 |
| Original UFO |
 |
| "Splintered Leaves" |
The most recent FFFC was announced on Thursday and after working on it for the last two days, I have completed it and am pleased with the result. I was the first one to post a completed piece on the FFFC Blog, and that is most definitely a first for me and an accomplishment which probably won't be reached again!
I had already been thinking about what I would use as a background for the next challenge, one of my UFO's! I had another one in mind, but after digging through my stash underneath the bed in my motorhome, I came across this piece and decided it would work with the challenge theme of Nature's Rhythm. I began with a piece of sun printed fabric which I had done about five years ago. I had already trapuntoed the leaves, but was not enamored with the results, so I put it away, as I seem to do with a lot of the pieces which I am not happy with. Little did I know, that I would eventually pull it out to recycle, redesign and rebirth it!
The piece had already been trapuntoed and layered for quilting before I rejected it. All I had to do was finish the trapunto and cut away behind all the leaves. After that, I took it to my cutting mat and began disassembling it with my rotary cutter. Then I fitted the pieces back together in a fashion which looked good to my eyes and joined them with a zigzag stitch. After that, I layered a thin flannel backing behind the piece and begin quilting the open areas and around the leaves. I enhanced the trapuntoed leaves with jaquard and setacolor metallic paint. I made 1/4" bias tape and applied it first with glue and then decorative stitching to cover my joining stitches. My plan is to attach it to a prewrapped canvas and hang it as a piece of wall art. It measures approximately 18 x 20".
I am very happy with the way the piece finished out. I really like the color combination and the happy accident that the trapuntoed leaves form a diagonal pattern. I am wondering if I need to somehow enhance the quilting in the right top corner to make the piece more visually balanced. I was thinking about darkening the background behind the leaves to lift them, but this is supposed to be an abstract, so I am not sure that is warranted. I also want the colors and interesting paint patterns to be apparent. Any and all comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciate.
The piece had already been trapuntoed and layered for quilting before I rejected it. All I had to do was finish the trapunto and cut away behind all the leaves. After that, I took it to my cutting mat and began disassembling it with my rotary cutter. Then I fitted the pieces back together in a fashion which looked good to my eyes and joined them with a zigzag stitch. After that, I layered a thin flannel backing behind the piece and begin quilting the open areas and around the leaves. I enhanced the trapuntoed leaves with jaquard and setacolor metallic paint. I made 1/4" bias tape and applied it first with glue and then decorative stitching to cover my joining stitches. My plan is to attach it to a prewrapped canvas and hang it as a piece of wall art. It measures approximately 18 x 20".
I am very happy with the way the piece finished out. I really like the color combination and the happy accident that the trapuntoed leaves form a diagonal pattern. I am wondering if I need to somehow enhance the quilting in the right top corner to make the piece more visually balanced. I was thinking about darkening the background behind the leaves to lift them, but this is supposed to be an abstract, so I am not sure that is warranted. I also want the colors and interesting paint patterns to be apparent. Any and all comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciate.
I really like what you did with this UFO...it is beautiful. I'm not seeing a real problem with the quilting balance and I like how the quilting runs from one panel into another. Maybe adding a little cobweb quilting in that corner close to leaves would make you feel more comfortable with it.
ReplyDeleteI do like the look of shadowing. I've seen some shadowing on an abstract painting before (geometric shapes)and it looked good. If you try it, please post a photo and let us know on the quilting arts list so I can see it. Either way, it looks great!
I love how you trapuntoed the leaves and used the metallics on them. They look as if the sun is just lightly touching them. Great look.
Just took a second look and I really don't think you need to do anymore quilting in that upper right corner...it flows into the piece below it now and cobweb quilting would make it looked disjointed, IMHO...is disjointed a word? 8)
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful ... I especially love the stitching.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great piece Louise, you must be so pleased! I like everything about it, and your stitching is the BEST!!
ReplyDeleteThis is VERY nice, Louise. Thanks for coming by my blog and leaving a comment.
ReplyDelete