Deadlines

Most of us hate having to meet a deadline on a project. Everything has to fall into place in just the right order to have success. Once you don’t have that pressure in your job, it’s hard to get too worked up about those end dates. On the other hand, good outcomes often need firm guidelines. I have found that in retirement, deadlines are the only things that keep me on track.

My only deadline currently is August 19. I need to have a 12 x 12 or smaller music themed piece for my Wacky Quilters group. Hooray! I made it! Bonus time, though–I made TWO pieces!

For the first piece, I had an idea in mind before I gathered up any materials. I knew that I wanted to include paper, preferably sheet music. I was initially going to print music on fabric, but I liked playing with the actual paper.

I snipped and ripped and added bits and pieces, but a bit differently than I usually work. I arranged the parts UNDER a layer of organza. I was thinking about making a sheer piece but I knew this would be displayed on a tabletop easel, so sheer really wouldn’t work. I kept adding more bits and pieces, still underneath that organza. And I could not get a handle on how I would make this attractive if I had to layer it with batting.

Wool felt to the rescue! No batting needed and I could trim and layer all I wanted to get those interesting edges. It was interesting, but a bit chaotic. I used stitch to bring some order. Music is written on a 5 line graph, and it seemed logical to make the quilting reflect that. Different threads and thicknesses, so still a bit chaotic, but the discipline of straight lines made it work for me.

Waiting For My Music To Return

And as soon as that piece was finished, another idea–no, a title–jumped into my head. The Blues Own My Soul. And I looked into a basket under a table and found a pile of items with which to begin, including a felted knit bag that I had made ages ago and never liked!

Just like that wool felt, the felted bag made a wonderful base for stitching. The pieces seemed to arrange themselves and I quickly had a basic background ready for stitching.

I kept stitching and stitching until I felt as though the piece matched my feelings when listening to the blues.

I had intended to add lots of beading when I had the original idea and by the time I got to this point, I forgot all about those beads!

It’s ready to mount onto the canvas and I’m ahead of deadline. Wooo hoooo!