06 August, 2010

Just Playing

This has been a rough few weeks for our house. As a result, not much quilting is getting done. I just can't motivate myself. I'm picking away at commissions, but I hope the recipients understand. Did I mention its been a rough couple of weeks?

Two weeks ago we had to leave town for a funeral and that necessitated a 2 day road trip, in each direction. Just prior to leaving, feeling the need for some retail therapy, I went shopping at an art store. I'd decided it was time to get some dedicated sketching materials that were all mine. Up until now, if the notion of a quilt came into brain it was usually sketched in black pen on whatever paper I could find, or with my daughters' markers on their craft paper. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it will still always happen. But it was time to treat myself a little.

And boy, could I have treated myself. I had no clue that fancy markers cost so much! I had it in my head that I would be able to get a set of about 50 colours for a pretty reasonable price. Uh, no. At least not at the store I went to. I had to settle for a set of 20, decent quality markers for a good price. I really wanted more colours, but I couldn't justify the expense, no matter how bad of a week I was having.

In the end, this was a good purchase. A smaller set means that it it all transportable. And all I really want to be able to do is to capture a notion of the idea in my head, not a precise pattern. Besides, nothing can replace actually playing with the fabric.

Then, this week, I was at the grocery store and saw a pack of 50 markers for less than $10. At first I sighed in frustration. But I've realized that the best part about my markers is that they are mine and all mine. The girls know they can't play with them.  That means I will never run out of the red.

10 comments:

PioneerValleyGirl said...

Ah, sorry to hear about your week. I hope the road smooths out a bit for you and your family.

I don't do most of the visual arts - painting, drawing, etc. - but I'm always a little dazzled by all the things I could theoretically be using (if I were the sort of person to do so) when I walk into an art store. I'm tempted to take up oil painting every time, just so I can buy tubes of pretty colors, or maybe pastels, or I could do something with clay, or... or... :)

Suzanne said...

Your special new markers are like fabric scissors in my house. Everyone knows the rules. I hope you enjoy them and put them to good use.

Lilac Barries said...

Sorry to hear about the tough couple of weeks you've had, I hope things start to look up

I've been using colored pencils for my sketching, but can never quite get the color saturation I want.I've been thinking about getting some markers. more vibrant colors. Maybe my husband will share his :-)

Rossie said...

Here's hoping the next 2 weeks are better than the last 2!

Your drawing is lovely!

Kate said...

Sorry to hear you've had a hard couple of weeks. Hope it gets better from here.

Lovely sketch, can't wait to see what becomes of it.

Laurel H. said...

Sorry to hear it has been rough; hopefully things are already getting better.

Do not stress yourself over those markers; real markers cost a lot of money. I remember trying to buy my children the Prisma thingies, and the sticker shock that made me scale WAY back. The grocery store markers cannot compare in terms of quality. Like someone else commented, they are now as valuable as your cutting scissors; they are simply not for general household use. Enjoy them. :)

MoeWest said...

Funerals are always hard so I hope you get your motivation back soon. It's good to do something just for you now and again to cheer yourself up.

Samantha said...

Hope you're doing a bit better now, and sorry to hear abt. the funeral. Sending good vibes out to you.

Enjoy those markers!! Yum!

Esch House Quilts said...

I'm sorry this is such a bad time for your family.

LOVE the quilt sketch! My girls discovered Prismacolor colored pencils years ago and put them on their birthday and Xmas lists. I begged/borrowed from them for years before I decided to put some pencils for me on MY Xmas list!

Do you have Michaels/Joanns 40% off coupons in Canada? I hope so!

Victoria said...

I'm so sorry about the rough times you have been going through, things have been a bit overwhelming here too, so I definitely identify. Buying some simple art supplies is a great way to give yourself some much needed pampering, and most likely your higher priced markers you bought are of a better quality with stronger pigment... so don't feel bad about the extra cost, it was worth it, (as are you!) Hope things lighten up soon. :0)