I just can't wrap my head around creativity and speed at the same time... :o I'm working on the latest Quilting Arts Readers Challenge so it'll be a bit before I take up the challenge here, but will follow them with interest in the meantime. Are you open to unsolicited theme suggestions via PM?

Here's the info on the QA challenge if anyone is interested.
http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/c...challenge.aspx

ghostrider, good luck on the QA Readers Challenge and thanks for the link. Yes to theme suggestions! The more the better. :)

You all inspire me!!! I am just not creative enough.....YET!

Kyia

Not a dumb question - Inquiry is the spice of life!

A journal quilt is a quilt, usually small, that reflects a time, day, moment in the makers life. Sort of like a diary is a written memory of how you feel or experienced the day and journal quilt does that visually. Others may have their description but that is mine.

Hi ALL! Thought I would throw out some topic ideas for discussion and elaboration on our monthly themes;

1. Leaves or plants you love, expressed anyway you like including shapes, color, texture
2. Take an important word for you, say 'love', look it up in google in another language(s). It is 'encanta' in Spanish for instance. This can add such inspiration to a concept. In some way incorporate these letters of characters in graphics in a quilt. ie; applique letters in the borders, paint some fabric, use commercial fabric with letters,whatever.
3. The 'music of my life' What is your favorite piece? Beethoven's 5th, song from your wedding? Portray it somehow.
4. How about something you are frightened of? Spider,Fire, Tsunami? (Might help you get over it to have to study up and portray it)
5. 'Curves' these can be so much easier than people think. The you-tube video demo done by Alicia Merritt & the Ricky Tims ideas show how even beginners can play with these and make gorgeous goodies.

I am sure that you guys have some great ideas out there.

It's been a while since I posted to this thread, and I didn't subscribe, so I didn't know about the challenge that started in March. It's time I started my journey towards art quilting, and I think I will do March's challenge before starting April's.

Thanks for the time and thought you're putting into this, Junebug.

Off to plot and plan. Photos as soon as I get something geometric made!

Your art quilts are very unique. I totally agree with your statement - "There are no rules..." Once I realized that (several years ago) it was liberating and I have enjoyed the process so much more than before. Now I want to push the art quilt and mixed media envelope - there are no limits!
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Not only does a home look better with quilts on the walls but it sounds better too!

Oh my goodness! That orchid is AMAZING!
Can you describe how you got the colors so true and blended?

Oh...I just realized I did a geometric piece in March! Photos and description later today.

love that earth Q
 

Love the opposites so thoroughly depicted in that one. Looking forward to more of your work.

March and April challenge photos
 

Ok up for viewing and comments--please give suggestions for improvement....otherwise how can I get better?

First one is the 'Geometry'
Was playing with Alicia Merritt's technique of doing gentle curves then re-cutting several times. Also wanted to play with overstuffing the blue and wine parts. Love the curve and re-cut technique. Found the overstuffing a challenge to quilt around as the areas wanted to pucker up and wrinkle and do all sorts of unhealthy things. Tried q'ing round all other flatter areas 1st and also tried q'ing around the puffy parts first. Neither seemed satisfactory. And I should really now stuff them a little more thoroughly perhaps but then the whole Q won't hang right. It won't lie flat now. Anyway played with this and am not sure it is a technique I will use much. But it was tried. and small amounts could be useful for texture

Black white & Color (Red)
Love b&W and wanted to portray both the strict rigidity of a composed music score in the block thus using many of my pre-printed music fabrics as well as the sinuous flowing lines of what that set of geometric lines becomes once played in the quilting lines.