Blogtober Round Up

Back at the beginning of October, I decided to do a 'blogtober' challenge of sorts.  I planned to blog every second day during October to get me back into the habit, motivated and enthusiastic.

So, how did I do?

I should have written 15 posts.  According to my blog list, I actually wrote 12.  Not too bad.

I had 1,475 people view my posts and 37 comments on the posts themselves (and more on Facebook, when I cross-posted).

My most popular post by view was Piwakawaka in Dappled Light (that quilt sold at KOAST by the way), and the post that generated the most discussion was The Big Snip on cropping my quilt, 'Dawn Contemplation' (which so far I've taken off the binding, but not actually cut it yet.)

Those are the numbers, but how did I do in terms of unmeasurable stuff?

I'm definitely more enthusiastic - because after all, I need to update you on when I do finally cut up Dawn quilt, and what I do with my favourite piece of fabric!  And having a conversation and interactions with other people who love fabric and stitching is such a great motivator and inspiration.

I think I've also created more of a habit.  During Blogtober, I knew I'd made a commitment to post, so I just did.  I didn't angst over whether I had something relative to say, or whether anyone would read it, and in not angsting, it all flowed easier.

I love to blog.  I've been doing it now for years, and it's awfully interesting (and sometimes just awful) to look back over the years and have a record of what I was sewing, thinking, gardening, child rearing etc.  But sometimes it gets a bit harder than other times.  Everything in cycles I suppose.

Just for giggles, my most viewed posts ever are:

Mat and Ruler Bag, with over 6000 views.  I really should make another one and write a pattern or something.

Batting the Old Fashioned Way.  I still do this occasionally, but it does make your quilts heavy, and I seem to have run out of old woollen blankets, they are really trendy right now, with people making anything from cushions to jackets out of them.

Shibori Folding Techniques - Tutorial (hmmm, maybe I should have a shibori session when I'm next in the dye studio.)

How to joint a rabbit (chopping up dead animals - vegetarians beware,) Yes, I used to raise bunnies for meat!

And lastly,

Gwen Marston Class - Small Sketches (and I believe this will be much more about people searching for info on Gwen Marston, rather than because I wrote anything scintillating!)

So, to sum up.  Yes, Blogtober was a success and hopefully this has reinvigorated me for another while yet.  See you soon!

I just can't cut it

Have you got fabric hiding in your cupboard that you just can't use?

I bought this as an end of bolt from a closing down sale at my local quilt store.  That particular store closed down at least six years ago, so I can estimate how long it's been gracing my fabric shelves.  I had no idea what I would use it for, but I fell in love with it at first sight and every time I see it in my stash, I give it a little stroke.

It's a beautiful Japanese-style chrysanthemum print in an indigo blue on a silvery grey background with a natural fleck through it.  There was about 2.7 metres left and it's a standard width, so about 115cm wide.  Not quite enough for a backing for a large quilt, and too much to use as the feature fabric for a quilt top without having a whole lot left over.

It's got an interesting texture.  It's not a loose weave, but it does have a slighting uneven feel to the weave.  Almost 'slubby' but not quite.  And it has a beautiful sheen to it.  The selvedge gives me no other information other than the colours used to print it, so I have no idea of the designer or manufacturer.

What do you do when you have a fabric in your stash that you love but bought with no specific project in mind?  Do you search for the perfect project, or do you wait for inspiration to strike?

I've been waiting for inspiration to strike, but so far, even after six or more years, it hasn't.  I have been thinking of making a kimono style jacket with it, but my seamstress skills are lacking so I'm not confident I could do it justice.  I've also been thinking I need a new bed quilt, something made with all my japanese fabrics that I've been sort-of collecting - indigos and wovens and taupes.  

Got any suggestions?

PS - thank you for all your facebook input and blogger comments on my 'shall I cut' question I asked in my last post.  I think I'm going to go with the two for one deal, but it involves unpicking the binding, and since I love unpicking so much (not!) I'm just procrastinating on it a little.

The big snip

I didn't show you a photo of the finished 'Dawn Contemplation' quilt.  When you last saw it, I was pushing to get it finished for the KOAST art trail, and it looked like this:

Well, the first day of the trail saw me stitching on the binding, but I managed to finish that and get a sleeve on it and it was on display on the second day.  I added some colour and a bit more stitching to the woman to give her more depth and make her more part of the whole image rather than just 'on top'.  I also added a bit more to the bird above her head.  And it's always amazing how finishes the edges makes it look so much better.

The colour of the binding was a hard choice.  I auditioned many before I went with this tan colour.  It was a serendipitous choice, it just happened to fall next to the quilt when I was looking through my purple and pink hand dyes.  I really liked how it complemented the blues and purples rather than blended with them.  And the dark grey/blacks I'd tried just looked flat, so tan it was.

But, and it's a really big but.

I'm thinking of taking my rotary cutter to it.

I'm not entirely happy with the bird above the woman's head.  It's not quite right.  Then when I was editing my image before uploading it to the blog, I played with a few croppings.  And I think I really like the image above.

The question is, do I like it better than the finished quilt as it is now?

So what do you think?

Chop, or not?

KOAST - done

Well, the Kerikeri Art Trail is over.  I'm exhausted, but on an exhilerated high, a bit like giving birth!  And I learnt a few things.  

I learnt that exhibiting and talking about my art non-stop for three days is hard work, but fun.  I learnt that I got better at talking about my art the more I did it.  I learnt that I actually LOVE talking about my processes and inspirations to people who have no idea about textile art.  

I learnt that people enjoyed watching me demonstrate how I did something.  Trail goers were fascinated to watch me free-motion quilt the swallow quilt above, and really interested to see me stencil on the sample below.  It was a great conversation starter and question generator.

I learnt that bringing my sketchbooks for people to look through was a great idea, even if it made me feel a little vulnerable.

I learnt that people are happy to pay fair prices if they love the work.  I learnt that participating in an art trail is really good for my ego!

And I learnt that comfortable shoes are a must...

I don't know if I'll get to do it again.  I can't participate in KOAST unless I'm an invited guest artist, as I was this year, because I'm not actually a Kerikeri resident.  But if I ever get the chance to do it again, I'd jump at it.  It was so very worthwhile on many different levels.

A few thank yous are in order - my family for putting up with my KOAST focus in the past couple of weeks, my fellow exhibitors Jane Shaw and Judi Souter, both very talented artists and the best co-exhibitors I could wish for, and the lovely staff and residents at Oakridge Village who looked after us, made lovely cups of tea and served us the best scones I've ever had!

Pushing hard towards the finish

Tomorrow is KOAST (Kerikeri Open Art Studios Trail) set up.  I'm a guest artist at a shared venue, so instead of opening my studio for visitors, I'm setting up a display and pretend studio in a hall.  Luckily there is a good friend of mine sharing the venue, and some of the residents at the village where we will be are putting on a Devonshire Tea to raise money for Hospice.  So I'll have good company and hopefully great tea!

Tonight is one of my 'Blogtober' nights.  Earlier this month I pledged to blog every second day to help get myself back into the habit.  And it's going great.  I haven't run out of things to blog about, people have been engaged and interested, and I'm enjoying it.

But tonight I'm doing the final push to get another quilt finished to show at KOAST.  So you'll forgive me if this blog post is short and fairly shallow on content.  Here's the quilt I'm trying to finish:

While I've been working on this quilt I've been telling myself a narrative about that contemplative hour around dawn.  Occasionally I'll get up really early (when I don't have to) and manage a cup of tea with no one else around.  The dawn chorus is the soundtrack, I'll write morning pages, and I'll feel extremely contented and full of expectation, like the day is full of promise.

Maybe I've just named this quilt.  Dawn Contemplation.

Come and see me (and hopefully this finished quilt) this weekend at Oakridge, off Cannon Drive, right in the heart of Kerikeri.  There will be two other artisits there, you can buy a Devonshire Tea to support Hospice and you'll be able to buy a trail guide to go and visit other artists too.