And here you thought this blog was going to be about creativity

And here you thought this blog was going to be about creativity. It’s really about un-doing, erasing, and doing over as part of creativity.

I often get carried away by my own enthusiasm. For example, I’m about to finish four recently started quilts (and totally ignoring 33 previously started projects.)

1. I did a collage quilt of an octopus from a Laura Heine pattern which is very nearly done- that is, it is backed and mostly quilted.
2. I’m working on an art quilt that just uses circles, appliqued to a square background, then the squared are chopped up and sewn back together in a new configuration.
3. I’m looking for the right backing for a baby quilt that I pieced of leftovers from a larger, rainbow colored throw.
4. Patchwork baby quilt with reds and blues and tans

This morning I got up and couldn’t wait to get into the studio to find backs for the three new quilts (not the Octopus- it’s already backed.) I spotted a pretty dark red on the “large pieces” pile, and chose it for the really bright modern art quilt (#2). I was entertained and amused to find that this piece of fabric had been used before, probably as a backing for a comforter, because I kept on finding little bits of neon red yarn that had been used to tie the old comforter together. And a few tiny holes. And some fading. So I removed the bits of yarn, and tore off most of the really faded bits, and I pieced a back that was big enough for my art quilt. I smoothed it on to my quilt batting. You couldn’t really see any quilt batting through the tiny holes, so I thought “Okay, this could work.”
I was just finishing the smoothing and the pinning when a little tear became evident. So I thought about how I could repair that, and how it’s just the back, and how fun it would be to have this very old and previously loved fabric in my new art quilt.

Had a second cup of coffee.

And realized how dumb that was- to put something that is on the verge of rotting on the back of something brand new.

Last night late (after coming home from life drawing) I added some borders to a kind of boring quilt (#4) that I had pieced after finding some really sweet fabric scraps at a garage sale. It needed to be a little longer, so I added some tan borders. I did it wrong, and this morning I took it back apart. And sewed those borders back on correctly. The quilt came out kind of boring because there isn’t a lot of contrast and the color scheme is traditional, but I enjoy looking at it because of the foxes and raccoons on the forest print and the lovely pansies on the navy and pink pansy print.

I found a back in my flannel pile and will use that as soon as I’m sure my quilt top is squared up and ready to be layered.

The rainbow scrap baby quilt is destined to get a beautiful yellow and white bird print from
Alexander Henry. I have bought this fabric in a couple of different printings, have had some of it given to me by a psychic friend, used it for curtains and quilts, and now I have just enough for this backing. We will see how I do.