Week in Review 2021 – 10/23

Count Down

I am sitting at my sewing machine surrounded by my completed work on the walls and my fabric for Celestial Celebration on the sewing table, 6' x 6' cutting table and ironing station.
Working on Celestial Celebration

There are fifteen days left until Cohasset Open Studios . I’m feeling the time crunch. When does the time pressure of a fixed deadline get to you? It isn’t as though I haven’t been working on this. In fact I have been preparing for the Cohasset Open Studios since January. I began by focusing on making smaller work to appeal to those visitors who aren’t ready to commit to a larger piece.

Psyching Myself Up

The walls of a staircase that turns half way up are hung with three art quilts.
Stairs leading to the studio hung with my art in preparation for my open studio.

It’s as much of a head game as anything else. There is the psyching myself up to join a new group in a new town doing something I’ve never done before. That is one aspect. Then there is all the work I do in my head, imaging what opening my studio will entail. I probably spend as many hours on that as I do actually doing the prep work. Imagine that? Just like how I create a new artwork. I begin by mulling things over and exploring all the possibilities and requirements in my head before any actual doing takes place.

Doing the Work

My studio as chaotic as it gets when I am in the midst of piecing a quilt. There are small piles of fabric, scraps and tools on surfaces. In the distance are two hung on the wall.
Turbulence and Out of the Ashes grace my studio

Remember that head game? Eventually, it is time to get out of my head or I won’t be prepared to welcome people to my home and studio. I made a list of what needed to get done, what could be done immediately, what could be done several weeks ahead and what need doing before something else needed doing? If this was something my husband could do (thank goodness he is a good sport) the task was assigned to him. Otherwise, I won the task.

Yesterday, we (mostly he) hung sixteen of my quilts in the open living area of our home, up the stairs on the way to my studio and in my studio? Today, the wall signs with title, size and price will be placed by each piece. Now I can focus on other details, such as a place for visitors to sign up for my blog and/or leave a comment.

I am linking up with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Fridays.

By Gwyned Trefethen

I am an artist who uses fabric, thread and miscellany to create designs gifted to me by my imagination.

4 comments

    1. One thing I am frequently asked is “Where can I see your work locally?” An open studio seems a good solution, especially since this is an annual event in the small suburban town I live in. Was going to do it last year, but for obvious reasons I didn’t. Neck is firmly extended. Thanks for the well wishes.

Comments are closed.