Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:
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| Detail from Tickling the Ivories |
This segment of my blog is usually focused on my sharing my thoughts with you. Today I would like to hear your thoughts. I have come to that critical point on Tickling the Ivories when it is time to decide how to quilt it. If this were your quilt what you decide? Please include the motif(s) and thread color(s) you would use in your answer.
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| A detail of the ribbon on Tickling the Ivories set on a white background. |
When thinking about your answer take into consideration that some of the strengths of Tickling the Ivories is its high contrast and strong graphic qualities. The quilting should not distract from this.
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| The same ribbon, but now set on a black ground. |
1) Tickling the Ivories - Due March 15th
a) Add the quilted ribbon - Done!
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| A full view of Tickling the Ivories. 25" H x 45" W |
b) Work on quilting the remainder of the piece - Not yet.
2) Leah Day projects.
a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until all deadlines have been met.
b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson.
The motif of the week was Daisy Chain. Leah casually mentioned, while demonstrating this motif on her video, that it might be fun to do the daisies in various colors of thread. Naturally, I had to give this a try. The design is best suited for sashings, but since I can't recall the last time I created a traditional quilt, let alone one with sashings, I always work up Leah's motifs in odd shapes. This will take a bit of practice and a little more pre-marking in order to get the scale of the individual daisies right. I definitely like the look of alternating flower colors and that could easily be done on a much larger scale without starting and stopping in between each flower by quilting first one color of daisies and leaving a gap for the other color. The seconded color daisies are quilted in the gaps and the thread is carried through the previously quilted daisies via the chain that runs through them all.
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| My piece created after watching Alena Hennessy's Joy of Intention lesson. |
Mixed media is all about layering and this week's assignment was no exception. The lesson was on the joy of intention and taught by Alena Hennessy. I tend to take what speaks to me from each lesson and use it as the catalyst to make my piece. The point appeared to me to be let each layer, mark, brush stroke, etc. lead you to next one. We were also encouraged to use both black and white ink in order to allow other colors to pop.
5) Tumbling Blocks I (Due April 30) - Continue piecing the quilt. - On hold until Tickling the Ivories is at the hand stitching/finishing stage.
6) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) - a commissioned quilt
a) Select the fabric - Done!
b) Start piecing the quilt - On hold until earlier deadlines are met.
Next week will be my big push to do the final quilting on Tickling the Ivories, so I am really eager to see what you recommend. The two years I have spent testing and practicing Leah Day quilting motifs make this task something I look forward to versus fear. Whatever I choose to do, I know I have the control and confidence to get it done.
1) Tickling the Ivories - Due March 15th
Work on quilting the remainder of the piece
2) Leah Day projects.
a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until the quilts with deadlines are completed.
b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson.
3) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments.
5) Tumbling Blocks I (Due April 30) - Continue piecing the quilt - On hold until Tickling the Ivories is at the hand stitching/finishing phase.
6) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) - a commissioned quilt - On hold until quilts with earlier deadlines are completed.
Start piecing the quilt.
I am now linking up to two blogs on Friday's. The first is Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project and the second is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays.
Wow Gwyned you are one busy lady. I envy you your discipline.
ReplyDeleteI love all of your projects. You are one talented, but busy lady!
ReplyDeleteBoy this is a tough one to decide on the quilting. I think I would go for simple to emphasize the design. I would quilt around all of the keys in the ditch, quilt around the notes and the ribbons. A lot of time I use invisible thread for stuff like that, but many people don't like invisible thread. The black and white background is tough. I would either do echo quilting (echoing the piano keys) or quilt following the lines in the black and white fabric. Not sure this helps. No one else has given you a suggestion.....
ReplyDeleteI think I would follow the black and white lines and quilt inside the notes??? The piano with invisible thread with a wave. Only to show the movement?/ Just thinking....
ReplyDeleteJust Beautiful, every single picture. I wish my hand was as steady as yours is. Impressive.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dona. I'm not sure how steady my hand is. I can say that purposefully practicing FMQ motifs has made it so, so much easier to FMQ on my actually work.
Delete�� Maybe a loopy design with hearts and treble clef (sp) shapes mixed in?
ReplyDeleteI had been thinking similar thoughts. Leah had a couple of variations on her Loopy Loops quilting motif that included inserting hearts, flowers or other shapes. I was thinking that I could do the same, but add notes. Not so sure about the treble clef, although I like the idea, it just doesn't come naturally to me to draw and I don't want to hesitate while quilting.
DeleteThere's a lot going on in this piece, Gwyned, with the high contrast and densely printed background fabric, etc. I'm thinking you might follow the pattern of the background fabric for quilting the background and then keep it very simple quilting the keyboard and notes -- echo them or in the ditch. Leave a little space (1/8"?) around them, so when you quilt them they stand out from the more densely quilted background, Just my thoughts. I'd go with as subtle a thread as possible, possibly invisible monopoly, if you can get one that's not shiny so it wouldn't gleam every time a light shone on it. :-)
ReplyDeleteI would use grey or white thread in the background, perhaps emphasizing the long narrow strips within the piece. I'd allow more colorful thread in the notes. Sorry I don't have a more specific suggestion. I like the ribbon.
ReplyDeleteI actually I have a variegated black and white thread that I have been contemplating using in the background that surrounds the key board. I agree that the thread in the notes should be different. My current plan is to use the same thread in each note that I used when creating the satin stitch that surrounded that note.
DeleteThank you, Karen, for weighing in.
I can't wait to see how you decide to quilt Tickling the Ivories. Your work is inspirational!
ReplyDeleteThank you, JoAnne.
DeleteOk, I'm just a beginner, but I'm going to post my suggestions anyways, just to see what you think! I think I would leave the notes empty so that they appear to pop out of the quilt and float out in the air like 3D music notes. The keys I think I would stitch in the ditch to delineate them more and so you can really see the sort of shallow spiraling type effect of them. In the background I think I would choose quilting with a wave type feel - something like this: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-1-shadow-waves.html or similar. Like a sound waves feeling. :) I've been visiting your blog every week since starting the Building Blocks project with Leah… love looking at your stuff! Thanks, Vita
ReplyDelete