Welcome to Chaos

I begin with a poem called A Crazy Quilt, because It was the first thing I found when I was researching quilts, way back in 2006 when I began a blog and had it posted there.

They do not make them any more,
For quilts are cheaper at the store
Than woman's labor, though a wife
Men think the cheapest thing in life.

But now and then a quilt is spread
Upon a quaint old walnut bed,
A crazy quilt of those old days
That I am old enough to praise.

Some old woman sewed these points and square
Into a pattern like life's cares.
Here is a velvet that was strong,
The poplin that she wore so long,
A fragment from her daughter's dress
Like her, a vanished loveliness;
Old patches of such things as these,
Old garments and old memories.

And what is life? A crazy quilt;
Sorrow and joy, and grace and guilt,
With here and there a square of blue
For some old happiness we knew;
And so the hand of time will take
The fragments of our lives and make,
Out of life's remnants, as they fall,
A thing of beauty, after all.

by Douglas Malloch

 

and so I offer you...

Scraps of Self

I suppose you might say I am just Considering Patchwork,  or REconsidering Patchwork  which might really be putting it in Perspective as it relates to my creative work, my life and...well... all things really.  Not just the quilt.

I have imagined this Part 1 of my final sharing series as an introduction. But it seems an odd approach after all these public years, being in the mixed company that includes so many of you who have followed for so long.  Yet the possibility of beginning again is rather refreshing in a way. Especially since I have gathered so many new eyes along the way . And yet here I am, still myself.  My Selves. Some still wandering...

What If?

imagine...

Turning experiments into actual questions helps to remind me how much I don't know.

Thought Catching, as I refer to it, is and has always been my focus since I began to consider how it is that new form emerges and evolves.  I've developed many habits that help me catch my thoughts.  I want to talk about them because they bring me back to the beginnings of my creative journey. Way back.  I used this inquiry method in my first online class.  There was  a small group of folks that found it stupid and I later found out were conspiring and laughing behind my back.  But it works for me and that's all I'm saying.

I begin by opening my old  What If  blog to this series.  And talking about that.

From this page, you can click the picture (an old illustration from art school days by the way, another story for another day) to get to the What If blog.  Use your class password  for both user name and password.  This blog is still hosted on Typepad.  I will be moving it here to Feel free, bit by bit.  I'll also post a link on the Home Page soon.

Talking a bit about What If below...

89 comments

  1. Kirsten S.Cook

    Rock On👍 better late then ugly l
    I take thread fabric my thoughts & inspiration from folks like you turn into quilts( not all 🦸‍♀️wear capes. )mixed art what is your super power l ask if others just like my thoughts l digress alot like other few Youtubers l view on a regular who quilt stitch or di ither arts or things interesting in they digress even the DJ
    I listen to in Saturday night’s he is heard saying l digress before next break vinyl record is played only .
    Yet enjoyed his digress.
    I took time to relax no rush off to nonsense or demands of others & this world i🤪.
    Make do, redo , or do without
    Moment of focus is all we have if not a monk away from this world’s nonsense We not have to agree to be kind .What was old is new again.
    Say yes to new older adventures be bolder than ugly. Happiness is not a destination it is away of life l part of the wonder society l wonder for but off the beaten path freely absorbing what l encounter then back to be a 3 minute 🥚zen uncondional the ☯️God’s Mother Nature gifts l was privileged to take part in only in memory lasting like the sand chalk art
    like ti take few minutes to break to hear the rambles of you & creativie spirit Thanks for this email needed this today tommrow keep it whimsy real. Since late 1990s been big fan .
    Whatever you choose to do it path revised or a new behind you though prossess creative soul
    Telm this who stop to read comment for their option to not be bored .
    I see if today is your day no time for their nonsense not looking good tomorrow or in future either l got a client me .Better late then ugly.
    you found yourself never truly lots just misplaced cleaning out the 🕸to stat or restart in this part of your journey to keep creating. Not over untill puppet master says so.
    Keep it Rocking 👍 Be your own 🦸‍♀️
    Keep sharing the spirit 🥰 😻 📱🕯you yo🦋🐇ur & this🦀 🌎🦅🇺🇸 🙃😷😇🕊⚘🐦🍁🧱✝️✡🕉🌻🤓

    Reply
  3. Beth

    Thank you so much for opening “What If?” again. I’ve been wandering through in chronological order. It is so interesting to see you trying things for the first time that I have seen you adopt and refine over the years. It’s a prequel of sorts.

    Reply
    • jude

      If you subscribe to either the newsletter here or subscribe by email to my blog, you will receive updates for both free and free enough classes as well as content updates for any classes you’ve enrolled in. Is that what you are asking?

      Reply
  5. helenlystra

    I so agree with this statement by J…. “Its interesting to me that one of the things I really appreciate about your way of working, communicating and speaking is that it is ruminative and meandering. It’s how I think and speak and it drives some people nutz ” It drives my husband nuts but most of my artist friends understand. And I am so glad you just talk and don’t really plan out your dialog ahead of time…. seems more real!

    Reply
  8. J

    Its interesting to me that one of the things I really appreciate about your way of working, communicating and speaking is that it is ruminative and meandering. It’s how I think and speak and it drives some people nutz 😉 —- ‘going all round the houses again,…. get to the point’..but I can’t. I have to go ’round the houses’ to reach my destination and I often get distracted on the way: ‘what iff-ing’.

    And yet, and yet, in browsing the ‘What If’ archives, I found I needed to find the start of the thread, the ‘Once Upon a Time’ introduction in order to follow the story so I have managed to locate the first post and then I can follow the thread en route or dip and dive, go off and come back.

    I wonder how many other RagMates have a similar experience ?

    I’m so glad I found you and your work x

    Reply
    • jude

      I added an archives list to the right sidebar of What if…hope that helps. For me they are like loose patches floating around in space, ha! No beginning, no end…

      Reply
  9. Anne Copeland

    I cannot imagine people so shallow that they thought whatever your thought process was not to be worth reading. They probably wanted patterns. To me, the thoughts that come and go like the tides are what I love to read the most, for they are what leads you to create anything, regardless of its nature. I love to hear or read how people think. It is a priviledge to get to share something so incredible, and it is a total inspiration for me. I have been dealing with PTSD for a long time now, and I used to be creative with fiber before it happened, so I have had a difficult time dealing with not being able to get back where I once was. But somehow reading your very real and beautiful thinking about how you deal with the cloth, not always just tearing into it, but thinking about things and then ultimately perhaps starting in one direction, and then your thoughts may take you elsewhere has been extremely helpful for me. I thank you very kindly always for your kindness in sharing yourself with us. It is a truly great gift for us all.

    Reply
      • Cayya Madansky

        I am in a state of AWE!!! Y’all know me here. How is that possible? As I have been reading over an hour, feeling like jumping up and down shouting “Me Too”
        ( the good kind🤣)
        How did this site even come to my screen today?? I think it might have been from something on Instagram- which I just recentlyvdiscovered.
        It was “Kismet“— I love you❤️❤️❤️

        Reply
  13. zanncarter

    I loved What if!!!! It was very inspiring for me and opened up a feeling of freedom around experimentation. Thank you for making it available again

    Reply
  15. Allie

    Feasgar math Jude and Ragmates!
    I’m quite a newbie to it all and spent the day watching my thoughts; tumble and run and bump into one another.
    I am left bewildered and confused, not knowing which direction to take. Hoping that something will emerge….waiting….waiting for the chrysalis to open, waiting for the bud to bloom…..waiting for some kind of birthing.
    Co-hui, so happy to be here with you all.
    Beannachd leat.

    Reply
  19. Melanie

    Beautiful poem, and I love the joyous potential of What iffing! 😊 My creative doodling has increased because of it, now I just need to be brave and find a way to translate it to cloth. Need to get into my ragmate groove! Not sure what that looks like yet! 🧐☺️ Thank goodness for you Jude xx

    Reply
  24. g. louise gifford

    Hey Jude (couldn’t help myself)…
    I’m having difficulty logging in when I clicked on the image for “what if “ the login box popped up, then I filled it in with Billi and rethink, pushed login then a new login box appeared. I tried it with billi and rethink and the same thing happened again. Then I tried the old password of enter and a new login appeared again. What have I done incorrectly? Sorry for the bother.

    Reply

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