Here is my latest little quilt. I am finding I have not many bits and pieces left over from the quilts I am making for the book. I feel the fabric I sew together is part of the creative process, it is a good feeling to use some of the leftovers from bigger projects. Sometimes, though, fabric I have sewn together just turns out to be something that was not a good idea from the beginning! This little quilt took awhile to figure out and in the end just needed to be turned, so the blue is horizontal.

While looking for something I found a book I was using to write quotes about creativity. Here is one by Twyla Tharp:

"The routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightening bolt of inspiration, maybe more. And the routine is available to everyone."

Creativity

After coming back from doing errands, I was thinking about two people I had seen whose clothing had caught my eye. A cashier at the bookstore was wearing a royal blue scarf that did not quite match her top, but looked perfect. I remember seeing her before, and she always has on some kind of scarf that is beautiful. A mother buying fabric with her daughter, was wearing a long skirt she must have made out of corduroy pants that were cut to be the front and back of the skirt, with panels of strip-pieced fabric running along the sides. As a person who tends to throw on a pair of jeans and get busy, I often wish I would look more creative in my everyday clothes! I really admire people who can put on something a little different and look completely at ease with what they are wearing. I'd like to be a little creative on the outside, as well as on the inside.

Frustration

At the beginning of the week I always feel frustrated in my quilting project. Especially when I am at a point where I am working through an idea. The first part of the week I am busy with music: I am giving cello lessons and playing in 2 orchestras. So working on art consists of looking at the fabric as I pass by my sewing table, and trying to work through ideas during the day. Sometimes I can stop and sew 2 pieces together, but most of the time I can't let myself get started! But I have to remind myself that this does usually work to my advantage: sometimes I need to step back and rethink what I am doing. I have found too, that I sometimes make a "rule" for myself that I don't realize I have made. Like "I want to use light fabrics, this time", or "I have to use this red", or the size of the pieces have to be a certain size. Then that can become a restriction, and keep me from moving forward.

Today I am trying to be less frustrated, and let the colors and shapes I have chosen play in my head throughout the day. Soon I will be able to get down to work and put them together in fabric.

Now, off to yoga!

A nice Sunday coming to a close. We spent some time cross country skiing, something we started this winter, but hadn't done for many years. Of course, in Chicago we don't always have enough snow. But after awhile, it all comes back to you and it was so nice to be outside getting some exercise! But now it is nice coming inside to have some hot tea, and start making our Super Bowl dinner.

I am working on quilts for a book project with Robin, and have almost completed 3 quilts. I must admit it has not always been easy doing these. It reminds me of working on assignments for Nancy Crow workshops. Sometimes I think we get used to working on a project that comes from an inspiration, which is hard enough. But working on an assignment you have given yourself is harder to make it look spontaneous. I have solved that, I think, by doing little quilts as I go along. Here is my latest one: I want to explore the idea of using blocks of color.