I was drawing a total blank as to what to do. My drawing skills are terrible and I really prefer to make abstract quilts. What could I do that would be in my comfort zone and still interpret the theme. On one of my morning walks (where I do some of my best thinking) it came to me, the old joke, What's Black and White and Red All Over? Well, yes, you could say a zebra with a nosebleed, but my answer was The Newspaper! Aha, something I could do in my style.
I had a false start with another style and I will show you that when the quilting is finished because it will go on the back. This piece incorporates a lot of fine line piecing, ala Kathie Loomis. I have done a fair amount of this in other small quilts and loved doing that tedious, fiddly piecing, but I had always done them on diagonal angles, as in these four pieces.
This time I wanted the piecing to be more or less in a grid. It didn't have to be perfect, but I did want the sections to have some semblance of being perpendicular to each other. I have never done so much unstitching and doing over as I did with this piece. Distortion seemed to be the rule. Not sure why, but I did make me nuts.
The piece is only 24" x 30", the required size. First I had to make all my fabric by copying sheets of the newspaper onto white fabric. I chose different sections of the paper such as the comics, TV guide, sports scores and the news. The newspaper banners were all found on line and printed out in different sizes. I can't remember the last time I put a border on a quilt, but this called for one.
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| I had fun with the banners. Don't you love the Paris News with its Eiffel Tower with the red hat on top? |
I'll show it again when I finish the quilting. First I have to piece the back out of my first attempt and some of the banners that I didn't use.
Linking up with Off the Wall Friday.
10 comments:
Wow, that is very cool. Great interpretation of the theme, morning walks are a great time to come up with good ideas.
I really like it! It works with the theme and it's true to your aesthetic. Great piece!
First of all from someone who has struggled creatively this last few months,I feel your pain. But OMG..what a powerful piece. The red line is so strong. Wow!
Fabulous piece that totally fits the theme. I also had a jaw drop when viewing your 4 abstract pieces......winners all!!!
Applause! Applause!
How interesting. I liked reading how you were inspired, how you approached the challenge of using your style while interpreting a theme. Great job.
LeeAnna
I enjoy all of your quilts and this one is no exception. The newspaper idea is a good one with black and white and red all over. It is a fabulous piece indeed. And I'll look forward to seeing the finished quilt.
I really like this! I too enjoyed hearing your process and wonder, indeed, if it's more difficult to put this sort of thing into a strict grid rather than angled all over (as in your other pieces). Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt. P.S. I am old enough to remember when that joke was making the rounds. ;-)
I am always in awe of this style of work. Mine is more traditional and I like reproductions and I cannot conceive of how one even begins to design such work. I think the process is one of the most interesting things about any creative project and I was glad to read yours.
Norma, I love this. It is so much more than Black and White and 'Read' all over...it is a commenary on the news of the world today. Great work
Oh, Norma, this is just so cool. I have always wanted to get printed words onto fabric. Just LUV what you've done with it!
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