Fabrics & motifs

I have been having computer issues, but thought I would still try and jot down a little missive here while I wait on things to download/re-load or just generally adjust!

I am a die hard cq fan. I'm sure no one who has read the few bits i've written would guess that! LOL!!! The person I can honestly and whole heartedly blame for this passion is Judith Baker Montano!!!! I ADORE her work....particularly her landscapes and her use or color, fabric and assorted "found" objects and motifs. I think I own all but one of her books and am proud to say that the group I helped found with a fellow "addict" is in the throes of actually bringing her to Denver/Colorado Springs for a session!!!! Wahoooo!!!! I am soooooo excited about this!!! We haven't even gotten so far as picking a class for her to teach or a date...but we're inching closer and i'll keep everyone posted as plans develop!!!

Anyway....along the vein of fabrics and motifs, I have observed the varied opinions of others involved in this art and find that their preferences are as varied and distinctive as my own. Some folks are purists and will use only silk and velvet in their cq pieces. Me.....i'm not. I look for the texture that putting a variety of fabrics together can create. I'm not terribly flowery or victorian, but still enjoy the looks of some of the traditional methods as long as it's not too frilly. Again....that's just my style. I enjoy manipulating fabric and giving the pieces that I work on more dimension through that medium. As a result, I find that I play with quite a few of the cottons, batik's especially and silks and even some of the heavier tapestry/upholstery fabrics as they are more manageable. Then there's velvet. I LOVE the depth that velvet offers, but it truly is a challenge to capture it at times so I just find other ways to humor myself! Admittedly, I learn something almost every day when working within my little cq'd realm and if anyone has ANY suggestions to ease the burden of working with this slippery, shedding velvet monster, I would appreciate them taking a moment to share them here! I'd also like to hear what YOU like! Do you prefer the silks and rayons? Or do you like em all? Chime in! Lets see what everyone's up to!

I also love to add special motifs via my commercial embroidery machine. I have found it is a super way to add a design that is chosen specifically to fit the personality of the person the cq piece is being given to! I admit there are times I will stitch a design out as a stand alone item, but often feel that doing that is redundant if i'm going to put it onto something right away. So i stitch it directly on while I sit and watch this marvelous machine in action! It never ceases to amaze me!

I have been doing quite a bit of reflection over the course of the last six months or so....surgeries and all do that to ya....but as a result, decided that life is much too short to be doing things for a living that don't make me happy. Sooooo, i'm branching off with my embroidery biz and going to start offering quilt labels and motifs, etc. I am hoping to be able to sell the "possibilities" of creating something unique and one of a kind in the world of motifs along with the usual lacey googahs that go with the victorian themes that a lot of cq'ers use. Me included! I would really like a TON of feedback on what sort of motif's folks like and can't find or what they actually like to use now. I'd also like to hear what kind of trinkets you like to use. This isn't just so I can capitalize on it either! I would truly like to hear how and why others use the materials they do! And what sort of things they find difficult to locate! I just might be able to point ya in the right direction! ;-)

Well, enough rambling for now....I think i'll go and try again to get the pics of the stitches i'm trying to show here on the blog... Have a great evening all!