Experimenting...

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "experiment" as..

"a scientific test in which you perform a series of actions and carefully observe their effects in order to learn about something

something that is done as a test, something that you do to see how well or how bad it works"

Goofing around in the studio this morning, 

I realized that...

my art is just series of experiments...

that start as ideas in my head

that I don't usually sketch out before I just dive in...

 

some work out...

some don't....

 some take a while to come about...

but many of them get out of my head

 and eventually onto some sort of substrate

after some consideration...

Sharing our stories...

I joined the Quilt Alliance a couple of years ago 

when I thought it would be fun to head to Quilters Take Manhattan

Since that time, 

I have met lots (!!!) of wonderful people,

made some great friends...

learned a lot about the quilting world 

and

I even entered a little quilt in their contest!

To top it off, 

they have a really great mission too!!!

Check out their video...

(if you watch it all, you may spot me helping out!)

and so...

I will keep creating and telling my stories

(my latest project is well underway!!!)

Pieces of me...

Tonight

I am putting the finishing touches on a lap quilt.

It is not my finest work but it is made with love and care.

This quilt is destined  for the assisted living facility 

where our fiber art group meets to thank them 

for allowing us to use one of their rooms...

It is made with charm packs that once upon a time tickled my fancy

but now I am happy to part with them.

I even tried a new free motion quilting motif...

but as I hand stitch the binding to the backing

it gives me pause.

Once upon a time, 23 years ago, 

I took an introductory quilting course at a local community college.

It gave me enough skills to make this quilt...

my first quilt. 

 I giggle a bit now to see where I started...

Many of us begin quilting so that we can shower our future children

with quilts. 

But this quilting...

it has become so much more...

Out of that 'hobby-turned-art form-turned- I don't know what'...

come gifts...

come friends...

come experiments...

come prizes...

come comfort...

come fun...

come mistakes...

come memories...

As I look back on the photos of my quilts...

many which I will never see again...

I remember them fondly...

the inspiration that brought many to fruition...

the joy and frustration I felt 

trying to make my vision come to life...

the joy that others showed when they 

saw them, received them...

Each quilt...

no matter how big..

or small...

has a story...

some seem obvious...

others less so...

many stories I will never share..

But each quilt has pieces of me...

stitches of 

my love...

my hope...

my humor...

my dreams...

my sorrows...

my anguish...

 some even have parts of me!

Those who have made quilts

likely know what I mean...

many who have received my quilts really do not know 

what I mean..

 but they will all have pieces of me....

My symphony

I looked up the definition of a symphony 

and found that it can be defined as... 

"anything characterized by a harmonious combination of elements,especially 

an effective combination of colors"

-dictionary.com

or....

"something regarded, typically favorably, as a composition of different elements"

                                                                          -Google

I started composing this symphony over the summer

during a period of great emotion and transition in my life.

I began with my 'go-to' combination, 

black fabric and white fabric...

two elements that I like to work with and find to be a harmonious combination

but I decided to spice it up a bit 

with some small bits of ice-dyed fabric

 left over from another art work..

Interestingly, while adding purple was a bit intentional 

(as part of our fiber art group challenge) 

and a bit of a whim..

I have discovered that the color purple relates to the imagination

 and inspires high ideas... 

it is an introspective color, 

allowing us to get in touch with our deeper thoughts...

very meaningful for me right now. 

Yellow, on the other hand,

is associated with joy, happiness, intellect and energy...

something I am seeking every day!

and so my symphony began to evolve....

over time...

as more elements were slowly added...

with no real plan in mind...

composing as I went along...

and when I thought it was finished being pieced

I decided to hand quilt my composition...

allowing this creation to unfold before my eyes..

and finally, 

my....

"Ode to Someone I Love: It's Not All Black and White"

and the back,

 cherries,

just because...