Tick Tock
Life marches on, tick tock, tick tock. The time we have in life is often represented by sands dribbling through an hour glass. However, what about the time we have do our work? Mr. Grainger in the British TV series, Are You Being Served?, classically fears the cuckoo clock. Why? Because this was what retirees receive. Is that a cuckoo clock I hear, tick tock, tick tock?
Retirement
No, I am not retiring from creating artwork yet. However, I hear the cuckoo clock with more frequency these days. Tick tock. It seems everything takes longer and I am well aware of my time growing shorter. I am so fortunate. I’ve been creating work from fabric and thread since 1985. It’s hard to believe, but I have yet to hit a dry spell. I still have far more ideas of what I want to make than I can possibly fit into a single or a dozen life times.
Living in the now is crucial, even as the cuckoo clock gets louder. One quilt at a time. One decision at a time. This week I focused on quilting How Does Your Garden Grow? Step one was to decide how I wanted to quilt the background. I do this by researching motifs on line. I knew I wanted something that meandered, so I could easily maneuver around the flowers and butterflies. The vine with leaves, blossoms and dragonflies does the trick.
But First…
Every November I host an open studio. This year I will also have a solo exhibition in a neighboring town from October through December. Yikes! It’s time to start planning how to have work in both places. So, that is precisely what I did this week, too. Time to panic. Looks like I need to spend some time working building up my 8″ x 8″ and 12″ x 12″ wrapped canvases. I see more thread painting in my future. Next up is Owl Moon.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
What I love about meandering is how it allows you to get in and around awkward spaces on a quilt. When you add elements, such as blooms and dragonflies it breaks up any monotony from recreating the same pattern over and over again. It does take time, though. Time I feel I don’t have. Tick tock.
I’m linking up to the following posts:
Oh WOW!!! That quilting is amazing!!
and yes !! you are very creative! isn’t it fun to see whats next!!
Your show sounds amazing!
There will always be something next, even after we are no longer around to see what it is. Right now I enjoy the mystery. I surprise. myself by what I choose. Keeps me fresh and engaged. Thank you for the thumbs up on my quilting.
Love your whimsical quilting on this!
I’m honored, Jenny. This coming from you, someone whose quilting I have drooled over for years.
The meandering you’ve designed is lovely — and so perfect for that quilt! I too sense the passing of time…so many things for hands, brain and heart to do, think about, and ponder — and possibly not long to do so, this side of heaven!
Thank you, Margaret. Yes, those of us of a certain age to ponder how much time we have left and rejoice in all the possibilities, while mourning not being able to do them all.
What a fun quilting design you selected! It is showing off your beautiful quilt wonderfully. I love the little pops of the flowers and dragonflies.
Deb, I’m glad you enjoy the pops of blooms and dragonflies. I do find working them in along the vine engaging. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Hi Gwyned, your choice of free motion quilting is great! I hope that you’ll consider linking up to Free Motion Mavericks this week! The picture of the owl is so cool – such great inspiration!
Thanks for the reminder, Andrée. I used to post on Free Motion Mavericks regularly. I need to get back in the habit, since I enjoy doing FMQ so much. We came upon the owl during our early morning walk a couple of weeks back. It is a fledgling. We think it hadn’t quite worked out flight yet and was recuperating from a crash landing. We gently and safely moved it to the yard abutting the road. We could hear its siblings and/or mother calling from the tree beside the road.
this quilt is turning out amazingly beautiful!
Your are so kind. Thank you, Helen.
What a beautiful quilting! I love these small leaves and flowers, they add substance to the garden. Did you use a light pink thread? Time is running, but the quilting is coming along very nicely.
Thank you for sharing, and linking up!
I used a variegated pale pink to lavender thread in the King Tut line from Superior Threads. It is very similar to the range of hues in the background. Just a step up in value. It blends from a distance, but is visible a few feet away. In hindsight it might have been preferable to go with a finer pale pink polyester thread. You have good instincts, too. 🙂