Confetti

Earlier this year I started work on a series of designs that are inspired by my love of fabric and quilting and color. While I often find myself creating for the more whimsical side of myself, I am often drawn back to the need to explore color and shape and how they join together to create movement in a composition.  

A few of these new designs involve traditional quilt blocks or variations of those blocks. I really enjoyed translating those concepts to cross stitch. But, I keep coming back to another translation.

It all started with a six point star block and a nine patch block design. While I was satisfied with the way the design was coming together, I found myself staring at it thinking- "there's something else in there trying to get out."  So, I broke them apart--

--and pieced them back together.  

Grape Seeds

It started with Grape Seeds, worked in purples, mauves and creams. There was such joy in stitching this. I found surprises as it came together, the shapes changed throughout the stitching, parts disappearing and reappearing and then morphing into something else. When it was finished, each time I looked at it, I saw a different design. 

Trail Mix

With Trail Mix, I found that there were areas that  needed to be left open. The darker threads made this one a little heavier, and those spaces where the fabric was left peeking through lightened it up. 

And now, I'm working on a third. As of right now, I am titling it Confetti, but that might change by the time I finish stitching.  This piece in concept started as I was thinking of seasons and the colors associated with each and the way the colors of one season bleed into the next, but it evolved further and while there is still some of that 'seasonal change' thing in there, it has become more of a playground for color, letting things sort of fall as they may. It will change further as I stitch-- pieces of color being changed and shifted around as I go.

Starting detail for Confetti

Working chart for Confetti

So many threads and beads and fabrics to work with.

It's like one big jigsaw puzzle that I can work and rework again and again.

The start of Sissy's Garden

I started the model for A Garden For Sissy last night and am working today on a few more flowers before I settle in to crochet for awhile this evening. The little tidbit flowers, trims and art yarns I had been making have been well received on the website, and I think I want to create a few new embellishment choices for artists. 

I often struggle with the want to do too many things, and I have found myself spread too thin too many times. While I am so super-inspired by what I see others doing, I have to exercise some small amount of self control. Maybe find a way to apply what they are doing to what I am doing-- similar to what I did with the quilt block interpretations. 

While I have been selling a fair amount on eBay, the fees are killing my profits. Part of the problem with selling small, lower-priced items, I guess. I am going to pare things down to my website for patterns, tidbits and trims, and my Etsy Shop for the one of a kind fiber and embroidered art and one of a kind art yarns and occasional one of a kind embellishments.  

Doing this will give me room to explore all sides of my creative self. After all, one feeds the other. My designing often inspires the one of a kind pieces, and giving myself time to free form lends itself very well to sparking new ideas for patterns. 

With both kids off at college (Go Bison!) I want to use the time that has been freed up wisely. I want to commit and really dig in and run with this. 

a busy week

It's been a busy week.  A lot of business stuff to finish up which ate up a good chunk of the early week, but I did find time to putz with a few things as I try and get myself ready for a few craft shows. I've scaled back on the number of shows I am participating in this year, as I still haven't found the extra few hours a day I needed!

I have finished a good chunk of Henry Heartfelt, with more stitches to come this afternoon...

And I got out the hook again, feeling the need to whip up a few hats, this one embellished with one of my cross stitch buttons.  Still playing with the design of this hat. And its an acrylic and wool blend, not my favorite to work with, (as I prefer natural fibers) but for shows around here more economically priced yarns are better received.

I need to get the sketchbook out too, as I've some new designs tumbling around in my head, inspired by some color palettes I came across and Indian art.  I'm also feeling a really big pull toward samplers since I've been doing some embroidery, so there might be some of that coming as well.

Now off for coffee, vampire and lycan movies, and a bit of stitching.