I didn’t do one of those 2013 quilt goal posts. Because frankly, my 2013 goal for January was “don’t die.”
But when The Girl Who Quilts (whom I recently started following; a good quilty choice to add to your Reader!) posted a link-up about her FEBRUARY quilt goal? Well. Resolutions and goals that start in February are something I can totally get behind, because I am perpetually behind.
Here’s my February goal: make a quilt without a pattern, and without a photo “inspiration” mined from flickr/Pinterest/blogland.
I find originality the hardest part of quiltmaking. I’m not an artistic or creative person. In fact, I’m drawn to quilting because I’m drawn to order. (If you’ve seen my apartment please don’t laugh.) I’ve assumed that an ability to be original would come with quilt experience, but it’s been three years this month, and I’m still struggling not to copy other quilters’ quilts. Lately I’ve been conscience-stricken, and I know I can do better about making designs that are mine.
So, with originality in mind, and making strides in the “cut your good stuff” department, I started my next quilt yesterday. I know! Flying Geese! So original!
BUT I’ve wanted to make a FG quilt since I first started quilting, and since I saw Alison Bechdel’s drawing of a childhood FG quilt in her memoir Fun Home. The same quilt shows up again in Are You My Mother?. Time to make some geese fly.
I have some ideas for making this my own, so I think it qualifies as not just copying Bechdel’s drawing. We’ll see if we all agree that I’ve succeeded at originality!
PS Using this tutorial to make 4 at once. They’re turning out great, just look at those points (gloat) and I don’t want to die just yet.
PPS hit that Girl Who Quilts button up there, stop by her blog, and check out the other February challenge participants!
