My design wall

Someone is curious about how I use my flannel design wall. My design wall has two sections, at right angles to each other.  The area on the left is readily accessible and the one I use most frequently.  All of my photos are taken on this wall.  The section to the right is behind my sewing machine and far less accessible.  I store some treasures here, and some inactive but still in progress projects.

To the far right you can just see the edge of my cork board, where I put up any sort of image that I feel might spark a design idea.  Toward to top of the wall are my treasures.   From the right is first a fibre head an shoulder three dimensional piece that I received as a table favour at the banquet at Quilt Canada 2006 in Ottawa. Next are three very delicate stump work dragon flies,  worked on silk.  I have no idea how they might be used, but I know I will never reach that level of skill again, given the arthritis in my hands.  Beside that is a finished quilted piece, painted and embroidered by a close friend.  I received it as a gift.  I am no longer in close contact with this person, but think of her whenever I look up there--as I do often when using the machine.

To the left of that are four angel fish fibre sculptures I made in response to a challenge between a group of friends, long separated. Then there is finally a commercial block of an elephant that I have never been able to find a use for, for over 20 years.

In the lower area, on the left side is a work in progress called "Spring".  It is basically finished , but the quilting only half completed.  I try to work on it either between projects, or if I'm having trouble with an idea and need to let my brain percolate a bit.  I hope to finish it in time for a gallery show next May.

Finally, on the lower right, are the first few sections of my efforts on the Jen Kingwell design, "Long Time Gone".  This is meant as a kind of very scrappy, pieced, sampler quilt.  I had almost this much done, but got very uncomfortable every time I looked at it pinned up here.  Finally I realized that I was just not happy with how very scrappy it was working out, and needed to change things.  So I went back and started over, remaking each block, retaining the scrappy feel, but limiting the palette to primarily blue based prints.  I'm much happier, but only work on it when I have no other projects lined up.