Binding it together

My latest quilting endeavor is, of course, for our baby, due in about 8 weeks. I didn't have a specific pattern in mind but while browsing for ideas I came across the disappearing nine patch. I chose nine fabrics that I loved because they contrast with and compliment each other so well. My favorites are probably the three that I couldn't resist from a collection called faraway forest by Lizzie Mackay. I don't often choose fabrics that are meant to go to together but the squirrels and mushrooms and flowers were the beginning of my color inspiration for this quilt.

To make the disappearing nine patch, I stitched together blocks of nine, with one square of each different fabric. Then I cut each nine patch into quarters. These new blocks can be used to create patterns and shapes by putting the colors together but that's not really my style. Instead, I put the blocks together somewhat randomly and then refined that randomness until it seemed just right. I love the way that a lack of symmetry or complete pattern keeps me gazing for longer and searching to make sense of it visually. I think of lying in bed when I was young and staring at the cracks in the ceiling or a design on the wall, letting my eyes and mind wander. I am more intrigued by something when I want to keep looking at it then when I can see the pattern right away.

I loved choosing the fabric and the simple process of creating the squares but I have to admit that the final result was not quite what I had hoped for. Too much orange? Too random? Either way, I enjoyed the process immensely. I find it hard to believe how much I enjoy the simple meditative act of hand quilting those long straight rows. It is more than just the back and forth between layers of fabric, I think I love the feeling of binding things together. Connecting, strengthening and putting the tiniest bit of myself into it.

Cutting and Sewing

For me, quilts are usually free-hand affairs. I could probably save time and the occasional blister from not-sharp-enough scissors by using a rotary cutter but that's not my style. I made this quilt over the past couple of weeks as a gift for a soon to be new baby in the family. I love playing with color and patterns and as I worked on it I realized how much making this quilt captured the spirit of most of my creative endeavors.

It starts with inspiration and excitement about a new idea. The early stages take planning and cutting fabric and, in this case, figuring out how many squares and triangles to cut. After planning, the work begins. Sewing the same seams over and over isn't as exciting as scheming about the design, but it is a necessary part of the process. After some of this practical work, I have to figure out whether my idea will actually come together and determine if I need to do more sewing and cutting.

In nearly every project there is a moment, or moments, of doubt. I see my original vision disappear and worry that my free-hand approach will lead to disaster. There are times when it does but more often I keep working and the project turns a corner. The results of my work become something better, though different, than what I imagined. When I can see my work turning into something I love, I again feel the excitement about the project. Then there are the finishing touches like quilting, binding, snipping threads which can take just as long as the rest of the work.



I often wish that I was more inclined to follow a pattern that would always yield precise, predictable results. But I can't keep myself from jumping in and forgoing step by step instructions for my own ideas, challenges and whims.

How do you find joy in creating?