Week in Review 2017 - 12/22

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

My year devoted to making pots is coming to a conclusion. Here is what I said at the start: 

I've finished piecing
Changing of the Guard.
Next up is deciding how to
quilt/stitch it to the batting
and backing.

2017 will be a year of pot making for me. No, I am not switching mediums to become a ceramist. Nor will I be making fabric vessels. Instead I will be following the recommendation of the allegory shared in Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland, on the importance of focusing on quantity over quality.

For me pot making is as much about experimenting, trying different approaches to the same project, as it is about making quantity. Today, I thought I would share this process through pictures.

... and the sunrise reflected
in the water. 

There are distinct sections, such
as the moon...

There is also the sky, or background to consider.
Rather than experiment on the quilt, I take
the time to make a smaller quilt sandwich
to play with. Often I have leftover
pieces or blocks to do this. Not this time.
So, I opted for one of the mid range
turquoise fabrics and a compatible
orange, yellow blend.

I played with different filler ideas. Should
I echo the background geometric feel
with diagonal lines? Perhaps create the sense
of blowing wind and clouds?

What color thread should I use? White,
turquoise? What would happen if I
combined different colors of thread, such
as white as the top thread, and turquoise
in the bobbin, or vice versa?
Should I go with only the clouds?

Finally, it was time to start stitching.
I began by outlining the sunrise and
its reflection with a button hole stitch.
This has the advantage of anchoring
that portion of the quilt to its backing.
I will be adding diagonal "rays" next.

Isn't this a great project to work on during the darkest time of the year? I find sunrises make for such happy, optimistic palettes. Wishing you a holiday filled with light.

I am now linking up to two blogs on Fridays. The first is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays and the second is Free Motion Mavericks.