Well, this week I found two massive bags of knitting yarn for my friend, Sue, here at work. I know that a lot of us are cross-crafters, but as I am not a knitter, I couldn’t tell if the yarn was good or not so I didn’t take a photo. Sue says thumbs up for this find with 6 lovely Kaffe silk skeins from Rowan (still with the tags of $8.95 each) as the highlight and I did throw some muslin into the deal so that I can make these hand-printed veggie bags (below) from Sewing Green by Betz White:
Project from Sewing Green by Betz White
So for photos, here is what I did this weekend:
It’s a project based on the pattern of the wonderful Heather from Ankas Treasures:
And here, I get pensive. I struggled with the quilt even though I like all of the fabrics individually and even together, but the lack of contrast is really messing it up. I’m auditioning the four fabrics in the middle to be the focus fabric in the center of the panel but don’t like any of them especially.
The quilt is for my best friend’s new baby girl. But the whole time I was making it, I was therapeutically thinking about a close friend of mine who is really struggling at the moment and I am tied by trust not to say anything and, thereby, do anything to really help her…except for listen. Being a problem solver by nature, the just being-a-good-listener thing is really difficult for me…and I think it shows in the work I did this weekend.
I’m not happy with it at all and think it’s always surprising, even though it shouldn’t be, when the results of your craft become a tangible manifestation of the internal conflict of its maker. It’s art after all, right? And what artist would deny the representation of themselves in their work? I was upset and conflicted in the making of it and find myself unhappy with the end result. Why am I surprised? That’s what ‘handmade’ is. It’s as much about the experience of the maker and their choices, as it is about the result. It’s why some of the things I have made seem to have a bit of a soul and life of their own. A baby quilt shouldn’t have this much anxiety associated with it, so I think I’ll have to start again.
Does this ever happen to you? I’d love to see any photos of quilts you made while you were working through something. Send a photo and the story and maybe the sharing of it will ease the burden even if it doesn’t make for the most handsome quilt.
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2 Comments
Susanne sounds like you are a typical woman, a fixer. We struggle to care for everyone and fix what we can. I think your quilt is beautiful.
And as I tell my husband “What does a therapist cost, $220.00 and hour? My craft stash is much cheaper than therapy!”
I became a crazy quilter due to the serious illness of one of my children. Unlike other crafts ,the blocks were small and portable. I could finish a small section waiting at doctor appointments and for bloodwork. It gave me something I could accomplish when I could barely dress the kids from the dryer. And last I could control it,when so much of our life was out of our control.
I love your quilt and it will be a wonderful gift to the baby. It was made with your hand and your heart.
Debra
I totally get what you mean about your work representing your state at the time of making. That’s why art is considered a form of therapy! I think you can still give this gift to the baby without worry of bad energy or karma…love was the intention the whole time you were making it.
As far as choosing the center fabric, what about selecting a larger print? For me, the contrast doesn’t just have to come from the color, but could also be achieved by contrast in scale.