Art vs Function

I will be training with Team In Training later this month to participate in the Pacific Grove Triathlon in mid September. Very excited, adequately confident in my physical ablities but less so in the fundraising aspect. i work in a hospital and thought i could make scrub tops. the pattern i chose seemed simple enough, granted i had to look-up a few terms here and there. i finished the top last night, but found it to be a bit too billowy, oh hell, just HUGE! while it's not horrible, i'll have to practice more if i want to try to sell anything.

it's been a long time since i have sewn a garment, and while a scrub top isn't too complicated there's a few technical challenges for me at this point. i'm used to using a rotary cutter and found my scissor skills a bit lacking especially around curves and those little "vampire teeth" around the pattern, there were off abit and too small at times to be helpful. there are some really cute scrubs out there but they aren't cheap. i was inspired by last nights (i recorded it) The Fashion Show episode. the designers sewing skills were put to the test. it's one thing to have a good idea and quite another to execute them well.

i finished baby quilt #2 last week on time for the shower at work, my uploader is not working right now so no pics yet. i guess having a deadline was good for me because after giving the originally intended quilt to someone else i had to hustle and bang out another one. i finished it over the course of two weeks (35 x 40) and the binding class i took really helped. i was very happy with the finished product.

i considered making a wall hanging and seeing if i could auction it off for my fundraiser. the feed back i've received so far is something functional like an actual quilt might be more appealing than art. i work in the world of rehab and function is a big deal among my co-workers. while i respect that gal's opinion i don't necessarily agree. the scrub tops are a good idea, but at this point my execution is needing some work. my quilting on the other hand is better but i'm not sure how many people are interested in a baby quilt nor am i sure how much time i can devote to a bigger size.

Hawaiian Fabric - Hawaiian Fabrics and Products direct from Hawaii

Hawaiian Fabric - Hawaiian Fabrics and Products direct from Hawaii

A Quilt Storey

new eyes

after my run in tilden this morning i scoured the trail for eucalyptus leaves. the ones i found weren't as colorful or pretty as the ones i saw on my actual run but i found a few good ones in various shades and sizes. i'm thinking i'd like to make some smaller wall art using them in a fusible web design. i need to start carrying my camera more when i run. especially now that i take the actual running less serious.
i actually stop and look around, notice my surroundings more. running has never been more pleasurable. i used to compose blog post when i ran for my up and running blog but lately i've been seeing patterns, shapes, and texture and contemplating how to translate it in my quilting or scrap booking.

creativity and physical fitness

like alot of people i suppose i struggle with nurturing my creative side with the need to keep physically fit. a few years back i was all about training for foot races. learning to quilt was what i did to kick smoking and when i got my lungs back i started to jog and that led to running and then training for various road and trail events. i wanted to participate in a small triathalon but didn't know how to swim so i set out to learn via group and private lessons it's how i roll, i start out small and just keep going ...usually at the abandonment of all else...it also accounts for why M's quilt took so freaking long to finish!

i haven't raced since my trail marathon in '07. 2008 was the beginning of the end so to speak and i've lost interest in training all the time and have found myself more focused the creative process again. my problem is while i don't need or have the desire to run marathons or train intensely i'm the kind of person that NEEDS a physical outlet to keep me sane.

i took a scrap booking class recently and was pleased with my 2 page layout of my first 1/2 marathon. i started going through other photos from past events and it really got me thinking about good times and pushing myself past perceived barriers. so once again i find myself too focused in one area instead of balancing out my needs. i want to create, sew, quilt, scrapbook or whatever in my studio but i don't want it to be at the exclusion of physical fitness. at best i'm running maybe twice a week and i can't remember the last time i went to bikram yoga....but i've been happily keeping busy in the studio..so my question is: how do you tend to your creative and physical needs? is there really a balance between the two or does one always get the short stick?

blocks

i have allot of blocks....first in my head and sinuses along with a sore throat, spring time transition has officially started. and secondly, left over blocks from M's quilt. i like bright colors especially for baby and kid quilts and i think they'll work for a quilt i have in mind for an expecting co-worker. the one and only time i used traditional baby colors was for a blanket i crotchet for M before she was born. i like how bold, bright colors and patterns give the illusion of complexity unexpected in a baby quilt. for M's nursery i chose black red and white, a Holstein cow pattern was the primary accent, the same fabric has turned up in some other projects of mine.

tonight i squared up 24 6" blocks and arranged them on the design wall until i was pleased. i like that i'm using up my stash and finishing ufo's. figuring out the best way to situate my studio. my design wall is a really tall piece of foam core, it's too big for my space and i'd prefer to pull it off the wall so i could see it better from a distance...i p/u a 32 oz. electric kettle so i could boil water for hot tea.

i hope the craft gods forgive me

a craft blog isn't much to look at without pictures and currently i've misplaced the photo uploader...aarrg! i've been spending more time at the studio after work, organizing photos for my upcoming class. old photo's have a way of transporting you back ....to happy times....simpler times...i'm a terrible historian and while i have piles upon piles of pictures....dates and events elude me....the exception are the obvious birthdays and holidays but honestly part of why i procrastinated is i wanted to be more organized. i've decided to to just go for it , put things i like together on a page that pleases my eye. i don't know why i get so hung up on rules. i mean rules and basics are important but i need to trust myself more and let go rigid thinking.