A Peek Into My Process

It's been at least two days now that the batik panel has been on my design wall.

I wanted to get "Chicken Soup" done and out of the way before I put my full attention on the quilt panel for my friend with cancer. My fear is that I may have fallen into that pit that lies between projects, the one that keeps me from progressing and gets deeper and darker with each passing day.

There has been some discussion amongst the three of us making this quilt about the orientation of the designs within each panel. Finally I think we've decided that rather than keeping it strictly vertical or horizontal we'll try for multi-directional designs. Meanwhile, I have this batik picture that is very definitely directional. I could certainly work it into a multi-directional design but it has been the source of second and third thoughts about what to do for my panel of this quilt.

Then there's the actual construction process to be considered. What kind of piecing do I want to do? Would one style be more appropriate than another (precision vs.liberated)? What is my approach going to be? I want the final product to be happy and encouraging and comforting but I also want it to be aesthetically pleasing to this artistically astute woman.

I have never been one to follow a pattern. I use books for inspiration and maybe to pick up a new trick or technique. Nor am I inclined to make the same block over and over again, unless I can use a wide variety of colors and prints so no two blocks are the same. So how do I make a bunch of blocks and keep my panel of the quilt cohesive? Making blocks and then figuring out how to set them together seems to be the way I work. At least that's the way I've been working lately. Do I want to try a different approach? Given the time contstraints that may not be a good idea.

I know I work better when I can create a story to go along with whatever I'm making. No one else need ever know exactly what that story was or is, it's just a tool I use to help my creative process. That's why I was drawn to this batik picture in the first place. It hints at a possible story. Finding other fabrics in my stash that work with it may further the potential story line. I know I want my panel to be more than just this focal point and a bunch of blocks.

I probably need to just go play in my fabrics. Start pulling prints and colors and see what falls together. The browns I originally pulled apparently aren't doing it for me - yet. They may eventually, they may not. I may push this to the blue in the upper half of the batik panel and ignore the browns altogether.

Okay, what appears orange in this picture is really more of a rusty brown.

There is the distinct possibility that this batik may not even make it into the final version of my panel. Hoo boy. {deep breath} Maybe I'll go sew some scraps together to grease the wheels. One thing's for sure, I need to get off this computer before any more time slips by!