LINKS THAT ARE TOO GOOD NOT TO VIEW:

Here are the links.... I'll figure out at some point how to get them on one side.

This is great, maybe I'll do this with a few of my small pieces. I've never seen a bunch of pieces all framed, behind glass. They're quite impressive.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patchworkmemories/sets/72157603994702558/

Here is from a new friend in South Africa........very cool!

http://artpropelled.blogspot.com/

Here are two that I first saw and keep going back to because I'm dying to see what they've got up:

http://www.goingtopieces.blogspot.com/ and http://www.wowmelody.com/

http://twolimeleaves.wordpress.com/category/quilts/
http://www.andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/

http://www.kristinlaflamme.com/musings/

This should keep anybody busy. Great color, great ideas. These have all inspired me.

Kate

ONE PIECE A DAY? THAT'S WHAT I SAID?

Sunday was a busy, busy day. I barely got this little piece put together. It's about 12x15 inches. And if you ask me about dimensions and why that size, I'm not going to have an answer because I don't know. It just looked about right and it didn't loom HUGE to me. I want to get over that scary "Oh my god, it's a huge blank thing that I need to fill."

So... I think that the flowers shouldn't be so close in height and I am not sure what I'm going to do with that......perhaps embroidering stamen or something, or a little spray of seed pods ....something that will draw the eye away..... I've been warned by a friend of mine not to overwork the stitchery and put too much fuss into it.......we'll see.

I'm gathering quite the little pile of things that I will eventually need to put together or finish them as complete things by themselves. That will be my next thing to figure out ... mostly because I don't think any of them go together with the next thing. Grrr..... it's kind of like something an old boss told me some 20+ years ago - "... have you ever noticed that you can't... cannot, do the same thing, the same way twice? Why is that? It's impossible for you to send this form letter out without changing SOMETHING.....?"

Personally, I think it's a gift.

Kate

Yesterday's Effort

So this is what I did yesterday (well into the night). I thought I'd be able to do more but what I've found is this - the same hesitancy I feel with a blank piece of paper (or blank screen) that is screamin' "type something" "think of something" "PRODUCE SOMMMMMEEEETHING", well it happens just as much and just as loudly when I was looking at a blank piece of muslin. I could NOT figure out what to start with first.

This is probably an insane reference, but you know how dogs circle around and around and around some more before they feel like they're in a comfortable spot to lay in? Yeah......well, I've noticed that THAT is just how it is for me. I have to have just the right amount of chaos around me, just enough tidy cluttery piles of fabric, paint, thread, wood, whatever I'm into that week, and after I clutter myself - sadly like a little pig pen.....well then I'm just happy in my slop (evidently) that I can work to my little hearts content. I didn't even mind that I had to get up and iron (yes Mom, I ironed the seams) the little seams every couple of minutes. Now THAT is amazing.

So today, I'll try to do another piece or at least make a significant amount of progress on something else and see what I come up with. I've got a ton of pieces in progress that I haven't even shown you yet either. That will come as we go.

And in the meantime, here are a couple of really cool websites to check out. And I'm only going to put on here what I love!

http://emmyschoonbeek.blogspot.com/ I LOVE her textures and colors!

And I really want to do something like the Gee's Bend quilts - they look simple but I'm thinking it takes some work to have it turn out as great as these: This is a public broadcasting link but there's some great information and the other website took their pictures down, I think to re work the display. In any case this will give you an idea of what these women have done over the years. Look up Gee's Bend quilts, or Gee's Bend quilters to get more information.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec03/quilts_07-01.html

Kate

After an hour of completely screwing up this template...

It occurs to me that the webmaster people who actually put several templates, complete with color, together for those of us who really do not understand webpages and the making of such - really I ought to just follow them blindly. I do not know how to do it so I've just wasted over an hour of my happy, happy Saturday trying to make this page better.

Another lesson I need to learn. If it's not broken, don't screw it up by trying to improve it. My mother would be the first one to cringe when she hears anyone talking about 'directions' to me. She knows that I hate them. It's almost impossible for me to actually listen to them. I try. Really. But there's a compulsive tic .......

Back to color, fabric and such. I rooted around and found some more paintings that I've fiddled around with, (which I am going to post) and I'm thinking that maybe these will be inspiring to me too.

I also went back to a website that I absolutely love, and it has wonderful pictures and details, and self-challenges. Here it is and it's GORGEOUS!!

http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/search/label/art%20quilting

I think that's what I need. I need to challenge myself to do a small piece a day. To really get in the groove of ACCOMPLISHMENT!

Yes! YES!! That's what I'll do and I'll come back and show you (for all of you checking in here.....) what I've accomplished so far today. And this last couple of hours do not count.

Kate

Tomorrow is Saturday, happy, happy Saturday. I don't have to work and I have no intention of doing much past cleaning the bathrooms and putting on a pot of something that will translate into a "you-can-eat-anytime-you-want-without-my-help" dinner .......and so MY plan du jour is to go find some inexpensive silk to dye.

I may not even be able to sleep just thinking about it. I haven't done it in years, but the last time I did, I ended up with some really cool green and oranges. I'm thinking now that they would have translated into beautiful art quilts. Hindsight, huh?

Anyway, I'm pretty excited. I can't wait to see what I end up with.

I'm shooting for the colors in this palm drawing I did (and hopefully will post here).

Sleep well.

Kate

Moving along......

So I don't really know who will see this but while I'm figuring it out, I'll just write and try to figure out how to add pictures and do something fun with the text.....and maybe someone will happen along and find it and it will be interesting.

I've been fascinated by all the fabric, quilt, art quilt, textile, painting and completely random artsy sites and they are amazing! Some are really great with pictures, some with instructions, some with just great ideas. So I can't imagine that there's anything I can do that will come even close but I'll give it a shot.

I've been fascinated with art quilts of late and even checked out our local quilt guild, which was a really interesting experience. I think lots of people think that "quilters" are a bunch of little old ladies, but that is so far from fact. These are accomplished, intelligent, highly organized women....and they are passionate about what they do. I can't wait til the next meeting to check out what's going on. In the meantime I'm formulating what I want to do first. So I'm going to post some of my art work that I may want to use as ideas for a small quilt or wall hanging.

If anyone sees this........ I will appreciate input.

Kate