x and +

A few weeks ago, Rachel at Stitched in Color, posted a process for defining your artistic style. It just happened to pop up in my reader at a good time. I was struggling with some projects that just weren't singing to me...and I had a few minutes on my hands.

 

So, I pulled out some paper and worked through the steps. Bottom line...it worked! And here's what I learned...

 

I focused on my quilting/sewing style and discovered that I tend to flip for:

* scrappy

*colorful

*intricate

 

And the best news, this information is helping me look more critically at trends and sew-alongs and swaps etc. Instead of trying out any old craze I come across and leaving a gazillion projects unfinished, I would much rather focus more time and energy on things that I'm going to love (and therefore, hopefully finish). Even if those projects end up being more complicated or time consuming, they are worth it if I actually get'er done.

 

So...I'm officially letting myself off the hook for Scrappy Trip Along...no more self-pressure on that one. It's colorful and scrappy, but doesn't have that intricacy that gives it wow power in my eyes. Don't get me wrong...they're gorgeous...just not my thing. And I'm becoming ok with that.

 

On the other hand...the x and + craze is right up my alley. Scrappy, colorful, and with an intricacy of appearance that makes it sing. (It's all about projects singing to me...fabric can sing, colors can sing, patterns can sing...you get the picture). Opportunities for fussy cutting, angles, and a general "looks harder than it is" appearance...all add up to great harmony!

 

 

Here's my first attempt...and yes, I took the time to make sure all the text was facing up. That's the kind of thing that elevates a project in my eyes, so it's worth it to me. Probably not so much to the rest of the world:)

 

So...go figure out you style and let me know what projects, sew-alongs, etc. and singing to you!