand sewing the binding on my "Sargasso", I have the binding of "Phases" ready to hand-stitch and a new quilt top completed, ready to layer and baste. Then, on deck is a Christmas quilt for my son's room. It is how I like to work and it has evolved over time.

That did not answer the question, though. 

The important thing is to create. [Picasso] 

I have a full-time job, leave the house at 7am, return at 6pm. Most nights, my husband and I walk the dogs, fix dinner, eat, chat, etc. Then I head up to the studio for 1-2 hours. Saturdays are generally errand days, but I like to get 2-3 hours in; Sundays I like to get 2-4 hours in. I usually select fabrics and lay out blocks on the weekends, I have the daylight then. And then I have my projects lined up for the following week.

My husband and I are involved in community and family, they are also a priority.

My quilting, is my gift to myself. When my son was young, I did not have the time for it. I made collages, scrap booked, beaded, did smaller projects that were easy to put down and pick up. My creative urges have always been there and part of my life journey has been exploring the ways to express them. I still sketch, now I sketch quilt layouts and quilting stitch designs. 

My quilting is a priority for me. I have to create. I have so many quilts in my head, I need to make them, to get them into the daylight. Perhaps that is just me. The quilts motivate me to make them, to bring them into the world.

finding my style

Along my journey, I have learned the visual value of "mood" boards. We use them at work as a way of conveying ideas. But when it comes to using one personally, I am a bit lax. I don't like to tear up magazines, if I do, the tear sheets get lost or left in a file that becomes obsolete.

Enter my new tool: pinterest.


I joined out of curiosity. Let it lie not knowing if or when I would really utilize it. Now, I love it. Easy to keep track of things I am drawn to. Becoming easier to discern my aesthetic. Eye candy deluxe!

Phases COMPLETE

I have been a busy little bee without internet access! 

I also have been focused on finishing so I can move on to the other quilts that are in my head!

This is Phases, my own design, mixing Drunkard's Path blocks with plain blocks. Inspired by the changing shape of the moon as it moves through it's phases, thinking of the way life moves, and the phases we go through.

All batiks, FMQ'ed on my Baby Lock. 49" square.

on personal quilting style

**this is a rambling post**

As I mentioned in this post, I have been pondering my personal quilting style. Then today, this post brought my own questions more into focus.  

I have been consciously focusing on not only what I like, what draws me in, but what I do, how I put things together, how I stitch. 

With this in mind, I think my FMQ is a lot like Ann Fahl's. Eclectic, whimsical, free-form. I have tried to stitch in a more formal style like this, but I just can't! My hands, the machine and the quilt tend to take on a will of their own. I am able to appreciate both styles, and learn from both artists.

I like artwork that is multi-layered, with lots of imagery, like collage (love Nick Bantock!). Artwork that has hidden elements (like this dollhouse!) and design that makes me smile (like this). I love it when someone looks at my one of my quilts and sees the stitching designs separate from the piecing.

When it comes to piecing, I enjoy free-form, intuitive piecing, following patterns, using templates. I am drawn to color, but also adore surface patterns (batik and print). I can be inspired by antique quilts, traditional designs, folk art; I love visiting museums and being inspired by the work of other artists. 

I do not like to conform to "rules" when it comes to my quilts. I do not want to be put into a box that does not allow me freedom to explore, experiment and evolve. I do like improving my technique and refining my skills.

I guess, while I haven't answered the question of "what is my style", I have clarified a bit. Please share your thoughts! 


So, how do I come up with a description of my work?