Creativity in the Time of COVID-19`

My blog has long been slumbering.  I've been busy, but the blog hasn't reflected it.

How are you doing?  That is what is on everyone's minds, what we ask each other.  The new buzzwords of our current situation are "pivoting", "be safe", etc..

My experience of the COVID-19 quarantine has been fairly typical of other creatives:  initially, I was unable to stay focused on anything that required much cerebral input.  My thoughts would easily scatter.  I think that was how I was manifesting my own anxiety and uncertainty.  I have been sharing this on Instagram, and I decided to stop worrying about it and just "do something":

So....gardening:

cooking...

 zooming (here with a weekly guild gathering)...

mask-making......

Constructing quilt patterns:

this is "Hunt", a pattern for hand-applique by 

Carolyn Friedlander

"Cabin Fever", a pattern by Joanna Marsh of

Kustom Kwilts (pattern coming soon)

made with my newly-announced line called

"Warehouse District", by Wishwell, a division of Robert Kaufman

And this one is still underway:

The "Proverbial Quilt" pattern by Denyse Schmidt 

made with more Warehouse District Fabric

I'm not following the layout but I am using her letter templates.

My quote is "We Are All Bozos On The Same Bus".

Seems apt for the times.

Here is a peek at the new collection:

I would normally be introducing the new collection at the Spring Quilt Market, which was to have been last weekend in Pittsburg PA.  Due the the quarantine, market was cancelled.

I'm thrilled about this line, which includes 15 prints on Pimatex cotton, 9 prints on cotton-linen Essex, 3 prints on 108" wideback cloth, and an assortment of cotton lawn prints.

The collection will be shipping to your favorite quit shop in August or September, depending on the manufacturing situation.  Print images available (copied from the Robert Kaufman website) below:

I hope you will look for it.  I can tell you have have been truly enjoying working with the collection.  I love combining the beautiful pimatex with the essex prints.  If you have never tried making something with Essex, you will love it!  The cloth gets softer and softer when washed.  It feels like linen and "behaves" like cotton, with far less raveling than pure linen.  I love it.

Here are a few of the objects made with Warehouse District:

Warehouse District Pimatex Cotton:

Warehouse District Essex:

Warehouse District Wide-Back Fabrics:

Here is the collection of prints on Cotton Lawn: