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avoidance or dance?

I find my artistic side balances the science side of me … except, when it doesn’t. Sometimes crafting just the perfect figure for a paper takes extensive use of the creative side of my brain and I find myself enjoying sewing as almost a meditative space.

This Saturday morning as the sun came up I was enjoying a break from scientific writing to audition thread for a quilt in the wisdom series I have been working on. The series has been giving me grief, but I decided to simply finish each of the quilts in progress without agonizing too much, and learn something from each one. These quilts will probably never make it onto a wall, but as I worked in series I found that branching out when inspired makes a more interesting series!

This quilt had a different shape, and different background, and I was ruthless in editing to get closer to what I was envisioning. I’m still not too sure about it, but enjoying the sun coming up over the snow-covered ridge while enjoying thread colors can’t be beat.

Then, mid-morning after ruthless editing of more scientific writing I put the finishing touches on these cards that make use of quilted squares from my unfinished projects box. Somehow the simple squares (the complex bits were all done already) were just what I needed after editing out 100 words from a 330 word abstract!

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a glimpse

 One of the challenges of collaging is that as you build layer upon layer you need to continue, even if you cannot fully visualize where you are going, or you won’t get to an end result. 
A little like life sometimes. Having the courage and faith to keep going is where we live out most of life’s moments… enjoying and savoring and straining with each step… and sometimes catching a glimpse of the finished product.
The free motion quilting here didn’t feel relaxed or free until the sixth one! But, thankfully it was mostly free flowing before the gray stitching which transforms each one into a whimsical vignette.

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memories of summer

The studio is clean, and I’ve been enjoying creative warm ups with small projects. These are the cards I finished. I can almost hear the swish of Lake Michigan and seagulls squawking “mine, mine” “mine, mine.” Unfortunately the only water in Ann Arbor this weekend was the snow, then sleet, then rain, then flooded roads, then slush…

I’m making progress on Kelsey’s 21st birthday quilt – I’m aiming for the top done in time for her half-birthday. The good news is I didn’t ruin any of the fabric she brought back from Italy and all the plus blocks are done!

 Because we didn’t have quite enough fabric, I was able to include one plus of Kelsey’s hydrangea print from her summer printing class. The big question is “Where to put the hydrangea plus?” What do you think?