Sunday, December 19, 2004

How to Start a Quilt

1. Plug in the iron to prepare the precious fabrics chosen yesterday for the quilt project finally being launched today.

2. Put away the chosen fabrics. Check email, feed cats, eat almonds, make tea. Pull out box of the fabrics just dyed for workshop students. Select eight possibilities.

3. Plug in the space heater, since it is 12 degrees farenheit outside and the studio is also freezing.

4. Have a cup of tea and rummage through sketchbook, art magazines and Quilt National catalogs, looking for answers, layouts, clues, permission.

5. Recognize the sound of the circuit breaker blowing from iron and space heater being on the same line. Unplug both and try to open circuit breaker box to restart circuit.

6. Use screwdriver attempting to pry open circuit breaker box. Move several pieces of furniture, and sewing machine to get closer to circuit breaker box.

7. Spill tea.

8. Get larger screwdriver to try and pry open circuit breaker box. Curse Wally the electrician, while bending door to said box, remove bent latch, flip switch and cover bent door with framed poster of my AQS Best Wall of 1995.

9. Move space heater and plug in again.

10. Have another cup of tea.

11. Decide to just iron all the fabric pieces and then apply fusible.

12. Decide to use old fabric sketch as the layout.

13. Beseech the Almighty, again, for creative help .

14. Make the first cuts.

15. Breathe sigh of relief.

The Fabric Sketch