Waves
There is something about listening to the waves hit the shore that is so soothing. We are fortunate to live in small town with a beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Family came to visit on Tuesday, so off to the beach we went. The following day I felt rejuvenated, tackled the business of being an artist and the day after that I hit the studio again. Life comes in waves, waxing, waning and as cyclical as the tides.
Bernina 990 Progress
Learning new technology, and the Bernina 990 definitely qualifies as technology, comes in waves, too. I think I have made it past the first peak of my learning curve. I am confidently switching between stitches, the sewing machine and the embroidery function. Now, I am working on things as they come up.
One of my goals is to combine and size quilting motifs to fit a block. This is my third attempt to do so with the Christmas star. I can proudly say I combined 5 motifs to a form larger single motif. Even better I was able to save the combination to my personal folder to use on future 8″ x 8″ blocks should I wish to do so.
Fungus
I’ve been fascinated by mushrooms and other fungus for years. I am not sure why? Perhaps it is all the shapes and colors they come in. So, when SAQA put out a Call for Entry called Fungus Among Us, I knew I wanted to try and create a piece or maybe more to submit to the call. Fortunately, the deadline is more than a year away, so there is plenty of time.
Check out this super cool fungus growing beside the sidewalk just a few houses away from my home. It is commonly known as Hen of the Woods. Apparently, it is even edible.
Rather than make a 2D piece, I want to try and recreate this in 3D. I have various ideas. There is nothing to do but test those theories and hope one of them pans out. I feel like Thomas Edison, who is said to have quipped, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Seems I down to 9,999 more ways to go. 🙂
Prototype #1 could be a vase or basket, just not a Hen in the Woods. However, I learned what not to use to create structure. It definitely allows the fabric to stand up, but unfortunately not to gather. It is too stiff for that.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
I did spend a few hours on Monday quilting my 2024 Rainbow Scrap Challenge Quilt. Part of me is tempted to do nothing else so I can finish. Another part of me knows I need to tackle this massive project in waves. I know if I return to it again and again it will get done.
Question of the Week
I was rapidly able to figure out the name of the fungus and find Thomas Edison’s quote on Chat GPT. How are you using Chat GPT?
I’m linking up to the following posts:
When I was in London several years ago, I did buy some mushrooms that looked similar to your Woods mushrooms–my daughter and I made a dish with several varieties of mushrooms which was delicious! I like where you are going with your idea and have confidence you will figure out how to make it work! As for Chat GPT–nope. . .I’ve heard of it; but, that is it!
What a wonderful adventure you had with your daughter.
Like you Terry, I had heard of Chat GPT a while back. Not sure when I first gave it a whirl myself, perhaps 6 months ago. Now I find it is a nearly daily experience. I think of it as search engine, ghost writer, research librarian, etc.
Attempting to recreate a fungus in 3D?! Brave soul! Your attitude toward experiments reminds me of Anna Hergert, my long-ago art quilt teacher, who told us (more than once)…”It’s just a sample!”
I may have met Anna at SAQA conference, or perhaps somewhere else. Love that attitude. Katie PM said something similar when I took a class with her at my guild. Katie shared that “fabric is like Frito Lays, you can always buy more.” For those of us raised by parents of The Great Depression, experimentation and cutting up precious fabric, doesn’t come easily.
I love being by the ocean, but live in a landlocked state, so an ocean vacation is on my list every year. Glad you had some time to refresh by the ocean. We’re heading to the Oregon coast in a couple weeks – can hardly wait! Your fungus project will be fascinating to follow along with. I like that quote from Thomas Edison – great advice. I have not used ChatGPT in particular, but since I look things up on a daily basis, I’m sure AI plays a big part in that. I do use Google Lens a lot to identify things like your fungus.
This is our first time living by the ocean. We’re several miles away by car, but about a mile as the crow flies. Every once in a while, when the rest of the world is quiet and our windows are open, I hear the surf.
The Oregon coast is beautiful. We had a lovely family vacation there several decades back.
Don’t recall when I first heard that quote from Edison, it was fairly recent and really resonates. It will need to be my North Star as I work on the fungus project.
Very pretty and definitely successful custom quilting on your 8″ block, Gwyned!!! I look forward to seeing your fungus take shape.
Thank you, Nancy. You are an inspiration when it comes to custom quilting.
The quilting on the Christmas blocks is lovely, you are definitely utilizing your new machine. I look forward to viewing your samples as you proceed with the fungus challenge, you have a good imagination and the willingness to experiment. Happy creating!
I am determined to make friends with my Bernina 990. It’s good to get past that first significant learning curve. Thank you for hanging in as I learn and encouraging my early efforts.
Hi Gwyned, I hope that you won’t have to get to 10,000 before finding the technique that works! Your embroidery is really stunning on the block. Technology is not easy to learn and you need to be in the right frame of mind. Best of luck and thanks for linking up to FM Mavericks!
From your mouth to my brain, Andrée. I hope it doesn’t take me 10,000 tries either. This isn’t my first time playing with nebulous ideas. Doubt it has ever taken me more than 5 tries to figure out the basics. Perhaps double that to repeat whatever I’ve invented naturally and with confidence. This time I’m going out on a limb and sharing my tries with you and others.
Thank you for encouraging me and others and giving us a platform to share our work.
The design that you made for the Christmas star is perfect.
I made a quilt a few years ago of mostly mushrooms, one entirely embroidered in chain stich, so labor intensive, and the rest using photos printed on fabric, then machine quilted and trapunto. It was nine small quiltlets on a 30 inch square canvas. It is one of my favorite pieces.
Norma, your mushroom piece sounds stunning. I do love your embroidery work. Would love to see it.
I am sure your mushrooms will be amazing! Good luck with the Bernina, practice makes perfect!
Thank you, Sylvia. I do love the look of that Hen in the Wood fungus. The trick will be capturing it in fabric and devising a natural background for it.
I’m getting more and more practice with the Bernina. It’s beginning to feel natural.
Except for walking the boardwalk at night, the beach doesn’t do it for me. I would rather be sitting by a lake. I enjoy reading about your learning curve with your new machine. Enjoy your stitching.
I loved the beach when I was young. However, over the years it has lost its appeal. Not big on salt water and sand or even baking in the sun. But when family comes and want to go to the beach…
It has been quite an experience learning about my B 990. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Spoiler alert. I made a new discovery of yet another novel feature on the machine I plan share in next week’s post.
Wow, it looks like you are mastering your new machine, this quilted block is beautiful. Well done combining several patterns! The fungus challenge sounds fun, and I like your first try! Love the colors too. Thank you for sharing and linking up!
Yes, it seems the Bernina 990 and I are friends now. Thank you, as always for your kind words and the opportunity to link to your blog.
Great post, Gwyned. I lived near the beach and the Atlantic Ocean in Newfoundland…there is a freshness about the air that is different. And all the smells too. Miss it all very much. I took a photo of an interesting fungi recently and I must share it. I’m thinking it is Hen of the Woods but mine is in grey colours. I too am fascinated by these things. Good luck now with articulating your fascination into cloth. Meanwhile, yes, quilting a large piece must be faced in manageable increments and here not even like that. I find it daunting, to say the least. But then, my “flesh” is increasingly weak these days no matter the spirit. 🙂
Now there is a coast line. Same ocean as south of Boston, but you wouldn’t know it. I can almost smell the fresh air with hint of oceanic overtones and hear the waves crash on the rocks.
I’d love to see your fungus photo. Perhaps you will share it next your post.