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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Inspiration is a Funny Thing

People ask me all the time how I get inspired. Inspiration is a funny thing....you never know when or how it might strike or manifest itself. Between storms, bad internet and power outages I did get a little sewing in. I was considering how to tackle this Roberto Capucci inspired chevron and I decided to make a maquette to experiment with some ideas. A maquette is a preliminary piece, sometimes a small version of a larger piece used as practice or a test. I learned about the concept from the Gee's Bend ladies.
I improvised another chevron from the scraps left over from the larger piece. I experimented with setting it in the background with some improvised curves....at this point I was simply practicing. I happened to put it back on the design wall upside down and there it was...a tornado. After my experience this weekend and the crazy weather in the midwest I felt compelled to go there.
That coincided with a conversation with Katie, my writing partner, and she happened to mention an idea of slicing the chevron in half. After that I started playing with making the chevron appear to rotate like the funnels we saw near our house.
The black seems to give it an ominous feel to me. 'Twister' is about 16" x 36". Quilting lines have the potential to enhance the tornadic feeling of this piece even further, but I'm not sure I want to work on it any more right now. It's weird.
The large chevron still on my design wall is taller than I am, so I still don't know where to go with that. Maybe I should make a larger version of Twister, but I'm not sure.
A reader in Monday's comments said something like could a tornado quilt be in my future...inspiration is a funny thing.

PS...I'm working on getting a winner for the Block Party book...arrg crappy internet. I'll have it as soon as I can!
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24 comments:

  1. Cheryl ArkisonMay 25, 2011 at 8:46 AM

    We need to take inspiration wherever we get it!
    Tornado or not, the curves with that chevron are awesome!

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  2. jackieMay 25, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    hope you don't mind that i added this to my "infatuation" pinterest board. wherever your inspiration comes from you really manage to create some fantastic quilts!

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  3. Live a Colorful LifeMay 25, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    you are my inspiration guru!

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  4. sukieMay 25, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    I love the colors you choose too! If I copied you would you be offended because you're a huge inspiration to me! (File that under corny but true)

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  5. beingvfoxMay 25, 2011 at 10:00 AM

    The black cuts across contrasting with the beautiful bright colors give it a very stained glass feeling. Natural destruction and old world beauty intermingled. Very poignant.

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  6. Stevens FamilyMay 25, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    I like the colors. That first one looks like a leg to me.

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  7. Alice R.May 25, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    Wow. Really cool.

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  8. PoppyprintMay 25, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    Thank you for sharing that Jacquie. It is amazing where a terrifying experience, a conversation and some experimentation can lead!

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  9. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    Funny, you and I have some of the same themes in our posts today.

    I think the slicing added movement.

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  10. SuzanneMay 25, 2011 at 1:19 PM

    Gosh, I learned a new word from you today. Thank you for maquette and for the tornado quilt. We are hunkering down and waiting for this next storm to blow through. There is a severe tornado alert in my area this afternoon. Wishing safety to everyone in its wake.

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  11. AninaMay 25, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Very striking!

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  12. monalunaMay 25, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Wow, Jacquie, this is lovely! Moody and beautiful.

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  13. SueMay 25, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    the tornados have really influences some recent quilts. your is stunning. be safe.

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  14. Gari in ALMay 25, 2011 at 6:23 PM

    Five years ago we moved from FL to AL and I had to make a quilt that is called "Flight to Alabama." It shows hurricains on a dark background. The bottom of the quilt is the beach and the top is the wooded land in AL. The quilt helped make the move I really didn't want to do, better. Maybe I need to put it on the blog.

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  15. AlisonMay 25, 2011 at 6:25 PM

    Hi Jacquie - nature is amazing in more ways than one - beauty can come from something destructive.

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  16. nikiMay 25, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    I admire you. Through reading your blog I have had the courage to let my quilt dreams soar.

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  17. PaulineMay 26, 2011 at 7:06 AM

    thats gorgeous Jacquie, I find it amazing how you can pull inspiration like that..must be a kind of therapy for you too..man, you guys have had some shocking weather...take care over there..
    cheers

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  18. Glen QuiltSwissyMay 26, 2011 at 8:06 AM

    I LOVE it!
    glen

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  19. monika@mysweetprairie.caMay 26, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    wow! I love it all sliced up. Very cool! I love original ideas. BRILLIANT
    : )
    ~Monika in Saskatoon

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  20. Esch House QuiltsMay 26, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    A beautiful story about the creative process.

    I hope the tornado on your design wall is the only one in your area for along time!

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  21. ValerieMay 26, 2011 at 7:06 PM

    Jacquie - This is amazing - that's all I can say. I'm speechless. THank you for sharing your process with us - it is inspirational!

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  22. CarolynJune 3, 2011 at 11:45 AM

    The curves with that chevron are awesome! This is lovely!

    Silver MLM

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  23. MightyMomJune 7, 2011 at 5:47 AM

    that looks fantasticly scary

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  24. Healing NaturalyJune 9, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    I actually can fell this splash of colour translated in to vibration, more uplifting than I was imagining :).
    Joy and peace x.
    Ines P

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So, what are you thinking? (please don't put links in your comments...the spam police like to grab them and hide them away! if you want to share a link, feel free to email me.