WIP Wednesday: Slow but steady progress

Where did this month go? Where did the last 8 months go for that matter? Time is just flying by for me. I have a short month and a half left of my pregnancy and I am starting to feel the pressure of getting things done. So many preparations still to accomplish!

Today I wanted to share some peeks into my current projects. I'm participating in a "52 week" project with the local Art Museum, designed to encourage the practice of creating daily. I decided that I'd like to build a better body of work, quilts to be specific, as well as develop my skill sets in quilting.

With some serious inspiration from  Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters by Sherri Lynn Wood, I've challenged myself to making (at least) one improvisational quilt top per week. Given that I'll be giving birth soon, I've decided that 2 weeks out of the 52 will be for relaxing, so basically in a year I'd like to have a collection of 50 quilts finished.
A big challenge indeed! I don't want to share too many of the finished quilts before the final revealing, but I am going to give frequent peeks into my process and progress! So with out any more babble, here's a look at the first two weeks. Enjoy!

Linking up at Freshly Pieced! What have you been working on?

WIP Wednesday: I like the "Old", but oh how good "New" feels!

A week and a half ago, a new sewing machine arrived for me! My guy bought me a simple (yet strong) machine to use while I get my other machine service (finally, soon!). He couldn't stand the idea of me not sewing properly for a couple of weeks. So sweet! We also ordered a free motion foot so I can get things finished! 

I jumped right in sewing up the pre-cut pieces for my sister gift, for three straight hours! The machine does an impressive 1,100 stitches a minute. It's speed actual took some getting used to! But wow, what a difference it makes sewing on a brand new, well oiled, work horse of a machine.

Then I realized I've never owned a new machine and actually, most of my sewing paraphernalia is second hand or passed down. Which I love, but oh how nice it is to work with a new fresh kind of precision! It's actually inspiring me to finish things!  It's like sewing butter! Not that those two things should ever meet!
In addition to that awesome present (which I've been sewing on daily!), I also purchased the most amazingly inspirational quilting book I've ever read!  The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters by Sherri Lynn Wood. She blogs here at DaintyTime.

I am so motivated and inspired by this book, (which I read in it's entirety the day it arrived) that I'm using it as a framework for my newest endeavor, a 52 week project hosted by the Riverside Art Museum. I'll talk more about that project and my process and this amazing book a bit later, but for now, go buy yourself a copy!

Linking up at

Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday: A Mini Medallion and a Full Oven

Hello Wednesday!
Here's some current in progress shots of the work table! Cutting, cutting, cutting!

I'm making a pretty little wall hanging as a present for my dear sister who's graduating Yoga Teacher Training next month. The pattern is a free one over at SewMamaSew, you can check it out here.

And in other news, my oven is so very full! I'm almost done growing this little project!

We've got 10-12 weeks to go, let the count down begin.
I simply cannot wait to meet my greatest creation!

So I also have this baby blanket to finish up for my little man and my super stylish diaper bag! It's been ages since I've made myself a new bag and I'm really excited for this one! 

Linking up with more WIP-ers over at Freshly Pieced!

A Real Fabric Design

Over the last month or so, I've had the extreme pleasure of taking an amazing class through the Creativebug website, which is awesome, let me tell you! If you've never checked it out, do so! They offer free tutorials, Monday tips, in addition to an impressive class lineup (with new classes added weekly!). It's completely affordable, less expensive than a magazine subscription!

So, anyway, I was talking about a course in Fabric Design that they recently released. Aside from the fact that the course features tips and advice from some big names in quilting and fabric design, they teamed up with Spoonflower and offered a fabric design contest!
I was immediately inspired by the course and drove right back into some fabric designing (which is an interest that I dabble with frequently, mostly in doodling form).
A key tip from the course that really resonated in my mind was that we should "design fabric we'd like to purchase and use".
So I did! And because I love what I designed, I purchased a fat quarter of it from Spoonflower! And after seeing it in person, I realized that I'm going to have to order some yardage and make myself a skirt!

So please go vote for me here! Voting closes tomorrow!
(Look for the "Creativebug Design Challenge")
(There's a lot of entries, so please scroll until you find mine! "Vision Flower by MammalChupie")

Thanks so much!

Fingers crossed!!!

Sketchbook Saturday #2

I've been working on changing things up a bit on this blog if you've noticed.....less sidebar distractions, minimalist approach. I still need to design a more alluring header, perhaps spice up my boring ass "About" page. A few things here and there. I still am not 100% pleased with my photos (you would think IPad photos would be crisp?! Is it only my computer?)
Most importantly, I must keep at it. No matter how lazy, tired, and pregnant I feel, I have to bring myself to the present, and do something, even a little something each day.
You'll never get anywhere if you don't put yourself out there. Even though I feel like my actual goals are shifting perspectives, I know that fundamentally I will get out only when I put in. More work will equal better work.
I've missed a couple Saturdays already, so lets play catch up today with the sketchbooks!

WIP Wednesday: Clutter Clearing

Moving into a smaller space.....too much fabric!

Also, I realized that I have a ton of red prints, a color I almost never use.

Must change that.

I also sorted through a lot of paper clutter, collage bags. 

Another art form I've neglected. 

And so tonight, before bed, I started working on another collage piece, using red.

Linking up to 

freshly pieced

WIP Wednesday: I used to be an Art Quilter

Way back in 2005, I began on a textile journey, following the tiny tidbits left for me by my late Grandmother.

Prior to that year, my artistic medium of choice had been a strong mixture of collage and creative writing sprinkled with a love of traditional black and white photography. 

When I picked up fabric, I immediately had the notion of treating it like paper, collage and raw cut edges held down with using a glue stick and quilted. I fell in love. I made many smaller pieces under 24 inches square and sold all of them. I ventured into larger pieces but then switched my interest into studying the traditional sense of quilts.

 And for many years I feel like I've been in a kind of limbo between the two as a textile artist. I've been mulling over this for a little while now, pondering some questions.

Which do I love more, art quilts or traditional patchwork? Do I gravitate toward what's easiest for me? Why do I feel like art quilts are kinda out of my comfort zone yet I still don't produce traditional patchwork beyond an intermediate dabbler? Where do I really want to go with fabric? What are those big scary artistic yearnings I have that currently remain dreams? How can I develope my textile likes into a style that is true to me?

Which led me into a nice direction of focus on the art quilting book idea I had begun exploring last year. 

And with an improv art quilt session in my original style, new ideas emerge. Here's a peak at what poured out.

I've been working on mind mapping the questions rolling around in my head. It's both inspiring and motivating me to keep at it. 

Linking up today with 

Freshly Pieced

Sunday Stash #6?

Ah hem. I did say I was coming back to this space, didn't I?
I have proper reasons for being absent, but at the moment, no excuses seem to be justified. I've been feeling scattered in my purpose, blind to my path, just kinda adrift with amazement and an overwhelming exhaustion like I've never experienced before (an explanation for that I'll save for a later date).

But as this year progresses at a more rapid clip than usual for me, I have been overcome with an intense need to finish all these untouched and abandoned ideas around my studio. Like the way a snake must rub against course objects to remove the final traces of a shed. So my progress is picking up, I'm pushing myself to get into the studio daily, to do something, anything.

Almost a month ago I dove into a quilt series that I'd let stew for a while.....like three years stew. I suddenly had the urge to finish the set of five pieces. I've had 1 quilt finished and 3 of the 4 remaining quilts drawn up full scale, it wasn't hard to just start.

So let me share some progress photos today instead of just fabric.

So this is the first finished quilt in the series and really the inspiration for the rest of the quilts because when I made this, I hadn't planned any of it. I randomly had the idea of quilting a gun outline. So I did. Then I thought of wrapping snakes through the guns, but upon searching for snake images for drawing reference, I was inspired by a Celtic art piece of three intertwined snakes.  This piece really progressed on its own.

I'll explain my process and each of the other pieces as a collection at a later time, for now I'd like to share progress photos of the next quilt I've almost finished in this series I tenitively named "Dangerous Things in Pastels"

I began during this months Art Walk, tracing out templates, of which, there were many!

I have a great pile of "snake" fabrics that I've been compiling. I usually keep all fabric possibilities in direct view while working on a piece, like a palette of paints.

Once I cut and lay out the pieces, I look at it for a while, days usually. In case I don't like a fabric I've used and to contemplate the next steps of stitching.

I also like making most of my art quilts raw edged. I also love doing needle turned appliqué, but usually the desire for quicker results gives way to raw edges. Perhaps some day I'll switch over completely.

Today I dove into the background details. 

The finish is near!

I'll share the finished piece later this week! Hope you've enjoyed this peek into my process from my "stash" of in progress projects!

Sketchbook Saturday #1

Oh Hello!!
starting a little series here sharing my
sketchbook entries as a nice peek into the process!

Goodbye 2014

Goodbye to 2014

On the design wall, current abstractions, 9-patch blocks and the garden moved indoors.

A decision to journal in grid books, new year excitements and tan fabric pulled for current abstractions.

Continued Tarot studies with a new book and an unexplored deck, Sodalite, and an accurate description of what's to come .

Cheers to the New Year and all that's in store!

Mammal Chupie

...And now back to your regularly scheduled program.

I never intended to be absent from this space so long, but somehow I knew that'd happen.

Metal miniatures for my tiny family, birthday gift from my best friend.

If you do the same action expecting different results, you are stupid. I've been stupid for years now.
I imagine I've been addicted to the act of being lost, in the mental sense. I give my time away to others instead of spending it on my own goals.

The newest studio with new roof garden and rain.

I've just been wholly unfair to myself for forever.
This has been a large revelation and a most humbling feeling, I am solely responsible.
Ouch.

Improvisational patchwork for "Ode to Summer" quilt in progress.

And then a time when you can 'see' your life clearer. Or shit suddenly makes sense. Ego bruising. Getting older.

You start to pay more attention to the things that really matter.

Crystal Alligator (collage work in progress) 

Like being an artist.

"The way to get started is to Quit talking and Begin doing." - Walt Disney

Finding Balance

It's summer alright, I can tell because I can't remember the date or day of the week at least a few times every week now. Just yesterday I thought it was Wednesday. Ha!
When you have no particular place to be at any given time or day and you spend hours (OK, more like days) on end in your studio working and watching Netflix, I suppose it's understandable. Right? (I have two calendars next to the very entrance!)
Well, I must confess that this summer schedule of no-schedule is difficult for me.
I need a schedule in a way. Not like be somewhere at 8 am schedule, more like I must do A, B, and C today. If I don't give myself specific tasks, I wander. I fiddle. I loose myself in completely unnecessary or random tasks.
So in the spirit of trying to stay true to my #1 goal of more frequent blogging, I'm going to share some snapshots of my campsite, I mean work space from this past week.

Moon Rise

the work table

Late night paper CSI marathon

Random junk accumulating at the end of the table

Small doll progress

Forever shredding newspapers

The work table

I have since cleared the work table, done a bit a sweeping and am preparing to delve into some fabric projects again. I have been paper mache-ing for 5 days straight now. Time for a break!

I hope you're having a productive weekend!

-M.