Author: Nanette

Using up what I already have

I remember the family sewing kit. It was a big white plastic box with a tray inside. The tray had little slots to put your bobbins. There also were slots in the sewing cabinet drawer for bobbin storage. People were more frugal back then. A sewist probably had fewer than a dozen bobbins (I own 48 for my Janome Memory Craft 6500).

Back in the day, it was common to find a bobbin loaded with several different colors of thread. I mean, why fill an entire bobbin when you only need thread for a small job? So the sewist would add layer, upon layer of thread onto one bobbin. This isn’t the best way to manage your bobbins. Besides not knowing how much thread you have on the bobbin, the layers of thread can effect bobbin tension, thus effecting your stitch tension.

In my modern, less frugal life, I grab an empty bobbin and load thread on it every time I need a new color. Frequently, I don’t use all the thread on the bobbin, so I tuck it away for storage. Every once in awhile I realize I have a lot of bobbins with varying amounts of thread on them. I’ll also realize, that none contain enough thread to complete a job or they’re not the right color for the project.

My method of freeing up bobbins is to use them on my thread painting projects. In the photo you’ll see an example of the back of one of these pieces.  Because I’ve set the tension right, the bobbin thread doesn’t peak through to the top so it doesn’t matter too much what color the bobbin thread is. I take a partially full bobbin, do as much thread work as I can until the bobbin runs out. Then I grab another one and use it up. I keep doing this until the project is done or I’m out of usable bobbins. There’s a lot of stop and go in this sewing process, but it is so helpful to clear up the partially-filled bobbin clutter. I also feel more thrifty because I’m using up what I already have.

Take time to listen

We’re living in unsettling times. There are so many things that seem uncertain, upsetting and chaotic. If we seek balance amongst the chaos, we have to look inward.

The only thing we can change is ourselves. So when dealing with troubling times, maybe its as simple as seeking a different perspective or just seeing the good things around you. Find the calm within you, because its there.

My looking inward has me focusing on the fire in my belly. What gives me motivation and inspiration? Answer: my art. I can sit here waiting for the uncertainty to resolve itself, or I can keep moving.

Right now, I’m working on a songbird series which brings me joy. To keep the inspiration going, I stop and make a bird between larger projects or when I get artistically stuck. Up next in the series is the Eastern Towhee. They make me smile when I see them foraging in my yard. The male bird tells us to “drink your tea” or some say he just says his name “Tow-hee.” Either way you hear him, just take some time to listen.

Stop playing

No matter how accomplished you get in doing something, I believe there is always room for improvement and growth. Maybe some people can admit that they’ve reached the pinnacle. Not me.

The world is constantly changing. People’s interests change, fashion changes, and new technologies are created. If I could say I have it all together, I suspect in a few months…maybe a year…what I do would become out-dated, old, and uninteresting.

So my issue is to keep figuring things out. It’s a difficult process, because you can never stop, even if you get tired. My feelings right now are I need to improve my quilting skills.

I have a fancy machine, but that doesn’t do the work…my hands and brain do. Lately, I’ve noticed that when I quilt my pieces I fall back into what’s comfortable. I’m bored.

Recently what has wowed me in other quilts is the beautiful mixture of different motifs on one quilt. The backgrounds are rich with varying designs. That’s what I’m loving and want to do. I’ve been trying to think what’s holding me back and I realize its time. I don’t allow myself time to play … play feeds inspiration. Play also allows you to try something new without worrying about failure; “Oh well, I was just playing.”

This week I played. The results aren’t typical for me, but I was able to experiment with some new designs. Then, because that wasn’t special enough, I experimented with Derwerts Inktense pencils to add some color. I won’t show you the fails, just know that there were a few.

My take home message from this is to allow yourself time to play and experiment. You don’t have to be so serious about everything you do. Just remember as this applies to our art: “we don’t stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing.”

Gathered along the way.

In a couple days, we’ll be at the official end of summer. For me, it’s been a long one filled with a lot of good things. I got to spend a few days at the beach and I worked on an exciting professional opportunity. This opportunity presented me with 2 deadlines. One was at the end of July and the other was this week. I look back on the days and I’m proud of my accomplishments. High-five to me, I did it! I also realize I enjoy what I was doing. Now I have to figure out how to continue with this momentum.

Over the next couple months, I’ll be working to make changes with my professional journey. After a year+ hiatus from teaching, I’ve decided to get back into it. I’m going to be approaching it all differently this time. I want to share my enthusiasm for “art” quilting and encourage other’s who feel the cravings like I did when I first started this journey.

I’m going to use the motivation of my summer deadlines, to continue moving forward. Using the symbolism of my bee friend, I will continue to explore the possibilities while remembering to enjoy life’s nectar, to work hard on my goals, and to share the information that I’ve gathered along the way.

Bid on Me!

I belong to SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates). This organization has provided me with a lot of information and encouragement over the past several years. For the support they give me, I like to give back to them. This year, I am again participating in SAQA’s annual benefit auction.

Earlier this year, I made a 12″ x 12″ quilt that is similar to my quilt “Silenced” (pictured on my home page). Both of these quilts feature my rendition of the now extinct Carolina Parakeet. These birds were the only indigenous parrot of North America. They once flourished in the old growth forests along rivers and in swamps. They could be found from Southern New York all the way to eastern Colorado.

Whenever I talk to people about the Carolina Parakeet, they question me by saying they’ve seen parakeets living in their yards. How could that be? The parrots they’re actually referring to are called monk or Quacker parakeets which are considered a feral species. Feral species, including  “feral” cats or dogs, were once house pets that escaped that now live and breed in the wild.

With these quilts, I hope to educate people. Maybe by seeing my quilt with cloth parakeets, I can start a virtual discussion with the viewer. Maybe we can find a way to stop further losses. At the minimum, I hope the viewer finds a visual place to pause and imagine what life use to be. I hope whoever sees this finds peace.

You can own this quilt
“Carolina Parakeets”
by bidding on it during the

SAQA Benefit Auction

Bids on this quilt will be open Sept 15- 24
For more details visit www.SAQA.com

Keep looking forward

Doors have been opening for me lately. I think that’s definitely a circumstance of me knocking on them and putting myself out there. I also think it’s because I’ve started putting my aspirations first. For the past year, I’ve been focusing on self-development. I’ve pondered my dreams and wondered how to get them to come true.

For over 10 years, I’ve had a bucket list dream that always seemed to fall just a little short of reality. Although I did try, I really don’t know why I didn’t try harder. I suspect it was the perfectionist that lives in my head. She likes to tell me that things need to be a certain way before I can put it out there. I call myself a “recovering perfectionist,” but that doesn’t mean I’m recovered.

I’m not too concerned that sometimes my alter-ego drives my thinking. Right now that pesky little voice has put me somewhere that I’m pretty confident about. I’m ready for this and its all because she used to tell me “not yet.” Maybe that’s the key to our dreams, maybe we need to be ready for the next step. It doesn’t mean give up. It does means continue learning and developing yourself, because with knowledge comes confidence. If life doesn’t seem to give you want you dream, keep trying, keep looking forward.

Simply enjoy the process

The next couple weeks I’ll be spending a great of time in my studio. Yesterday I dusted off the Behemoth (aka my HandiQuilter Sweet16) and started stitching. A frequent question from people looking at my work is “how long did that take to make?” My snarky comment is 55 years, because its a culmination of many years of experience.

I know what they want to know, but it’s difficult to factually testify the hours spent on any given piece. Are they talking time since the idea was conceived? Or, time since I actually started cutting fabric and stitching? Either of these figures are abstract.

I don’t think I know anyone who can actually sit and sew day in and day out. It beats up your body. It takes a lot of energy to push fabric around. You have to take breaks. There are a few art quilters who work full time at their craft. However, full time means stopping and starting frequently to do other tasks. Then, there are people like me, who work at it part-time. I may be on a roll for a day or two, then I have to spend time on class prep, marketing, addressing email inquires and … the other stuff in my life. My art is constantly being interrupted by life.

So today, while I was working, it occurred to me that I spent a consistent amount of uninterrupted time on the piece pictured here. This is merely the start of the background for an art quilt. I still have to add color with paint and apply the appliquéd design. When that’s finish, there’s the backing, hanging sleeve, and bound edge to add. This densely quilted, 22inch x 22inch square took me 3 hours to stitch (to include a few short breaks to rest my neck and shoulders). I’ve watched abstract painters complete an entire 40inch x 40inch painted canvas in the same amount of time … or less.

So back to the question, “how long did that take?” I’d rather be snarky with my answer, because the reality of the time I’ve put into it may be overwhelming for both of us to hear. I would rather not think about it, just simply enjoy the process.

Make sense of the world

What were you doing on Monday, August 21, 2017? Did you get to see the eclipse?

I felt lucky to live 3 hours from Columbia, SC. This was a site of totality where the moon would cover the sun 100% for several minutes. It didn’t work out for me to be in this path, but I did get to see it as it crossed my neighborhood at about 96%.

Talking with people who witnessed it, some felt that it didn’t live up to the hype. I’m one of those who felt otherwise. I sensed something more in the air Monday afternoon. I cannot describe the vibes I was feeling. I was aware that during the apex the cicada’s became very loud and seemed in synch with their melody. I was, unfortunately, in a place where young children were playing and their sounds drowned out other details I might have detected. It didn’t get too dark here, but everything had this strange color. It seemed like I was wearing cheap brown sunglasses (cue: ZZtop).

Things seemed eerily surreal to me. Having experienced this, I can understand how ancient civilizations could have been confused and even scared. Before scientific study of the planets, we couldn’t predict anything to this level of accuracy. I might never have known the exact time of day I needed to be peering at the sky. This is why I love science and use it for creating my art. It helps me make sense of the world.

What are your priorities?

There is no lack of things to do in my life right now. Boredom is not possible. However, what I’m finding is a level of overload. It’s the “T-word” again …  specifically time management. We all need to juggle home life with our creative journey. And, some of us also have the added factor of outside employment in the mix. I’m interested in a lot of things and want to do them all. I’m realizing, I can’t, especially if I want to do them well. For example, even though I would love to do some wood-working projects a-la Roy Underhill (PBS’ Woodright Shop), that’s just not an option.

I have goals and deadlines on my calendar, they take priority above the creative ADHD I sometimes have. I’m in a good place, but realize I must compartmentalize my life to make it all work. I have to say “no thanks” to some of the things that sound cool and fun, but just don’t fit with my current plan. Focus, girlfriend…Focus. My message (to you) “breathe and achieve.”

Remember, seeking balance is a decision and finding calm fosters creative inspiration. What are your priorities?

Continue to experiment

As promised, here is the peacock feather I was working on in my last post. During the process of rendering my design into fabric, I found that my stabilizer didn’t work as well as I had hoped.

What’s interesting is that there are so many variations to creating thread sketched pieces. I have options to finding something that works better. I don’t usually put backing fabrics on my pieces when I thread-sketch/paint. Sometimes the backside of my art quilts look messy, so adding the backing after the fact hides some of the ugly. I do use some sort of stabilizer which helps keep the fabric from shrinking up too much when you add the layers of stitches.

On this particular piece I used fusible fleece batting as the stabilizer. I don’t think I ever tried using fusible fleece before. What I realized is that this brand of fusible fleece is acrylic and the more I stitched the more grip (resistance) it created on the sewing machine bed. It was almost like the acrylic fibers were melting a bit from the friction. When you free-motion stitch, your fabrics need to move smoothly under the needle. If they don’t, you’re stitch lines won’t look as fluid. I’m happy with the final piece and I’m ready to ship it off to its new owner. This is, however, a reminder that there’s always lessons to learn and I should continue to experiment.