Emotional Sewing
Have you ever had a project that started out one way and then just took off on an adventure all its own? I have to say this has never happened to me in quilting until this week. Lots of things are going on in my personal life right now. My sisters and brothers are getting ready to sell the household belongings from my Mothers house. Not all is going well and there have been many unhappy moments. Long story short...I was happy that the new Project Quilting project this week is My Favorite Color.
Happy thoughts indeed!
Until.....digging through my stash I see my favorite color (one of that is) - teal and see I already have a quilt all cut out and ready to sew in this color way. That's okay I have lots more favorite colors...um black? Well working on a project right now in black and white etc... No problem. I do love me some coral/orange....but did a challenge last year in that color. Okay I think that navy and white is very dramatic but....the very last quilt I worked on with my mom for Quilts of Valor was an all navy and white (with a tiny red stripe).
Green...I love green. My eyes are green, my carpet is green, my house is green. Yes, green it is. In my stash I find so many shades. What is not to love about green? Then I spy this fat quarter in what I now like to call 'poison' green. I know this fat quarter. It goes with nothing I have and has been a problem child for a long time. I am not sure what I will do with it or if it will be enough but I lay it on the cutting mat and cut. Yes I just started with a nice slash and went from there. We can use some white or some shades of green in this so why not just go for it?
Just last week I was reading some art quilt info. about artist +Kathy Loomis over at artwithaneedle.blogspot.com and I think it was in my head when I started slashing and stuffing the slashes with tiny cuts of fabric. It felt right. I added some shades of color and kept going. Finally I asked my husband what he thought and then I put it to rest for the night. This morning, after a very sleepless night (neighbor playing loud music) and the tension of the coming weekend, I looked at my piece and could not believe my eyes. I had sewn together the tapestry of my family and the divide that is breaking us apart. It is all there in this poison green fabric that I now love and hate.
This was a very emotional project. My hands were shaking when I was stitching the piece closed. I am not certain it was cathartic in any way but it speaks to me and it is so far outside of my comfort zone. I feel like I have been sewing for many days when I actually did this whole piece pretty quickly but maybe next time I should try getting some sleep. :)
Note: if you are looking for my 'Nature's Pirouttee' piece I will post it when I get back to a computer of my own. Sorry I did not have this up to share.
Happy thoughts indeed!
Until.....digging through my stash I see my favorite color (one of that is) - teal and see I already have a quilt all cut out and ready to sew in this color way. That's okay I have lots more favorite colors...um black? Well working on a project right now in black and white etc... No problem. I do love me some coral/orange....but did a challenge last year in that color. Okay I think that navy and white is very dramatic but....the very last quilt I worked on with my mom for Quilts of Valor was an all navy and white (with a tiny red stripe).
Green...I love green. My eyes are green, my carpet is green, my house is green. Yes, green it is. In my stash I find so many shades. What is not to love about green? Then I spy this fat quarter in what I now like to call 'poison' green. I know this fat quarter. It goes with nothing I have and has been a problem child for a long time. I am not sure what I will do with it or if it will be enough but I lay it on the cutting mat and cut. Yes I just started with a nice slash and went from there. We can use some white or some shades of green in this so why not just go for it?
Just last week I was reading some art quilt info. about artist +Kathy Loomis over at artwithaneedle.blogspot.com and I think it was in my head when I started slashing and stuffing the slashes with tiny cuts of fabric. It felt right. I added some shades of color and kept going. Finally I asked my husband what he thought and then I put it to rest for the night. This morning, after a very sleepless night (neighbor playing loud music) and the tension of the coming weekend, I looked at my piece and could not believe my eyes. I had sewn together the tapestry of my family and the divide that is breaking us apart. It is all there in this poison green fabric that I now love and hate.
This was a very emotional project. My hands were shaking when I was stitching the piece closed. I am not certain it was cathartic in any way but it speaks to me and it is so far outside of my comfort zone. I feel like I have been sewing for many days when I actually did this whole piece pretty quickly but maybe next time I should try getting some sleep. :)
Note: if you are looking for my 'Nature's Pirouttee' piece I will post it when I get back to a computer of my own. Sorry I did not have this up to share.
Comments
I have been feeling tired and like everything I do is for classes ( I teach quilting classes)but not feeling very creative, so have been taking some time to just play with fabrics and it's been fun! I need to do this more often. I think doing things like this help get the creative juices going again.