Linking to Nina-Marie. http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/
I have been working on finishing up the circle quilt. After a lot of agonizing over the quilting I decided to go the simple route proposed by my daughter and a friend. I just quilted lines across the quilt at + or - 1/4 inch. The spacing depended on how the strips broke up. I did not try to physically make the circles float above the rest of the design. I was not sure how successful that would have been and figured the design itself would speak for itself. My daughter said "cleaner" was better. The entire time I was quilting it I kept hearing in my head about being precise. It's so hard to be precise when quilting straight lines.
I have been working on finishing up the circle quilt. After a lot of agonizing over the quilting I decided to go the simple route proposed by my daughter and a friend. I just quilted lines across the quilt at + or - 1/4 inch. The spacing depended on how the strips broke up. I did not try to physically make the circles float above the rest of the design. I was not sure how successful that would have been and figured the design itself would speak for itself. My daughter said "cleaner" was better. The entire time I was quilting it I kept hearing in my head about being precise. It's so hard to be precise when quilting straight lines.
It is blocked and now needs to be squared up. Not looking forward to that. The colors once again look more beige than they are in reality.
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| "Light in Darkness" 36 in by 36 in |
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| close up |
I also had to make the yearly ornament for my daughter. This is the 30th year for that tradition. You can see all of the other years on the cloth ornament tab at the top of the blog.
This year she asked for a character (the probe) from a video game. It is a yellow sphere with a blue eye. With no pattern to work with and images of this character all over the place online it was not easy. Well at least it's done! This year we have a lot of my parents 1950's ornaments on our tree. You might recognize some of them.
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| Ornament 2018 |
I had an experience at lunch yesterday. There was a discussion among some of my fellow fiber artists about how they work. Well that's OK to have a discussion. Two of them basically just improvise and were really looking down on anyone that actually plans out their quilt before making it. One of the women said why bother making the quilt at all if you plan it out ahead of time. Well that planner is me! I think a lot of that is my science background. I like to figure things out before cutting fabric. I like to know pretty much what I am doing and what I am up against. The circle quilt I feel is not one that could be improvised. I did not contribute my 2 cents to the discussion. I know we all work differently, but why look down on someone that works differently? Sometimes I don't feel like I belong in that group. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for reading.
Chris
As someone who works both in planned and improv modes, I can say that planning will save you lots of time and grief, though it doesn't give you the same epiphanies that improv does. I love the process of improv, but feel planning gives me better results. What do you think of the work of the fiber artists who improvise?
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think your friends are rude to say what they did. Second, we all work differently so who is to say what is the right way? Come on folks we all enjoy designing in our own way.
ReplyDeleteThe quilting worked out perfectly and you kept your lines so nice and even and straight. Not an easy task.
ReplyDeleteI have worked both ways, improv and planned. There is no "right" way. You should have put in your two cents, but just keep on doing your thing.
Disapproval like this is sooooo rude, and disrespectful of the processes of others. We all work in our own way and the end result is the reward, no matter the processes used to get there. Stay true to yourself!
ReplyDeleteStrange thing for someone to say. I plan but my plans don’t always go the way I think and and then I figure out a new plan! How would they feel if someone said they felt improvisational quilts show a lack of skills and intrinsic beauty? There isn’t one way and thinking things through and planning can be half the fun. And being flexible and ready to change when it doesn’t work can also be fun and creative.
ReplyDeleteEven improvers are planners. For instance, when they pick their colors they are planning for some kind of end result that is pleasing. Don’t worry about others. Only worry about you. You are the only one who can control you. Your circle quilt is amazing. That could not have been achieved by improv.
ReplyDelete