Stuck On A Theme
Do you ever get stuck on a theme and go down a rabbit hole where you keep obsessing about the subject with everything you make?
I am an art quilter and fabric designer. I love to create things in collections. So it's natural to really focus closely on a single subject and get some good mileage out of it.
I have this thing for armadillos, I have no idea why because I've never even seen one for real!
Armadillos have found their way onto fabrics I've designed, packing tape for my business, appliques, thread drawings, and products... they are everywhere!
I did the same thing with Dragonflies, donkeys, and chickens.
AND then there are the cats... I have made so many cat quilts.
Cats from Outer Space
Home Sweet Home (More cats in spaceships)
Home for the Holidays (More cats in spaceships)
Cats in a Lamp Shop
The Cat's Lamp Shop
Sushi Cat
My Cat's Brain
Cats in a Maze
House Cat
Do you have favorites or go-to things you quilt?
I think the reason we do this is that starting a new project is hard.
If we purchase a pattern or have a continuing theme it makes it one tick more familiar and comfortable. We start thinking we know how it will end and so the time, money, and effort
we put into it is more of a sure bet.
Knowing the results before we start is not always good.
If we are going to stretch and grow our craft, I think it's important to take deep dives into the unknown - try things that don't have a guaranteed ending. That's when we learn.
Belonging to quilting guilds is a wonderful way to stretch. In the short time, I've been a member of Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild I've been exposed to so many different schools of thought - each one has stretched me and grown my thinking and skill set. It has made me better.
This won't keep me from going crazy on different things, but it will make my crazy more interesting!!!
I think your armadillos are fabulous! I can't work on open-ended projects like that; I have to always know where I'm headed. That's why I could never do one of those mystery QALs where you have no idea what the finished project is going to be while you're working on it. I tried doing some BOM projects this year and that has been a flop, too -- I'm too much of a control freak and I want to read through ALL the directions first and work it all out in my head before beginning! Hopefully our guild will resume meeting in person soon. Happy quilting!
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