BLOG 429

Blog 429

 

When I go swimming every Saturday, I go into the changing room and I take off my shoes. I put both my socks in the left shoe and my glasses and watch in the right shoe. When I undress, I systematically place my clothes in a neat pile ready to be stored in the locker. The order I take things off is the order in which I re-dress. It’s a simple and practiced routine that I have been following for years and I can do it without thinking.  (At this point you’ll be wondering rightly what this has to do with anything but bear with me!) ‘Simple and practiced routine’ could also apply to the Linus quilts which I have made recently and now handed over to the ‘sharer of the grandchildren’ (who also happens to be the Linus rep). Routine is safe, you know where you are and it makes life easy and uncomplicated.

 

Being creative is the polar opposite to routine; it’s the process of causing something new to exist.  It’s a step into the unknown and it can be terrifying! All that you have once habitually practiced is put on hold, and risks have to be taken and new outcomes have to be found. I will do anything to delay getting started on a new piece of work from thoroughly tidying my studio to meticulously organising my sewing threads. I’ll make all sorts of excuses to myself to avoid the inevitable and it is inevitable; it is something that I need to do to satisfy something within. And once I start to play with my fabric, I relax and start to enjoy the process. It is very early days with this piece of work but I am getting my teeth into it now and you will see the progress over the next few blogs.

         Brick pillar

 

              Pillar and pot

 

            Pillar and pots

 

               Repositioning

 

             Auditioning a foreground fabric

 

            Auditioning a background fabric

 

            Extending the wall

 

 

Obviously I need to be at my design wall for this major piece of work but I still like to do something on my lap in front of the fire. My chosen activity this week was inspired by a small book of ‘Little Felted Animals’. I have been making mice and here are a couple of little characters; not perfect or as per illustrations in the book, but they satisfy something in me!

          Inspiration

 

 

          First attempts

 

And have you ever wondered what happens to snails in the winter? I was tidying the borders on one of those really warm January days and I found this family cluster buried deep in the ivy. Large, medium and tiny snails were all fused together and the shells were rigidly sealed off against the environment. Clever little things eh!

 

           Snail family