Posted on July 14, 2010 by Luana

This last weekend we had a memorial service for my stepdad, and my brothers were visiting for a few days. Sophie and I invited my niece Katie to spend Sunday afternoon in my studio, teaching her how to sew and make a quilt top.

I brought a few packages of strips, and let her pick out two that she liked. She picked out a package of 30's prints, and another package of batiks and hand-dyes. We got her set up up on Sophie's old machine (the one she used before she got her kid-sized Bernina "Bernette") and got Katie sewing strips together, learning as she sewed.

Several hours later, the girls triumphantly held up a completed quilt top. I got the biggest smiles when I got out the video camera to capture the moment. Katie started out thinking she wanted to be a fashion designer (my old career) but I think a quilter was born Sunday afternoon in my basement studio. How appropriate, because this is also where eQuilter was born in March of 1999. Whatever she does with her new sewing skills, it will grow from the moment of excitement when she held up the completed quilt top that she sewed herself.

That evening, when the girls showed off their giant quilt top at the family dinner, my mom commented that Katie was just glowing with pride and happiness. I took quite a bit of video footage during the afternoon, so we'll be putting together a little video about the 3 of us girls making a quilt top in my basement!

Teaching children how to sew is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done – their unabashed joy and enthusiasm charges me up and I am ready to go light a Creative Fire in my studio afterward. This past year, every time I have a chance to speak to a group of quilters, I talk to them about mentoring a young quilter or teaching kids' sewing classes. It is up to all of us to mentor and teach the next generation of fabric lovers.

If you have an extra sewing machine, set it up next to yours and invite a young person to sit beside you, dig through your stash, and make a simple quilt top in a day. The seed you sow will grow far beyond the shining face that is next to you in that moment!

KatieQuilt

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Posted on July 11, 2010 by Luana

Simplicity in a Complex World –
The more complicated things get in this crazy world, the more we crave simplicity. When we started our business, the internet was relatively new and for many quilters the whole dial-up thing (remember the sound of the modem connecting to the internet?) was a novelty.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, perhaps you saw the article I posted earlier this week, about more high speed internet access being planned for rural areas.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/technology/10broadband.html?_r=1&src=tptw

In other news this week, there were stories about how many communities are having to cut back on their library funding, which is where many Americans have gone for internet service if they don't have their own computer.

I've found recent articles about internet access being a "right" very interesting – as many groups are calling for the US to get involved with making internet access available to all – or at least to more people – as it is in many places in Asia and Europe. In many cases to get a job one has to submit a resume or fill out an application online – i.e. can't get the job unless they have internet access.

Obviously if you are reading this, you have *some* kind of internet access. We have quilters from all over the world who write to us, to let us know they are so grateful to have a service such as ours. The last year when I traveled overseas so much, I met many quilter friends in person for the first time, with whom I'd been friends for many years! I still find that so amazing.

Next April I'll be taking a group of quilters to visit some other friends – Princess Mirah and her husband Carl Burman in Bali!

http://sewmanyplaces.com/tours/bali_0411.html

The trip is starting to fill up so if you are interested in joining us (and visiting Mirah's palace and batik factory) please contact Sew Many Places about a payment plan.

http://sewmanyplaces.com/contact.html

You can read more about Mirah's company Bali Fabrics (whose fabrics we carry) on their website.

http://www.bali-fabrics.com/shop/

This weekend we have family visiting for my stepdad's memorial service. When we all come together for weddings, memorials, and graduations, we are reminded of how precious each day is… and how it is the simplest things in life that bring us the greatest joy and the deepest sense of peace.

.. like a needle and thread and a quilt in your lap….

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Posted on July 7, 2010 by Luana

I have a lot of admiration for people who just put themselves out there to share their creative expression – independent of whether they are appreciated or even noticed. Whether we are talking about Michelangelo freeing the sculpted figure from the giant block of marble, or the street musicians who take out their instruments and start playing, the urge is the same.

It is an inner urge to share, to create, to express something that can't necessarily be put into words.

This time of year as our senses are full of luscious seasonal smells, tastes and colors… we can simply become a channel to take in that inspiration and then let it out in a quilt, in a piece of fiber art, or in a detailed embellishment.

So what is the equivalent of going on the street, taking out your instrument, throwing down your hat, and just playing your heart out?

Go spend time with your stash. Play with your fabric, audition various combinations, look for unintended happy consequences, and then come back to it in a day or a week with a fresh eye.

Be the accordion player, with your hands full of music and stars. Paint the street with a rainbow of notes, and then dance in the stardust that falls at your feet.

PearlStDuo2W

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Confessions of an Info-Maniac

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Luana

Originally posted June 26, 2010

Too much information.

These days I often feel overwhelmed by the overflow of information that is
funneling towards me through all the different channels of the media,
including my computer.

And yet… I LOVE information. I voraciously read, browse, observe and
devour as much as I can every day, because I love to learn more about the
world around me. It is part of my creative process – exposing myself to
lots of images and information every chance I get. It is what charges me up
and gives me a creative fire and Lifeforce… which is expressed throughout
my day. Whether you call it Chi or Prana, creative energy or ants in the
pants, it is an energy we tap into physically, mentally, emotionally and
spiritually.

So what to do with too much information, too many emails, too many phone
calls, etc?

I have to be honest with you – I am still working it out. It is one of the greatest personal challenges of this era for many, but I can share what works for me. (so far!) People always ask how I do so many different things, and the answer is this:

Set Goals, Make Lists of Things To Do, and Prioritize!
(and in between – meditate, take naps, have lunch with a friend, or do something spontaneous and silly!)

Not including spam (which I get rid of at work with Spam Arrest)
I get several hundred emails every day on 3 different accounts. Actually I
think I have 5 accounts but that is another story!

I check email often, and I delete often. If I am getting spam at home I use
Message > Block Sender. I subscribe to a lot of news services, quilt lists
and art newsletters, so I flag them and read them at night when I have more
time. I also have set up a system of folders in Outlook Express, and many emails/lists are automatically filed into their designated folder, instead of going straight to the Inbox. (with Message Rules) I have
about 30 folders, and each folder has 10-30 subfolders. This way if I want
to save something for future reference, I know it is there and I don't have
to stress about looking at it immediately. One of my folders is for eQuilter
newsletters – with about 600 newsletters (11 years' worth) stored there.

Being an Info-maniac has its pros and cons. Some of the most powerful
keynote speakers I have heard at big conferences, have said that part of
their secret to success is to read voraciously – to be an Info-maniac. When
you are in the Visual Arts – as we are – you also LOOK at as much art,
color, photography, and other visual stimuli as possible. The internet has
opened up these possiblities beyond our wildest dreams! (although there is
still NOTHING like standing in front of a Michelangelo or other great art
masterwork for a pure jolt of creative "Aha" juice!)

So how do I manage all this information? I am a supreme LIST maker. I
re-prioritize my list every day. I don't beat myself up for the myriad of
things I don't accomplish at the end of each day… I just re-prioritize for
the next day. I knock off several things from my list of things every day. I
also add things to my list every day, and I write down new tasks/goals at the time I
first think about them or talk about them. I am pretty obsessive about this. Even
though I write them down, that doesn't mean they are going to start life at
the top of my priority list. They get to go through the daily Priority Shuffle along with everything else on my list of things to do.

The way that I schedule in tasks each day is to enter them all on my schedule, on my phone, and slot them into possible times they can be accomplished. Every night I delete what was accomplished, and re-prioritize for the next day.

Creative time, self-nurturing time, and sometimes just plain ole sanity time gets scheduled in too, or these things never happen. Asking for help and delegating when possible is great if you are juggling work and art, or if you are a parent.

What are your tips for managing time, and handling the precious but overwhelming tide of Information available to all of us these days?

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Creative Nudge – Joy

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Luana

SamDance

This was originally posted June 23, 2010

Joy.

Pure unadulterated spontaneous Joy.

That's what it feels like when I am in the Creative Zone.

Everyone has their own way to get there, and some of us take the long road
because we are not confidant in our own creativity. Some of us were told as
children, to color inside the lines, use the "right" colors, and follow the
rules.

Have you ever seen a young child who is given art supplies and told to have
fun? Make a mess? Use every color?

Yes there are days when I am convinced the glass is half empty, not half
full….but those are the days I need to be alone, organize my studio (i.e.
organize my head) and see what bubbles up. I spread out everything on the
table, I play with different combinations of colors and mediums, sometimes I
mix everything up so I can see some random unintended tangle of
brilliance…. and then a little light goes on…..

Some creative people have to go to classes to let it loose. Some creative
people have a fire in their belly that must be expressed somehow every day,
like the flame that blasts into the top of a hot air balloon. Some feel the
creative fire within and are afraid… hiding and holding it in. Some people
like to talk about it instead of going into the studio or sitting at the
sewing machine and just DOING it.

This is why it is very interesting to hang out with groups of creative
people. Hanging out with quilters is great, but it is also informative to
hang out with painters, graphic designers, musicians, dancers, writers,
actors… you get the idea. Why? Because they all have a story about dancing
with their Inner Creative Genius. It is their Inner Child all grown up with
a passion and purpose burning within.

But we talk ourselves down from the branches of the big tall tree called
Vision.

Why do we do that?

When we climb up into that tree and look off into the distance, first we
clear our heads, and then we feel that Joy. We can see what is coming, off
on the horizon, and that Sneak Peek sends shivers of delicious anticipation
through our bodies.

Then we can pick up that needle and thread, that paintbrush, that journal,
and let it flow.

My wish for you today is that you can find the time to go climb a tree.

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Creative Nudge – Those Darn Color Rules

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Luana

I hate being told what to do, don't you?

As one of the younger Boomers, I come from an era when we still got way too much direction on what colors to wear, when to wear them, which colors were acceptable and which were taboo.

As a young adult this just infuriated me. How dare "they" classify all of us into large herds of women who could only choose apparel from a set palette of colors? The nerve! I made a point of finding out what was my "season" and then avoided those colors for years.

It is true that certain colors will make us look (and feel) better, but it is also true that those colors can change yearly, monthly, even daily. After studying the Psychology of Colors, I realized that I was choosing colors each day based on an intuitive feeling about my state of mind, my physical health, and what I expected for that day. (A stressful day? A romantic day? A creative day?)

I also became fascinated with how the Psychology of Color helped to explain the Mass Consciousness of color trends. As the years went by and I worked in the fashion industry, I saw the patterns emerge that would link certain color trends with the economic, political and cultural swings of the public. How fascinating is that?!

Today we have Redheads wearing Bright Pink, (see my photo above from Tokyo Disneyland, with her creative use of polka dots & pink Minkee!) White being worn after Labor Day, Orange and Yellow being worn by everyone, and lots of other stuffy old color rules being broken without a second thought. Color combinations that strike us as bizarre initially, can grow on us and eventually become our favorites. (Remember the first time you saw turqoise and brown together?)

As quilters, we are subject to the same old unconscious color prejudices. A lot of quilters are more uptight about their quilt color choices, than their fashion color choices! We go to quilt shows and look at quilt magazines, and fall into a sleepy haze of sameness, using colors that are familiar and safe, classic and neutral. That's ok, but after awhile the Creative Quilter starts chomping at the bit and looking around for something that makes a bolder statement.

I believe that if we strip away our expectations and rules, and look at color from our heart, we are drawn to the colors that express the emotions we are feeling, or the emotions we would like to experience. We crave certain colors, the way our bodies crave certain nutrients. Maybe we are not ready to feel a powerful emotion like passion or anger, but we are instinctively drawn to Red because it helps us to access that feeling on a deeper level. Maybe we are craving peace but are unable to "let go", so we bring in the colors of tropical waters to soothe us in the meantime.

Sometimes we arrange a palette of neutrals and add in a "pop" color. Hey, that's ok. Sometimes that is how we have to try out a crazy or dangerous color in a safe way. Then maybe we get brave and try that same pop color with black, or even with the complementary color. Playing with color and auditioning fabrics from your stash can be more fun than making the quilt, because we get to try on different feelings with each color combination.

Here's a create nudge for the next week:

Spend some time with your stash, or with our Color Palette, and see if you can identify a color that you've avoided in the past, but you are attracted to now. Play around with this color with your stash, or on our Design Board. Audition the color with neutrals, then with similar/analogous colors, and finally with crazy contrasting colors. How do the different color combinations make you feel? Is it your head or your gut that disapproves of a particular color pairing? Do you experience a moment of recognition when the perfect combination drops into place, and you catch yourself saying out loud – "Aha!" TokyoDisney

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Newsletter Message – Creative Mentoring

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Luana

This was originally posted June 12, 2010

COLOR is a Trend.
Did you know that?

It used to be that household appliances could only come in black, white or metal color. Now color is used to market everything from espresso machines to vacuum cleaners.

It's cool to be Colorful.

Color specialists at big corporations make multi-million (or multi-billion) dollar decisions about what colors will sell their products. If you had to decide which 3 colors to choose for a million backpacks, which 3 would you choose?

This last week I attended the HOW Design Conference which is put on by the graphic design magazine of the same name. What it was really about for me, was inspiration, trends, and how to live the life of a Creative.

Did you know that "Creative" is a noun now? Creatives are people who make their living being creative. There are 40,000 students in the US now, who are studying graphic design. I find that very exciting. They will need mentoring though, because being a Creative and being a Professional can sometimes be at odds.

I mean, isn't the Starving Artist a cliche, because creative people have a hard time being business people too? It doesn't have to be that way – artists can come up with insanely creative ways to market themselves – with a little confidence.

What I found most inspiring at the conference was the message from the director of AIGA – that it is up to the Creatives of the world to design a better world, and implement these ideas for the public. If we can envision solutions, we can help create and actualize those goals.

I know that a lot of young people throughout the ages have been discouraged from pursuing creative careers because they don't make enough money; but now there is a greater goal for Creatives – to be an agent of change in a world that needs a new Vision.

After spending 4 days with a group of mostly 20-somethings and 30-somethings, and seeing how they responded to this message, I am even more fired up about the idea of Mentoring. I can't personally mentor thousands of young people, but I know that many of you feel the same way, and together we can be agents of change in a changing world.

So… it starts with all of us finding a young person to mentor and teach how to sew. In my case, Sophie and I are making quilts for orphans in Haiti and Africa. We are also starting on the idea of designing and making one's own garments, and she's picked out a hand-painted dragon batik panel to incorporate into the back of a quilted jacket. I am teaching her that whatever she can dream, she can create.

I'd like to start a dialogue about Mentoring and Creativity, and if you'd like to add your ideas, please post your thoughts.

If you subscribe to the eQuilter newsletter,
https://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/ur_registerform.html
you probably saw my Creative Nudge which was sent out Weds, and judging by the huge positive response, I'll be preparing some more creative ideas to share with you on Wednesday evenings.

I'm thinking about visiting our quilty friends in Australia or New Zealand in December, or next year. Got any suggestions?

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Creative Nudge – Make Make Make

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Luana

StonehengeBunny
This was originally posted June 10, 2010

This week I've been attending a Design conference in Denver, and it has been such an amazing experience that I just had to share it with you!

As a creative person, I am constantly exposing myself to visual stimulation, and interaction with other passionately creative people. As our industry reaches out to those in their 20s and 30s, hoping they will inject new ideas and new energy into the quilting and sewing world, I am seeking out the hotbeds of raw youthful creative talent to just see what these young people are up to! (Now that I am over 50, I can call them Young People. Ha!)

One of the presentations I attended was given by a prolific artist/designer named Mike Perry. No you won't see his work in the quilting industry, but he started as a graphic artist with Urban Outfitters, and more recently has worked freelance with big name corporations. However what he is known for is obsessively "Making Stuff" which was the name of his presentation. He literally makes art every day. A LOT of art. He draws, paints, constructs and deconstructs, makes books and videos and zines, has gallery exhibits and collaborates with other artists and photographers. The large audience sat in silent awe as he clicked through his Power Point images and videos, making self-deprecating jokes but obviously confidant about his creative process.

When someone in the audience asked him how to get past a creative block to get started, Mike said basically, "Just do it. Just make things. Make art. Make make make." He suggested – to a young digital artist – to just go into an art supply store, buy what one is attracted to, then go home and get to it.

Seems so simple, right?

Now you are probably wondering why I have started off here with a photo of a bunny, green grass, and rocks.

This is a zoom photo I took at Stonehenge (England) in March.

I took a ton of photos as we walked all the way around the circle of monoliths, but this shot was my favorite. Why? Because it captured a unique moment in that iconic setting. There was something about this image that really inspired me. Today when I was at the design conference, I thought about this image. I felt like I was a bunny in the middle of the buzzing energy of the ancient stones. Just hangin' out with the Buzz.

So I invite you to go hang out in a place that gives you a Creative Buzz, and then just go make stuff.

Do it today.

It's good for your soul.

Luana

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