around the world blog hop

The lovely Jess has asked me to join in with the Around the World blog hop...

I usually shy away from some such but (a) Jess asked! and (b) she said I don't need to make anything for it which is brilliant cos my mojo is still hunkered down being the bikesheds, with a bottle of Buckfast and a massive deep fried pizza supper. The idea is pretty simple, answer some questions and then invite someone else to hop on board.  So here goes....

1. What am I working on?
Well, I think my intro answers this question!  What I should be working on is a massive pile of bee blocks, a baby shower present for my friend who has already had the little guy and piecing the backing for my bonadoochi quilt so it can be sent off for some Trudification.  I have a week's leave coming up so am praying that McMojo gets its a**e back here sharpish.

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Wowsers, now that's a question!  I am a follower not a leader when it comes to creative things so probably not that much, other than being not as good.  When I started out, I was a slave to others' patterns and initially, I even wanted to use exactly the same fabric.  I guess this is quite common.  As my practice has developed, I feel more comfortable going off piste and have started designing my own quilts - well not in a " design, write a pattern, tell the world" way, more of a "I fancy it looking a bit like this, let's see if it works" kind of way.  The way I'm different is probably that I don't go in linear "plan-choose fabric-cut all fabric-sew all blocks-make quilt top" - believe me I wish I would, it would be far more efficient and far less annoying! I'm a "plan- choose some of the fabric-cut a small amount-start sewing-change plan--buy more fabric-cut some more-sew some more-rejig plan" repeat until finished or dead kind of girl at the moment.

3. Why do I create what I do?
I think there are a couple ways of answering this question.  I have finally found a hobby that makes me feel creative, that I want to keep up with and develop and that pushes my boundaries and makes me feel that I'm more than just a mum/wife.  I also love making things for people.  My house has hardly any of my makes in it, just a couple of quilts, a cover for Nanny Plum, my Kitchen Aid mixer and one small fabric basket.  No cushion covers, no piles of quilts to stroke on the way past, no table runners or place mats.  Pretty much the bulk of what I make gets gifted to someone and this makes me happy (although I'm not sure it has the same effect on those receiving the gift!) 

4. How does my creating process work?
I kind of covered this in #2.  I am influenced my lots of modern quilters (although I appreciate the term modern can be a contentious one). So a lot of the times, my plans are triggered by something they have done. Not necessarily the pattern, more the use of fabrics and colour.  Unlike Jess (who I admire so much), I usually jump in with no firm plan and start sewing before I have even chosen all the fabric.  I get so bored cutting out fabric, that this is done in shifts. It means that I change my mind on the fabric selection all the time and a lot of time is wasted worrying about this and ordering more just in case!  

I've had EQ7 for a couple of years now but really only dabble round the edges.  I am hoping to be more adventurous with it in the future.  

This wasn't one of the questions but this post got me thinking about where I am against where I was and where I want to go, if that makes sense.  It is always easiest to bemoan the fact that you don't feel as good/creative/productive as others out there but it's good to reflect on how far you have come on your own journey.  I started off with little belief in my own creativity and therefore followed others slavishly at first but as I have gotten more confident with my sewing, I can see that I am more confident in my design choices.  I look at Jess, for example, and marvel at her journey.  But we are all different and it's important that you take time to appreciate your achievements, even if they are slower or smaller than those you measure yourself against.  I wish I was more adept and more creative but I am enjoying my journey, even if it is a little more meandering than I'd really like.

I've asked Kelly over at JeliQuilts to hop on - she is flipping amazing,the queen of the rainbow who seems to be taking over the world one flying goose at a time.  Seriously, I love her aesthetic and she's hilarious too...what's not to love?