A few weeks ago I suddenly went very quiet on #The100DaysProject front with my #QuiltStories idea. I’ve been meaning to share an update on where I got to with it and what I’m planning next ever since.
I am so happy I went down the quilting route for the 100 days. I really enjoyed learning about quilt history and how to hand quilt, but as I got into creating quilt blocks with lots of pieces (the butterfly block was 65 pieces of fabric!!!) the enjoyment was slipping away. I stuck with it for a couple more weeks, doing a tiny bit every day, to check whether it was just a blip or whether I needed to change my plans.
As I headed towards Day 80 I knew it was time to stop. I’d got everything I wanted for now out of what I was currently doing and needed to pivot, but I didn’t have the headspace for any quick decisions – so I stopped stitching.
Technically I probably did finish the 100 Day Project as ever since then I have had little moments every day where I’ve been thinking about where I want to take it next, but it’s only in the past week or so it’s started to form as a proper idea.
What I got from doing the 100 Day Project is knowing I enjoy combining embroidery and quilting, so I knew I wanted to keep going with something along those lines. However once I got into more detailed blocks with many more pieces, the hand piecing process was taking too long to keep my brain engaged before moving onto the next stage. I knew whatever came next had to be simpler on the quilting side and have more embroidery.
The other thing that’s capture my interest is fabric collage – I’ve been really enjoying seeing the creations of @needle_or_thread and @sheofthewildart and want to explore incorporating that into what I create.
So that’s my next step – having a go at creating embroidered fabric collage quilt blocks to figure out a technique and approach I enjoy. If it works out I do have an idea of a project I want to create with them, but I want to give myself permission to take this one step at a time and let it take as much time as it needs to.
My first experiment is using the Celebrate You balloon fabric and I’m in the process of figuring out the best way to approach it… and trying to remember that this is my first go so it’s completely okay to experiment and not worry about what it ends up like!
I also don’t think I’m finished with my explorations into quilting history. Although my original plans weren’t working for me, I do still love the idea of creating something filled with the stories of quilting history. I’m just going to leave it as an UFO (UnFinished Object) that can be revisited and revived later on.
I do feel like my approach to creative projects – which I talk about in my Little Book of Easy Creativity (members get it for free here) – really helped me in being able to keep my 100 Day Project going in a tiny way each day while I figured out whether I wanted to continue or not. It also gave me the confidence to know it was time to put it down and the things to reflect on to work out what I want to try and create next.
While it is lovely to be able to say “I completed the 100 Day Project” I never want it to be something I do purely for the sake of saying I made it to Day 100. The reason WHY I do it is more important, and my reasons these past three years have been to develop a creative skill, and to practice prioritising and make regular time for creativity. And that’s exactly what I got out of it this year, even if it didn’t end up where I thought it would.
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