For the first three days of the class we learned many different techniques and used many different colors. As I finished a piece I slapped it up on my design wall in no particular fashion.
At the end of the third day of experimenting, we had to decide on a plan for our fourth day of intense dyeing. I wasn't in love with anything I had done, but I did like that piece in the upper right corner. It was an itajime (folded and clamped) piece. At least two of the women in the class were scientists and they came with some unusual things to share that were great for itajime. I used a pair of pippet holders to get that polka-dotty image. Be sure to click on the picture to see those dots.
I tried putting that piece with others of similar color. These pieces were all dyed in different blacks. Those tiny rectangles are samples of the three blacks she had available. When Jan came around to give advice, she also liked that piece, but didn't like putting it with those that I had chosen. She suggested that I do more of the itajme, using the same triangular fold and experimenting with the same pippet holder and other clamping shapes and trying different under-painting colors and then dyeing them all in the same Black #3 (nickel)
So before we went home that evening, I under-painted several pieces of fabric, trying to capture the same feeling as the original and trying some new colors.
The last day was our big design day, no dyeing. We could wear nice clothes if we wanted. I wish I had taken pictures of some of my pieces before they got cut up. After cutting, arranging and rearranging and some tweaking by Jan, this is the composition I ended up with. Not at all what I had in mind when I took the class, but it is growing on me.
When I got home I tweaked it some more and added another column on the right. It's about 58" x 48". I'm going to quilt it in three panels and then sew those quilted panels together (something I do all the time with great results), because that will make it so much easier but I don't know what quilting designs or lines I will use. I want to do a lot of free-motion quilting as I usually do.
So what do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Any suggestions for quilting designs?
As for learning how to do those techniques that Jan uses in her award winning quilts, well I did learn how to do them and I will definitely try them on my own.
18 comments:
Those fabrics are GORGEOUS! However, like you, I haven't a clue how to quilt it.
I won a hand dyed piece of fabric over a year ago. Every so often I pull it out, admire it, pin it up for a while trying to figure out how to quilt it.
I am looking forward to seeing what you do with those amazing hand dyes.
In my opinion, too much free motion quilting would fight with the beautiful design you have. I would do straight or slightly curving quilting on the diagonal.
It's a lovely quilt top with a lot of beautiful fabrics. Very nice. For quilting, I would like to emphasize the various "blocks" of fabric, using a different free motion shape in each - possibly even straight line stitching between the various fabrics. For me the appeal of this quilt is the color blocking with various fabrics.
This is a beautiful piece! It looks like you had a great time in your class.
I'd be more inclined to emphasis the patterns in each block when you quilt which would mean more straight lines than curves. Most of the time I have a tendency of going with curvy lines on something so straight but for some reason this one is saying diagonal straight lines.
Beautiful fabrics and nice composition. Dis you decide how are you going to quilt it?
Norma these are stunning. I agree with Gerrie. Simple quilting with lines like sashiko would work without overpowering the fabrics. Can't wait to see it completed.
Spectacular fabrics! Wow! Large stitch sashiko-type quilting sounds good to me for this project.
I'm with Gerrie. The fabrics have so much going on that the quilting should be simple. Jan keeps her quilting very simple, and it works beautifully. This composition is lovely!
The fabrics are wonderful, as is the composition. I would keep the quilting simple.
The beauty of shibori is in the colour of the fabrics. this piece already has colour and line, to add more design elements would create chaos--in my opinion. I think this is definately a case for the KISS principle. Staight lines, perhaps on the diagonal
Norma, these are just superb! Yes, keep the stitching simple, in my very humble opinion!
Love the way you have combined these patterns - reminds me of African fabrics.
Quilting ? why not consider straight lines in big angles with straight echoes
I saw some stunning quilts with very simple quilting like this at the Festival of Quilts in UK last month.
The quilts would be quilted, but only the very discerning would even see it.
Helen from Hobart
Fabulous fabrics. I really need to take a course form Jan too!
I hope you post more photos as this project progresses since I would really like to see how it turns out- it will be gorgeous!
Your last composition calls Tahitian or Hawaiian cutwork and flowers to mind...Must confess, I'm gaga over your earlier mixed composition with the blacks and neutrals. Both are balanced, harmonious, rhythmic, but my vote (uninvited, perhaps) goes for the piece I find more abstract,less repetitious...I can see you doing different free motion patterns over each panel, and the final result artful, endlessly riveting, calming, subtle and sophisticated.
Both compositions are truly interesting and show great dyeing techniques. The composition you have decided to quilt is more of a itajime sampler and relates more to traditional quilts (my opinion only and probably debatable). Like you, I am drawn to the mystique of the first composition and think it has a great future after a bit more designing.
Betty
This is a gorgeous composition (though I didn't understand how you got all these pieces to look like they're all related).
I agree with most of the comments here: go with something simple that reinforces the beautiful lines you've already created.
This quilt is really beautiful!!!Wow!!! Love your blog and all the other beautiful quilts too! Fantastic!!!
These are beautiful! I am just getting into natural dyeing techniques at home. What method did you use in that big reddish piece in the center row towards the top of your experiements? thank you.
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