Hello , Hello!
So ( Sew) here we are...
Let me say a bit more about this workshop in general. I run a very free form class. Slow and easy, with time to consider. I do not prepare lessons ahead of time. Instead, I like to present as I go and work along with you. I feel this brings some freshness and honesty to an online situation, closing the gaps between me and you.
Access to the materials here will have no time limit. So you can work at your own pace, now or in the future. This place will always be here.
Posts will be a combination of text, photos, audio and video and PDF. Links will appear in grey caps (like the class outline link above) and you will be able to click them to activate them. All links open in separate pages / windows. This is true of pictures as well.
There are no real assignments. You will get as far as you get and that's fine. You might copy me as I go to learn the techniques. Or simply use my suggestions to get started and find your own path. Maybe you will apply my techniques to your own work, something already in process. Maybe you will just watch and wait until later. Whatever you like. My designs and sketches are offered here, free for you to use for any non-commercial end use. This is not about finishing anything, it is about just going and learning.
I have added a Resource Page, a tab up top, not a focus really, just a few places I go now and then. I have a few scraps packs available and will continue to add them as I gather myself together. Not necessary to buy anything though, I am not trying to sell you anything as a requirement for this course. Making do is just fine, satisfying and encouraged.
About the sampler format. A place to begin.
I'm going to suggest, for this class, that you consider using what I call the sampler format. It is a simple method of creating a space, dividing the space into smaller spaces and then filling in the spaces with variations on design and/or technique. It can be as simple as the one above where the variation is simply color, or the same format will allow you take things much further with a few simple steps..
The sampler as a creative exercise, has always interested me. In its most traditional form, it represents, to me, the beauty of a learning curve. The quiet and purposeful art of practice to increase personal skill. I like also that it is usually a collection of similar things that aren't exactly the same, and that they might all be "glued" together with a little what-iffing... (what if I try that like this?) And I love that the piece can ultimately become a kind of journal, a little diary, a time line of thought and personal expression. They make wonderful gifts. A quilt in its simplest form, always seemed a sampler to me. A simple set of pieces put together with purpose and the variation that opportunity and thoughtfulness provides. Time and patience and intent forming a beautiful pattern and something useful to top it off. This thoughtful format is at the core of most of what I do, and though often obscured by layers of work, it is the conceptual basis for everything I do. Certainly, the perfect place to start. The framework encourages a safe and playful environment for concept development that I like to call design mending. It is a great playground.
I work in layers. Creating a base is the first step that I use to put pieces together. I will be showing various methods for putting them together in the next lesson. And I will use these bases to show various approaches for layering embellishment and getting your ideas into cloth form. In the meantime you might think a little bit. You might want to try all of them, You might pick one technique that suits you. You might try one now and the others later. It will be important to create at least one base to work on, so you can try the different embellishment techniques and get a feel for how they might work for you. As far as I am concerned, you can't have too many bases. But one is a good start.
Dream a little
Let's pause first for one preliminary exercise. Let's just think a bit. Before I get started showing you the main techniques to construct a base to embellish, I want to get you started thinking about a few things. Let's create a thought base, something often over looked. Not a plan really, just a start.
(note: there is an audio bar right above this text.
if you have just purchased this class and do not see it, email me)
So, what do you want to do? Most often your answer to this question will affect what you choose to work with, how you approach the size and shape of your base. Answering this simple question can sometimes provide a path and the first steps to begin. Do you want to make a gift? A piece of art? Something functional? Just go along with out worry and decide later? This is happens when your answer to the question is I don't care... In any case, it is just good to mull it over in case it matters to you.
And do pick a theme....! This will begin to give you some ideas for color and shape, and even story. A theme adds a loose purpose to your stitching, Some "idea glue" to give it shape...Your theme could be anything. Something you like is always good because usually it comes with associations already built in. A theme can be a shape, like circle, or a heart, or even a simple square. A theme can be a color or a thing like a cat, a season, a holiday. It can be something artsy and deep, if that is what you want or something simple or playful or simply something personal that collects memories. This part is up to you. A way to build in your own story.
I like to start with a pencil and paper and do some Theme Storming. Even if you don't draw, jot some things down. Words, ideas, things you associate with a theme, without worrying too much. Dream a little.
Here is a bit of storming I did while considering a star theme over at Magic Diaries. PDF-Star storming
I've also included an article I wrote for Art Quilting Studio a while back, just to give you another idea about my sampler way of thinking. It's a kind of game that can be done with any them you pick. Like being in a sandbox.
.........
Nine.
So dream a bit, and I will back with some base ideas.
