What Happens in a Christian Studio

I recently received an e-mail from Matt Tommey, a Christian artist and coach. In it, he talked about what happens in our studio when we create with God.   It got me thinking, is this what is happening in my studio?

"Every artist knows that the creative process is supernatural.  When we create, we connect with something larger than ourselves. I don’t believe that’s magic. Rather, it’s the creative nature of God resounding in us… even if we don’t recognize it at times. And in that process, the studio becomes a sacred space for artists. Not just because we create there but because it’s the place where identity, design, and assignment converge. In the studio we embrace our position as children of God, fully loved, fully accepted, and fully able to do everything that he’s put on our hearts. In the studio, we embrace our unique design as creatives - with all our funny idiosyncrasies, sensitivities, and preferences - knowing that we do not create alone but as led by His Spirit. In the studio, we embrace our Kingdom assignment to create work (and ultimately a life) that becomes signs and wonders for all those who interact with them. In the studio, we are most alive and God is glorified because creating was His idea in the first place. It’s who He is: Creator.  Whether your studio is in your spare bedroom, your backyard, or in the local arts district, God invites us to create with Him."

I want my studio to be a place like that.  A sacred space where I meet with the creative nature of God to fulfill a Kingdom assignment. 

I have been blessed with a great studio in my basement.  But somehow, going in it and creating has become a chore and not the blessing God intends it to be.  It is time for me to rekindle my enthusiasm and joy to allow my studio to be what God designed it to be again.

• I will embrace my position as a child of God and do what He has put on my heart.
• I will embrace my unique design as a creative and create with the Holy Spirit.
• I will embrace my Kingdom assignment to create so God will be glorified.

What is your studio like?  Are you embracing it as a place to meet and create with God?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

In the studio, we are most alive and God is glorified because creating was His idea in the first place. It’s who He is: Creator.   Matt Tommey

Staying on Track

 I don't know what your workshop looks like, but mine is a mess of started projects.  I get inspired and start something new, but before it gets finished, inspiration hits again!  And a new project gets added.

I realized I needed a way to keep myself on track.  Also, I wanted to have a place to remind myself of new projects I wanted to do, without another pile of papers and fabric cluttering up my workspace.

After some research and prayer, I decided on a corkboard. Because of the shape I wanted, I made my own. I found some cork tiles at a good price, but I didn't want to attach them directly to the wallpaper. I also had a box of promotional yardsticks I could use as a frame.

So Steve got to work bringing my vision into reality.  We cut and spray painted the yardsticks.  He found some heavy cardboard that he cut to the shape we wanted.  Then he glued the cork and frame to the cardboard.  With a couple of screws, he attached it to the wall at the entrance to my studio, under my new banner.  I finished it with a declaration.

The Lord blesses the work of my hands, so everything I set my hands to prospers.

Now, every day when I go into my studio, I see what projects I have going.  Those are the ones I need to finish before I start on another one. I am reminded that there is a purpose for each of these projects and I have the grace I need to finish them.  I also have room to post new and upcoming projects. 

 I have to admit that this little board has helped keep me focused and on track.  I've even finished a few projects just so I could remove them from the board!

The Father has given us creative talents that are meant to be shared with the world.  That means projects have to be completed, so they can be placed in the hands they were intended for.  An incomplete quilt or table runner is not blessing anyone shoved aside in a corner of my studio.

And that is the ultimate goal of any quilter: to bless someone with the work of our hands.  

For me, my new corkboard is a tool to achieve that goal.  What do you use to keep your projects organized?

"You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake." Deuteronomy 15:10

Focus on Finishing

 Every year I choose one word for the year. It is sort of a guiding light, a theme, or a focal point for the year.  This year my word was FOCUS.

Focus on Finishing is my theme for December.

These frogs that live on my porch were the first project.  I made them years ago and they had gotten quite dirty and needed a makeover.

Every morning, as I went out for my coffee and time with Jesus, I would say to myself: I need to clean those up, but I never got to it.

This year as we were decorating the porch for Christmas, Steve commented they needed Christmas outfits, their summer ones were out of place with the other decorating he was doing.

I wholeheartedly agreed and promptly went to my stash to see what I could find. Fortunately, I found the original pattern, so I didn't have to design all their clothes from scratch. I was pleased to find big enough pieces of a red and white stripe with gold accents and some solid red to dress them in.  I used scraps of fur for the hats and her muff.  There was even enough to make a small banner to hang with them.

Steve was very happy with how they turned out and deemed them worthy of a place on our Christmas porch. I think these outfits will be good until Valentine's Day, just need a different banner and a heart or two. And now their summer clothes are washed and ready to go.

So far my Focus on Finishing is going good.  Besides cleaning up these frogs, I've glued a chair back together, finished a sewing project for a friend that had been started at the beginning of the year, and made a plan for finishing other UFOs in the studio.

Finishing up projects or at least having a solid plan to finish them is a great way to end the year.  Facing all those unfinished projects sitting in my studio is a creativity killer.  Seeing those small projects around the house I haven't gotten around to zaps my energy.  By focusing on finishing up those projects, I am making more time and room for new ideas and inspiration.  Finishing them didn't take much time, but the relief of not having them "hanging over my head" was very freeing.

Do you have small, unfinished projects that are zapping your creative energy?   Make December this year is your time to Focus on Finishing.  Let's all start the new year out with room for our imagination and creativity to flow.

 

Hello, quilters! 

 This vintage postcard from Graphics Fairy was in my inbox today.  What a perfect pictorial image demonstrating quilting, especially hand quilting.

Let me show you what I mean.  Quilting (thread) can be a slow process(caterpillar) that keeps us busy(bees).  But when that quilt is done and given with love, you are acting like an angel!

An angel is a messenger from God, and God's message is always one of love.  Quilting is definitely an act of love.  So let me encourage you today to keep on going.  That quilt will get finished and will be a blessing to all that experience it.

“Sewing small pieces together gives me a peaceful heart and a quilt to wrap you with, my love.” ― Benita Skinner

 The Lords Commands a Blessing on your Quilts

The Lord commands the blessing on all you set your hands to do.

As quilters, we seldom make quilts just for ourselves.  We make them to give away as a blessing for someone we care about.  Some are made to be sold, but we still want them to bless the end user.  And if we do keep them, we know we will be blessed by them.

Deuteronomy 28:8 says the Lord commands a blessing on everything on which you put your hand to.  Making a quilt certainly qualifies for that blessing!  The word blessing means to decree divine favor, mercy, or benefits that make one happy.

Quilting takes time.  I recently saw that it takes between 600 - 800 hours to complete a queen size quilt. I've never tried to track my time in hours, but that sounds close to me.  If you have a long arm quilting machine that number should decrease significantly.  However, that is still a lot of hours you are receiving a blessing!

The blessing on the work of your hand as you quilt is twofold.  First, there is a blessing as you plan, piece, quilt, and finish your project.  Each phase carries a commanded blessing as you work with your hands.

Second, there is a blessing on your finished project that you can release to the end-user.  I usually pray for the person I am making the quilt for, even if I don't know who that will be. 

As you quilt today, remember the Lord is commanding a blessing upon all the work of your hands.

A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul

 Choosing Fabrics for a Peaceable and Harmonious Quilt

Snuggling down into a handmade quilt, with a cup of coffee and a good book, can turn an average day into an awesome one.  Wrapped in that cocoon made with love, brings peace and contentment to my soul.  This is why I quilt.  I want every quilt I make, big or small, to carry love and peace to its recipient.

Achieving that goal starts with finding fabrics that will work harmoniously together to produce a finished quilt that is peaceable.  This is the most important step in creating your quilt.  This process can be daunting, and you will get overwhelmed if you overthink it.  At Hancock Fabrics, I was often called to help customers with this process.  It is also one of the most creative and fun parts of quilting!

Here is how I do it:

If you are using a pattern, use it as a guide for how many different fabrics you will need.  Most patterns will suggest which fabrics should be a small print, a large print, or a solid.

Next, decide on your main colors or a focus fabric.  I usually start with a print I like.  Then start pulling pieces that you like and think will work.  Stack fabrics together, so you can see each piece.  This is the time to let your creativity loose and be open to possibilities.  Throw in that piece of hot pink or lime green and see how it works.  Try a stripe or chevron.  You aren't making any decisions here, just tossing in potential winners.

Then start eliminating.  There will be one that you love but just doesn't flow with the others.  Be brave and save it for next time.  Continue adding and eliminating fabrics until you have what you need.  I this example I needed 7 fabrics.

Check out your choices in different lighting.  If you aren't happy with what you have in your stash, you may need to go shopping.

Unfortunately, I found what I needed in my stash.  This is what I ended up with.

Remember this is art, not an exact science.  Trust your own creativity and have fun.  There are no right or wrong choices here, just good and better ones.  If you like what you see, chances are others will like it also.

At this point, if I'm still not sure, I walk away.  Sometimes I'll make a couple of test squares and put them up on my design wall.  Then I go get a cup of coffee and take a break.  Hopefully, when I walk back into the studio, one will speak to me.  But no matter what, at some point, I have to make a choice.

Otherwise, I'll never start a quilt, much less finish one.  And the blessing God intends it to be will never be received.

Do you have a method for picking out fabrics?  Tells us about it in the comments.

"I will not buy any more fabric until I use up the stash I have at home", I said.

Then I laughed and laughed and laughed!

Pretty in Pink Quilt

Yea!  I finished a UFO! 

One of my goals is to finish the UFO's (unfinished objects) in my stash.  This one was easy to finish, just needed the binding.  So I took a break from sewing facemasks and finished this beauty.  This pretty quilt has pink flowers and fuchsia roses, framed by wine and pink paisley print.   I really love the colors in this.

As I was sewing on the binding, Isaiah 35:1.-4 came to me.  I think it is a great description of this quilt and my prayer for whoever buys it.

The desert will blossom like a rose and rejoice!

Every dry and barren place will burst forth with abundant blossoms,

Dancing and spinning with delight!

My people will see the awesome glory of Yahweh,

The beautiful grandeur of our God.

Strengthen those who are discouraged, energize those who feel defeated.

Say to the anxious and fearful:

"Be strong and never afraid.  Look, Here comes your God!

He is breaking through to give you victory!"

The backing and binding are in a coordinating dusty pink.  What a wonderful gift for a special lady, even if that special lady is you! It would also make a lovely table topper or a picnic blanket.  Use it as a throw to curl up with a book or watch TV. 

Standard shipping is free!

Size: 52 x 52

Materials used: Cotton face and backing, polyester batting, poly-cotton thread

Machine pieced and quilted

Quilt can be purchased at jodelights.com or my Etsy store.  

Beautiful things come together one stitch at a time.

Prayer for the Anointing of Bezalel

Lord, I ask for wisdom and skill, intelligence and understanding, and knowledge in skilled craft of quilting. Guide my heart and hands that I may preform this work with excellence. As the opportunity to teach others comes, I ask for the ability to teach with clarity, patience, and compassion. 

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and skill, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge in all [areas of] craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 33 and in the cutting of stones for setting and in the carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 He has also put in Bezalel’s heart [the willingness] to teach [others the same skills], both he and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do the work of an engraver, of a designer, and of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and in fine linen, and of a weaver; makers of every work and embroiderers of [excellent] designs.