Playful Pieces

Cello watercolour with Schemincke Horadam paint | Whims And Fancies

 

This was supposed to be a painting of a violin, not a cello. Actually, it’s not the right depiction of a cello either. Going against all my instincts, I didn’t fuss with the shape. I made it somewhat symmetrical so I could start playing with my new paint.

My husband recently gave me one of the best sets of watercolour paints.  The new paper I used didn’t work very well with the heavy wash, but I had fun watching the paints flow into each other on wet paper, followed by the salt creating a mottling pattern when contacting the wet paint.

The painting will be tucked away in a box within the next few days, but for the moment it can bask in the glory and virtue of play time.

 

Violin Drawing In Prismacolour Pencils | Whims And Fancies

 

I drew this one for my icad project on an index card last year using Prismacolor pencils.  I think I will paint another violin using acrylic.

 

Fingerless Mitts | Whims And Fancies

 

I have unravelled this pair of mitts more times than I care to remember. Finally, I decided that the Eye of Partridge stitch worked well with this yarn. Since I got the idea from Et Frais, I bought the pattern to support the designer even though I didn’t follow it. I played with the thumb area until I was happy with it.

These mitts are nothing special, but they will add colour to the still chilly, grey mornings around me.

 

Morning hike in the mist | Whims And Fancies

 

When I go out around dawn, it’s overcast most days around here with extremely low light. It always looks great around me, but capturing that low-lit atmosphere in photography is quite another matter. So I take many photos, toss out several, and learn in the process. The mist was being very elusive; this was the best I could capture that morning.

 

Tall Grass Husk | Whims And Fancies

 

I like tall, dry grass, but I am finding it to be tricky to capture in a photo. It either ends up looking like a giant mess or just background noise. Still, I kept on taking photos hoping to find an angle or composition that would work.

One day, my perseverance paid off. The morning dew was still on them, backlit by the rising sun.

 

Sunburst Star Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

I love the One Monthly Goal link-up since it commits me to playing with a previously-forgotten project. My goal for July is to make this sunburst star block. I can then use it on another project that I have in mind, which will require a bit of playing around with size and fabric.

 

All the pieces in this post are results of playing.  You see, I grew up under the doctrine that every piece of work has to be great.  Although “Practice makes perfect” was preached regularly, the emphasis was always on creating the best on the first try.  Over time, the word “practice” got associated with “failure” in my head.

As I got older, I turned practice into playtime, be it maths, science, programming or art.  Without the pressure of perfection, I started having fun.  That enticed me to play more and I got better.

So I will keep blowing raspberries at those voices in my head that are telling me I am wasting my time and continue to play. I urge you to do same if you were subjected to the same doctrine growing up!

Happy Playing,
-Soma

 

 

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Supermassive Black Hole

Music Quilt - Guitar, Drums, Microphone Quilt Patterns | Whims And Fancies

 

Music Instruments patterns in my Shop

 

Music has played a major role in my life since I was a teenager.  Quite often it provides the escape, the focus and the peace of mind that can’t be found elsewhere.  I listen to and play both classical and modern music and I love them both.  After I made the classical Piano Trio music quilt, I just had to make a rock music quilt.  I made the instruments a while back but was waiting for the complementing quilting design to come to me.

 

I love Muse.  A week doesn’t go by where I don’t listen to a song by them.  I can’t believe that I didn’t think of this design sooner, even though the song Supermassive Black Hole has been blaring in my ears regularly.  Add that idea to my love of cosmology, and I couldn’t move away from the picture of a supermassive black hole with jets escaping from the middle quilted on my rock music piece.  I was giddy with excitement!

 

 

Using tracing paper for quilting | Whims And Fancies

 

 

This is how I quilt quite often.  Instead of transferring the design onto the quilt, I use sheets of tracing paper and quilt on them directly.  I draw the design on the computer and print it out on tracing paper.  I trim the sheets of tracing paper to 8″ x 11″ so I can feed them into my printer.  Since the design is printed in segments on each sheet,  I use tape to join the sheets to each other.

 

If I decide to draw the design by hand, then I tape the sheets to each other before drawing the design.  Finally, I baste the quilt along with the design paper on top.  I then quilt over the design lines.  Once I finish quilting, I tear the paper off.  I haven’t tried this process on a large quilt yet, but it works really well on mini quilts.

 

 

Piano Trio Music Quilt - Piano Violin Cello Quilt Pattern | Whims and Fancies

 

Music Instruments patterns in my Shop

 

I used a very woody, low-volume setting for the Piano Trio.  I quilted a design based on an evenly-spaced, spiraling music stave.  This gives it a calm and harmonious feel, very much the way I see classical music.

 

 

Music Quilt - Guitar, Drums, Microphone Quilt Patterns | Whims And Fancies

 

Music Instruments patterns in my Shop

 

I used spirals for the rock music quilt too, but they are a lot more chaotic.  I also used bright yellow and red thread to quilt it whereas I used low-tone ecru and brown on the Piano Trio.  This little quilt has very different kind of dynamics.  It’s colourful and moody.

 

I could never choose between classical and rock music.  I love them both and they each touch my soul in different ways.  That’s how I suppose they are reflected in these two music quilts.

 

 

-Soma

 

 

 

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