Being Too Much of a Mathematician!

On Friday I had the privilege of visiting the studio of local textile artist Sue Green.

Sue has a studio called The Cowshed Studio in South Cerney. It is an amazing space! It is huge and crammed with so much yummy fabric, painting supplies and examples of her amazing work.

We agreed to do a skill swap: I helped Sue understand all of the icons on Facebook and connected her new tablet to her phone, she talked me through my portfolio and taught me a new technique using tea bag paper - who knew right?

It was an amazing experience and one I hope to repeat regularly...

I learnt a lot, in fact so much that it has kinda blown my creative mind a little bit!

You see my portfolios are really neat and follow my process in a methodical way, they are so tidy... my work is really methodical.... I need things to be neat...

The thing is everywhere I look on the Internet textile artists are layered! They have portfolios and sketchbooks filled with content that is wonderful to look at, but is crammed in and all over the place to my eye... this is just isn't me at the moment....

So I have been worrying and worrying that I will never make it as a textile artist because I like things to be neat and structured.... it is the mathematician in me... I knew that the Astrophysics degree side of my brain would take time to wither, but what if it never leaves me?

What if the only way I can work is in a neat, methodical way?

I am still going to be able to work as a textile artist?

Can I follow my own processes of creation and still be a valid artist?

Having a little bit of a crisis....

My lovely friend Liz pointed out that I have passed both of my modules so far with no need to change my work, so I must be doing something right.... but still...

WIP: Planning

Today is a planning day... which means no sewing, just planning.

Planning for me is lesson planning, pattern design and accounts - it that nasty time of year when receipts need to be found and accounted for, but the joy of being self employed out ways the pain of accounts!

So today my Work in Progress are:

On my desk:

(I won't show you the accounts stuff... you don't need to see it!)

On the quilting table.

The Scrappy Trip has been basted and I started playing with the quilting last night. 

I found some quotes to do with reading and I have started to quilt the words...

On the design wall are the blocks from the Together Do. Good. Stitches. Bee for May.

They are all in now and I need to work out how to put them all together...

Obviously, being a planning day the quilt wall will stay jumbled for now... but wait until tomorrow morning when I get to play!

Linking up with WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

Taking a design....

I have spent today again with my lovely companion R.

Today we worked on making her patchwork into a quilted cushion - so pretty!

She also drew some quilting design on paper:

Isn't is a pretty cool design?

We we decided on a panel to quilt it onto on the city curves:

Fitted into the space really well!

We spent another pleasant day sewing and chatting about books.

After a lovely civilized day I am off to run mini scouts with 19 little boys and 1 girl aged 5 to 8........ not so civilized I fear!

Linking up with FMQ Friday!

Not on the plan...

You know how it goes.

You write a plan for the week of things you need to get done.

I put a star next to the important high priority things...

Written in my red book that I carry everywhere to jot down notes and ideas. This is a lovely neat page..

Then you start to wonder how it would work if you pieced 2 rectangles in the way you piece HST... you start to think about it a lot...

Next thing you know, you are pulling fabric from the stash..

They are quite subtle. Pinks, baby blues and white.

Next thing you know a block has developed:

It is incredibly girlie, but you still keep going:

And then there were 4.

Need another 5 to make a complete patchwork top...

See what I mean?

Totally wandered off plan and ended up with some gorgeous blocks for the summer!

At least I am showing some continuity with my obsession with triangles!

Linking up with Let's Get Acquainted at Plum and June 

Having fun!

Tomorrow I am running a day workshop for families.

It is for mums and daughters. An Easter sewing day together!

I have 5 families coming, including a group of granny, mum and daughter who is 7. So the bug question is:

How do you organise a day that will capture the imagination and interest of 3 generations of one wonderful family?

To me it kinda goes back to pushing people gently outside their comfort zone, whilst making them laugh!

When you make people smile and laugh you can help them overcome their anxieties and they can create something they never thought was possible. this is why my classes always start with a few words to make people smile, relax and mostly laugh at my inability to stop stroking fabric!

Works everytime. I can then guide them through ideas that might have seemed way too crazy 10 minutes ago.

So tomorrow, the idea is to explore fabric, have a go at patchwork and appliqué and have fun!

We are going to use Bondaweb, scraps and a blank canvas of Klona Cotton to create panels that can be turned into cushion covers, wall hangings or any other item you can think of.

And yes the 7 yo will be machine quilting, as I have found children embrace the chance to play with a sewing machine when they are given a chance. And they create amazing things!

It's all about having fun and creating, without getting hung up on the piece ring perfect - how you get there is just as important as the destination.....

Monday Planning...

Mondays over the last couple of months have started with a review of the plans and quilts I have in progress. Generally after the school run I just go for a quiet and civilised coffee in town with my diary, work planner and quilt design book.

It may sound like an indulgence, but when you work from home, you sometimes need space from the general clutter of your life to get some perspective. Add into that being a lone parent with no break from the kids, it becomes even more urgent to escape and think in a space that is neutral!

So this morning was about working through this weeks diary for mini scouts, Cubs and work. So many projects to get finished and plans to organise... I try to keep my to do lists down to 5/6 things, not too overwhelming, but enough to feel like I am making progress on the bigger list lurking in my head!

This week is about lesson planning for a new course starting next Monday morning in Cheltenham, basting maxi's quilt and making an oilcloth bag for a friend.

Plus working on the blocks for the patchwork series at Prema Arts that is due to start in July....

This is block 3. It is quite complicated to piece, but really satisfying!

I like to keep busy....

Linking up with Let's Get Acquainted at Plum and June

All Work and no Play Time

At the moment work is all about planning, not playing!

Deadlines of making demo quilts, lesson planning and chasing more work means I am kinda sewing on auto polite rather than actually letting the creative juices flow!

It is a bit stifling, but I know once I have all of the ideas, plans and demo pieces in place I can get back to creating - desperate to finish my Swoon quilt!

So what has been happening?

Well, last night was the start of my first 5 week course teaching patchwork and quilting. Each week follows a plan and introduces learners to a different part of patchwork and quilting, with home work in between... I have plans to turn the course into an eBook course...

It went well and everyone had practice using rotary cutters and shared ideas!

Tonight is a mums night out, so we are making mug rugs. Super fast mini quilts with scarps, Bondaweb and some quilt as you go free motion quilting!

Best get back to the deadline sewing...

Making lists!

Last week I made a major boob... I mean major - well it feel major to me! 

I double booked myself! 

I booked the Cub Scouts to go to a map reader course in Bristol on Saturday. 10 Cubs tramping around a Scout camp - great fun... 

 Then last week I thought I would double check my teaching schedule for an Arts Centre down the road... yup, I am teaching 12 people how to make a quilt in a day at the same time as I am supposed to be tramping around some woods! 

I am totally mortified that I have double booked myself! 

Fortunately, I have assistant Cubs leaders who are stepping into the breach and taking the Cubs to their course so I can go to work.. 

It did make me realise that I need to get more organised.... teaching, prepping for classes and running 2 Scout groups, as well as being a lone parent to 3 boys is manic... I need to plan! 

So I have armed myself with a busy life diary which has a work and a home page facing each other. I have a calender for the house so the boys can see what they are doing. 

Work wise I have a new planner to organise to do lists and a quilt planner - which is scrummy - to keep track of all the ideas I have...

When I first started Funky Diva Designs I used to sit with a coffee on a Monday morning planning the week ahead - going through sewing lists, planning blogs and marketing. As the business grew I found less and less time to have this Monday morning meeting with myself. And things got on top of me...

So now I have a red notebook and I am starting to have a Monday morning meeting with myself again. That way I can track what I am doing for Scouts, teaching, planning and with the boys.

Hopefully I won't get caught out again!

What do you do to keep track of life?

This blog post is part of the Lets get Acquainted link up on Fabric Mutt:

Using Colour Palettes

As you know Santa bought me a few books for Christmas, a mixture of crafts for me to try out!

One of the books is Color, Block and Quilt, which also came with a workbook. The book by Emily Cier is an explanation of colour and using palettes to plan your quilts.

There are some amazing quilt designs and ideas in the book that you can following and plan using the workbook.

The books have got me thinking about colours in a way that I haven't before. I tend to design quilts by colour and the way the fabrics make me feel, it is gut instinct led. These books have made think more about design palettes and their use in designs... it has also made me think about making quilts with just solid colour.

I was lucky enough to wake up to a voucher from one of students for the Village Haberdashery, a fabulous shop in London. It took me all of 30 seconds to decide that I wanted to invest the voucher in Kona solids so I could start playing with some of the colour palettes in the book.

I am still waiting for the postie to deliver my goodies, fingers crossed they will arrive today.... I am itching to put together a quilt of solids and working with colour in a new way!

How do you decide on the colours you will use in a quilt design?

Designing and Sewing Day

My weeks at the moment have turned very busy with 4 groups across the county.

The classes vary in abilities, social skills and life styles. Each one is different and each one has it's own challenges, but all of them are fun!

Today is my one day a week at home when the boys are in school and I can play with designs and ideas in between private lessons.

So today I need to think about a quilt for my 5 week course in March... I have these scrummy fabrics lined up:

Pic courtesy of M is for Make

 

 Along with some serious amounts of orange and grey solids from Simply Solids.

The challenge is to design blocks that will teach the learners new techniques. 5 weeks is a short time to learn all about patchwork and quilting so I need to be quick and snappy so that learners can get a taste of patchwork skills and have a go at some quilting...

With me so far?

So..... breaking the 5 weeks down into a schedules is the starting point:

Week 1: Introduction, cutting and piecing: squares and half square triangles

Week 2: Sewing it all together to make a quilt top.

Week 3: Putting backing, wadding and front together.

Week 4: Quilting using a walking foot.

Week 5: Binding

This is a rough guide and it is part of the course that 'homework' is done in between classes. So if people want to make a bigger than laptop size quilt then it needs more homework! Equally people who have not time outside class with have a smaller quilt..

So I need to make a demonstration quilt - it is a hardship I know - that will show the learners what they are working towards.

I plan on starting this afternoon between my morning class and the school pick-up and after school club!

Wish me luck!

Getting my Solids Fix

This week I have been commissioned for 5/6 classes and workshops at Prema Arts in Uley.  They range from a Mother and Daughter workshop for Mothers Day to a 5 week patchwork course.

Although the classes are in in the New Year I know they will be here quicker than I expect and I need items to show as examples of what we will be making....

Cue the fabulous Simply Solids online shop owned by Justine.

I have the wonderful bundle from M is for Make to play with and I wanted to mix it with some solid grey.

Kona Solids are my solid of choice. I love Kona solids because the colours are fabulous and they feel so soft!

Justine has a growing choice of colours to choose from and 2 shades of grey. The Kona colour chart is a really useful tool to narrow down your colour choices, but I wanted to test them out next to the bundle, so I ordered a metre each of Ash and Charcoal.

Ash

 



Charcoal

The fabulous Justine sorted out the order and it arrived really quickly. The packing was gorgeous and there is even a square of another colour so I can have a look at another Kona solid.

Sign up for the Simply Solids newsletter and you get news about the shop and codes to use when you are stocking up on your solids - I may have ordered a huge parcel of oranges and browns this afternoon using this months code....

I'll keep you updated with the progress of the plans for the quilting classes.

Anna Time...

On Mondays I have been teaching basic sewing skills to a group of mums in Cheltenham. They have been identified as low in confidence or needing support in getting into work. My job is to build their social skills and confidence through sewing lessons.

For me it is varied and interesting work. This group have turned from quiet and unsure, to chatty and confident, whilst making things from fabric they had at home and scraps I have taken along. Sadly my work with them is nearly done!

Whilst discussing their learner logs and the progress they have made today one of the learners asked me about bringing in more Bondaweb for her project. I said no problem, if she wrote the request on her project design sheet I would be checking through them all on Sunday afternoon. By doing it then I can make sure I have all the supplies I need for Monday morning.

She said "When is Anna time? When do you have time for you?"

Kinda funny since their little club is called Time Out because it is about giving them time out!

I drove home thinking about what she had said... my life is full... I teach 3/4 days a week, I run 2 scouting groups and I am raising 3 boys on my own...

My teaching is in all sorts of places across Gloucestershire with groups of lovely people who have been targeted as needing support to build confidence and social skills... sewing is kinda secondary to the main objective of helping people to gain enough confidence to go into more formal education or the work place...

Interesting work, but I give some of me to every group I work with. I use my ability to talk to anyone to help them relax and feel more confident. I am like a chameleon, adjusting my planning and teaching style to suit the learners.

Anna time is limited by the nature of being self-employed - I know a lot of you are, you can't just turn it off, you are the responsible for every penny you earn.... It is limited by 2 scout groups full of wonderful boys... It is limited by running a house and raising my 3 gorgeous boys on my own..

I wouldn't change any of it... I simply love my job, I love my role as scout leader and I simply adore my babies... but I have realised that to be all of those things and be the best I can, I do need to start being selfish and think about organising Anna Time...