Friday, December 28, 2007

Ring out the old -- bring in the new

I guess it's time for a summing up of last year's creative pursuits as well as plans for the coming year.
I went back to my previous blog www.daveha.blogspot.com and scrolled through the images to give myself a picture of what I've done during the past year and surprised myself with how much I had done.
If I start with conventional quilting, I had a pretty good year. My first quilt top, which I started two years ago, was quilted by my friend Dee. I did the binding and am quite pleased with the result.
I made two quilt top from fabric I had held onto since the birth of my eldest daughter 35 years ago. The blocks are identical, the borders different. And I am working up the nerve to quilt them.
I also made another quilt top from fabric colours totally outside of my comfort zone and I am hoping to gather enough courage to free motion quilt them before this year is out!!
Continuing with my embellished quasi-crazy quilting, I made several shadow boxes. A set of four fuschia, pink and white textured fabrics, embellished with threads, ribbons, beads, buttons, jewellery etc.
I took part in the Pomegranate Guild's 25th Anniversary exhibition with a blue and white themed shadow box, as well as showing my chuppah (admittedly not made this year but still, on display for all to see). I also had on exhibit two pieces I had made with felt applique, one of which was based on a family photo and the other based on the four sons from the Hagaddah, and both framed with quilted borders. And the "four sons" so that was pretty exciting.
I had the great honour of making a tallit for my niece's bat-mitzvah. And a small wall-hanging in honour of my work colleague's bat-mitzvah. The Pomegranate Guild also had a members' challenge with a monochromatic theme and I made a small landscape in textured whites. And I also made a challah cover, oven mitts, coasters and a few other odds and ends.
I am rounding out this year by working on art quilts which are a challenge of the Fibre Arts group I joined in November.
So I feel productive, bearing in mind that I do have a full time job in a legal office.
But what about next year?
Well, I'm hoping to continue and grow artistically. I want to try thread painting, fabric portraiture, and more art quilting. To be more disciplined, and learn how to use my new sewing machine to its full potential. To use my new found skills where possible in a Judaic context. To sell work if I can and donate work if I can.
I'm off work on Monday so I'll have four, count 'em, four days of fabric fondling and hopefully will be able to finish off a project or two and maybe start a project or two.
Just in case I don't post before New Year's, have a good one.

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Daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, me.