Friday, January 2, 2015

New Beginnings

Sometimes the hang-up in being creative is that it is easy to be all over the place and the next new project idea is an all too frequent distraction. I suffer from this in a big way. Even though I am not a let's be disciplined about making a long list of New Year's Resolutions kind of girl, (hmmm, very fitting to this time of year) I do have some creative goals/challenges to reign myself in a bit.


"Santa" (aka Hubster) was very nice to me this Christmas in giving me two books from my wish list... now how did he know it was exactly what I wanted?!? Even though I don't buy sewing and craft books very often, I'm totally excited about adding the new books from Carolyn Friedlander, Savor Each Stitch, and Alison Glass Applique to my small collection. Perhaps it might be interesting to know that I´ve been stalking the quilting scene as a quiet and non-participating observer for a very, very long time. My skills and knowledge are there, but I haven't trusted myself enough with my focus to jump in. You, know... just a toe in the water kind of thing.

Well, I've jumped in now and have hit hard. I'm finding that I really enjoy the process, but putting my projects to the side (because who finishes a quilt in a day, right?) feels a little undisciplined and like I have too many UFO's in the works. But with that being said, I had a Eureka moment while flipping through one of my books. One book gives a variety of project size options from mini to small, medium and big, and then it hit me... I think that I would get the most satisfaction out of exploring a variety of quilting techniques if I don't try to eat the whole whale all at once, but instead get full on a variety of little mini appetizers. If you happened to miss my figurative language here... essentially it is my goal to take on lots of little bite size projects before I tackle my "whale".

So, here it is, in black and white:

to finish at least three sewing projects inspired from each of my new books. That's six in total, not including other projects along the way. So, here I am (surprisingly) already done with a couple blocks from the Facing East quilt from Carolyn Friedlander. I've read a lot that paper piecing can be the scary monster that keeps people from buying certain patterns or books, but now that I've gotten a few blocks under my belt, paper piecing has become somehow a little more mouse-like.


So, start at the beginning, and then go!

... and another new beginning is a first time link-up for me for WIP Wednesday on Freshly Pieced's blog. What are you  working on?

12 comments :

  1. ok, I'm loving your fabric choices! This committing to a pattern/fabric mix is what strikes me as the hardest part. And then we can talk about the intricate pieces... =D

    Looking forward to seeing what else those books lead you to create!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, Jules, for me commiting to the fabrics is not the hard part, but the committing to stick with it is. Once it's been put it on the back burner because of other daily tasks and chores, I find that if I leave it alone for too long, then the next creative idea comes along all too quickly. A clear focus on completion really is my goal for this year... keep your fingers crossed for me!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This project is going to turn out so neat! I really like that music note fabric you have in there :) And thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm looking forward to catching up on yours!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Visiting from WIP Wed. That first book looks good; I added it to my Goodreads list so I wouldn't forget. I have an infinite capacity for UFOs, but it is nice to finish occasionally, and a mix of sizes of project does help that. Your start looks good. t

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really like the fabric and would love to see more of this project

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congrats on your first time linking up. I'm glad your done with toe dipping, and are considering the deep end. Doing smaller projects is really smart. I wish I had considered that sooner, because I prefer making quilts of a more manageable size. You blocks are looking very nice.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It took me right to the end of the post to realise which block you were showing sneak peaks of - it look absolutely fabulous in the fabrics you've chosen - so different! Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow - this looks amazing. I love the way the newsprint fabric sets off all the bold colours!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey, visiting from WIP Wednesday. I really likes your post. The project looks great and it was so fun to read - I am the "make new years resolutions" kind of girl and finishing WIPs is definitly on my list :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jen, by the way the music note fabric is from Tim Holtz and falls into the category "fabrics you can literally eat by the bolt" category.

    Knitnkwilt, put it in the cart, put it in the cart! it's a really nice book!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is so cool! I am glad you joined the linky and shared this and I look forward to more progress!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I really like the text prints for the grids!!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are what makes blogging fun for me!

Related Posts with Thumbnails