My First Mixed-Media Piece

 
The Art Quilt class at quiltfabric.com has made me try things I normally wouldn't. The assignment for February was fabric paints. I bought some fabric metallic paint sticks over a year ago and kind of sort of played with them. But this time I actually got out the directions. The results were interesting. Once the paint/crayons were set with heat. I began to quilt the piece with free-motion stitching and metallic thread. Then I couched some yarns (thanks again, Chris H) and finally did some couching with gimping cord - that's the very fine reddish line. I like how this piece turned out and admit it was very improvised. It is in keeping with the first four art pieces from this class. What I could do with some planning kind of scares me! I'm glad to have these techniques in my repertoire.
11" x 14"

Spring in the Moscinski Living Room

 
John challenged me to make something seasonal to replace the Christmas-ish hanging we've had above the entertainment center. I heard the word "seasonal" and headed towards batiks that are spring-like in color. I was inspired by the Storm at Sea design, thanks to Wayne. As I was putting this together, I imagined it to be a vertical hanging with the green in the lower right corner. And that is clearly wrong. Chris H gave me access to all of her terrific yarns. I found three different ones and couched them onto this wall hanging, echoing the lines of the fabric and quilting.

The border fabric? If I ever find this again, I'm buying the whole bolt. 35" by 43

Art Quilt #4

 





This quilt was an exercise in the use of a couching technique, gimping cord and foot, and variegated thread. While I like the look of this quilt, it's much less substantial than its 3 companion pieces. Click on the picture to see the detail. 11" x 14"

I think I'd like to try couching something other than gimping cord and a satin stitch. Maybe I should ask my sister-in-law Chris H for some bits of her fabulous yarns and play around with some things like that.

One of the wonderful lines from "Sunday in the Park with George" is "Work is what you do for others - Art is what you do for you." I've had fun with with art recently, but let the work resume. I have a December 5th deadline for a t-shirt quilt.  

Art Quilt #3

Continuing with my circle theme, I tried to do 2 things with this piece. First, I tried to break the visual line removing a portion of the bigger circle and then quilt as if if was there. In retrospect, I think the negative space would have been a better visual. Second, I used some couching to create a series of rings around the inner circle. It's an interesting technique and worth continuing to play around with. 11" x 14"

Art Quilt #2

So if you're thinking, "This Art Quilt #2 is remarkably like Art Quilt #1," I'd like to tell you you are wrong. Here are the differences: 1 - the background quilting is different. 2 - I created some of the fabrics on #2 by using photo transfers of some autumn tree pictures. These small differences are easier to see in the side by side shots of these two quilts. This is definitely a variation on a theme. Well, a slight variation on a theme. One of the assignments for the Art Quilt class was to work with photo transfers, and in a small way I sort of fulfilled that requirement. Click on the pictures to see detail. 11" by 14"

Interior Dialogue about Art Quilt #1

Can I call this an art quilt? Good question. The answer: this is different from much of the work I tend to do. Is there a message behind this piece? I don't know. Here's what I do know. I'm happy to try working with circles - quite a change for one who is so linear. This color palette pleases me although it doesn't go with anything in my house. Shifting the circles toward the lower left as opposed to keeping them concentric - what's that about? I don't know except that this arrangement pleased me. Why the smaller circle in the upper right? That appeals to my sense of balance. I even played around with binding color and decided that blank provided the stronger frame. This piece was driven primarily by the fabrics and this attempt to get away from straight lines. What one word comes to mind about this piece? I don't know - I kind of think it has an Asian flavor, perhaps because of the color or simplicity. What your bottom line about this piece? I like it but don't know how "artistic" it is. 11" x 14"

I missed the 2nd session of the Art Quilt class at quiltfabric.com. Does it show? I'm eager to go to the third session on November 14.