I can't get a decent shot of the quilt I wanted to share today because it's dark in here and wet out there. And I don't think a crappily lit photo will do the colors in this piece justice. So instead I'm going to blather on about something that's been on my mind about quiltmaking (or just sewing in general). It always baffles me a bit when I hear people say, "Oh, I can never do that," or when they request a pattern for something that is essentially just a bunch of squares. My belief is that YES, you CAN do that. All you have to do is think about it for a minute, deconstruct it, and make the time to do it. The making of the time is the hardest part of this process as far as I'm concerned. Everything else is just math and numbers. Look at what you want to make - does it entail a technique you're not familiar with yet? Well, there are tons of excellent, clear, concise, well-written tutorials on the internet that will teach you these techniques and guide you through the process. If you already know how to make, say half-square triangles, for example, you can make a top that uses half-square triangle easy as pie. You're not sure of the dimensions? Here's the wonderfully liberating thing - you can make them any size you want in order to determine the ultimate size of your own top. Don't be afraid to wing it. Don't get too caught up in creating something precious. Don't overthink it - just get to it.
I'm hoping to follow my own advice here. Lately, I've been thinking about my own sewing because a) I get a lot of joy from it and b) I want to take it to the next level. I feel like so far I've only been scratching at the surface, and I am starting to dig deeper. I want to play with curves & color. I want to experiment with recycled fabrics and simplicity, to try out different forms of type and text, to play around with shapes and techniques I haven't tried before, to develop a better sense for free-form and improv design. That's basically my list of goals for the new year, once I wrap up all the projects that I'm currently working on. The good thing is that I am checking things off of my to-do list at such a rate that come the new year, I may actually start off with a clean slate which opens me up to so many possibilities for my next endeavor. I'm already looking forward to it.
2 comments:
there is so much to love here. our sewing ancestors didn't rely on patterns and didn't need garanimal collections of fabrics to make their quilts. for most designs there is little to do to build from scratch and make it one's own.
your to-do list is wonderful! i look forward to seeing you speed through it in the new year.
I've been reading your blog for a while, Maritza, and I just wanted to say how beautiful and inspiring I find your sewing and designs. I loved reading about what you are inspired by, and where you want to go with your sewing. I love the quilts you've been making lately, especially the stunning quarter circle quilt, it makes me happy to see it, and I love that you say to go for it when we see something we would love to sew. Great for me to read, I've just been sewing for the last year or so (I'm a keen knitter), and I'm excited to develop my skills and creativity. So thanks for this post, and for your blog. I also like to see and read the little bits you post about your kid and your experience as a mum, even though you're not a Mummy blog.
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