Good Morning,
It looks like we're heading into a lovely weekend, weather wise here in Denver. Spring is peeking her head out - finally! Time for yard work and outdoor play is just around the corner. It's always harder to get to quilting and other art projects when nature beckons us 'come outside'. I'm so glad that my studio space has a full wall of windows. As I sit at my machine I can see beautiful blue skies and watch the trees as they begin to bud.
Enough waxing poetically.... Here is today's new stitch-out. I call it 60's Architecture, some people call it Circuit Board.
It provides more great practice with straight lines and will help you learn to make crisp 45 degree turns or corners. Practice it first by doodling with paper and pencil. The design features squares and rectangles of various sizes that swirl in on themselves. They do not swirl back out, you simply stitch over them and move on to make another one. Additionally, you can use simple straight lines to fill in narrow spaces or to help you move from geometric shape to shape.
Begin by stitching the outside of a square stopping just before linking the fourth side with the first and stitching another square on the inside of the first square sort of swirling your way into the square. Each time you change direction, turning a corner, your hand must stop moving the quilt for just a moment then you make the turn, this will make a crisp corner. If you don't stop for that second, you'll end up with a curve rather than a corner. If you stop for too long you'll have a knot or build up of thread in the corner.
Continue swirling into the square making smaller and smaller squares inside the first outline until you can not make any more. Try to keep the lines the same distance apart. I usually strive for 1/4", but 3/8 " or 1/2" work well too. Once the first square is complete simply stitch over the stitched design through one side and make a rectangle or a smaller square. Continue making squares and rectangles until you have filled the entire area.
I really like this stitch out it's very modern and funky. It's also a little masculine so it's a great design for a mans quilt.
Enjoy,
Till tomorrow,
Heather
2 comments:
Love it! But it looks hard... off to the sketch book!
Wow. You can do a LOT of stitches, I didn't even know there could be so many... no wonder your quilts are always so impressive! You don't see many people taking this much time or thought to the quilting of their work. I certainly haven't, not having the skill set. But I can see that it really makes a difference to a piece, and I will need to work harder at thinking things through on my next piece!
Me again... Heather, if and when you have time, would you be willing to go to my art blog and look at my lioness quilt? I am a little stuck- I really like it, it says what I intended for it to- but I still feel it's a bit off-balance and I am not sure where to go with it next. Thanks Heather!
Here is my link: http://happyartgurl.blogspot.com/
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