Inspiration Point. My take on a deer in the forest

This is M, (Major Moma has been insisting that each of us identify ourselves early in the blog post).
So this month we were challenged with a great picture of a stag in a misty forest.

So how can I interpret this great picture?  I am a pretty traditional quilter, I like big bed quilts, and although I prefer mid century modern in my home decoration,  nothing makes me happier than a pile of 1930's pastel fabrics.  The song from Sesame Street rings in my head most of the time: "One of these things is not like the other" 

But true growth in art or craft comes from stretching your boundaries.  So I have been reading:   Quilting modern by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen  Here  is the link to Tallgrass Prarie Studio. Jacquie has amazing work,  and this book really inspires me to go beyond the cute and comfortable.

So with inspiration from a deer in a woods, and from my current reading list, here is my take  on this month's inspiration point.

Yes,  I just wanted to show the angles and lines and a little of the color,  and was perfectly inspired by a quilt in Quilting Modern called Shattered. Difficulties I had with this little wall hanging... one thing I learned don't let go of the fundamentals when stretching yourself,  a wonky border will distract from the overall message that you are trying to convey.  And the wonky border drove me nuts.

But after a little blocking and stretching, the quilt is not totally square, but enough that I can live with it. It does lay nice and flat on the wall, although in the tree it is listing a little...

I also got to play a little with the quilting.  I decided to scribble most of it, trying to emphasize the lines and the negative space with swirls and circles,  that was fun, basically coloring in the lines with my thread. 

I had a great time making this quilt.  I am glad that I tried it.  I may be doing more contemporary type quilts , although I don't think I will limit my palette quite as much in the future.  And (and this is a big AND)  I learned that doing things correctly give me MORE freedom to be creative.  I then won't get bogged down in the errors and enjoy the process.

Can a deer in the woods inspire you?  How about stretching your boundaries?  Do something different that helps you look at things in a new way.  I did and it was fun.