Monday Nights
Structures #68 ©2007 - In Progress - approximately 58"x45"
Monday nights are usually my guaranteed free night during the week when I can come home and work in my studio for the evening. The kids are with their dad at Taekwondo and my boyfriend is generally out of town. It’s the beginning of the week so I’m not too wiped out from a week of work and schlepping kids about so I’m able to put in a lot of work in the studio. Unfortunately things didn’t quite work out that way the last 4 months due to weird schedules, holidays and family stuff getting in the way.
But no more - Monday’s are mine again.
When I finished Structures #50 yesterday it meant I had only 1 older Structures piece to finish up and then I’d be completely caught up with 67 pieces finished in that series. My plan was to finish Structures #48 over the next week or so but I couldn’t resist.
I decided to start a new piece instead of finishing the old one and the result is above. You might recognize some ideas from #50 that I wanted to explore again.
I started the design last night but it didn’t go well so I got up before work this morning and moved a few thing around and it finally gelled for me. After work I was able to sew the quilt top together. I also sewed the back together and basted it. I’ve got the thread colors for the quilting selected and tomorrow I’ll start quilting it.
If all goes well this week this piece will be completely finished just 1 week after starting it. This is how I would like to do my work from now on. No more piles of unfinished quilt tops.
Problem is my favorite part of this art form is the design and piecing. While I love the quilting it also takes much longer so I get a bit impatient at times. For example the above quilt took 7 1/2 hours to design, cut, sew together and baste. I estimate it will take about 20 hours to quilt it. That’s a pretty typical ratio of 1:3 for design to quilting.
So I don’t actually expect for it to work out where I do 1 piece at a time with no backlog, but I hope to not get as far behind as I was 6 months ago when I had over 20 pieces to quilt.
I still have 8 Markings quilts and the lone Structures #48 to finish. But things are looking up.
I originally had planned to do some business work tonight but I’m counting blogging as that, which is really not okay because I’m a good 2 weeks behind on the business stuff. I really need to stop procrastinating and get too it. Maybe tomorrow night while the kids are doing homework.
Posted by Lisa in: Abstract Contemporary Textile Art, Motivation
Mary said,
March 6, 2007 @ 4:45 am
This is a gorgeous piece of work! You get an awful lot done in a day–I applaud you for your dedication. I like the other quilts you show here, too. The details of the stitching are great. Where do you show your work?
Sylvia Weir said,
March 6, 2007 @ 7:54 am
Lisa
You are a whirl of activity–and get a lot done–don’t be so hard on yourself.
But, you may want to look at some different ways to get your work done–a new machine? having someone baste your pieces on a longarm so you can finish them on your machine at home? working smaller? working digitally and printing out the resultant designs and quilting them?
Just my thoughts–but you seem so well organized and thoughtful I’m sure you will come up with even more interesting ways to solve this problem.
Lisa Call said,
March 6, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
Thank Mary. I show my work at various group and solo shows around the country. I will hopefully be updating my website tonight with my upcoming shows.
Hi Sylvia - thanks for the suggestions. Although I like the way I work now - I wasn’t complaining - just talking about why I don’t finish things right away all the time. I’m not looking for new technology or help - I’m content with my current process and see now reason to look to change it because for me it is about the process and not about the product. What I’m not content with is the amount of time I have to work in my studio - and that will hopefully change some day!
Susie Monday said,
March 6, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
Lisa — this is a beautiful piece and a strong study based on #50. I, too, like the designing and layout part of the art quilt process and struggle sometimes to keep the flow going with quilting. And my quilting is much less exacting than yours. One issue too is just the physical challenge of wrestling with the larger pieces at the machine. Any tips you can share? Even though I have more flex time at my disposal, I find it physically challenging to quilt hour after hour, so inevitably I end up with pieces on the design wall while the quilting stacks up in the great holding pattern in the sky!
Sheila said,
March 6, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
Wow, this is fabulous! So dynamic with those high contrast angled lines.
Lisa Call said,
March 12, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Thank Shelia, working with angled lines isn’t as easy for me as the 90 angles. But I’m really starting to like these.
Susie - thank you. I took some images and will get around to answering your question! about quilting without fatigue soon
The Lone Beader said,
March 25, 2007 @ 9:24 am
Every time I see your work, I think it should be made into funky/ eclectic upholstery for upscale Pottery Barn furniture. I like it! =:)