Good Morning, Quilters Doodlers!
Welcome back to Doodle Lessons!
JUST MINUTES A DAY
Whether your goal is to be a better quilter or more skilled at drawing…You’ve come to the right place! By practicing every day (at least 15 minutes) YOU will get better!
AND you don’t have to go to bed 15 minutes later or get up earlier–doodling can be done in “stolen moments”…while on the phone, waiting in a car, watching TV.  So NO EXCUSES for developing a “Doodle Habit”!
LIMITS
It often spurs creativity to limit some aspect of the process. Â Last week we limited ourselves to circles–see Doodle Lesson One: Â Messy Circles.
This week, we are adding Messy Lines.
- Scribble up and down.
- Make the lines bigger and smaller.
- Change directions (first photo above)
Then add Messy Circles…
What does that look like?
Flowers?
See if you can make it look even more like a field of flowers:
Try to make new combinations:
By working on what seems like scribbles, patterns and associations emerge…
Watch for those new patterns…be mindful of the new designs…
That is the creative process at work… YOU are building CREATIVE MUSCLES!
Keep at the doodling…even when it seems meaningless.  If it’s not fun…try a new pad of paper or new pens, pencils, markers…Turn ON your creativity!
SCRIBBLE!
Tomorrow: Â A Scribbled Quilt!
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images, and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt.  Feel free to Pin, Share, Tweet with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt.  For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.  Thanks!
18 comments
Rosemarazzle
Rosemary B here:
Yeah, finding nice pens to work with are also nice.
I really like this idea. I am carrying a doodle notebook around in my huge purse now
I have a huge purse to carry all of my “crap” in, like doctor visit books, notes about medications, things to remember — taking care of the twin 92 year old.
Is there anything out there that says when you care for oldsters, you get sort of dementia (or as my Dutch daddy calls it, “dement”) your self?
Holly Ann W.
Rosem…. I surely enjoy reading your posts. Your “twins” are gorgeous … hardly look to be 92 going on 93. I am primary caretaker of my soon-to-be 99 year old Mom and YES — I can say we caretakers get dement ;). I found this to be especially true when undergoing cancer treatment and for several months after. It’s getting better but I have to watch it.
Mine comes when I get overloaded with commitments. I start forgetting all kinds of things. Then I have to pause and re-assess what is causing this. Usually its saying yes to too many requests. I am active in church and state/regional community agricultural organizations. Before Mom needed as much attention I had several leadership roles and it’s hard saying no when asked to jump in and lend my experience to the work being tackled by the newcomers.
It’s good to have a hobby to squeeze some “me” time in and let the brain relax. I’m finding Lori’s blog to be just that refreshing release … even if all I have time for is to read it, then I can use her inspiring tutes as visualizations any time of the day as a little “daydream” break.
Bless you for your caretaking.
Rosemaryflower
Thank you, Holly Ann.
You are so sweet. I think we are so lucky and very blessed
Laura L Smith
Finally got a chance to practice doodle-y scribbled circles yesterday. I never would have thought to use a pen instead of a pencil, but loved it! I found it very freeing not to be able to erase, making it more like machine quilting where you can’t (or really don’t want to) take any stitches out. Thanks for the doodle lessons – and for being specific about things like pens and pencils.
WordPress.com Support
Isn’t it interesting how limits can be freeing?!
Holly Ann W.
I love it … specificity for not being at all specific in carrying out the task!
Especially necessary for perfectionists such as myself. Being given specific instruction assistance on every aspect of learning to be freely non-specific when staring at a pristine, clean notebook or quilt sandwich — .
Aahhh — the window has been cracked open a bit and let some fresh air in.
And now I’m beginning to take a few tentative breaths of this heretofore mysterious freedom. What adventure will I find on that next clean page, or that pretty blank fabric sandwich beckoning from my sewing table?
I’ll find out soon …
WordPress.com Support
Very poetically noted! Use that creative energy on your paper!
Pat
I have to go to a boring meeting this morning….doodling may be on my personal agenda for the meeting. I wonder if the people sitting nearby will notice 🙂 or care? I like the idea of using some fun colored pens for it too.
Have a colorful day!
Mary
Interesting way of looking at doodling. Its how I learned to draw a billion yrs ago. But haven’t in a very long time. Thank you. I have two quilts I need to FM. And this has given me an idea or two
melindash
Wow! This is not easy for me but I really want to improve my FMQ skills. I started out thinking “borrrring. Then I cheated and added some wavy lines too. That was better. Today I’m going to find some different pens and try to make the exercise more unconscious.
treadlemusic
This can’t be emphasized enough!!! Great series!!!!!!!
Cheryl in PA
Hi Lori, I’ve practiced designs in my drawing book but not free hand doodling. This doodling feels so good and I can imagine a huge step up when I quilt my next project! Now I understand why you say doodling is important when learning to FMQ! Thanks!
Lori Kennedy
Music to my ears!
Lucie the Happy Quilter
A scribble quilt sounds great. I can’t wait to see it. I’m off to find an interesting pen to do some doodling! Thanks for the inspiration.
Gertrude
Oh. Lori thanks so much for starting this series. One would think doodling is easy but it doesn’t come naturally for some of us. I had so much fun with lesson one and was thinking, “…so, what else can I doodle…” but came up blank, lol. Now I can go at it again. I hope one day I will have found the button to come up with my own ideas. In the meantime, you’ve given me hope! And fun!
Lori Kennedy
Once you release your “inner doodler” it will be like opening the floodgates. You will definitely come up with your own!
Gertrude
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I had fun with it today…no personal inspiration yet but I remain hopeful, thanks to you.
gail cartter
Thank you for posting these doodle lessons. I am SO enjoying them!!
Comments are closed.