reds of winter

With all the cold and snow, color and heat are necessary.

Two projects for gifts. The blocks above are for a baby quilt I'm calling "sugar sand." It's for a mama-to-be who lives on a dune. The beautiful sand of Lake Michigan is called sugar sand. The mama loves hot pink and yellow. This is a subtle interpretation of those colors. The tan linen reminds me of sandpaper, and I adore it.

Below are fabrics for placemats and napkins for a bride-to-be. My stashy sister Nancy gave me all but the ochre with Swissy dots. The linen on the left is more of the stuff that I have loveloveloved from her. She visits shops in Myrtle Beach and gathers remnants for a song. I will make reversible placemats with the reds, binding in the ochre, and napkins from the linen toile-ish print.

Here is the arrangement my siblings sent for my mother-in-law's funeral. They have dried so beautifully, even the orchids. Sadly, I bumped them as I walked by and some orchid blossoms fell atop the roses. 

imitation and inspiration

Everyone borrows inspiration. It takes a while for artists to find their particular niche.

I'm not into representational quilts ... at all. I appreciate the craft and skill! But I am not drawn to them aesthetically.

Yet I created this little piece for James's third birthday. I spontaneously copied the wrapping paper I used for his gift and pieced this small wall hanging. I needed to create something. But as a rule, I don't set out to design representational quilts. Could I create these little quilt pictures to sell? I probably could, but it's not what drives me.

At this early stage in my quilt design life I am drawn to many styles and patterns of modern quilts, improvisational or otherwise. I have always loved busy quilts, but I feel myself also drawn to low volume quilts. I love wonky ones with uneven edges and simple ones with clean lines.

I feel like I'm in a creative crisis — a fun one, but my head is spinning. As I pin quilts at Pinterest each morning, with now 1,688 quilts pinned (!), each one inspires for at least one element — color, fabrics, pattern.

Copying someone else's pattern exactly doesn't appeal to me, even with different fabrics, and yet I am so drawn to people's patterns and styles! Of course the question is how to take inspiration, and make designs that are my own.

Whatever my own is.

I have a lot to learn about design: color, value, movement.

I received more quilt books in the mail. I can't wait to share those inspirations with you.