The Process Pledge

 

I found The Process Pledge linked from another quilting blog I read. The concept intrigues me because it is pretty much what I want to do with this blog. I started this as a way to get thoughts and ideas down, to make them concrete. I've never been good at keeping a handwritten journal. I just can't write as long as I can type. And being able to post photos and links so easily on an online blog is perfect.

To quote r0ssie, "The goal of the process pledge is to create a new sensibility in quilting blogs where we don’t just show finishes or occasionally confess about our moments of indecision, but chat openly and often about our works in progress, our inspirations, and our moments of decision."

I like that. My ideas change depending on my mood and blogging about the process would be an interesting experiment. The progress from an idea to a sketch... to fabric purchasing and cutting... block sewing and layout... it's organic. Definitely not static.

The questions posted are engaging...

• Do you have any new sketches to show?
• Is this design inspired by a past quilt or someone else's quilt you saw (link, please)?
• Does the color palette come from somewhere specific?
• Are you trying to evoke a specific feeling?
• Is this quilt intended for a specific person?  How did that inform your choices?
• Are you following a pattern, emulating a block you saw somewhere, using a liberated process, or totally winging it?
• What are you hating about this quilt at this stage?  What do you love?
• Did you push yourself to try something new?
• In working on the quilt, are you getting ideas about what you might want to try next?  What?  Did you sketch it?

 I am always sketching ideas with too many notes alongside them. Some quilts are inspired by what I've seen quilt artists (and yes, they are artists no matter what) create and others are inspired by paintings, photographs or clothing or shadows... the world is inspiration! For me color and feeling go hand in hand. The quilts I've gifted are always designed around the receiver. I want the quilt to be treasured by them. Sometimes this may mean I do something I am not particularly fond of but I stay interested because I enjoy seeing the look of happiness when the quilt is given.

Lately I have been pushing myself to try new techniques and work outside my comfort zone. I'm not good at sticking to a plan and sometimes my ideas don't transfer to fabric as well as I would hope. I've come to look forward to those serendipitous moments and let the process determine the outcome. It allows me to be free with the whole creative process. And most times the end result is better than the original idea.

And since I still have not uploaded photos of the retirement quilt and haven't taken photos of my thread sketching test or  my art quilt prototypes I am going to sign off and decide what to create next! Betsy got a cleaning this afternoon after the 81.5 hours it took to make the retirement quilt so she will be ready to get on with a new project!