Over the years, I’ve come to realize something about myself. When given a choice between two options, I almost always end up going with the more practical choice. Even if sometimes there is something more aesthetically pleasing, more fabulous, more fun — I find myself going with the comfortable shoes, the durable cookware, the reasonably-priced garden tool.
Which is why I have come to value (overvalue? maybe? who knows? lol) items that intersect at beauty and function in a meaningful way.
One of the first times I seriously thought about this intersection of art (beauty) and utility (functionality) was when I made Lincoln. My goal was to make a quilt that could be used as a lap quilt but also could be considered art.
Five Core Principles
As I’ve considered this idea more deeply over the years, I’ve come up with five core principals that guide the way that I approach what I make and what I buy:
- Finding the beauty in everyday functionality
- Making creative choices that serve both aesthetic and practical purposes
- Valuing sustainability by purchasing things that will last, by making do, and by purchasing less
- Approaching creativity with as little waste or excess as possible
- Celebrating imperfection as proof of human craftsmanship rather than a flaw
How This Philosophy Applies Across My Studios
Practical Beauty in the Quilting Studio:
As I mentioned earlier, my goal is to make quilts that are both beautiful and functional (really, isn’t that the goal for most of us?). Before I purchase any new fabrics or tools, I look to my studio. Many times there are fabrics out in the world that would be “better” for a project than what I already own. But part of the fun for me is challenging myself to rethink the ideas that I have in my head to use the materials I already have.
I also tend to (unpopular opinion!) not start a lot of projects. I prefer not to have unfinished projects cluttering up my space, so rather than start many new projects, I keep lists of projects that I might want to start. When I finish something, i’ll look to the list to see if there is a project on it that I am still motivated to
And of course, sometimes I do end up having to purchase new fabric — as I did with the backing fabric for Rowan’s quilt. In this case knowing that this is something he would be using on his bed for years to come, and something that serves an aesthetic purpose for him and his room, I felt the purchase of coordinating backing fabric was well warranted.
Practical Beauty in the Kitchen Studio:
In cooking, the way that I try to apply these principles is doing my best to use all of the food that we already have in the fridge. There is so much food waste in the US (I recently saw a stat that each person in the US wastes approximately $728 worth of food annually. For a family of 5 like mine, that equates to $3,640!), and I am determined to do better. I use cookbooks (some of my favorites here), apps like Eat Your Books, and The Flavor Bible to help me to concoct meals out of the food that we already have purchased.
I also do my best to buy locally grown and organic vegetables whenever possible, and kitchen tools that I believe are built to sustain frequent use and washing to minimize the need to purchase often.
But most important, I work to create meals that I think my family will enjoy! I cook with love to nourish them, while knowing that part of the allure of a good meal is when it looks beautiful on the plate. That said, not every meal is going to come with picture-perfect results. But if it tastes good and looks good enough to eat, I have accomplished my goal!
Practical Beauty in the Garden Studio:
I explained in another post, that we “inherited” our english country style garden when we purchased our home ten years ago. It’s taken a long time to learn how to nurture the many plants that we had growing in the garden. And, I’m sad to admit, there were many casualties over the years.
But by working each year to educate myself a little more, while moving certain plants to better accommodate our lifestyle, I think we now have a garden that is both beautiful and productive. We adore sitting on our gravel patio around the firepit surrounded by hydrangeas, roses, lavender, salvia, russian sage, crepe myrtles and so much more. And we love to cut stems to enjoy inside, too! It is without a doubt our most favorite time of the year!
By adding a kitchen garden this year, I am hoping that we will continue to build on the function and beauty of our garden. By practicing sustainable methods that will be gentle on our yard and our food, we are doing our best to work with nature and not against it.
Questions to Consider
If you’re interested in applying these principals in your own studio, here are five questions I like to ask myself and that might help you, too:
- When choosing materials: Is this durable enough for regular use?
- When designing: Does this aesthetic choice enhance or impede functionality?
- When feeling stuck: Can I use what I already have rather than buying something new?
- When evaluating success: Does this piece serve both beauty and purpose?
I’m sure there are many other questions that one could ask, these are simply some of the guidelines that I realized I was using for myself without ever formally verbalizing them. But the more I thought about it the more I considered having a written set of principles might make life easier sometimes. And of course, rules are made to be broken when necessary!
Going Forward
That said, I am committed to being true to who I am even if its not the most glamorous and maybe not the most insta-worthy way to live. How about you? Does this idea resonate with you? What’s something that you’ve made that embodies “practical beauty”? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
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