Inspiration 03-19-15

I am continually amazed at what inspires me.  These are the outside of the windows at the carwash.  They remind me a bit of Diedre Adams recent work. 

 

 

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Inspiration 01-13-15

Oh, dear, I've been writing the wrong date all day.  How the days get away from me - nowadays.

Over the years I have thought often about doing a quilt with stairs and am always taking pictures of stairs.  I've even drawn half a dozen designs, but never quite end up with what I am looking for. 

Here are some stairs from Carol's house in San Diego.  I love the drifts of bougainvillea bracts on each step.  These stairs might be what I have been seeking. Maybe I will be inspired and have the time this coming year.  A goal, perhaps. 

Other than the drifts, I like the twisted trunks at the right and the rounded river stones on the left.  Although you cannot see them there is a string of tiny lights on a wire that go up the banister - apparently they are on all the time so one can find their way up and down - clever. 

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Inspiration from Nature 08-10-14

Yesterday it was inspiration from man made places.  Today from nature.

Eucalyptus

The blue rocks are just a trick of the light - they are really grey.

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Wordless Wednesday 04-02-14

Monday Browsing 09-02-13

Some bright ideas – some dumb ideas.  But they will make you think:

http://www.mandatory.com/2013/07/19/amazing-life-hacks-to-make-your-life-easier-vol-3/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D363936
 

Some awesome images for inspiration – even if you don’t care about the weather.

http://weather.aol.com/2012/12/07/50-must-see-weather-photos-from-2012/

I’m always interested in the weather - just one of my quirks! 


This is my favorite source of weather news and I also enjoy the picture files. http://www.wunderground.com/

The world's highest temperature for September 2, 2013, was 118 degrees and occurred at Nasiriya, Iraq
 

Very unusual maps:       (Carol – Check 28.  Who drinks the most coffee?)

http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/maps-that-will-help-you-make-sense-of-the-world/
 

Liberated quiltmaking:

http://liberatedroundrobin.blogspot.com/

http://libellenquilts.blogspot.com/

http://unrulyquilting.blogspot.com/

FMQ Idea?

Inspiration 12-06-12

Sometimes I get this sort of thing when I am trying to watch a video.  They are interesting and make me think of trying my hand at abstract quilt design.  

 

 

Giant Bird of Paradise 06-25-11

I've always thought this is one of the weirdest plants used in landscaping here in SCalifornia.  Many people think it is a banana plant, but it is the giant Bird of Paradise and this is the time of year it blooms.  I think it would make a great quilt. 

Strelitzia nicolai  (stre-LITZ-ee-uh) (NIK-oh-ly)

Nerium oleander

When I was a child my sister and I rode the train to Los Angeles to visit our paternal grandparents. I spent most of my time with my nose stuck to the window, seeing amazing and beautiful sights going by. One thing I loved then and still do are the oleander hedges on the median strip of Hwy 99. Oleanders are ubiquitous in the Central Valley and all of Southern California; of all the 400 varieties we see mostly pink, white and a sort of peach. The plant requires little care, tolerates poor soil and is resistant to drought. Since it is one of the most poisonous plants it has few natural enemies, primarily the oleander caterpillar/moth. The plant was known in antiquity and originated around the Mediterranean.

I believe this is the variety Ed Barr. A house in the neighborhood has a towering hedge along the street which is currently covered with blooms, it would be more impressive if they pruned judiciously. This variety has no fragrance.

I think the flowers are lovely with their whirling petals, pure white color and the little fringe around the center - sort of like eyelashes. I keep taking pictures because one day I think I will make an oleander quilt.

Inspiration 02-27-08

Making the little 4" blocks yesterday had me thinking about something that Karen Stiehl Osborn posted recently on the Quilt Art list. Someone had asked for suggestions to overcome a block in creativity. One method that Karen uses seems to me like using kindling to start a fire. The first thing she does in her studio each day is make a small collage in a notebook - no planning, no preset design, no agonizing. Just DO IT. This starts her 'fire' and pushes her into getting creative for the day. It can also be a reference when future 'cold starts' are needed. I like this idea a lot. Look at February 23 - 27 on Karen's blog.

http://stiehlosborn.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html

Thanks to Karen who sent me this picture of her little notebook.

Inspired by the work of other quiltmakers Oct 2, 2007

There are so many talented quiltmakers around the world who create fabulous art quilts. You all know that I am a great admirer Ruth McDowell's quilts and own quite a few of them. http://www.ruthbmcdowell.com/clients/rbm/catalog.cfm

But along the way to creating the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection I have found others who also inspire me.
Pamela Allen's work is so imaginative, her quilts need a close look at the details. http://pamelart2.homestead.com/newquilts.html

June Underwood also has a unique 'voice', very different from anyone else I have run across. http://www.juneunderwood.com

The Collection also includes multiple quilts by several artists:

Dijanne Cevaal of Australia doesn't update her pictures very often, but has a great Blog where she posts her work in progress http://origidij.blogspot.com/ Her pictures are at: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=541176&

Elizabeth Barton, living in Athens, Georgia, whose quilts are mostly reflections of her growing up years in England. Oh, those chimneys! http://www.arches.uga.edu/~ebarton/index.html

Linda Colsh, an American living in Belgium, uses photographs in her work and has interested me in also doing so. But not in a way that imitates. http://www.quiltart.org.uk/lindacolsh.html

Even though my quilts are different than the work of these, and other, quiltmakers, they have all influenced me in some way. I thank them.

Inspiration Sep 20, 2007

I suppose anyone who creates anything is sometimes asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" I am usually at a loss to explain - it just comes. But looking through my photos on Picasa2, I can see the "seed" for one of my quilts. This picture was taken in March 2006 at the Frazer Park rest stop on I-5.

And this is the "Tree House" made in May 2006. I had not previously made the connection. The design just came to me when I needed to make a quilt with a house theme. This quilt is part of the Alliance for American Quilts traveling exhibit (soon to be auctioned), "Put A Roof Over Our Head". http://www.centerforthequilt.org/contest.php Sometimes I deliberately search (as I have been lately) for a design source, but usually I don't. Perhaps if we were able to delve into all of our past experiences we could find the spark for every design.