Morning Make - January 2020

Learning poetry

Back in elementary

Haiku was the start

Do you remember back in school and the famous 5-7-5 syllable count of learning Haiku? We were taught it then because the perception is that they are easy, simple, elementary. And while you can write one following the count rule, that doesn’t mean they are any good!

Haiku is a form of poetry originating in Japan. Initially, they were written as objective, pictorial pieces. They usually described something in the natural world or made seasonal references. Quite often there are two subjects, contrasted through the visuals the words present. Haiku is subtle and can be both melancholy and beautiful.

For January I decided I would write one haiku each day. I threw out the subject conventions and mostly ignored the other rule about the subject contrast. At least, I didn't much care if that happened but tried to do it some times. Now, I am not a poet by any stretch of the imagination, but I do like words. I love the way we can express emotions and the sparseness of 17 maudlin syllables was inspiring. Most of the haiku reference what was going on in my life at the moment, so they serve as a diary too.

Here are some of my favourites from the month:

People I don’t like

Invading my dreams last night

Woke up feeling gross.

(January 10)

Lazy Sunday start

Because it’s damn cold outside

That hockey game though

(January 12)

Love overflows yet

It pools at my feet almost

Unconditional

(January 15)

Wrestling tournament

Time to display savagery

But nails must be cut short

(January 21)

Nocturnal living

Invited by pain that keeps

Sleep from persisting.

(January 25)

Seek joy. Take comfort.

Compassion for my body

My heart needs it too.

(January 27)

A daily habit

To jumpstart creative flow

And ease anxiety.

(January 29)

February is here and I’ve laid the pen down for a needle and embroidery floss. Follow along with my Morning Make on Instagram. Better yet, join in! #morningmake is the hashtag.

Ripples - A Water Inspired Quilt

Ripples

52” x 68”

Next in the landscape series of quilts. (First there was Mountain Meadow, then Names for Snow).

Completely inspired by the deep blue landscape of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Whether it was the morning sun reflecting off the calm ocean, or the hidden blues of the spruce trees in the rain, or even the rolling fog covering the community like a quilt, they all found a home in this quilt.

Simple improv curves, the repetition of blocks and colour an homage to all that I saw that long weekend on the coast. A way to capture the energy of the community and the creativity of all the people I met. This is absolutely Improv With Intent.

Quilted with concentric circles to emphasize the Ripples. Kind of like the ripples on the surface when you toss a handful of rocks into the water. Or the ripples when the seals poke their heads up to see what you see. Or when the fish bubble up, trying to hide from the seals and the herons. Or, as I see more often than not in our life on the Prairies, kids jumping in a pool!

The quilting was done on my Bernina 820 with an Aurifil 50W in teal. It blended with the front and the fabric on the back.

Backed with a gorgeous loon print from Mark Anthony Jacobson, an Ojibwe artist. Bound in grey, one of my own prints, to remind me of the fog, the logs, and the weathered wood of the docks.

To see more of the inspiration, check out the original post.

Unexpected Gifts for Quilters

Okay… send this post to you partner, your spouse, your boyfriend, your grandkid, your mom, your girlfriend, or even your best quilting buddy. Sure, they can all give you a fat quarter bundle, another ruler, or a gift certificate to your favourite shop, but that is so cliche! (Albeit, always welcome!) Instead of the usual stuff, now is the time to drop some hints for the unexpected, but greatly appreciated. These are the gifts that will fuel your creative fire. Not to mention, get you using the fabric they bought you last year.

1. Art Gallery/Museum Membership

Most major cities have an art gallery, or two, that host both regular and touring exhibitions. Stepping out of your usual textile world is a great way to soak up inspiration. Special exhibits on top of the regular showings introduce you to a load of new concepts and ideas. You may think that you would rather spend the time sewing than an afternoon out, but it is well worth it. Bonus, if you have a partner or children it makes an excellent date!

Here in Calgary I am a fan of The Glenbow, the Esker Foundation, and Contemporary Calgary.

2. Subscription to an Audio Streaming Service

Avoid the ads, for one. But this is great food for the brain while you sew. I know a lot of people who will ‘watch’ shows while they sew. Something familiar that they listen to but don’t actually watch. Skip the pretense and listen to your favourite tunes or get engrossed in other people’s stories. True Crime, Humour, Books, even sewing all have podcasts delivered regularly across platforms. It could be Apple Music, Stitcher Premium, or Spotify, among others. Check their preferences.

3. Really Nice Markers, Pencil Crayons, and/or Pens. Plus a Bullet Journal.

Sure, we’ve all sketched something on a scrap of paper with what ever nub of a pencil we found or meticulously planned a quilt on a standard pad of graph paper. Okay, some of use computer programs, but you folks are in the minority and skilled in a totally different way. Getting to play and draw out our ideas with real colour in things that flow on nice paper is a true privilege for most quilters. It is not another pack of Crayolas for the kids to steal. These are our things that will be protected at the same level as our fabric scissors.

While I, personally, am not someone who does the Bullet Journal thing, I do like the dotted paper that most journals have. It allows you to make and use grid lines without having the lines be so prominent like they are on graph paper.

4. Long Arm Classes

A long arm sewing machine is not in the budget of most quilters. (Remind me to tell you of the time my husband discovered the prices). However, there are stores and long arm quilters across the country who will rent out time on their long arm machines. You just have to be certified first. Give the gift of the class.

If an in person class is not an option, splurge on a long arm gift certificate. Your favourite quilter can get their big quilt finished without intimidation.

5. Time

Give them time. A weekly or daily time where they are free to sew - GUILT FREE - while you take care of the rest of the stuff of life. It might be a sew date with a friend (who needs book club when you can sew?), mornings while you get the kids out the door, or at night when it makes zero difference to you anyway (but you can fold the laundry while they sew, right?) To many of us would love to do more but the grind of daily life means that time is at a premium. The gift of time means so much.

Remember, none of these gifts are about getting more quilts done. Don’t ever make that the goal. That will probably go over as well as buying someone a gym membership if they casually mention they wish they could lose five pounds. Bad, bad idea. No, your goal with these gifts is to encourage their creative exploration. You are promoting their natural curiosity, enhancing their skills, and showing your unconditional support for something that brings them joy.

Shiver

Shiver

Roughly 70'' x 70''

Uh, so I finished this quilt months and months ago. It was just hard to be motivated to take a picture of it. You know, with that long Prairie winter we had it didn't really feel like the tropical waters of the quilt. And I did mention that I live in the middle of the Prairies, right?

Shiver is done though and I am happy to share it with the world!

Did you know a group of sharks is called a Shiver? Things you learn. And things that you learn when someone makes a random comment on instagram and suddenly you are making more shark blocks than you could have imagined. 

The quilting emphasizes the oceanic inspiration with its waves repeated across the quilt. I stitched in the ditch to outline the sharks and quilted the waves on my home machine. The thread colour changes as you move down the quilt, to match the gradation of the fabrics. Some were Wonderfil threads, some Aurifil, whichever colour works (especially because I find them interchangeable in my machine). We will not mention the amount of threads I had to bury to make all this happen.

This was totally one of those quilts that is just for fun. It was all about play, play, play. Sometimes it turns into something your son begs to sleep under while insisting you call him Great White Niki Shark and sometimes things get cut apart and put in the scrap bin. This time it worked and it is awesome.