Art, Craft and Needlework, April 2012

[Harriet]

Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found. - James Russell Lowell

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. - Frank Capra

Conditions for creativity are to be puzzled; to concentrate; to accept conflict and tension; to be born everyday; to feel a sense of self. - Erich Fromm

Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm. - Earl Nightingale

Our Get Well Soon shout-out to the walking wounded for April - BookSaver sewed through a finger and we wish her continued healing!!!
During March we were humming with creativity! There were hunches, puzzles, findings, makings, and enthusiasm! So maybe the above quotes will inspire. If it is indeed a condition to be met that one must be puzzled for creativity to happen, gee, we probably reach creativity more often than we think!

BookSaver finished her denim totes for sewing supplies and is enjoying study of clothing design
Lynlee shared tricks and tips for bodice-fitting with darts
Sunny finished her granddaughter's quilt and shared photographs, now beginning one for her grandson
Nancy is working in green yarn, back to knitting more. She recommends "Knit and Crochet" on PBS
Harmony is finishing the top for her second quilt gift surprise, creating in applique and paper-piecing
sherinjoy encouraged!!!
Harriet is finishing the binding on a small project and working on a label idea

And now, for our ever-present question...

Whatcha doin'?

[Harmony]

What I'm doin' :

Quilt is in the rack. Boo, the rack is back in our bedroom, dumb place for it as it's squeezed into a spot...but DFamily is coming this weekend again and it must stay there for a few more days.

I spent time cutting out shapes of a whale, a fish, a sailboat, a seahorse, a pair of porpoises...then spent some time trying to trace around them on dark background with chalk pencil. Yikes, hard to see. I've decided to just quilt roughly around the fish swimming on the dark blue background. I did draw motifs on the sand and the sky and the sun. I might have lost my eyesight if I'd continued the other way...also decided to just quilt around the sea shells on the border instead of the smaller seahorse I had...when I counted the number of those I'd have to do it seemed like a never ending job... if I only had all the time in the world..

Harriet, I'm glad you finally found a little time to sew. Must have felt good!

[Nancy]

Prayer shawl is done and a crochet tote to put it in as well! I still have the other one to finish up that I started several times. I'm thinking of how to do the handles for it. Got that one done!

Yes I got some notes in my journal about that show yesterday this week.

[Harriet]

I finished that binding today - just one line of stitching was left. Then I turned my attention back to the label I've been working on and cut the muslin center into a rectangle with the right space on each side of the writing. Spent some time auditioning fabrics for the label's border. The background it will be against is a light green and I do want some contrast. It's always tempting to use several fabrics for that, but finished is better than perfect.

Nancy, I read in PWYC that you did floor exercises while watching your knitting program. Good use of time. It occurred to me maybe you could have a pen and paper close by on the floor when you do that in case they give some info you want to jot down.

Harmony, you could always stitch a couple seahorses in between shells for fun and see if they are ever noticed! It would break the work up for you at least! I have a feeling you are wise not to do a whole lot of them - probably intricate.

[Harmony]

Actually, the seahorses are the easiest of my figures, with a long gentle scallop down the back, straighter lines around the head/nose...those other figures take much longer. I like your suggestion and for sure will use it.

I noticed when I put the rack in its place in front of light source (sliding door) I could see the markings much easier. Doing this hand quilting around all the fish / coral in the prints is going to take a long time. I've done a couple and they go s-l-0-w.

[Nancy]

I've been working on the prayer shawl pattern ever since last Thurs. when I saw it on the knit and crochet now show and it's been growing and a wonderful way to use up odds and ends of yarn I have on hand here for random stripes. It is apx. 1' in length now.

[Emptynester]

Not too bad for my first painting. At least I don't have a bare wall any more.

[Harriet]

Great Kokopelli figures with a happy feeling, Emptynester - I love the shading from lavender purples to orange desert colors in the background! Gives more movement for the eye to follow. What painting medium did you use? It's fluid but I'm thinking acrylics (oils?) not watercolor?

Nice to think you found a program that gave you a new idea, Nancy. Hope you have fun with it.

I've been hand-sewing so some smaller quilts will have hanging sleeves.

[Harmony]

MT, that is amazing! I love the colors.

Thinking about Nancy watching the show on TV, this past Sat. I turned on PBS, looking for something for the kids and found Fon s & P or ter show and watched. DGS 10 was watching with me, and as they went into the next segment, he got up and looking astonished said, "oh, I can't watch any more of THAT".

Well, I can't watch non-stop transf ormers, either!

Sewing is going awfully slow. Not easy type of quilting for me. I sure didn't save any time with this design like I thought I would.

[Emptynester]

Painting medium: I started with some house paint as I had no gesso. I first painted a regular coat to seal the material and then put it on with a spoon to make some texture. The color is all acrylic fabric paint that we had on hand. So the painting really didn't cost anything - all made from leftover wood for frame, an old sheet for canvas and on hand paint.

Thanks for the complements.