This weeks 4 inch block began with a background piece I had formerly designed with oil paint sticks.
I quilted channels in the background into which I threaded pieces of yarn to give dimension to the background lines. The bottom part of this block was a photo transfer from photos I had taken while on a trip out west. This section was appliquéd to the background.
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Here's what I came up with for my third design in my scrap quilt challenge to myself. For this design I cut into some of the fabrics to create the narrow lines. I like the interest created by these lines due to their dark or light colors and different arrangements on the piece. The lines make the piece more dynamic and give the viewer a path to follow as they look around the quilt. If I were to finish this piece it would measure about 16 x 24 inches. I did not use as many pieces in this quilt as I did in the other two. I started to cut the pieces in some cases into different sizes and so although I still have the same fabrics I don't always have the same size pieces to work with. I'll remove this design from the batting and see what else I can create. This has been a useful exercise for me! I guess I can think of this as working in a series where the common denominator is the fabrics chosen. I still have some ideas left so I will move on to design 4.
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You may recall that a few weeks ago I painted some pots with stripes to place in my yard this summer.
Well here's a photo of them now planted with flowers and sitting around my front porch area. I like the interest and color they provide!
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Well this new design was definitely out of my comfort zone! But it has a lot of energy and movement which I really like. It makes me consider my first attempt boring! I was trying to make a design with a swirling nature. The fabrics I just laid on the batting which is why you see white around the design. When I finished the design the light middle section begged for something else. I decided to create an abstract sort of eye looking out at the viewer. To me It represented the eye of mother nature, amidst the swirling elements of her creations. The whole design came together slowly and methodically and my idea of what it stood for did not really come to me till the end of the process. If I would finish this I would keep the shape irregular and probably mount it on a solid color background. But guess what? I'm not ready to conclude my work with these fabrics. It seems each design I create leads me to think of another one. Or at least the desire to try something else. I decided this exercise is not so much about having a completed art quilt but more about seeing where my mind could take me with different designs. So I have a photo if I want to duplicate this later, but for now I will remove everything and start over. This whole exercise is very motivating!
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I was eager to get started on this project so I began creating a collage of the different fabrics. While I like this piece it is completely within my comfort zone. I probably spent a little over an hour tweaking the arrangement of the fabrics until I was satisfied with this one, although I can still see a few places I would change. I like the placement of the light pieces that creates strong geometric lines drawing the eye down the center area of the quilt. But this time I'm not going to settle for my comfort zone. I could sew the pieces in place right now but I am instead going to remove them all and start over. Since I have a photo I can re-create this if this is what I choose to keep. But I am going to challenge myself to do something different this time. Let's see what else could be with these interesting fabrics!
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Lately I've been itching to make an art quilt but I haven't had any specific inspiration. So I decided it was time to resort to another method to get started. I went to my scrap boxes and selected some of my favorite fabrics. Most of these give hints of natural elements or have organic lines. The photo shows the fabrics I have selected. Some lights, darks, mediums, and brights. I decided to set up a few rules for my challenge to make an art quilt. I can only use these fabrics that I have selected and posted here. I do not have to use them all, but I can't grab any others from my stash or scrap boxes. So now I will begin. I'll post pictures along the way as I create this quilt. This is one of my favorite ways of creating, starting with the fabric which will lead to the design.
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You might want to see how the background project looks after 20 weeks of 4 inch blocks. It helps to see the whole quilt as I add new blocks so that I can make a cohesive project. My goal is to place the blocks so that the eye continues to move around the whole quilt, while at the same time allowing each block to be visible on its' own. I'm happy I chose the black batik strips to divide the project into a grid. Just imagine, I have 8 more rows to go before the year is over! It's hard to imagine I have 32 more blocks to make but I don't think of it as a big group I think of it as one at a time.
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The 4 inch block for this week began with an old piece of fabric I had dyed and stamped with a dragonfly.
I painted and embellished the dragonfly with variegated and gold thread. I quilted the background in a grid pattern and then colored in random squares with red paint. It is fun finding fabrics I had formerly created and now turning them into a useful block.
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I think you may enjoy this read about finding your passion, whether in your work or in your other life
pursuits. Some of the statements ring true for me. It's good to think about this subject now and again and see how it relates to you and your life. Here's the link: http://www.soulfulliving.com/passionatework.htm
Chris
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