This week's list assignment is all about ways to stay creative and inspired. I was pretty surprised at all the ways I came up with for myself.
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And I'm wondering about you. Not that you need to make a comprehensive list like I did, but would you be willing to share
one way you stay creative and inspired? Would a giveaway help?
I ordered this pretty cool fat quarter pack just for the occasion.
It's "Juicy Blossoms" by Simon + Kabuki for Quilting Treasures. 15(!) fat quarters, and all you have to do for a chance to win is answer the question, "What's one way you stay creative and inspired?" Share your secret, and I'll choose a random winner next Tuesday. And thanks for the many ways
you inspire
me!
The obvious thing would be looking at awesome photos at flickr, visiting museums etc... but I think what helps me to be creative and inspired is getting my house chores done so I can focus in my sewing and not distracted with that pile of clothes that need ironing, etc...
ReplyDeleteTerrific giveaway!
One way that I stay inspired is to keep up with my friends - they are always having great suggesstions and ideas for me, plus they frequently ask for custom orders that help me sew outside the box! Another way? I browse the sale section of my LQS for fabrics I might not have noticed the first time around, and since they're discounted, I'll buy what I normally might not have.
ReplyDeleteMy friends' blogs and Flickr help me stay inspired, as well as doing quilt alongs and trying new ideas I see online or in magazines.
ReplyDeleteI love browsing fabrics and notions and trying to see everyday things in the world as it would look as a quilt, or a bag, etc.
Thank you for visiting my LIST....You have a beautiful blog. I don't quilt so would ordinarily miss this...you have wonderful work and you have a very fun fun blog...colorful just like a quilt should be....that is because Ii love color! The best to you, keep stitching. I will forward your blog to a quilter friend of mine. Warmly Sharon
ReplyDeleteI try to take my inspiration from the fabrics themselves. I especially like recycling fabrics e.g. denim, corduroy, linen, and mixing them with new/modern prints. I have a tendency to look at a lovely shirt or dress someone is wearing and say 'oooh that would make a lovely handbag'! Many thanks for the giveaway. Jxo
ReplyDeleteI think for me, since I'm still kinda new to this, is to make sure I have small-ish projects waiting in the wings for times that I have nothing major to work on (like now!). I have nothing going right now, and I feel the creative juices slowing down!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Blogs I read, Pinterest, and my quilt guild keep me inspired. Productive, that is another thing. I don't have time to sew at the moment, but I keep a list posted on my white board of the projects I want to get done the most in my sewing room. As soon as I get a little more time to spare, I am going to set aside a night a week for "me" time. Then I can work up from there.
ReplyDeleteI'm completely inspired by other bloggers like you! I read a ton of blogs a day, then check out a bunch of Flickr groups. I save links and photos in my "quilts to make" folder.
ReplyDeleteOh, that fabric is gorgeous! I wish I had some amazing tip for staying inspired, but... nope. My only non-obvious thing is to walk. I love to hike with my dog and to clear my mind of all the everyday stuff while I'm out there. Then the important ideas can really flow.
ReplyDeleteOh, and you don't really need a dog for this, it's just more fun that way!
Lately I have been using my children as a way to stay creative and inspired. The binding on my Supernova quilt - my youngest picked out the color. The latest mug rug I made - my oldest helped with the design and colors. It is so fun to bring their teenage brains into my quilting world. :)
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what a lovely group of fabrics! I stay inspired by cruising through a number of blogs everyday. I love seeing what people are working on and get lots of ideas for my own projects!
ReplyDeleteIm inspired to finish all my UFO's this year and practice my quilting!
ReplyDeletei look at other blogs for inspiration, but what really makes my creative juices get going is to do the opposite of your second way on your list- get some fabric you would not normally use and challenge yourself to find a way to make it something you love!
ReplyDeleteFun question, and such an awesome giveaway! Love that fabric! Ummm, inspiration...other than the obvious blogs, Pinterest, etc...I like to look through catalogs like Garnet Hill, Company Store, Pottery Barn to see their color combos, bedding designs, artwork, etc. I also found that creating things for other people like in Flickr swaps is a great way to be inspired and use colors/fabrics you might not normally choose.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely give away.. My interest comes from blogs, from lots of craft magazines, and from the textiles themselves..
ReplyDeleteHands down never fail for me method of getting inspired is to look through a magazine. Usually not a crafty one but rather fashion or home or even food. I can always get inspired using this method!
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say Flickr is my biggest inspiration! I could browse the Fresh Modern Quilts group for hours. So much talent!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway!
Blogs and Flickr keep me inspired. Thanks for a chance to win!
ReplyDeleteAn inspiring list and I love the quilting photos. They are all lovely :)
ReplyDeleteI use quilt and fabric blogs and quilting books primarily. I find the pictures, fabric choices and layouts very inspirational.
ReplyDeleteI try to stay active reading blogs and participating in groups of Flickr. There is so much inspiring work going on out there, and often seeing several different things will suddenly "click" and you come up with an innovative idea all your own. :)
ReplyDeleteI like flickr and bog hopping as much as the next girl, but alot of times i'll find inspiration when i'm not looking for it, especially in retail stores, like the pattern on a notebook cover or a fun dish towel. Weird right?
ReplyDeletei definitely stay inspired by browsing flickr and my blog list, but also Ravelry. i do a lot of different crafts and often photos or certain colors in one craft will inspire another. like the colors in a handspun yarn will spur me onto a color scheme for a quilt. or a quilt block will give me an idea for a crochet blanket.
ReplyDeleteknottygnome@gmail.com
I follow blogs and flickr to get ideas. Sometimes I look through magazines or, for clothes, at kids clothes themselves. Most of them are pretty easy to make.
ReplyDeleteI will also on occasion type in what I want to make in Google (i.e. pouch) and then look at the images to get new ideas.
One way I stay creative and inspired is to always take my camera with me wherever I go to take pictures of things I think are interesting/beautiful - be it a bench or an old couple holding hands. I also try to stay current with movies, music and the like. Hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteI get tons of inspiration from blogs. When I'm trying to come up with stuff out of my own head, I have better luck if I'm doing something completely unrelated, like taking a shower or washing dishes. :)
ReplyDeleteI too am inspired by the internet - blogs and flickr mostly. But I also am inspired by colours and shapes around me, in nature, in the city, in art, everywhere. I just wish I had more time, inspiration is not an issue for me.
ReplyDeleteMy inspiration comes from the projects themselves, the person the project is for or the colors/patterns I am using. I enjoy picking out the fabric and then putting them all together and seeing the final result. My finished projects also keep me inspired to make another I am just as proud of.
ReplyDeleteAnd my biggest inspiration is YOU... your blog and new patterns you post get me excited about new quilts I can make and things I want to try!
This may sound odd, but I often find inspiration just by tidying up my craft stash. I am forgetful by nature, so tidying is like shopping all over again. I find one small thing in my stash and I have all kinds of ideas for it. It may be something I bought for a specific project, or just something I liked at the time.
ReplyDeleteI get inspired by who I am making the quilt for. I think about their personality and tastes. If I am making a quilt without someone in mind I definitely use blogs and flickr for inspiration or just seeing a fabric I love can do the trick! What a fun question for a giveaway and this fabric is really inspiring I love it!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely get inspiration from reading blogs. I also look to fabric to inspire me. Sometimes my own stash or wandering around fabric shop or browsing online. Seems my mind always has a thought about sewing and creating along with anything else I'm doing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a generous giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win! I just found Pinterest, and I love being able to "pin" all the projects I want to make and being able to see the little picture of it right there, instead of bookmarking it and loosing it in a giant list in my bookmarks folder. I'm definitely a visual person! :)
ReplyDeleteOne way I stay creative is surrounding myself with things that I love. When I see my new table runner laying on my coffee table, it makes me smile and makes me want to make more things for my home and for others. I also use my blog to help, because if I don't stay creative, I don't have anything to blog about, so it keeps me motivated. ;)
ReplyDeleteBrowsing the blogosphere is what helps keep me motivated - and wanting to update my blog with fun things that I've made helps to keep me motivated too!
ReplyDeleteI get inspired by looking at pictures on the internet, blogs and magazines.
ReplyDeleteTaking classes or working with friends helps me learn new things. I know after I took an applique class I look at fabric differently. Now I also think, would that work for a leaf, a flower or a bord's wing?
Thanks for the giveaway and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
One way I stay creative is by searching Flickr, Pinterest and other blogs for inspiration. I love to sew and make quilts, bags and small children's clothing.
ReplyDeleteI think they biggest way I stay creative is trying new things - new blocks, techniques, color schemes and learning new things - making clothes, bags, learning about photography. They all feed into one another. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteA combination of blogs, Flickr image pools and Pinterest, as many have said before me. I also like to browse online fabric stores and fabric designers and manufacturer's pages, to see what's coming. Between all of the above, it's a steady stream of new ideas, old things reinvented, tutorials and patterns to figure out how to do some things.
ReplyDeleteThen all I have to do is make time to do it, and wade through the stack of WIPs!
Thanks for the giveaway!
hmmm...well, I read way too many blogs that provide a lot of inspiration but I think the biggest inspiration is just to keep sewing and making more and more things and always having in mind what I want to make next and then the inspiration keeps flowing, that's what works for me.
ReplyDeleteI spend my coffee break (or two) every weekday reading through my blog feed and all the blogs I subscribe to. It's like flipping through a magazine full of inspiration!
ReplyDeleteourbusylittlebunch(at)hotmail(dot)com
I try to spend some time each day going through flickr groups and blogs for inspiration, and also by looking at magazines.
ReplyDeleteFlickr groups. When I find something I like I go to the maker's favorites and see what kind of goodies they like.
ReplyDeleteI stay inspired by trying new things. A new lens for my camera, a new art journal, a new knitting pattern with a technique I've never tried, are usually just the thing to keep me going, (or start me going again!). I have a sewing machine I use for repairs and small projects, but I've never tried quilting. Your blog just fascinates me! Nice work!! In fact, I would have to look up what a 'fat quarter pack' is, so don't pick me for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of craft blogs & look through craft books & magazines, but when I find a project I like, I think "but how do I make this work for me?" I also try taking workshops & classes on stuff I've never done before once in a while. Sometimes it turns into an addictive new hobby, sometimes it shapes the hobbies I already have.
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