Time for Some Creative Courage
Making art requires creative courage. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and jump. Fortunately, that analogy only takes you so far. The creative courage it takes to make art, at least the kind of art I make, won’t kill you. Think of it as diving into water. If the water is too shallow to accommodate the dive – disaster. If the water level is sufficient to handle the dive, the dive might be off and a bellyflop ensue. However, with practice and the right conditions you just might execute a glorious dive.
This Week’s Creative Courage
This week I decided to screw up my courage and start quilting the white block surrounds and black diamonds in my 2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt. Deep breath. I can do this. Maybe… Yes, even someone who takes artistic risks frets, paces and procrastinates before engaging the needle in the quilt.
Preparing to be Courageous
While I am pacing my mind is spinning through and discarding ideas. I know it is time to be creatively courageous when I get stuck and return to the same idea over and over again. It would have been logical to simply quilt the white surround and black diamonds the way I quilted the blocks, with a free motion rainbow motif in using a white thread in the white fabric and black thread in the black diamonds. Predictable and safe. It just wasn’t calling to me. Instead I kept seeing leafy vines done in variegated rainbow thread meandering around the quilt in the white sections. I would use the same thread in the black diamonds, but rather than extending the vine, punctuating each diamond with a flower.
Post Creative Courage
It works, maybe. Not sure what else I might have done. Sometimes you just have to settle for close enough. There is always next year. A new Rainbow Scrap Challenge begins in 2023.
I’m linking up to the following posts:
Yes, it does work. Gloriously so, in my humble opinion! And therein lies the difference between you, the Artist, and me, the mechanic! I just get ‘em done and out the door to charity. It’s all good…
You are kind, Catherine. Much as I love the challenge of tackling various free motion quilting motifs to bring an extra dimension figuratively and literally to my, there are times when I wish I could just let go and do something simple and fast. There is something to be said for the love that goes into charity quilt donations and the delight and care the recipient feels.
You are a machine quilter extraordinaire!
Thank you, Norma. I do love the “Zen” of free motion quilting.
I think your leafy quilting design through the white sections is beautiful! This is going to be a lovely quilt!
Thank you, Diann. I’m having fun meandering around the quilt with the leafy vines.
The quilting is coming along nicely. Enjoy yourself!
Thank you for stopping by and your sound advice. Fortunately, I do enjoy FMQ. I find it very relaxing.
I can see trailing leaves, flowers in the black, and swirly curves, all looks excellent to me. My own machine quilting is much more basic, I really admire those who FM quilt with confidence and ease.
Thank you, Jenny. FMQ didn’t come naturally to me. I had multiple false starts. Then I devoted a year to doing every single tutorial Leah Day offered in a quilt-a-long. Each week she posted a new video with a FMQ. That would be in approximately 2011. She still has the tutorials on her site. I go there from time to time to jump start my own motifs. Now her focus is more on the longarm than a domestic machine.
Like you, I put in the time and practice of FMQ and I, like you mull over what is the right motif/pattern to quilt, cause SO MANY OPTIONS. No one wants to hear practice, practice, practice, but that’s what is required. I love your choices, you did a great job.
Congratulations on taking the time and doing the work on your FMQ. It makes the quilting of the quilt just as much fun as the piecing. Also, leads to more finishes. 🙂
What a wonderful block you used for your RSC quilt. Congratulations for such a stunning quilt.
Thank you, Karen. I enjoy working with traditional blocks, especial two or more to quilt. I find the resulting secondary patterns fun. My 2023 RSC will be a departure. Watch for the unveil with sneak peaks in the coming weeks.