Creative process

Yesterday I squeezed in some time to finish up the beading on my most recent quilt.

When I first began this project, little did I know that it's inspiration would come from our trip last week to Crater Lake. My husband and I had taken a side trip to that area on our way back from visiting our son in California.

After we got home, I was feeling some pressure to create new work in order to have a few pieces to hang at the co-op gallery I have joined.

I started with a pile of fabric that I had previously stacked and put to the side in my studio.

 Given a size requirement by the gallery, I began with my usual. Cutting and assembling of three major units that would form the base of my design. As I worked, things just weren't coming together as easily as they should. I left the first three units on my cutting board until the next day. Nope, still not what I wanted. But, I felt I was running out of time in order to meet the hanging deadline for next month's show. So, I pushed on.

My goal was to fit this onto a 16" x 16" canvas for ease in hanging. The gallery has a 'one nail' rule, so most traditional ways to hang up fiber art can't be considered. 

When I couldn't sew together any more pieces - already getting too big for what I had planned - I stopped. 

I took my work over to the ironing board for a good pressing, staring with the back side.

As you probably already figured out, as I flipped the piece over on my ironing board, a new perspective came to light. What started as "over extending to the right side" became "longer than it should be". . .

Hmmm?  . . . And of course, I just love the irregular edges. Can't cut that off!

So, I abandoned the 16" x 16" idea completely. This had already become a different quilt. 

And, guess what? . . it reminded me of Crater Lake.

Da - Hadn't we just been there?  Guess this one was just in there waiting to come out. . .

The mysteries of the human mind at work.

Crater Lake

 18" x 30"