A Very Busy Week

Been absolutely mired this week with
A. The VAT return (Yuk) - this would be fine if I updated my accounts daily, but there is always more important stitching to do.
B. My City and Guilds coursework, I have got several 'Art Files' to complete including 'Shape', 'Form', and 'Texture', plus 3 articles linked to them.
These are
(a) A Wallhanging of a Snowflake - mostly done but I need to finish the write ups
(b) A Container - the item I started with was a jug, it may end up being a pitcher - ie in the bin and start agin!
(c) A Household item - I am stitching a sewing machine cover, this has been fun but is not finished and I need to do the write ups.
On top of that is the BIG project - the quilt.
As part of the course you are meant to monitor, analyse and describe the design process - this is for me a dilemma.
This is my usual design process
1. Light bulb moment - not necessarily triggered by anything obvious other than my fevered brain and alcohol.
2. Make it - usually tweaking as I go along, I rarely make a sample or prctice piece I generally just go for it.

The design process for this quilt has been somewhat different
1. Several months of hoping to have some inspiration - however I am a person who works to time pressure (ie no obvious time pressure no work done!) and obviously so do my creative juices, they kept me waiting.
2. Sudden realisation I have one month to do 1 years work, plus VAT return plus possibly write book (another little project), not to mention run shop, teach, see family and have life etc.
3. Creative juices go into overdrive, I have 101 ideas tumbling to the front of my brain - now I have lots of ideas here are a few
(a) wholecloth quilt based on Indian Paisley pattern
(b) this progresses to wholecloth quilt with painted Paisley pattern
(c) then I fancy haveing a go at Italian Quilted wholecloth, possibly painted or possibly using dyed wools to create shadow effects
(c) Then i realise i am not that great at quilting my forte is pieceing or applique, perhaps i should go on this direction
(d) Find an advert I have pulled from a magazine at some point - it is in pink black and white - I like this colour scheme, decide to do that
(e) But What? Start by playing with applique do a black fan on pink background with some white thrown in - looks OK but too chuncky, lot of work, bit boring
(f) Decide I need something quick - Foundation pieceing - hurray I love this, quickly design a block on EQ5, then start to make it up - looks good but I am not enjoying it, and when I speak to another member of the group, she says 'it has got to look like at least 2 months work' - it will not, it will look like what it is, a speedy throw together, even if it looks nice and is in cool colours - I will finish it one day!
(f2) forgot to add, did some playing with my markal sticks (oil paints for fabric, thought i would try and do something 'Arty' - gave up, just messy and looks like something from kindergarten.
(g) Back to drawing board. Sometime ago I started playing with letters, illuminated large lettters. Start thinking about doing that in the pink white and blck colour scheme. Like the idea of letters changing mind about colour scheme. start looking for archaic fonts on the web - i had no idea there was so much out there. A big thank you to all those designers who put their work out there for free.
(f)Go into shop and see perfect fabric for my letters, would look great on black, so then have to find the font, found some great stuff on the web but when i downloaded it i found I could not manipulate it or get it to the size i wanted - I have no time, i have just used up a week in pfaffing (sorry design process).
(g) Find a font in Word , enlarge, outline, print - hurray.
Have to trace round it on both sides of paper. Think about doing this using upside down applique technique, then go for the old favourite bonding - much quicker.
(h) make up a sample (this is unheard of for me! - I must have learned something on this course!)- decide to machine trapunto letter, soluble thread - never done this before, it seems to work, cut excess wadding away.
(i)Want to outline with gold thread. So applique letter with invisible thread and small blanket stitch (on machine) quilting at the same time, then flip over and with gold thread in bobbin try and follow my line, I have stitched in black on black, this is tricky, but OK.
(j) not ecstatic with results although it could be good i9f my stitching of the gold thread was more accurate.
(k) try a different thread - a braid, try using cording foot and stitching from top with invisble thread, this gives more control of where the gold edge is going, just not sure about the foot. going to sleep on it.

So that was my week, this morning I still have not decided on how to attach the gold highlight, but i have cut out all the letters ready and i have also had some ideas on how the blocks of letters will go together - more coming soon!

By the way,yesterday at the shop we hosted Angela Madden teaching her Five Dot Flowers, it was excellent, loads of new ideas and tips. I didn't get to go, but I did do some work in the shop.

Check out our available workshops here
http://www.threadsandpatches.co.uk/acatalog/Workshops_and_Classes_clubs_Retreats_at_Threads_and_Patches_in_Milton_Keynes.html