Yuk Really not happy:
is this a metaphor for my life?? Great idea but really messy when looked at as a whole.
I am 2 months behind on the challenges but just could not finish this piece.
I decided as I went to sleep one night that I would contact the convenor and resign from the group.
BUT woke the next morn and realised that as hard as this process is, it is pushing me (again another journey line) and who knows where it
will lead me.
I make art from my heart and soul, so I make what I want, when I want and have an emotional investment in it. If I get stuck I let the piece hang till the next step comes to me.
BUT with challenges YOU get told what to do, YOU get told when to do it, YOU get told how
to do it, even if it is to do what you want .. I think I have authority issues :)

And after writing all this I can now see the original burnt out piece inspired me, so I have learnt something from this piece.

Confession, I was so over this piece that I laid it on the floor, and laid on the last elements just to get the piece photographed as if it is finished and hanging, :( but what do I do about the
exhibition in May 2012.
Maybe I will hang it and then rejig it till I'm happy, maybe more compatible colours so it doesn't look so busy.

Another issue, seeing the others work and comparing mine and being unsatisfied.. so that's a revelation -- when I like my work I'm now confident in myself to love it regardless of what others do or say.
When I don't like my piece, then regardless of others saying nothing or even praising my piece I judge myself as lacking compared to the others mmmm! something to think about

WHAT AM I:   an artist,  a teacher, an explorer, a learner. All that I do gets into my creativity eventually. I love trying and learning heaps ..I get bored easily.
First I drew a pattern of interwoven lines (= all the journeys of learning different techniques) these lead to small projects and eventually all get added to a big project.
I decided that I would use a different technique on each line and square.
I constantly learn and I never know where, what I'm learning, will fit in my life but everything eventually fits and changes me for the better. THIS IS WHO I AM:

I traced the pattern on sheer fabric then auditioned different backing fabrics , looking for a bright but mottled effect.

Final choice of material and backing. 

Preparation for burning the pattern.

Love this design. I think I'll explore this sort of thing some more later on .. looks celtic (my background .. who knew it would pop out on it's own, by what I drew being transposed when I traced it), exotic and mystical.

All these will be written late as it's 2nd week of aug and I have just finished #2, half way thru #3 and #4 should be under way....???? So I'll have a catch up.

OUTSIDE THE SQUARE – WHAT AM I???
I could be a leaf or a building brick or a lopsided house. Think outside the square
and you will be amazed with what you come up with!!!
Any technique/s.

Finished.
I decided to sew down the doilly pieces with jaggered stitching to match the round shape and the straggly bits from the bleach dyed material.
It still needed a lift so in the top corner I added a bit of yellow which didn't really pop enough so I added a very bright blue.
This was fun making a small piece as I could try an idea and very quickly have it pulled together .. well quicker than my usual month to finish a large piece. 
I'll go sort out a price for this piece and then it will be added for sale under the Gallery tab in the 12 x 12 Challenge art.

Detail of sewing.

These notes are made after the date as I actually finished the piece by the end of March ready for the show date of 1st April.
But here is the process anyway.
With the original piece of tatting, it just didn't work in the circle format of this challenge. I'll save the idea for a square piece to make in the future .. or I could just make it as an extra.

So I trialled a few other doilly pieces and background materials. Finally decided on the shapes on the right

Basic layout decided.

Going Round in Circles - A circular piece 12'' diameter, with an OFF-centre focus.

I have decided to do this whole series based on some previous art along with a year of learning new techniques.

These are the pieces that inspired the idea of the series, after a couple of customers asked what other vintage doilly pieces I had done.

This piece SOLD 

This piece For Sale

Ok I'm ready to go.
Batting for this and all the pieces will be this grey / brownish fleck wool thick suiting? material.
I've cut the 12" circle paper pattern piece and batting.
I'll find some black backing
I've already fabric pen dyed black and red on the tatting piece as the off centre focus. It turned out alot lighter than I wanted so I will sew or paint over it. 
 And a choice of material from my discharge bleach dyeing experiments.

After seeing the 12 x 12 exhibition at the Craft and Quilt Fair, Hamilton, Sept 2010, a group of us decided to follow the concept.
Starting in 2011
Rules:   20 members in the group.
 1            Quilts will be maximum of 12 inches, minimum of 10 inches, consist of top layer , batting and backing (ie 3 layers)
 2            Finished in any manner you choose (ie does not need to have a binding).
3             Members determine themes of the challenges.  
4             Quilts do not have to be  square in shape so at the time of issuing your challenge, stipulate what size it should be also consider supplying a challenge item or stipulate a technique to use.
5           Challenges issued on the first day of every second month and you will have 8 weeks to complete them.  Keep project a secret so that we reveal them all at the same time.  (This will be a bit hard as I blog the journey but I will write about it al and then place photos after each challenge is over).
 6          Quilts can be made using any medium but should be no thicker 2 cm for display
              purposes. 

Ok, for those of you following me.. you're prbably totally confused by now.
I am changing things as I learn more.
Comments page is now about my art, my website, me. Points from me and you.
Gallery is my art, for sale and sold .. not sure how I'll split that yet.
And Blog is where I write about ideas, journeys etc.
And soon to be added will be free resources of the note,s from classes I teach.

This is because, well it seems logical, but took me a while to figure this logic out .. mm.
And because starting a blog automatically sets up the rss feed button.
I'm still learning the rss button and once I get it I'll put notes on here. It's a way of following me. And I've clicked them on others sites .. but then didn't know what to do or where they went.
 Confession, still don't but I'm going to learn it now.