Thursday, June 25, 2009

Well, I'm winding down on my assignment for work (the one that took me to the UK again) and I'm headed to spend some time this afternoon/evening with my best friends. While I'm physically exhausted and I badly twisted my knee on this three week trip, I've gotten a ton of inspiration including a new book of photography of the colors of Sicily -- everything on the island photographed and categorized by color. The textures! WOW! I cannot wait to translate that....

Then I just got a glimpse of Lyric Kinard's new book coming out in September "Art+Quilt: Design Principles and Creativity Exercises". It is EXACTLY what I need to see right now! I've missed quilting severely -- actually creating! I have my creativity journal with me.

I've combined my regular journal with the creativity one -- just too many books to carry. And my colored pencils are with me too!

A few days of R&R the home to my new hubbie!

Monday, June 1, 2009



The wall in my sewing room/husband's office..... The hanging pieces are finished.....

OKay one more thing.... this isn't finished... but I'm planning to "float" it in a frame or "shadow" box. Not sure ... just need to take it to the frame shop and get it done. It's about 24" square and while this photo isn't the best ... I'll get a better one... promise..... you can see how I've used scrapbooking brads to "quilt" this piece as well as beaded yarn, free motion quilting. The base fabric is from a series titled "Mirror Ball". One of my favorites.....

Inspiration



With work being so ridiculously busy, little space is left in my head to fit in design or planning the next quilt or project. That being said.... :) Inspiration is striking everywhere! The picture at right is from the Benziger Vineyards in Sonoma County - where we spent our honeymoon. The spots of colors and the texture of the different plants (I love the lavender plants) are phenomenal!


Other inspirations include photos of simple flowers and new stamps I've found for one project I've gotten stuck in my head -- a French travel quilt - written post cards to a friend with photos and specific stamps. I have a fusible postcard back (on fabric with antique script) that I can use the photos of Paris and stickers as well. I'd call it a souvenir quilt as I'm an obsessed Francophile and have spent several different vacations and a semester abroad in France and am always ready to go back!

So off I go to my design journal to figure some of this out! The real job AKA the mortgage payin gone will take me out of town for three weeks so no actual work at home but I'm putting together a couple "take along" projects... Who knows what I may come up with when I return.... I'll keep sharing! Promise......