Sunday, February 24, 2013

Odds & Ends & Frustrations Turned Into Designs

The Odds & Ends
I've been collecting snippets (as Kathryn White calls them). My snippets are prototypes, color swatches, experiments (or failed attempts), and general odds & ends that I accumulate and keep. I keep them mostly because I can't throw them away--it just doesn't feel right to part with them.

I had these circles of color that I whipped up and decided to play around with joining. I might be on to something.
Experiment with joining
This motif was an experiment that didn't quite work. I kept tweaking it, of course, until I got it the way I wanted it to be. It has since been turned into a completed design that I wish I could show you, but hopefully some day you'll get to see it as a published design.

An experiment that didn't quite work

Frustrations
I do find it a bit frustrating that I shouldn't show you what I'm actually designing. If I do have a design I intend to self-publish then I will share. For now I shall vent my frustrations by showing some blurry images of the previous two pictures, as I could probably show a blurry image like these of my current and future designs.


Blurry green and gray blob

Glowy neon-like orbs
Frustrations Turned Into Designs
This past month I had my third cold of the season--an unusual experience for me as I typically do not get sick so many times. Once is typical, but three times has me wondering if my immune system hibernated. Anyhow, during the worst of my coughing fits and Nyquil-induced-mild-inebriation (it is 10% alcohol) I was having the most difficult time working out the edging for my latest accomplishment. I even resorted to geometry to assist me. (Which did help so I need to find a geometry or math teacher and let them know I finally did find a use for it.) Eventually as my brain sobered up from all of the cold medicine I found the right combination of stitches. I felt like a rube because it was pretty obvious and simple once I found the winning combo. It seems designing it all about trying, experimenting, being frustrated, and turning that frustration into a design.