Art Every Day, Friday, June 14, 2013,
My friend Ellen is here looking at this piece as I write. She said it looks like I quilted it this way just because I can. Well, she's right. I love, love, love to machine quilt and I love seeing what happens to a surface when I quilt it.
With this piece I started with a piece of black linen set on dark gray batting. I topped the linen with a strip of hand painted fabric that has a yellow green background, black horizontal brush strokes, blue wavy lines and polka dots and hot pink swirls. I tucked a piece of dull yellow green silk noil under the painted piece and quilted them both, the multi colored piece with dark pink thread and the silk with blue thread. Then I started stitching vertical rows of colorful yet simple designs. I didn't want anything too ornate so that the painted piece didn't get overwhelmed and so that the color could shine just as much as the quilting does.
I think it's a fun, energetic little piece and I really enjoyed doing it. I love the ripped edge of the black against the gray batting and the large amount of black linen that remains visible yet sits nicely in the background. Mostly, I love using my hand painted fabrics in conjunction with delightfully simple machine quilting. A bonus; it only took just over 40 minutes to make!
Till tomorrow,
Heather
1 comment:
I love that this looks like multiple layers of fabrics but isn't!
The repetition in using the same thread colors as what are in the hand painted fabric really give great unity to this piece, but the differing designs allow it to feel like there are many layers.
The horizontal black swipes in the painted fabric bring some movement to the piece and sweep the eye across the piece to each stitched element.
It's very interesting how the black is both the background, receding because it's the darkest but also the fabric that puffs up a bit because it's the least quilted. That is kind of a cool paradox that makes me squeal in delight!
I also love the frayed edges against the batting and also against the black linen, it adds great texture.
The blue strip of fabric that divides the the hand painted fabric and the yellow green silk is a nice punch of color that balances out the other swaths of blue, adding another element of unity.
I always enjoy looking at your quilting so much, and realizing why your fabrics are so dynamic- because it's all there in your head :)
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