Get Your Play On!

There's just no substitute for pure-play when you pull out the fabrics, threads, and colors. 

AVOID patterns and prescribed fabric selections when you start to create because that is NOT creating, 

it's copying and following another person's plan. 

If you want to have your threads dance, you have to PLAY your own tune - even if at first it sounds like microphone squelch. 

It's a bitter pill to swallow, but in truth, there are NO guarantees. Much of what we make might be awful. 

Our first thoughts and plans don't always pan out. 

You will be tempted to follow the well-worn path of step-by-step tutorials complete with glossy photos of successful projects. 

You'll argue that it's a waste of time, money, and materials to feverishly chop, piece, pin, and have nothing worth showing when you're finished. 

Without lovely quilts, dresses, pillows, and accessories at the end of the day, you will pack up your machine and vow to do more productive things in the future.

So what's the point of this you ask??? The point is to put on your big girl pants and play. It is a journey thing, not a destination thing. 

It's a chicken and egg thing... you can't create outstanding originals without being original... and you can't be original if you're using other people's ideas. Snap! This is a dilemma! 

Where will the pats on the back come from? Who will ever remark on my cleverness? 

I have no originality, I'm not a designer, an artist, and astronaut, a brain surgeon...

Before total depression sets in and you jump off a cliff, adjust your expectations and re-focus. 

You need fuel - just like a sexy car. You also need chocolate, a little wine, a bit of caffeine - all these things keep the brain rolling. 

Plus you need a creative jolt of energy - so use packages patterns and tutorials as springboards for energizing, not blueprints for building. 

Springboards propel us in directions...get us going north, south, east, west and then we play... and one closing thought - people are fantastic resources, collaboration and doing the old brain-storming, think tank idea-sharing thing is truly priceless... always share your thoughts, talk to others, look at what's trending but stay true to your own playtime and save the last dance for your threads!

Some fun dance moments...

Henri is a dragonfly. He haunts my waking dreams.

Little Fox was born from geometric play and a little graph paper!

The first donation quilt I ever made was this one.
Trees are a favorite idea starter - no plan, no pattern...
Great quilt??? Yes, because I made it and there is not another
one like it on the planet!

Inspiration is seen while stopped at a light on the way to work one morning! 

This is Mama Goat.
She's my hero! Always happy with little scraps of this and that,
she makes the world beautiful!

                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                    How can you not be inspired by a retro BBQ sign ??