Friday 3 July 2009

More WOW from Sissy Dunnit!

This quilt, in fabrics by Mary Englebreit - one of my favourite designers ever - was hand pieced then quilted with a cherry shaped stitch all over, by my Sissy. Then folded into a neat rectangle, garnished with a big purple ribbon and posted to me. For me! For keeps! Isn't it gorgeous. It's fair to say that last time we were together I may well have 'gone on' about the number of lap quilts adorning her comfy chairs and I may have even whinged slightly about how badly I needed one. But to be fair to my ugly inner me me me, I never dreamed that she'd find time or inclination to make me one! I thought at best that the next time we got together, she'd force me into having a go at one myself. Clearly the whinging is one of my skills - because it worked! I'm a July baby, so this is a birthday present - but it's a totally normal, nothing special number of years, so to be able to mark it with a gift that's an heirloom is wonderful, doncha think? Given the WOYWW picture that we posted here last week of another gorgeous creation, I wonder if Steph works on more than one at once? And do ideas for quilts bounce around her head when she sees (or indeed, designs) a fabric that speaks to her? Is the creative process similar to the way I come up with cards after a quiet chat with a rubber stamp or a scrapbook page after I've spotted THE paper? Dunno. Will have to find out. Steph arrived at the textile skill after working through paper crafts - that is not to say that she no longer does any - her scrapbooking is, in american parlance, awesome. But it would be wouldn't it!
But actually - what is your leap off point? Is it an image, a photo or the paper? Or do different things spark something in you that ends up a LO? Or a card? Certainly in card terms, it's definitely the stamp image that talks to me. I rarely make a card that doesn't feature some stamping, so perhaps that's obvious. I am utterly unable to look at a blank card and see possibilities, for sure! BUT, in scrap booking - it is the blank (usually heavily patterned, actually) page that speaks to me. I MAKE the photos work on it (or not!) because I want to use the paper. But that's slightly different because I do have 8 kerjillion photos to scrap, so I can cast aside and start again when they don't bend to my will! I have recently been in over-kill and over-use of a pad of Que Sera Sera papers from K & Co (you will have noticed if you visit this micro space of interweb reasonably regularly - sorry!). I can't help it. I'm frightened by the artsy, altered, colourful style of the papers but drawn to them because they work with everything! I even (and this is unusual) bought some of the matching elements to go with. And am having no trouble using them up either. And this was merely because Willowy Blonde happened to comment to me that a single sheet could be cut up and used as a nice accent here and there. Well I started like that, but am in total immersion now - not many 'accent' pieces going on - just full on pages! Is that all it takes? Or is it the photos for you? I know it isn't for me. I've got marvellous pictures of various occasions and holidays and blah - totally untouched. So, after you've admired my new quilt, consider your inspiration point and please share it with me; I might be able to alter my perspective through your wisdom. Oh, and you may want to offer my lovely Sissy some advice - how on earth is she going to follow that for Christmas?!!

20 comments:

Jo Power said...

What a lovely presant and something to pass on through the family. I can't tell you what is my point but suddenly I see a colour or a picture and I just know what paper or what thing to add to make me feel happy with it. I know it doesn't help much sorry. xx

stephanie said...

aww sissy ya sure know how to play me up.... what inspires me... well, i always have at least 3 or 4 projects on the go at the same time. Just looking inspires me. sounds lame but it just does. I can be simply looking at something and an idea pops into my head. It can be anything from sitting with girlfreinds and a word they say, or gazing out my window and i see something, or walking, reading a mag, a shop window... dunno sissy it just happens... What inspires the rest of you?

Jay said...

That sure is "wow", what a fabulous present.
My leap of point can be seen here http://jay-dailydeliberations.blogspot.com/.

Angie said...

That is an AMAZING quilt ... have to put up with QVC ones lol.

Re inspiration points ... sometimes its when two or more papers just sit well together, sometimes its a photo that just screams out to be scrapped. Occaisionally it is a technique that excites me to be creative. I agree with Jo ... you know its right when YOU feel happy with it.
The problem for me is that I start to think about what others would think about what I am doing... mistake ... I like it simple ... I've tried complex and distressed but they rarely work for me and after all the LO is not for others.

As for what Sissy should give you for Xmas ... another quilt?

CoventryAnn said...

Just had a close up look at the quilt...amazing amount of work in it! Lucky you.:)

voodoo vixen said...

What a lucky girl you are! That quilt is divine and to have it made for you by someone you love? Well, it then becomes priceless.
I have no idea where the ideas come from... its like a cartoon really... a little light buld glimmers faintly for a few minutes every now again!!

lisa said...

I just have to say how much I love visiting your little micro space of interweb. You have such fabulous things to show and talk about. I'm totally hooked!
What a clever Sissy you have to make such an heirloom for you. It's just beautiful. I tried quilting some years ago and now have a box full of half sewn together bits. Maybe one day they will make it into a quilt!!!!!
As to what comes first, with me it's the photos. I have a camera surgically attached to my hand, much to my family's dismay so the image comes first and usually some new technique I want to try and then I spend a good hour rummaging through my huge stack of paper trying to find things that work. It all seems a bit chaotic at the time but invariable a LO I am fairly happy with emerges, not always sure how!!!!
It's totally fascinating to read how other people work!
As for Christmas, well another quilt of course!

Lisax

JaneH said...

What a beautiful quilt (I love Mary Engelbreit) and what a thoughtful gift!

Anne said...

Wow indeed. I can only dream of being able to make something as beautiful as that. I would love love love to be able to make something proper like that - an heirloom indeed. My scrapbook pages don't feel "proper" like that quilt looks. My attempts at sewing are beginner and basic, to say the very least. But it's high up on my list of things to achieve over the summer - I'm going to finish my patchwork quilt thingymajig, and I'm going to learn how to make fabric boxes. I've even bought interfacing, ready! Watch this space!

As for the scrapping, I start with the paper, and then make the photos fit. I'm either very lucky, or just don't care too much about things matching, because it very rarely doesnt work out for me. I'm not really one for colour co-ordinating the photo with the paper, though.

Olivia said...

Gorgeous quilt, so jealous but glad to hear you've been given such a lovely gift :)

Inspiration just pops into my head due to the most random things. When I'm not scrapping I'm thinking & planning and once I'm ready to scrap I just play around until I find something that works. Quite often the journaling & title determine the direction the LO takes.

Claire said...

What a beautiful quilt, its stunning.
I always wondered how you spell kerjillion LOL!
I ususally need to decide on my title & journaling then hours of sketching then rubbing out until I cant start putting a LO together

Carmen said...

Oh that picture is so worth clicking for a closer look - I've never seen stitiching like that, shaped in that way before. Truly beautiful and the sentiment on it is priceless.

I don't have a 'moment' I don't think. I'm more a chuck it on, move it round, take it off and try something else kind of scrapper. None of my lo's have ever turned out how I see them in my head - which can be really annoying at times but really a nice surprise at others :)

Cricut Queen said...

WOW you lucky thing, what a fab pressie and what a nice sister Sissy Dunnit is to make it for you.
:-)

Kit said...

what a beautiful present I am jealous this hand sewn quilts are so beautiful, I must teach myself how to do it

Jenny said...

What a beautiful present! You lucky lady! x

Judith said...

Wow what a gift made with love for sure x

Ginny said...

I think the only way to top that...is for Steph to send me one ;0)

it's GORGEOUS!

Turtle In The Sand said...

Julia you are one lucky lady. That quilt is totally awesome! Steph put a lot of work and love into making that for you. She is a very talented lady.

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