Gypsy Wife coming along

I have been working along on a pattern call the Gypsy Wife by Jen Kingwell.   You can read an interview with Jen here.  I thought the pattern was relatively new but this pattern has been around for a while (since at least 2014) and there have been several quilt-alongs.  No matter...I've been enjoying the construction of the quilt and rather than use random scraps as depicted on the cover of the pattern book, I've been working with a blue and orange colour palette.

Quite a number of the fabrics are from my stash, but then there are some new ones added in for a bit of spice.  This is what I've managed thus far.

The quilt is sewn in sections and there are two more sections to go.  The last two sections (which are missing right now) will show more orange striping in the background and merge together in the middle of the top.  I'm hoping the transition from blue to orange in the background will be more noticeable when the top is complete.

Till the next time.

Filling the well

I'm sure that each of you out there have at one time or another run into a void of inspiration, or just plain silence from your muse.  That's when it's time to consider "filling the well" as I call it.

Until recently it seemed inspiration and creativity had taken a holiday.  No amount of fabric fondling, picture taking, magazine perusing was helping.   I couldn't stand it so decided to wander the internet to see if something out there would help.  I came across several suggestions relating to sketchbooks.  Ah yes, but where does one start and what should I put into a sketchbook.  This is where Dionne Swift's online class "Developing Sketchbooks" came to the rescue.  She told us it was time to play.

Okay...play area set up

Next, play with paint, stencils, sponges, charcoal, whatever.

There were more pages, but those are just a few that I'm sharing here.  Next using the theme of "circles" we were to mark our painted pages with.....you guessed it.....circles!  WHAT??!! mess up my colorful pages?  What the heck....just do it!!!!

 Say these aren't looking too bad.  What do you think?  Oh...that gives me an idea....(look out creativity rut, I've got my groove back!)

Let's see what Dirty Footprints Studio has to offer in their 21 Secrets.