unleash the power of inspiration...
Fiona Ellis
unleash the power of inspiration...
I hope that you enjoy the photos - this month I've focused on tile patterns. I love how the intersections between the tiles creates patterns within pattern just as it does with quilt blocks.
Please check back next month to find out what my latest fascination is.
See you next month
Fiona xxxx
I guess this is a "watch this space" to see where this adventure might take me.
Now here's the best part about just following something to see where it will lead you. I had picked the book because I wanted to read about apple farming in the mid 19th century (ooh just noticed the pun there). But one line in the book sent me off on a complete tangent. The family are heading into town in their cart along a well travelled route. The "road" is described, saying that they expect it to be updated with tarmacadam within the year but at that moment it is a corduroy road. A term that was completely new to me. This sent me off on a google search to find out if they were common and were they named after the fabric?
A brief search showed that they were common in the new world - which now makes me now wonder how primitive roads were made in the old world and what they were called. Or are they specific to swampy conditions. And yes it seems they were called after corduroy fabric. This information in turn has set me off thinking about ridges, especially types of ribbed fabric....
I find the world endlessly fascinating! Which leads me to want to learn about new things. Asking questions is a constant with me.
Last week it was the Hot Docs film festival here in Toronto. Sadly I wasn't able to see many films at the festival, but I really enjoyed the films that I did see. I love how documentaries make you think, think about things you have probably never stopped to think about before. Like how trends in writing obituaries for the NY Times have changed over the years - yes really - "Obit" was a really interesting film.
This curiosity of mine is what prompts me to experiment in my work. I don't think there is a week that goes by without my asking a question that begins with "I wonder what would happen if..." It's what led me to experiment with hand working into laddered stitches in my Twist Collective design Reticella. Of course not every idea works out - some take several attempts, some sit and wait until I come across another piece of the puzzle (sometimes for years), and some are totally ill conceived and give me pause to wonder what I was thinking. I'm pretty sure that this holds true for any creative endeavour.
One of the other avenues that feeds my curious mind is reading. I read mostly fiction. But I always look for something that will either take me to a time or place that I don't know much about, or something that I would love to understand better. Recently I grabbed a book from the shelf at my local library based wholly on the beautiful artwork on the cover and a synopsis that also grabbed me.
My inquisitive nature has also led me into researching several topics. My latest published article "Bathing Beauty" looks at the history of swimwear. It was inspired by a visit to the Fashion & Textile Museum in London.
You can read the article here also in the latest issue of Twist Collective.