No, it's not a reference to pot, or stevia, or even chocolate-covered mint leaves.
It all began back in 1994 (or so) when I started a small dress-making hobby-business (It really was never enough to make a living on.) in Madison, WI. I needed a logo --- It was summer--I was fond of pesto, so with the help of a computer-savvy friend, we flattened out and scanned a sweet basil leaf and adopted that as my logo.
I didn't want to limit my creations to just dresses, so I called it Sweet Leaf Productions. With a production company, I figured I could make anything I wanted if I got tired of dresses.
When I started the blog last year, Sweet Leaf Productions was already taken. So I settled into Sweet Leaf Notebook. The actual Notebook had been around for a little longer than the blog.
Not much to look at from the outside ... but bursting with ideas. That's why I had to start the notebook / sketchbook : I had many more ideas than I could possibly bring to life before forgetting the details. Now the Notebook is sort of a holding-place for those ideas until I do get around to bringing them to life. I keep a pencil tied to it, so I always have something to write with it. It's a spiral notebook so that if I wind up drawing something really awful, I can rip it out and not ruin the rest of the notebook. I haven't been able to bring myself to writing anything into one of those nive hardbound artist's sketchbooks ... They just seem too nice. Too permanent.
Sharon B at In a minute ago had a recent post on visual sketchbooks at Flickr. Apparently, you can see what's in other people's sketchbooks. Neat! So take a look at what other people are doing ... [Also see Sharon Boggon's article "Using a Visual Journal to Harness and Develop Your Creative Side" July 2007]
From time to time, I will continue to post a Page from My Notebook. I think it is very interesting to trace how the spark of an idea begins and grows and how close or how far the end product meets or diverges. Some projects take on lives of their own. Sometimes--it's what they want to be--not what I was intending. Usually, that turns out okay.
So what's in The Sweet Leaf Notebook, you ask? Wouldn't you like to know? At present, I have sections and drawings for the following :
- quilt blocks and wall-hangings I am working out designs for
- possible titles for quilts I'll someday make
- layouts for samplar quilts
- ideas for journal quilts
- instructions and steps for quilts
- dye and discharge project and design ideas
- swatches of fabrics that might be good for kaliedescope or 4-patch posey quilts
- machine quilting patterns I want to try (good to practice on paper first)
- Instructions for potholders (developed by me)
- Ideas that seem to translate well to visual images
- I Remember Mama (or Gramma)
- dye color combinations I like and want to try together
- Websites for inspiration
- Dye methods to try with notes on how it went
- fabric painting experiments to try
- Images to print on fabric
- Ideas for the Sweet Leaf Website I have yet to build
- Blog This section (though this section has moved into it's own Blog This notebook)
- Quilting Classes I've taken, dates, or want to take someday
- Who knows, I might want to become a quilt judge someday, and I might need to keep a record of all this stuff ...
- Notes on favorite suppliers (and problem suppliers)
- Mind-mapping experiments (lack of ideas hasn't really been a problem for me, but it was useful to learn the technique)
- Leaf rubbings to use for patterns later
- Ideas for fabric postcards
- Sketches and drawing of architectural details (sometimes found on a candybar, or a bank railing in France ... ideas can come from anywhere!)
- clippings from magazines glues in for inspiration
- techniques I want to try
- snippents of poetry and songs that inspire
- The list goes on and on ...
A sketchbook is yours to fill up as you see fit! You don't even have to show it to anyone if you don't want to do so. I hope some of you do start a sketchbook soon ... It's amazing to see how ideas start to build. Pretty soon, you'll have a whole library to draw on!
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