Some more on process ...

In the busyness of life with three kids, trying to get a quilt done and packing for our ever approaching move, I finally got a scrapbook page done. It took me about 5 sittings to get it done (5 minutes here and 5 minutes there.) I have been considering my artistic process ever since this post ... here's what I've come up with so far:
1. I feel the itch to create something, and I have a moment of time.
2. I look for inspiration. For quilting it is flckr and blogs, for scrapbooking it is usually the Designer Digitals gallery (and my favorites).
3. I run with my inspiration. Sometimes it's a color, sometimes a topic but usually design elements.
4. I make the scrapbook page or quilt. If it's a scrapbook page I usually start and finish it in one sitting if I have enough time, and if I only have snippets of time it is done within two days. Otherwise I get bored with the project and move on. I never seem to go back to it once it's saved and put in my project folder. It needs to be in my face when I turn on the computer or it's forgotten). If it's a quilt I work on it for weeks (a small quilt) or months (a large quilt) ... this is always snippets of time when ever I can get it. I find apprehension about what direction I want to go in often slows down my quilting progress. On my first quilt I was apprehensive to start each phase:
a) cutting out the fabric (it was just so pretty and expensive I didn't want to make a mistake)
b) sewing the quilt top
c) sewing the back
d) making the quilt sandwich (top, batting and backing)
e) quilting (this is where I'm stuck right now because I'm still deciding if I want to stiple it or straight line quilt it. I've been given the option to do whatever I want by my friend who has commisioned the quilt).
f) sewing on the binding (this is a skill that I need practice on ... especially the corners. Every quilt I learn something new with this part.)
g) washing ( I know that sounds funny but it took me months to wash my first quilt. MONTHS! I didn't want to hurt the quilt .... if the end I learned that I should not wash the batting prior to quilting it - although I do wash all the other fabric - because I like how much more the quilt crinkles when the batting is unwashed.)
So that's my process. One other thing ... in quilting I have a rule. Don't start a new quilt until the last one is finished. I do not want a whole bunch of unfinished quilts lying about making me feel guilty. I have broken that rule to make this commissioned quilt, BUT, even though I have at least four quilt ideas floating around in my mind, I will be going back to the quilt I'm making for our master bedroom.