Sunday, September 16, 2012

Improvisational Wall Hanging

This past week, I have been working on framing and adding to the "Beauty is You" panel that I had received for my birthday.  Improvisational piecing is fun but not as easy as I had remembered.  Maybe I found it more difficult because I was working from stash instead of scraps....
 Speaking of stash, lately I have been mourning the relocation of my sewing supplies.  It all used to live across the room from my son's bed, but the baby is going to have to sleep in there soon and all of the fabric had to come OUT. 
 Most of it is here, a cubby in the master bedroom, a space most likely meant for a TV.  I feel like a brat whining about my first world problem - but this setup is totally cramping my sewing mojo.  It's nearly impossible to find anything.  I like to pick and choose from my stacks when I am starting a project- that's one of the most fun parts about creating for me. 
The lack of space, the desire to stick to a budget (I have been lately, I promise!), having the 2nd child and having less time - these are all issues that have made me start questioning my approach to my hobbies of sewing and quilting.  These are some of the issues/questions I have been pondering:
  • What are my goals with my sewing?  I am not sure if it is to learn new skills, to challenge myself, use up stash, to have gifts on hand for loved ones, to receive recognition, etc....  of course I do it because I love and enjoy it, but there is more to it than that.
  • What kind of quilter am I?  What is my style?  I most aspire to be like Sarah Fielke - I love how she combines the most random fabric combinations and seems to make effortless masterpieces.  But there are lots of times when sewing a bunch of charm squares together is quite satisfying too. 
  • How important is it to finish up UFO's?  With time being so limited now, should I really dedicate myself to projects I don't care about?
  • Should I consider making items to sell?  It would be nice to put some money back into sewing and I think it would feel good to help our family save for a house, etc.  But sometimes I check out Etsy and see people selling gorgeous baby quilts for a mere $100 or less, and I back away from the idea (are these people even covering the cost of materials?!)
  • Why is it so important to make quick/easy items?  Sometimes I want to tackle something more challenging, a project that would be completed over a long period of time.  Like a giant spider-web quilt, or maybe something from Denyse Schmidt's new book.....  But then I get scared of simply not having the space or the patience for something so big when life with 2 little ones is so crazy.
  • What fabrics can I live without?  I will admit to a hoarding tendency when it comes to fabric - some of the modern fabrics are just so gorgeous and unique, I have a hard time telling myself "no."
Can anyone relate?  Am I the only one who thinks about these things? 

2 comments:

alidiza said...

Oh that panel... beautiful!!! It would be fantastic if I could find a way for my quilting habit to be self-supporting but I'm happy to just get to do what I love and live with the consequences;-)

samantha said...

Hi Laurie,
I feel your pain. Some days I think I would be better off packing up my machine and fabric and just try to have a halfway clean house. But then I say to myself what kind of
Mother would I be, what kind of example would that show my kiddos? Being creative makes me happy, even if actual sewing time is almost nil! When you find a good home for your fabric your grove will come back! Hope to see you Saturday!
Samantha