Saturday, March 14, 2009

Migraines and left brain/right brain

I got up with a migraine yesterday. The good news is that they only last about 8 hours now compared to 3 days like they used to. When I have a migraine my thinking is fuzzy so I usually will try to do some dummy work just to stay busy since I can't concentrate on anything else. Remember these piles of pieces I cut from the irregular shaped scraps? I took the pile of triangles and divided them into lights and darks and pieced them together. You can see they aren't perfect triangles, just triangular shaped scraps.
After I pieced them together I cut them down into 2.5" squares.
Then I took any of them that there were 4 of and made pinwheels. As you look at this picture with them on my white flannel design wall, imagine them pieced with white fabric as the alternate square. But wait, I don't use white as fill in very often........
I remembered the Kaffe Fassett fabric pinwheel quilt* that I made a couple years ago and the fill in fabric was busy with circular designs. How about this batik print to imitate that style?
This is what the fabric looks like so you can see that with a strip cut across the fabric I got several different colors.
I wasn't sure if I was going to use it as the setting triangles so I took the ends of the strips and cut some triangles to see. Yes, yes, yes, this is ME!
And here it is all sewn together. Now I just have to decide whether I want a narrow dark border and more of the busy print as an outer border, or just bind in a dark color. It is approx. 24" x 30". You can see that I like to cut my setting triangles too big so that it floats the center design.
Now there is that left brain/right brain theory out there and since I am so math oriented I figured I didn't have my creative brain working as often because I stifled it with my logical half. Now I think I realize that the logical half is the one that goes fuzzy with the migraines and the other half just keeps on working. Could I have made this without a migraine? Yes, and it might have been more subdued.
*If you are interested you can go back to this post and see the Kaffe pinwheel quilt that I made.

23 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow!! You certainly work well with a migraine. I usually have to lay down in a dark room and sleep. You are absolutely creative! I do love the fabric you chose for the setting squares and triangles, much better than white.

Anonymous said...

Cool, I like it. Way to use the scraps. Hannah

Vicki W said...

You do amazing work with a migraine! When I get one I just take an Imitrex and go back to bed. Maybe I should try sewing. LOL!

Kay Koeper Sorensen said...

Really wonderful work.
And really early post - before I even got up!
K

goodworks1 said...

Was it a left-sided migraine? I used to always get right-sided ones...I could only do rote work during those.

We've been having a somewhat related discussion at Pattern Review, http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/sewingclasses/board.pl?t=38713 . I thought of you as I read.

And yes, I very much like your pinwheel setting fabric. And thanks for pointing out the oversized setting triangles.

Elaine

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

wonderful use of color and scraps!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

Unknown said...

Love it! Thanks for sharing.

Elsie Montgomery said...

Interesting what happens to you with a migraine. I've never had one yet sympathize with those who do... after seeing this, maybe I should be envious!

It would be super if you never had another migraine, but please don't ever become "more subdued"!

Fabric Fanatic said...

It is clear to me that you are able to create the most lovely quilts under the most adverse circumstances...well done! I couldn't have done it. I've had a sinus headache since yesterday and can't do much other than moan and groan...lol. I hope we both get better.

Cathi said...

The pinwheel quilt is fantastic!!! Glad your migraine brought that about but sorry you had one.
I wonder if it's because we're working in a very basic mode with migraines and don't analyze what we're doing too much that results in something marvelous like your pinwheel quilt? Whatever it is, you sure made something fabulous!

Vicky F said...

Hi Wanda,
Migraines are no fun, that's for sure.
But look what you did with your "found" triangle pieces. Wow. And I like the setting fabric a lot. It definitely shows what happens visually when that type of fabric is cut up vs. in a big hunk.
Vicky F

Kristin L said...

Like Vicky, I just go back to bed. You seem to get a lot more out of your migraines than us! Anyway, that's a fun little quilt. I'd keep the energy going and take all the other half square triangles to make a sawtooth border like on one of your recent quilts and then border that with a thin jewel tone and finally a busy print. Or I'd border the whole thing in piano keys/chinese coins. Clearly, I don't know when to stop. ;-)

meggie said...

I have only ever had one migraine, but I was utterly helpless, & kept vomitting.
Love how you made this wonderful bright quilt.

Barbara Strobel Lardon said...

Kaffe Fasset fabric and a Migrane, what a combination for success!!!!

Leslie said...

I would never have thought of using such a busy print for the "in-betweens" and the setting triangles, but I really like it. And I like the oversized setting triangles, too. I stared at them for a few minutes until I realized how you must have sewed them. Like it lots!

Anonymous said...

As a fellow migraine sufferer, I know exactly what you mean about feeling fuzzy brained. I typically wash and iron fabric or do something with scraps too. Evy

Quiltdivajulie said...

Like you, I rarely use white (hence, my recent struggle with the wedding dress satin). LOVE your solution here ~ I get migranes & sinus headaches that become migranes and cannot think "straight" to save my life. But I've had some really good ideas (just felt too crummy to act upon them until later).

Have learned to keep pen and paper handy so I don't loose the good thoughts...

Take care!

Purple Pam said...

What a great quilt! I love pinwheels. You do better with a migraine than I do without one!

Sue said...

I can't even think about sewing with a migraine, or concentrate enough to cut things. Beautiful work as usual!

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe you created such a glorious quilt top with a MIGRAINE !

J~MT

Marilyn said...

Man, you don't let anything get you down! Oh, what colors!

Joyce said...

The colored squares are soooo much better than white ones! I hope your migraine is gone but your creativity stays forever!

Lynda said...

Kaffe fassett fabrics are so wonderful, but it takes guts to use them, and talent to use them well!