What is your deal?



Obviously Not a photographer:)))

I am a quilt pattern designer and hear from lots of other quilters how impressed they are with my creativity and how they aren't creative at all.  Oh Phooey! 

What really gets me are the non-quilters I meet along the way that are impressed because they can't do anything.  Double Phooey!!

Maybe you aren't 'quilt pattern designer' creative but I am pretty sure there is something you do in your life that I would be terrible at.  I can learn to do just about anything but that doesn't mean I am good at it or like it either.  I have learned how to garden (ok, start a garden), but I kill the plants eventually (ok, quickly). When I was younger, I really wanted to be an Interior Designer.  My house never looks put together and I can't figure out if it is because the military lifestyle causes me to not care since I will just be boxing it back up again or if I just don't have the eye for it.  Either way it is ok because I am so busy creating quilts that can go anywhere with me.

 

My husband can cook like a gourmet chef--without a recipe!  He doesn't understand how I can't:)  I finally found my analogy when I told him, "You know how you can put in a pinch of this and a pinch of that and it tastes great?  Well, I can do that with fabric."  We are each good at something...I won't starve and he won't freeze:) 

 

I follow an author by the name of Rick DiBasio and he is starting a series of blog posts about being creative. They are definately worth a read:)   Part One is here.
My comment:  This is a great explanation and answer to that constant excuse! I don’t say that I am not creative because I am, but I am also very aware of my limitations. I can design quilts and write the patterns but don’t ask me to grow a garden or build or decorate something….Not that I can’t but it is much more difficult. We all have something that comes easier to us than others and that is our ‘creative’ area whether it be gardening or accounting.

I think what I really like about his blog is HOW he writes: It isn't flowery or sugar coated and so I relate a bit better.  In the second post he discusses how creative we are as children when we use our imagination.  When did we stop doing that? 
What are you creative at?

Purely by accident....

I came across a WIP (works in progress) blog hop this morning starting here at Freshly Pieced. How fun it was to see so many others enjoying the art of quilting.  The projects are varied as are the stories that go with them.  It is easy to miss out when there is such an abundance of blogs to choose from but fun to take a few minutes (hours) every so often and see what trends are happening.  The timing was great too since I have a couple myself.  OK, not just a couple but only a couple got photographed for today.  I actually did start a list yesterday of WIPs and it is getting long:)

 

For today though I will start with one that has been hanging around for a while now and getting closer to finished.  I wrote about it here.  One day this little Drunkard's Path will be finished.

 

Drunkard's Path by hand

Drunkard's Path by machine

So even though they are finished at this moment, they weren't until just last night.  These are fun, quick little mug rugs for charity baskets I am assembling.  I guess the WIP part is that the baskets aren't done:)  I found some cute baskets at the local thrift shop along with some fun mugs and then created the quiltlets to match so I can have themes.

Fusible Applique Flower

Woven Heart

Small Scrap Art

This scrappy piece is going to have a sea scene quilted onto it.  It was made using the scraps from a paper piece design.  (Sorry can't show the design yet since I am waiting to hear back from a magazine.) Always said I wouldn't be one of those quilters that saved every scrap but I have a hard time throwing away the triangle bits when paper piecing.  When you stitch them together, a bit freestyle, they can make some interesting designs.  This piece only measures about 10" square but with some creative free motion quilting it will be frameable.

Lastly, Hexagons!  This is the trend I noticed as I went through the blog hop and seeing others' blogs as well.  I made some once before and they were adorable at 3/4" finished but these are so much more fun when made big!  These particular ones are 4-1/2" made using Moda charm square packs.  I took out the solid squares and designed redwork to go on those since I do love handwork.  The big question was to randomly assemble or put into flower shapes and applique onto squares for a wall hang???  I am leaning toward flowers, I think:)

I linked up at Freshly Pieced...come enjoy the Show and Tell.