The dry brush painting would need to make a significant difference for this to work. After drawing a rough design plan, I measured the shapes and then cut off the excess fabric for experimenting with paint colors. I tried fuchsia, copper, lime, purple, blue, and brown and none worked - not at all what I was hoping for. Next!
Last night, I mixed up a green dye bath and stuck the stitched piece in it along with the yucky yardage that was supposed to be a background piece. Ideally, green dye plus orange fabric would look rust-ish but that sounded awfully similar to Monday's mistake - oops challenge - LOL.
This morning when I finished drying the piece, it was slightly darker but not at all what I was hoping for. Layered and stitched, it's a good beginning for a purse (Wendy would like one this color) and that's about it. Oh well - time for a new plan... again. The yardage - on the other hand - is a much better shade of green. Perhaps I'll be able to use it.
I did think of an idea last night while I was not sleeping. It involves cutting up a coat that I made a few years ago and have worn only once for a walk around the block partly because I never got around to adding the buttons and partly because I put on weight on my hips and it's a bit too tight. It's been rolled up in a basket for years so it may as well become something else - especially as it has such lovely texture. I'm thinking about it some more over coffee this morning. It's not a cut I can recover from if I change my mind.
Yesterday afternoon, I went for coffee with a woman I worked with when I first started to teach quilting. At the time, she was quite popular, had developed a line of patterns, and had a local TV show. She taught for years and years and years and then completely changed directions. I had heard she was VERY happy now so I called her and said let's go for coffee so you can tell me all about how happy you are. It was a fabulous conversation. As she said, she discovered there was a whole world out there that had nothing to do with sewing. Imagine! It was SO GOOD to talk to someone who really understood. I could relate to much we talked about only I'm not quite done - I'm close.
Now that I'm working on piece eight of the nine for the exhibit and have only one class to prep for October, the finish line is getting closer and the closer it gets, the more I'm embracing the reality of having completely closed the business. I'm really enjoying NOT thinking about another project or product or class or marketing plan. I'm really enjoying thinking about creativity for myself.
Summer is coming to an end. School will start in a few weeks. While January 1st might be the first day of the calendar year, I've always thought of the first day of school as the start of the "new year". Every year about this time, I would review my business goals, change the ones that needed changing, and set new ones. This year, for the first time in twenty years, I'm not setting business goals. Everything is completely different. My fall goals are about me.
September has typically focused on getting the kids settled in school and our family back in the flow of classes and lessons and whatever else is on the schedule and then - toward the end of the month or early October - I leave for my retreat to Port Townsend after which I would really focus in on the goals that I had set. This year, September will be about the kids and about finishing up my commitments and then, when I leave this time, I'll be packing my serger, sewing machine, fashion fabrics, and patterns. It will be no work and all fun. How strange. How wonderful. And when I get back, so much will be different.
In December, I talked about my word for the year - connect. One thing I've realized is that in order to connect to the future, I may first need to disconnect from some things in the past. I'll talk about that tomorrow. Right now, more coffee while contemplating chopping up that coat.
Have a great day. Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - common understanding
that first photo of the orange ( mistake in dyeing, or no, you later called it a challenge) reminds me of the sun streaming in my north facing living room window in my House in winnipeg on a very cold winter day -- of course, it was the 70's and the carpet was ORANGE -- thanks for the memory!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had such a great conversation with the woman yesterday. It's good to talk to someone who has already gone through what you are. I'm sure it also helps you validate the decisions you've made and will continue to make. Sometimes just having the feeling you are doing the right thing is enough to keep you going down the path for now.
ReplyDeleteI have that feeling pretty much every day. I know I'm doing the right thing for me right now.
Setting aside time for art practice every day is sure making me realize the value of doing so. In order to be able to give to others (through teaching and making my own art), I need to make sure the well gets refilled on a regular basis. I am truly enjoying having regular studio time for me to do what I do on a consistently regular basis.
Thanks for sharing Myrna.