QAWM:Day 7
Here's a wonderful quilt made by Wanda Hanson, all from dotted prints. And notice it is a cut-it-up block like we are making. Her's has an additional little dotted center square which offsets the four parts. Again, genius is often the results of experience.
And Gail has been using batiks too. And cutting her blocks just once. Neato!
1. First let me apologize to all the Longarm Quilters I may have offended. I truly am sorry and so embarrassed at my big mouth. You are not just SQUIGGLERS. I bow to your expertise.
2. I lied when I posted the pile of red/orange/pink fabric yesterday and said I was going to start the second quilt with those. I had all the scraps from #1 just lying there waiting for me to use, so guiltily I dove into that pile and made five 16" blocks, see above.
3. My plan was to again make dark and light blocks and got lost when I started running out of light prints. That's my excuse for the mishmashy one on the left. It is neither.
Here's a wonderful quilt made by Wanda Hanson, all from dotted prints. And notice it is a cut-it-up block like we are making. Her's has an additional little dotted center square which offsets the four parts. Again, genius is often the results of experience.
QAWM member Lesley has made a good start with her piece, made with all batiks.And she has posted it on her brandy-new blogsite. Yummamente.
And Gail has been using batiks too. And cutting her blocks just once. Neato!
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I was content to just continue making big big 16" blocks like I started but then I have used up the light fabrics (more or less) that would help me work in this vein. Hmmm. Thinking my little brain would solve this dilemma overnight, I joined Dave to watch the dvd, 500 Days of Summer (FABULOUS!!!!) and afterward I fell asleep watching Michael Jackson's doctor getting skewered on tv. (boring enough to sleep through).
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At midnight I woke up completely.
During the day, I had looked at several quilt books: Michael James, Nancy Crow etc. trying to get inspired. Again I pulled out the Nancy books and started with her first big one. All her early work was made using templates (UGH!!) and was so complex. Lots of solids and then lots of prints and then later lots of hand dyes...and then it hit me. This problem I have with prints is about to dissolve. I must must must just think of them as VALUE.
And letting go of the actual colors helps too. I will just add fabric from my hand dyed stash and make patchwork to add/support the blocks and bring them into art-quiltyness which I didn't think could be done. Now after looking at Nancy's earlier work, I am convinced it can.
The new attempt is beautiful....even the one on the left..lol....just be careful it doesn't go 'cutesy' on you...again, I am in love. I am going to IKEA today to get that silk!
ReplyDeleteNo offense taken...I just figured you hadn't seen what we longarm quilters can do these days.
ReplyDeleteLove your work and grasp of color!
I knew exactly what you meant about "squiggle lines", which can be said about some long arm quilting. I just feel that some quilter's (both the maker and the LA'ers) don't always choose the best design for the fabric design and that's when the "squiggles" appear.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing what you come up with: I have been thinking too about this same dilemma, working with prints.I keep changing my design every time I walk by, hoping to see what is going on.
ReplyDeleteNo offense taken here either. We all love ya! That's why we keep coming to get our daily doses of Melody's eye candy.
ReplyDeleteIt's just my opinion but I believe machine quilting is a form of art. In the beginning we stitch beginner designs which is often squiggly lines. Equivilent to the beginning strokes of a pencil for a student sketch artist. As we grow and learn in our art be make better design decisions.
I believe a person should choose a quilter in the same way a person chooses any artist. If you like the work you buy it. If not you keep looking.
I always check your blog to see what you are up to. Thank you for checking in everyday. Love the idea you have come up with to try new things. I had saved checker board fabrics for years, and finally made a quilt from those. Cut 4 1/2 " squares and appliqued 1, 2, or 3 circles on each square. Then set them in the attic windows with a border of another 2 tone blue checker board fabric. It was so busy, but colorful and fun. I called it "my checkered past". It sold in the second show it hung in! That was fun! Keep playing! That's what this is about!
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