Saturday, April 04, 2015

Everything's in Order Here

Woke early to try to see the lunar eclipse.  Living in Western Canada, I'd have had a good chance of it...but for the snow.  So...back to bed, but couldn't sleep.

I lay there, sipping a cup of sweet tea (yes, I'm nursing a cold; it's the only time this coffee afficionado drinks tea)...and thinking about my agenda.

I like routine.  

I've never been very spontaneous.  I dislike surprises.  My late DH was the only one who could ever get away with surprising me, and even he stuck to doing so on my birthday or at Christmas -- when one can get away with it.

This morning, pondering this aspect of my character, I realized my tendency to plan and organize has a powerful impact on my creativity.

I like deadlines, and like to give my piece(s) plenty of time to 'percolate', both before and during construction.  Once begun, I generally break a project down into steps and pace myself, doing a bit each day on each of several projects.

Currently on the go?
  • This month's Master Class theme is 'color'...and I have to have five items (images) sent off to EB by April 10...so yesterday I tackled the assignment as follows:
    • Read through all the notes and instructions;
    • Checked out the recommended links (including a video or two);
    • Looked at inspirational sources to create a colour palette.
    • Recorded those sources as photos.  Here's a sampling:

Canvas-work cushion made by my mom

Needlepoint footstool done by my mom

Water colour collage
Sharon Lynn Williams,
Calgary, AB (ca. 2004)
    • Next steps: 
      • close colour studies to develop final palette;
      • create a design or colour in a sketch from January's work;
      • audition fabric.

  • SAQA Benefit Auction piece:
    • Next steps:
      • sandwich and quilt background;
      • fill in stitching details;
      • add foliage to tree;
      • face or bind;
      • apply label and sleeve;
      • submit!

  • My knitting projects are even more closely organized.  For example, the Wedding Prayer Shawl used to look like this:


It's now several times longer, as a total of 14 pattern repeats have been finished.  Each repeat is 24 rows, broken down into sections of six rows each.  There are 25 repeats to do before the shawl is finished, and the wedding is mid-June.  I won't be attending (another commitment) so have to finish and deliver sometime around the end of May or right after Quilt Canada (June 4-6).  My agenda?  
  • Knit a minimum of 6 rows per day.  
    • If I knit 12 (or half of one pattern repeat) and am consistent, I could finish this baby before I go to Portland for the SAQA conference later this month.

Then there are the April Socks-from-Stash...the first one is now happily about 3" long, meaning I'm almost 1/2-way to the heel...

What about you?  Are you super-organized or more spontaneous?  How d'you think your tendency to be one or the other governs your creative practice?

Linking this up to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday...

If it stops snowing, I might just get in to Red Deer for the last of the Central Alberta Quilt Show.  And yes, there'll be a sock in my tote...  :-)

Happy Easter! Happy Passover!  Happy Spring!  Happy Fall!  ;-)

Have a great weekend!





5 comments:

Giddings Art said...

I'd love to be as organized as you are! I think you have inspired me to work on that as I do some Spring cleaning!

Gwyned Trefethen said...

Your selection of color studies are fascinating. I was immediately drawn to their radial, but often asymmetric aspect.

Judy Warner said...

I guess I am intuitively organized - so figure that out, Margaret. I know what has to be accomplished and I do whatever I feel should be done on a certain day.
I loved your color study selections - will enjoy seeing this month's output.

Maggi said...

I admire you for being so organised. I am trying very hard to get some sort of order into my life as I don't believe that chaos actually inspires creativity.

rtquilter said...

LOVE the colours in the colour studies! Well done!