Stash

While I was snapping pics of in-progress projects, I thought I might as well post a shot of my stash, since I had to unpack and reorganize everything I had taken to the classes.  It looks rather paltry in this picture, while in reality it seems absurd.   Of course this is only the fat quarter - half yard stash.  There is also:

The Scrap Bin, and...

The disorganized mess of larger fabric, in process projects and  thrift store finds.   Note the ziploc bag of fused scraps and tiny scraps, also carefully sorted and organized.  Why am I posting this?  I have no idea.  To embarrass myself into action?

Liberated Log Cabins

I made these six blocks in the workshop.

Well, good morning!  Yesterday was day three this week of having fun with fabric and creativity, and (almost) not thinking about work.  Yay.   It was extremely enjoyable and motivating.  Gwen Marston has a delightful style of teaching and a wonderfully quirky sense of humor.  She brought some of her earlier small quilts as well as newer ones where she's using one block for the whole piece.  Of course as soon as I saw it I had to buy her newest book, because there were so many more color-block type pieces.  These really motivated me.  


There was much less teaching time and more sewing time that in the Janet Fogg workshop, but I didn't really mind as I was eager to get to sewing right away when the ideas started to flow.  But I try to make a point of remembering in classes that I paid to be there hearing from the instructor, and learning from the other students' works and ideas, not to sit in a corner and sew, which I can (theoretically) do anytime. 

I also made 16 partial mini-blocks - One seems to be MIA

There were a few familiar faces from past classes and the guild, and it's nice to feel like I'm finally starting to get to know some other local quilters.  There was also a fair contingent of "in the box" people trying to figure out how to get out.  They all should get an A+ for effort because there was a whole wall full of really great blocks posted by the end of the day.  I'm off to get started on the weekend chores, then I'll be back to post photos.
Much as I want to jump back into my log cabin or my piece from the earlier workshop, I think I will buckle down and finish the placements first today.  I need to get that project cleaned up and off the table.  
Later:  Place mat piecing is finished.  I need to decide how to bind.  I don't think I can face  6 mats x 4 sides x 14" each = 336 inches of strip binding, so I will probably use a pillowcase type, with top stitching.


So as promised, here are some shots from the workshop:  First, some of Gwen's samples:

This is the one that made me want to try the small "half-cabins."  It's about  18 x 24, maybe less.

Another earlier piece.  
I think the big border helps calm the "wonkiness."

This one used a whole bunch of prints, many of them with stars.

Her current work is all in solids, and she's been playing with the idea of entire quilts being made up of one giant block: 

Here's one of her single block pieces, surrounded by some of the student work.

This student did a good job with the "giant block" theme.

Student work

More 

One of the nicest student projects

Some of the quilts in the book worked with very minimal color palettes, which I really admired, but couldn't see myself doing - at least not at this workshop...  Here's a very nice example.  

Really nice compositions and effective use of color.

I didn't photograph all of them, but it was very interesting to see how different they all came out,  here are a few more random shots.  I was surprised how many people chose to "fussy cut" from novelty fabric.  The last picture shows my favorite of this style, where she interspersed some white printed fabric in her bright blocks. 

Pacific Fabrics

One my trip to Everett today, I took a lunch hour detour to Pacific Fabric.  OMG! That's a LOT of fabric.   ;)  I was like a kid in a candy store!   Much thanks to Linda C. who clued me in on this place yesterday.   knowing I will be back down there frequently, I was able to restrain myself to one beautiful ombre and a couple discounted pink batiks that I know I can use for  Painted Veil, and some supplies: spray starch and quilters marking tape...and wood dowel for hanging my smaller pieces.   Suffice it to say I will no longer mind attending job site meetings in Everett!!

More on Unexpected Combinations Class

Janet has developed the idea of combining two or more subjects in unexpected ways as a creative "hook," a way to get students thinking outside the box, loosening up the creativity that is inside everyone.  It was fun during the brainstorming session to hear all the different takes each person had on the little ticklers she gave us, phrases or nursery rhymes.  People who professed not to have a creative bone in their body came up with really cool concepts, any one of which could have been developed into an idea.  


It mad me sad to hear how many of the women were so self-deprecating about their own abilities and skills to "get out of the box" or be creative.  They all have it in them! As usual I was a bit of an odd duck, lots of ideas but very few skills.  I also felt like I was the only one with a full time career besides quilting.  Why didn't I find a wealthy man to marry 20 years ago?!?  ;)   

Anyway, I found that the exercises were useful for me for several reasons - 1.  I always feel like my ideas have to come ONLY out of my head, and I worry if I am "inspired" by something else or take suggestions from someone else, or use someone else's method, that I'm cheating, or not really creating.  Janet's methods, and even more, seeing her quilts firsthand, showed me how ideas can be sparked by different photos or memories and still be combined into totally unique pieces of art.


She was also very honest and informative about how much real WORK goes into the pieces she produces, and about what it takes to compete at the level she does (and not just complete but win).

Great workshop

The two days with Janet Fogg went by in a flash.  She's a wonderful teacher, very organized, very creative and very willing to share her talents with all the students.  I'll have a lot more to share about the workshop as soon as I can get some time to sit and download my brain.  After six solid hours today, I felt more mentally exhausted than I have in years.  But in a good way.  Like I'd really used my brain to the greatest extent possible. 


I went into the first day with no idea what my project would be (I didn't even realize we were suppose to bring a project) - and ended up with a concept and design that I'm really excited about and can't wait to get back to.   I started out with a picture of a butterfly that I liked, but it was just a picture.  The theme of the workshop was unexpected combinations, putting together two things that are unexpected, to make you think about them in different ways...   At the beginning of the first day, we did a brainstorming exercise where we each pulled a slip of paper with a saying or movie or book title, and we were each to come up with an image that comes to mind from that title.  Mine was "The Painted Veil."  The minute - the second - I read the words I had a vision of a Muslim woman in a full burqa, but instead of black, as the fabric flowed around her it became a beautiful feminine pink and blue design.  


From there it was a surprisingly long hour or so before it all came together in my brain I realized that the butterfly was the "painted veil" I needed to portray.  First we were each supposed to show the photos we brought and what our design idea was.  I had nothing.  But I showed some of the fruit crate label designs that I liked, not even the butterfly, I thought it was too trite.  Only after I sat down and others went on to show their ideas, did the combination come to me.


Then this morning there was another breakthrough when I realized that the eyes I'd carefully drawn out were way too detailed to fit into the woman's face...and thought I'd have to discard them.  But I had something in the back of my mind about "eye spots" on butterflies, and magically when I overlaid the eye drawing on the butterfly the eyes seemed to fit right into the wings.   From that point it only took the rest of the day to get a composition and rough tracing on the wall.  


Janet was very complementary, and I think she will be interested to see if I can execute it.   I just have so much less technical skill and experience than most... I'd say almost everyone in the room except me had been quilting over twenty years...  oh well.  Gotta start somewhere.