My Latest Commission

When I attended Spring Quilt Market last May, I was commissioned to create a new quilt for Rockland Industries for their booth at Fall Quilt Market. Rockland makes muslin, or what is called calico in England. Muslin is cotton fabric. It comes in both unbleached, or natural, color and bleached, or white. It also comes in many different thread counts from very loose to very heavy. This quilt used approximately 20 yards of varying thread count fabrics.

The goal was to manipulate and create texture and interest. I hand dyed some of the bleached muslin to create the color gradation. Then worked on the blocks.

The goal was to manipulate and create texture and interest. I hand dyed some of the bleached muslin to create the color gradation. Then worked on the blocks.

I will not be going to Fall Market in Houston this time, so if anyone else is going, please stop into the Rockland Industries booth to see the quilt.

By the way, I absolutely love this fabric. The quality is wonderful and it takes dye beautifully.

The Satisfaction of Completion

I have finished the major portion of the commission I have been working on. The chasuble is the piece I had the mishap with the lining!! Thank goodness for reputable fabric stores who keep good fabrics in stock and will send things quickly.

There are two pieces remaining to be completed, and I will finish them in the next week. These pieces and three others were delivered yesterday. They will be used this weekend for the Easter services, beginning Saturday night.

Each time I accept a commission, I wonder if I've lost my sanity while I'm working on it. The deadlines do help me buckle down and get things finished, but when I mess up, it creates more anxiety than I like. And yet, when the piece is completed, and I see that the "client" likes it, I am ecstatic! It's all worth it, and I will continue to accept commissions. I find them challenging and great learning experiences.

I wonder about other artists and commission work. Even though it can be anxiety producing to accept them, the reward is so great when I see their face as the work is unveiled. I'd be interested to hear what other artists think or feel about accepting commissions.

Breathing Deeply

I know that in the world of creative endeavors, there is a great possibility that what I've created or attempted to create from the vision in my head, won't work, and I'll need to start over. Many projects have ended up in the waste basket, but I have learned from the mistakes. That's why I try to give myself extra time to work on things when there is a deadline involved. Even so, I've lived the past few years with the horrible fantasy of mis-cutting something right before a deadline, and having to order fabric to finish the commission. I just kept telling myself that if I were very careful, it wouldn't happen.

Well, it's happened! I miscalculated, my pattern slipped, and I don't have enough fabric to re-cut the pieces. I have one week to deliver this work. I have ordered more fabric and am hoping upon hope it arrives within 2 days. It was either that or pay as much as the fabric is worth to have it sent over night. I'm just thankful it isn't the night before, and also thankful that it's the lining rather than the top, which is where all the fancy stuff has been completed. I'm trying to look at the bright side. I'm also trying not to panick. That wouldn't be helpful.

So, I'll focus my energy on the companion pieces until the new fabric arrives, and breathe deeply, in and out.