I could design a quilt in my sleep

I am not a good sleeper. It usually takes me a long time to go to sleep and then, often I wake up for long or short periods through the night. I read and that helps. Or sometimes I try to relax by designing quilts in my head until I finally nod off. I actually get some usable ideas from time to time.

Last night was really bad. I could not sleep for the longest time and I lay awake thinking about what I might do next in this series of architectural quilts that I am working on. Finally I fell asleep, but the design process did not stop. I continued to dream design. I considered so many ideas, all building on the Latin American cities and architecture I have been working on. At last I hit upon, what seemed like a brilliant insight. My dream self realized that the buildings don't matter! The art is all about the layering of structures—structures with walls and depth and height and a sense of weight and presence. And I knew that the best subjects for portraying all this were not buildings. They were pots and pans! And I began cutting pots and pans from fabric and positioning them on a background. Yes. It was the perfect piece. But wait, something was missing. I studied and puzzled until I knew that a carrot hanging from the handle of one of the pots would finish it. I stood back and said, "yes, that carrot really makes it pop." Then I woke up and lay in the dark wondering what that was all about. I made a little sketch, because I have been thinking about it all day.

Here is a peek at a real quilt, in progress.

 This is just a part of the whole, unquilted and unfinished, so please don't Pinterest it! (Yes, I see where people have pinned photos I posted of work in progress—at least wait until it's finished to steal pin it.)  Oddly, now that I have posted this photo I can see similarities between the pots and pans and the buildings, even a domed lid. And look at that tree behind the big, red dome. That is totally an upside down carrot. And it (and another like it) was the last thing I added to the composition, because it just seemed to need it. That tree was not in the original plan. Hunh.

I hope I can sleep tonight. No dreams, please.