Finding Balance

The Broken Line

A few weeks ago I was listening to a book while in the Studio. Okay, don’t ask me which one. I listen to a couple of books a week and cannot keep track with which one I was listening too at the time. Anyway, there were several profound statements, but the one that made me stop mid-stitch and write it down was that “fear can suck away our creative powers”. Wow, how I can relate to that one. With all the adjustments around my house right now, my creative juices have been sucked out, purified and poured down the drain. It has been a struggle to get back into the studio and “want” to do something.

Honestly, I have been able to complete two baby quilt tops for the Baptism Quilters at church. I am fortunate to be a part of a wonderful group of ladies and one of them is going to quilt the quilts for me. I just don’t have the will power to quilt anything larger than a 9x12.

Another quote from the book I was listening to was that our brains are our “Imagination Machines”. All artists can relate to that one. It is a great concept to ponder and concentrate on while I work. This past week things have mellowed out and I have been able to complete one 9x12 for AAQI (The Broken Line). I have two other art quilts that have been sitting on my board for three months that are growing on me and I have visions of completed pieces.

This week I am going to work on my “Imagination Machine” and finding balance in my life. My days don’t have to be all or nothing, they can be a balance of God-time, care-taking, administrative work and creative time. I hope you are finding this type of balance in your life too.

Little Did I Know...

Shattered Curves

I love “Shattered Curves” and the way it evolved for months in my studio. Little did I know when I created it that it was going to speak so loudly and boldly in my not too distant future. God has a way of working through us that way, doesn't he? 

Last year was a great year for me. Venturing out to sell my hand dyed fabrics at quilt shows, “Old Alton Bridge” was published in Lone Stars III: Texas Quilts Today, “Outside In” and “Truck Quilt” were juried into the International Quilt Festival in Houston and I taught my first workshop to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists. Not to mention, my regular duties with the DAFA Annual Show and being on the board, oh, and I volunteered to be the President of DAFA for 2012-2013. It was my year of stepping out and on the path of working to build up Studio Jules.

Oh, but wait a minute! This year the path has come to a screeching halt and my best laid plans have been shattered.  My “Mr. Wonderful” was having health issues and we needed to figure out what was going on. And this, my friends, is why I haven’t blogged in two months. “Mr. Wonderful” has been diagnosed with Early On-Set Alzheimer’s. Yes, at the age where we are starting to plan his retirement in 10-12 years, we are facing the worst nightmare we could imagine. The past two months we have seen to two neurologists, one neuropsychologist, MRI’s, PET scans, you name it, we are doing it. It is a roller coaster each and every week. We are at the point of accepting the diagnosis and trying not to talk about it every day. We are getting use to making adjustments and re-thinking the future. There is so much information out on Alzheimer's and so much research work that is being done. At times it is all very overwhelming. 

So, my friends, if you don’t see posts from me as often as you would like, know that I’m still here, just other issues are taking up my studio time. And I am fighting each week to make time in the studio!

What am I working on now? Well, baby quilts. Our church just started a Baptism Quilters group and I am working with them. I have a couple of art quilts on my table and wall, but those are slow works in progress.

I'll try to post as I can, they just may be short and sweet posts about what I'm working on, or just completed.

Dallas Quilt Celebration 2012 is Underway!

The Dallas Quilt Celebration 2012 started yesterday and opening day was fantastic! The quilts are awesome, as always, and the vendor area is rockin'! The Dallas Area Fiber Artists are in the Special Exhibit area with our community service project "Pathways" benefiting the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative.

My booth was busy yesterday, quilters and fiber artists are loving the ice dyed fabrics and the hand dyed perle cotton. They are snatching up the hand dyed thread trash like you wouldn't believe!

Here is a picture of my booth (number 196) if you are coming out today or tomorrow, come by and say hello! I am thrilled to meet so many creative people and share my excitement about my fabrics!

Finished and Ready to Go!

I finished my two art quilts for the Dallas Area Fiber Artists collection for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Here they are!


The one to the right is named "Who's Path Did I Cross?". My inspiration statement on this one is this: I sketched this from a picture I took in Charleston, SC. It makes me think about all the people that have walked across this building entryway and the people they have influenced, people they knew and people they didn't know. I think about the people that can't remember due to Alzheimer's. Nonetheless, they played a significant role in the lives of others, directly and indirectly.


The flag quilt below is named "Path of our Forefathers". Here is the inspiration statement for it: The idea of this flag came to me from the flag hanging in the entry way of the Smithsonian. Thinking about the image of this restored flag, it reminds me of our forefathers and the thought process they went through to carve out the path of our country. Reading the writings of Thomas Jefferson, I know it was a hard process, done with a great deal of prayer and obedience to God. I’m thankful for the process in building our beautiful country and wish we could get our current leaders back to working together instead of tearing us apart.

Okay, today is my day to get to spend the afternoon creating a new quilt.

Have a great and creative day!

Time to Get Busy!

Didn't I say I was going to post more regularly this year? Where has the time gone? My excuses? Family in from out of town, playing with the grandkids and catching a cold. This past week I tried to play catch-up, but my cold was getting the best of me. I tried to do some quilting one day, but when I caught my thumb with the machine needle, I gave up and turned off the machine. Yes, I'm current on my tetanus shot.
Today I'm in the studio and ready to quilt two 9 x 12 art quilts that I created last week. Misty Fuse and the iron I could handle without hurting myself.
These are the two 9 x 12's I am going to quilt, thread paint and bead today. They are two of my donations for DAFA's Special Exhibit in their Annual Show for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI).

Building Entry

Left: "Building Entry" is from a picture I took when we were in Charleston. It is the entry way to one of the buildings we passed by when we were on a walking tour. I used Tsukineko Fabrico markers on duck canvas.

The Flag

Right: "The Flag" is an image I have had in my head for years. We toured the Smithsonian years ago when we were in Washington, DC on vacation and this is of the flag hanging in the entry. I have beads for the stars. The background is hand dyed batting ~ a new technique I think I really like.

Okay, time to get busy, because I also have fabric to dye this afternoon!