Sorry, no pictures. And DH thinks fixing a major problem in the bathroom is more important than buying a camera, so that I can post pictures on my blog! Go figure!
This week I have been enjoying a Craftsy class on advanced Machine Quilting, with Cindy Needham. Now, I have been a well experienced machine quilter, for years. Wore out the internal cams of my beloved Kenmore flat deck sewing machine teaching myself. But I have still learned a lot from this course.My former mentor, now deceased, always said that if she learned just one thing in a workshop, it was time well spent. The next step is to spend time practicing. Whenever I have taught this, or even discussed it with other quilters, no-one ever seems to understand how very, very important the "practice" aspect of machine work is.
However, all of the energy and time devoted to this begs the question " How does improving my machine quilting impact my life as a fibre artist?" This is just another tool in the tool box. What I'm doing is increasing my technical skill. This will not make me a better artist, but will make me better able to express myself and convey my message through my art. So is it worth it? Yes, even if it just increases my confidence in my ability to convey a message or idea.
This is the second class I've taken through Craftsy, the first being Jane Dunnewold's class on dyeing. These classes have rejuvenated my spirit. They have both spurred my creativity, and I am grateful for the opportunities they have given me.
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2 comments:
First of all - I'm thinkin ' we need to talk to your husband about straightening out his priorities (grin). That said - I think that there are some tools that you really do need in your toolbox and others that are luxuries. Like for me - I really needed to take Jane Dunnewold's complex cloth - not 'cause I wanted to be this great surface designer - but I wanted to use hand dyed fabrics and they aren't readily available in my area. I think machine quilting is a really useful skill if you plan to work with your machine - does it need to be perfect? That depends on where you're going to showcase your work. That all said - I know that ours sometimes fiber arts can be driven by companies that just want you to buy more and more stuff and learn how to use all those new products.
Living on a pension makes me very aware of this current trend. Every magazine we read, or pattern we think about buying, usually has a long list of very esoteric suppies that can only be purchased, at great expense, from a company in Siberia. As I said, we need the technical skill to convey our message. The message suffers if you, figuratively speaking, paint yourself into a corner, because of lack of skill. I've seen it happen.
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