Process

I had a huge epiphany while working on an art quilt last week. Two epiphanies, actually.

Actually, not really an epiphany. They were lessons I've learned over and over, but had simply forgotten and had to learn again. You know?

I had several pieces of fabric pinned to my design board. I was arranging and rearranging, folding, scrunching, squinting and futzing trying to settle on a pleasing composition. Nothing was working.

I also had a vision of using a large piece of lace in an interesting way. More folding, futzing, pinning, etc. Nothing.

I went off to read a book and wallow in my frustration. Eventually, I realized exactly why I was having trouble.

Epiphany #1: Working on the design wall wasn't working because I was fighting gravity. Pinning and repinning and stepping away to evaluate each adjustment was too complicated. I simply needed to move the whole work-in-progress to my studio table so I could arrange and rearrange without having to pin everything and without pieces slipping to the floor.

Epiphany #2: If I want to use a piece of fabric -- lace in this case -- I need to cut into it in order to really see how it will fit into the composition. The lace felt precious and it was hard to cut into it. But, it had to be done.

When the piece was on the table and the lace was chopped up, the design came together beautifully.

Then I had more trouble. I embroidered these Y stitches and French knots.

Then I cut them out.

It's a process. Every little design decision. Every step in the process. And misstep.

The quilt is finished now. I completed the binding and cleaned off all my chalk markings today. I'll photograph it early next week and share it here.