Taking time to learn

I am consumed with the need to finish work. I race through projects, driving until I get it finally quilted, bound, labeled and -- usually

-- out the door. Or folded and put away. But I'm increasingly not too happy with the results. I can follow many patterns. Although I don't usually. I always have to change something. Don't get me started on recipes........ I have learned to avoid the kinds of quilts that frustrate me and that I really will not spend time learning to do properly. I love the kind of quilt filled with tiny pieces of exactly the same sized and shaped fabric in varying colors that produces a breath taking geometric arrangement when it's all together. I can't do that. So I'm moving on to something else.

After a number of conversations with others, I went back to the large box of books I inherited from my friend in December. Some I had already pulled out but most were just a jumble. I found "Color and Composition" by Katie Pasquini Masopust and Brett Barker. It's an incredible book that talks about waking up your right brain. Not that my left brain is truly awake, abut that's another book.

The book is filled with exercises and it says at the outset that if you don't intend to do the exercises, just put the book down as it won't do you any good. I never do the exercises. I look at the pretty pictures. This time I'm going to do it differently. This time I'm going to put all my projects ina little box and I'm going to do nothing but the exercises in this book for a while. I want to be better. I want to be more creative. I really want to find MY way and stop copying others. And I want to be able to really make what I see in my head.

So I'm going to take some time out to learn. Maybe it won't do a darned thing to help me. But I don't think it can hurt. The tablecloth can wait. My sister's wallhanging can wait. My husband's coworker-s wife's hug quilt can wait. I'm going to just learn for a while. Should have done that at the start instead of jumping into the middle of this thing. Well.... no time like the present.

I'll show you the exercises along the way if you want, if they make sense.

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny
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Sunny, it WILL help you.

One of the things I discovered as a piano teacher is that for the first 5 or

6 years of our lives we are incredibly right-brained and creative. Am I right? Just observe kids that age. Then they start 12 - 16 or more years of school where they are more and more right-brain repressed and left-brain educated. And don't even get ME started on that whole issue. I'll just say this - - folks, we need BOTH sides of our brains to be healthy fulfilled self-expressive individials. But our current education system allows for next to none of THAT. So by the time we are adults, our right brain is really and truly extremely drowsy.

I stand up and applaud your commitment to strengthen that right brain.

.....stepping off soap box, and letting Sunny spend some time with her book now....

BTW, Sunny, I would love to know, in private emails, what those exercises are. Being a pianist, and teaching others to quilt and play piano, I'm sure I can improvise and find useful ways for many of those things. What a great book that sounds like. I'd buy it but, well - just read the Batiks Plus thread and you will understand... LOL

Karen, Queen of Squishies

Reply to
Karen, Queen of Squishies

I think It will help you immensely, to do something for yourself, for awhile. Whether it is learning a new skill, or just doing something that pleases you. You will come away refreshed, and ready to tackle projects with newfound enthusiasm. Go for it.

John

Reply to
John

Me too -- I'd love to know what the exercises are. I am SO left brained I sometimes list when I stand up!

I'd love to wake up a little of the other side!

Reply to
Kate G.

add me to the list as well. Sunny, have you got a blog? where you can post what you're doing when you get time all in one place. or webshots for just pix if thats all you can manage. i'm sure more than the three of us will be reading/peering intently at all those exercises. listing also in the south pacific, j.

"Kate G." wrote...

Reply to
nzlstar*

Okey Dokey..... I will start a blog for this project. It will help me stay focused and keep me using another portion of my right brain - the part that loves to write. I know that's usually considered left brain, but the way I do it is definitely not organized and logical. I'll let you guys know when I get it set up and the first pics posted. It probably willbe Monday. Looking at a long, hard weekend with household emotional storms. Gads, why can't teenagers see ahead a few years and realize that it will all work out and that their lives will not be ruined.

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

My only caution would be to make sure you aren't posting Katie's exercises verbatim or very close to. I know you are a writer, so you would probably be careful about it, but I just thought I'd put in my two cents. I'd hate to see a dustup over it. I have that book too and we also did some of the exercises in a class I took from Katie. It's very interesting. I hope you have fun!

Reply to
KJ

You know the problem Polly .... we can't just slow down and make one or two gorgeous quilts. Or write one or two gorgeous stories. No. Today if you intend to "be" anything then you must produce and the more the bigger the better. If you're not turning out "product" then what good are you?

I've been more or less forced "off the grid" but it doesn't seem to matter. I worked hard at getting over the loss of my career and not falling apart inside when people say "and what do you do?" and I have to say "I'm not working right now." It still stings because of the financial issues. But then when I took up quilting, the questions came back. "Oh, what are you working on now? Will you bring it finished to next month's meeting? How many quilts have you made? Do you enter your work in shows? How many charity quilts have you made? How many Quilts of Valor have you made? Have you made a quilt for each of your children? I don't see any quilts around your house, where are yours?" There is no end.

I made something I think is beautiful. It was amazing to make it. My hands flew and knew exactly what my mind was thinking. I can't get enough of looking at it. When I showed it to my quilty associates at the LQS, hey sort of looked at it with great puzzlement and said "Um, what are you going to put it into? What kind of quilt will use that? What are you going to do with it." Well, I wasn't going to "do" anything with it. I was just damned proud and thrilled to have made it. But you see, if it's not "product" then ..... why did you use the good batiks?

Oh, that was another soap box. Sorry. But Polly I do try hard to shake off that inner voice telling me to get finished fast so I can go to the next. I know the truth of never getting that minute again. But the world today doesn't give a darn about that minute unless we made something useful in it.

Hugs, Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

And I personally just don't give a darn about what the world thinks. Join a new quilt group. Or better yet, start your own E-Q group. Enjoying Quilting!

Karen, Queen of Squishies

Reply to
Karen, Queen of Squishies

kudos to you, Sunny! I think I'm a lot like you in the hurry up and get them finished category. I don't usually take the time to make my quilts extra awesome in favor of finishing them soon. I've learned that having several projects going at all times, with some of them mentally labeled the take forever and do it right kind, I am able to satisfy both my desire to become a better detail quilter and at the same time continue to crank out finished projects. I have a hand piecing project that I started at least 5 yrs ago - It's not remotely close to finished but that's ok cause I have others that move along quite fast.

A suggestion about the right brain exercises - try taking no notes in the process - just do-do-do. Taking notes is a left brain activity.

Musicmaker

Reply to
Musicmaker

A suggestion about the right brain exercises - try taking no notes in

Except for that reminder note about the straight stitch plate that's taped over the zig-zag button on your sm! VBEG

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA STOP!!!!!!!!! Just WHY are you trying to PLEASE someone else? Will what they SAY matter in

5/10 years? Will they STILL be your 'friends' Or are they just saying something to 'get a rise outta you?' They seem to know how to push your buttons. (Polly's Gators are hungry since it's Springtime Feeding Frenzy down there)

Sunny, I'm happy with BEING ABLE TO SEW. Why on earth are you trying to 'please the world?" Are they PAYING you to do so? Whatever happened to just 'being alive and enjoying the moment?"

When I get asked,"What do you do?" I tell them I work 24/7. Mom's NEVER get time off. OR I say, "I'm one of the lucky ones, I got to retire early" They do not have to know I couldn't work if my life depended on it....or that one of my Kidlets has been caring for us.

You truly NEED a new group....if you aren't happy where you are--MAKE a new one.. (Put a lil sign up in your LQS/Grocery store with just your name, general location (between such and such streets)and 'safe' phone number --you do have a cell right? I wouldn't give out my Home phone. Why not start one for NEW quilters? You would be SUPER at showing them the way to make a quilt. Most NEW quilters are AFRAID to go to established Quilt Guilds as they do NOT know enuf about our SUPERB hobby/work/livelihood (I hope I covered everyone on here) I walked into a Open Guild Meeting and got the oddest looks--they ADVERTISED the Open House and it was the coldest place I ever walked into--it was a good 5 min before anyone stopped talking and came over to see if we needed help! That's when I decided THIS was my only guild.

Whatever happened to quilting because you wanted to/enjoyed it/ or were finally ABLE TO, once again? Apparently they have no idea how to ENJOY life..

About the quilt: Why not just ENJOY IT? It makes YOU happy and know what? THAT IS WHAT MATTERS THE MOST! Makes me wonder if 'they' have never made one just to please themselves...........or just for the FUN of it. I have 2 that way--Starters and Enders and (2" squares) and Chinese Coins that are 5" long by whatever wide. Both have been 'claimed' and I am hardly started : ) Fun thing--I was not following any rhyme or reason (just paying attention to size)--just doing ; )

Hardest thing I had to TEACH MYSELF was sitting and doing NOTHING...not even reading or watching TV..just totally nothing. DH gets on my case if he notices my NOT taking the breaks I need to..makes a huge diff to us Fibromites. Don't today--I pay for it tomorrow.

I am glad tho that you ARE doing once again. YAY!

Butterfly (We luv ya anyways--now show US your creation--I, for one, would LOVE to see it--might hafta come up there and bring it back with me to examine it for a coupla years or so--save you a trip to the PO ; )

Reply to
Butterflywings

Good for you Sunny. At the very least it will give you a break and maybe re-energize you that way. Although, I bet you bring a lot back with you too. Good luck and have fun with it. I look forward to hearing about how it is going so be sure to keep us posted!!

Reply to
Charlotte

Can you hear me hollering and whopping it up? No? well I can't yell any louder right now but I will later. Sunny is doing something FOR SUNNY!!!! Wow! I'm glad I read this NG a bit longer

Butterfly (I'm happy for you)

Reply to
Butterflywings

Sunny, It is not what you do for other people, it is what you do that makes you feel good inside, that counts. If someone looks at your quilts and doesn't understand, that is their loss. As artists and creators [yes, we all are these!] we should focus on pleasing ourselves first. That is why I won't join a writers' group, I write for me; I do not want someone telling me what to change. That is why I haven't joined another quilting group around here, because my creations feed my soul, not the whims of someone else. When I go to a quilt show, there are pieces that will attract me for their use of color, others that get my attention for design or quirky-ness or detail. But each was important to the person who did it. I no longer enter my work in shows because I don't want to be judged by those in charge of handing out ribbons. To me, "beauty/success is in the eyes of the creative soul who achieved it".

I applaud your quest to learn like this, and will be anxious to hear about it all!

Have a peace-filled/piece-filled day, G> Can you hear me hollering and whopping it up? No? well I can't yell any

Reply to
Ginger in CA

Howdy!

Here are a few examples of the book content:

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Y'all be sending Sunny some chocolate encouragement. ;-)

R/Sandy

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 16:59:22 -0600, Sunny wrote (in article ):

I'd love to hear about the exercises. Either on the group or by email. Maybe I'll learn something too.

Maureen

Reply to
Maureen Wozniak

Good grief, Sunny! Sounds like you may need a gentler group of friends. But I wonder, why do you take these things to heart? Are those people that important to you? What difference does their opinions mean to your life? I'd suggest you just smile and say, oh, 'I'll get around to finishing/trying that/going there sooner or later. Meanwhile, I am just smelling the roses along the way!.

Now I will switch sides ... and play devil's advocate here! Maybe most of the people are sincere and nice. Maybe they are just trying to start conversation. Maybe the non-quilters ask questions because they have no idea about quilting and would sincerely like to learn how you are involved in something admirable. Maybe the quilters wonder how you are using that piece because they admire it and are always looking for a new and clever style. They want to learn too.

Next time someone asks what you are doing with those batiks, say: 'I'm gonna scrub the barbeque grill.' Meantime, eat chocolate. PAT in VA/USA

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

I've honestly never been asked any of those questions. What kind of group do you go to? Time to look for other groups?

Cheers Anne

Reply to
Anne Rogers

Maybe Pat is right. Maybe they DO want to know. I went with DH to the VA Clinic and whilst I was waiting a gal next to me asked if I made my tote and purse. I did. Struck up quite a conversation. She would LIKE to start sewing her own clothes so she could have One-Of-A-Kind : ) I had to apologize as to which pattern company was best to use. I knew Burda was the hardest (most 'daring' of ideas) and Simplicity was the worst (not the amount of Info needed for a beginner) but for the life of me I could NOT think of that newer one. Told her to go to a Fabric Store and find out if they had beginners classes. Who knows, maybe next time we meet up she might be WEARING a new outfit that SHE constructed.

Butterfly (wouldn't that be sumpin ; )

Reply to
Butterflywings

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