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"

To Try

1. Fabric Paint Sticks + various patterns for rubbing
2. Couching Foot + cord
3. Drunkard's Path templates - 3", 6", and 9" sizes
4. Quilt using all plaid fabrics
5. Vertical Strip Quilting

Quilting Tip from Lady Macbeth

I've been wanting to try a landscape quilt for the longest time. What's been stopping me? Partly a lack of technique but mostly the fear of stepping out of a safe zone. So I sometimes use advice from Lady Macbeth (yes, I know she was dead by Act V...): Be bloody, bold, and resolute. So armed with resolve, some great fabrics, the lines of Kaberi's photo, and a lot of Steam-A-Seam, here is the result. It's not bad for a first effort. I think, like with Monet and his haystacks, I will use this design again and again and see what happens. Most useful to me is seeing the photo landscape and the fabric landscape in the same photo. 11" x 14"

The Beginnings of a Landscape Quilt

This picture was taken by Kaberi Banerjee Murthy when she and her husband Vik cruised on the Yangtze River. Using an iron-on photo transfer, I printed the picture and ironed the image onto fabric. I quilted some of the basic design lines and then added borders. It's a beautiful picture, but now I want to step it up a notch and actually use fabric based on the lines of this design. Soon to come! 11" by 14" Click on the picture to see the detail.

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"

The Presidential Election, 2008

Glorious forces conspired to create a magical outcome. With this fabulous weather and autumn color of the trees, it was almost - almost - too much happiness to contain in a single moment. Walking this morning in the warmth and sunshine with the beauty of the fall colors is a moment I'd like to remember. Wordsworth defined poetry as a spontaneous outpouring of emotion, and today I understood this definition.

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.

Dithering

I'm stuck. Is this Quilter's Block? Is this time change? Is this avoidance? I am in the middle of a wonderful reread and reluctant to leave my characters (it's 1942 in London - you know the story...) I want to get a couple of pieces done for the Art quilt class at quiltfabric.com. I kind of know what I want to do for these wall hangings, and I have everything I need. One has to do with lots of concentric circles. The other is a photo collage - I even took my camera with me on my walk this morning. Yet, I never went into my studio today. Perhaps tomorrow.

Back from Missouri

I never even got my camera out! We had terrific weather - in fact, it was warmer in Lake Osage than I thought it should be. But we were there way too early for any significant color change. There were some lovely individual trees, like this picture from last year's fall Canadian cruise, and some lovely vistas but without color change. The drive to and from with long-time friend Midge Norris Hughes to visit Janet Norris Vanderveld was good. So was the week. It was fun to be an honorary Norris sister. After an October of travelling, I am thrilled to be home and looking forward to getting back into a sewing rhythm. In addition to working on assignments for the Art Quilt class, I just received a packed of T-shirts from Fran Dunn, one of the owners of the Jim Dandy in Litchfield, SC. See the September 16, 2007 entry for full reference.

Nature's Colors

We just returned from Hawaii where we celebrated our 59th and 69th birthdays. It is indeed a beautiful place. I love how nature mixes the brilliance of reds and purples. I also love my husband for agreeing to go ziplining with me.

I'm leaving town again for a drive to the Ozarks. Still gathering data for a fall landscape quilt. I'm also working on a project for an art quilt class that I'm taking at quiltfabric.com in Willowbrook. It's going to involve concentric circles and have an Asian flavor. I think. What I discovered yesterday is that I need to buy a protractor. I haven't bought or used one of those in 40 years! It's good to work out of one's safe zone...