Week in Review – 01/15

Inspiration comes and goes. When I am riding the crest of inspiration I feel empowered, energized and so, so grateful for the gift of an idea that emerges seemingly from nowhere. I have learned to hang on and see where an idea will take me. Most of the time I am pleasantly surprised by unanticipated bonus gifts I didn’t see coming. Not this time.

How the migrating butterfly motif might appear as you walk in the gallery.
How the migrating butterfly motif might appear as you walk in the gallery. This is the most successful distance. My goal is not to have it distract from the pieced image. It should surprise the viewer as they get closer.

I have been working out in my head, on paper and even on sample quilt sandwiches possible ways to quilt Out of the Ashes. In between I do internet research checking out quilting motifs and even watching butterfly migration videos on YouTube. Eventually, I settled on a motif that seemed perfect. I doodled it, stitched it on a sample, took a breath began quilting the white side of Out of the Ashes.

First pass at quilting Out of the Ashes
This is a mid-distance view of the migrating butterfly motif I quilted this week.

If this were one of my first quilts, I would be thrilled beyond measure. It isn’t and I am not. My ideas to salvage the work haven’t panned out so far. Sigh! Maybe, I will be able to find a solution. Maybe I won’t. No matter making artwork is all about the process and the experimentation. It is not about the destination. I share this advice for you and also to remind myself.

The migrating butterfly motif as you would see it if leaning in for a closer inspection.
The migrating butterfly motif as you would see it if leaning in for a closer inspection.

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.