Friday, March 20, 2015

Revisited With A Plan

I am one who has an idea and builds upon it as I go.  A little idea takes form and I just have to figure it out.  

When I started this project "A Seed Taking Root', I didn't know where to go, what was next or what to do with it.  I pushed it aside and began working on other projects.  It was taped to the wall staring me in the face each and every day.  When out of the blue ~ I decided to pick it up again and see where I could take it.  

Of course, black & white stripes were going to be the focal point.  To get me on track and motivated, I thought that making a couple panels of stripes would be a good place to start.  


So I did.  Once they were finished, I put them on the wall with the first piece I finished.  That was easy enough.  I was thinking that I might make a couple more circles with them.  As I walked past it a billion times, I liked it more and more just as it was.  With that in mind, I knew I had to up the 'ante'!  



Half circle?  Why not, give it a go!  Instead of making 1/4 circles, I decided I would keep it a half circle.  Curve the edges.  Would it work?  I certainly hoped it would!



Things are coming together!  Maybe not as planned...then again I tend to work without plans most of the time!



After twisting and turning the half circles, I ended up here.  It needs more color.  Not a lot. Just enough.  




I had cut the the stripes to be in the center, but it didn't sit right with me.  I was so mad that I pieced the stripes, cut them and then they were totally wrong.  It need an intervention fast!  I took the finished block down a size. I was able to salvage the stripes and make them work.  
See the black?  This is where my mind started to veer in to a completely different direction.  



I'm getting there, it's taking shape.  At some point I know it will come together, just not sure when!

I should probably tell you that the majority of my quilts start as a little, bitty thoughts and come together after some playing around.  That would also explain why I don't have 'action' shots or patterns for my quilts!  I get in a zone or groove.

  
Let's revisit the black.  Throughout this quilt top process, I was sure it was going to be mostly white.  I couldn't think of a way to bring black in without it looking like an after thought.  My freaky little brain was in overdrive after making the smaller circles.  there had to be a way.  There was!  It totally smacked me in the head after the center panel was together.  
  

I literally started talking to myself!  'You got this', 'Do it', 'this is gonna be great', 'go for it', 'cut the damn corners'!!!  Those were a few of the many pep talks I gave myself.  Honestly, I poured a glass of wine and got my courage up!



There it is.  It did need some balance from when I originally started working on it.  

Teresa Duryea Wong from Third Floor Quilts was kind enough to leave me a comment with some very helpful suggestions:

1. You could make 3 more blocks and make is larger. I think he looks very cool as is, but maybe a little lonely. If you added 3 more, you could repeat the circle as is, but turn the circle each time. Would look cool. 2. Keep as just one block and machine quilt it in black thread with a super dense pattern.

Great suggestions and they made me think long and hard what I wanted to do and what direction I wanted to take it next.  Putting it aside for a while was the right thing to do.  It let me step away and take the pressure off of myself.  

Do you do that?  When something isn't coming together or the ideas dry up, do you put it away?  Are you frustrated at that point or relieved?



I don't often name my quilts.  Mostly because I honestly cannot think of any good names! I'm good at lame names...Stripes, Circles...see!  This one needed a name.  Something that describes the over all feel.  I settled on 'Encapsulate'.    

Encapsulate: to show or express the main idea or quality of something in a brief way, to completely cover something especially so that it will not touch anything else, enclose something in or as if in a capsule.

It seems like a good name for this one!  Maybe I should have waited to name it after it was finished!  I look at this and cannot help but feel panic!!!  You mean I have to quilt it too?!  

Linking:

27 comments :

  1. You. Are a genius. I am in love and can't wait to see what you do next! This is awesome!!

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    1. I have been called many things…genius is not one of them! But thank you so much.

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  2. Good grief, woman. Following your blog is like creative coffee. :) "Wow, that's interesting! Oh wow, I never would have tried that, that's cool! Ohhh nice.. I wonder what's going to happen next.. OH MY GOD SERIOUSLY SO GOOD NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THE BLACK IT IS STUNNING WHAT THE WHAT?!?!!!" Is basically my thought process reading this.

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    1. Ha! I laughed when I read your comment Anne! You described just how I felt making this top!! Seems I rarely start with a concrete idea when beginning these adventures! Towards the end of it, I just knew it had to be black! Happily it all came together as far as the finished top. Quilting it will be another story! I think I'll put it away again and hope some magical idea will come to me again!

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  3. This is amazing - thanks for sharing your process! It's led to something really unique:-)

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    1. Thank you Catherine! I am thrilled with how it came together!! I hope a really fantastic idea comes to me for the quilting…stumped on that!

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  4. I am so enjoying seeing this quilt progress and your thoughts on the evolution.

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    1. This has been a mind numbing process at times, but I'm so happy with how it came together!

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  5. Brilliant Jayne! You really hit this one out of the park.

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  6. Hey, I am famous! haha... So glad my comments helped your thought process. But I think we think a lot alike. I often get mad at myself too, and sometimes wines helps... but mostly walking away for a while is the best medicine. I love what you've done! And yes, now you have to quilt it!! :) Keep up updated.

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    1. Your comments stuck with me after the first part of this quilt was finished. It made me step back and wait for that genius (in my mind) idea to come to me!

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  7. This is very striking and it's fun to hear your process of creating. In fact, it seems very familiar to me...it seems you and I tend to work similarly...

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    1. I'm happy to hear there is another person who works that way…chaotic, yet controlled!

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    1. Thanks! I love making them now that I know what I'm doing!

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  9. I love this! And Encapsulate is a great name.

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    1. Probably the one and only time I came up with a fitting name for one of my quilts!

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  10. So you talk yourself through quilts too Jayne? LOL - at least you are saying nice things to yourself. Encapsulate is a perfect name and a the quilt is an amazing creation! I did a lot of string at it in awe!
    It is good to step back and let your mind have time to work things out. The best ideas always hit me in the shower. I should keep a black freezer wax pen nearby, then I could write on the shower walls.

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    1. Staring in awe - not "string in awe".

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    2. I can't even tell you how often I talk to myself or to my quilts! I'm not always nice either!

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  11. Watching this become a quilt was breathtaking. So cool! I have such admiration you going where the quilt leads you without having a definite plan at the outset.

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    1. One moment I think its fine, the next I think I should have had a plan! Reminding myself I'm learning new skills has helped a lot!

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  12. I like the talking through process because no one knows better than yourself where and how this is going to go. ;) Love this so much. You can do it and I am sure the quilting will be great.

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    1. It really does help! Someone looking in may think I'm totally crazy, but it works for me!

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  13. I often put the project away until I am ready with ideas again. That way it's less frustrating for me. Love seeing this quilt grow and your design process!!

    -Soma

    -Soma

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    1. Yes, it does help to step away for a while! I'm doing it again with how to quilt it!

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