Category Archives: Sphere systems

A Few Fishers, Amended Squares, DMC Challenge, Limber Loss, Paper Quilts, Sphere systems

Adventureus…Jan 12, 2012

January 12, 2012 admin

I have been working away in the studio as usual this past week. One of the things that I was finishing up was the commission- Twinkling Tracings. The last step in the studio when I am doing something as large as this one is, becomes the flattening step. I do the ironing thing of course, then while it is still a bit damp, I lay it out on the floor on top of a sheet. I put a second piece of fabric on top and then place my big cutting matt or 3 matts in this case, on top of that. The final bit is book stacks that cover the whole area of the quilt. I had almost all the books from my studio shelves on top of the quilts. It was quite a sight- but I did not think to take a photo….next time. Anyway, when I started pulling the books off the quilt and re-shelving them, I realized I had not looked in some of the books in years. So I paused, spread the covers of ” Design &Sew it Yourself” by Louis Ericson and Diane Frode, a book I purchased in 1988, and my mind was off and running. This book is directed at clothing embellishment- but the same ideas can be applied to fiber work. I decided that I would be adventurous and try to use these ideas in some of my new works for this year. I am in a different place then I was when I got this book- so it will now be used in a different fashion. The Adventure Challenge will be to pull a technique from the old books( I saved five as I was re-shelving) and combine it with a concept or idea that I am thinking about using in my art over the next year. Now I love books and have a big collection-I got five new fiber and art related books for Christmas. So I am not sure how much of a commitment I am making, but the adventure will be stimulating!

Progress Report

Paper Quilt-A Few Fishers

close up showing details of gold sequin waste two partial openings and one added circle — Close up A Few Fractures

blue and purple paper quilt with gold cirles and openings — A Few Fishers- Jan 2012

A Few Fishers is the name of this new paper quilt. This first shot is a close up of the center area were you can see the painted paper and fabric as well as the sequin waste. You can also see the cut paper circle- pale purple- that was added and two of the reflective circles. The two openings have painted ground cloth behind them so you do not see the wall behind the quilt. The second shot is a full view of the final work. I need to add a hanging bar to this for total completion.

Scrap Happy-

Red and White

I am always working on what I call my Scrap Happy quilts. These are all full sized quilts that are made up of scraps from other works some of them are failed experiments. I just save the scraps and such in a box and when it is full I will assemble all the scarps into big sections that I then cut into 2.5 inch strips. The strips are then applied to both sides of a 4.5 inch strip that is cut into 8.5 inch blocks. A Roman Strip of sorts. The blocks are them arranged and built into a quilt. I build these to give away as fundraisers for organizations that I support and to give as gifts when I think someone needs a cozy wrap.

DMC Challenge- Circling Galaxies- Amended Squares-Limber Loss

This is the one going project were the limits were set by the three participants.

blue green backgrouns with turqupise strips and crimson blocks on top — DMC Carol's layout

1.Each of us chose a color-Crimson, dark Turquoise and I chose blue green.

2.Size limit 18″X24″- with at least one irregular edge.

3.If you want to do it – then do it.

We each purchased material to fit the color choices in amounts to make three tops. We selected the location of the parts and pinned them to the selected back ground color. Then shipped our selection off to the other two. Extra fabric was shipped as well.

Circling Galaxies

This one is my fabric selection so I started with it. I liked using lots of texture. I do feel that there is a lot going on in

this piece so I will try it again and try to be simpler with the presentation. There is always more than one solution and I am pron to try to put too much into a piece if I am not careful. I learned a lot about the irrugler shape challenge with this project.

1. Keep it simple

2. Make the protrusions at least an inch long

3. Press the corners and cut the binding at a 45 degrees

Amended Squares

Because I had a lot of fabric left over I tackled the problem a second time. I was going for a much simpler solution with this effort. I also wanted to use some unique metal candle floats that my friend Dorla had given me earlier this year. I liked the shape and thought they would work well with the triangle metal sequins that I had.

Blue green background , turquois strips and crimason squares- second approach — Amended Squares

This is a shot of the metal candle floats. They are sharp and I hope that they do not tear up the material.

Limber Loss

Cromsin background with tuquois rectangle and blue green square — DMC Project Marty's layout

This is the layout of Marty’s fabrics for the DMC projects. I am trying to stay in the same feel as I did with Amended Squares for this one as well and so I have cut and assembled it in this fashion.

Crimson turquoise and blue green squares top — Limber Loss- early

I am ready to trim this and start embellishing. I think I will use the metal candle floaters again- but see if I can change the shape a bit by trimming off the edges.

Capture

turquoise and pink quitl with 3-d parts on top — Capture

This is a quilt I am amending. The 3-D additions are plastic units that have big purple beads in the centers, and all of this is trapped under pale purple nylon net.

blue background with pink plastic and purle bead under nylon netting — Capture - close up

The close up shows better how the beads are under the nylon netting. But I am still not sure this is how it will remain.

I seam to have lots of stuff in process at the moment and that is true. I may not get back to some of the problems quickly but I am sure that with time I will do so.

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

Chamomile, DMC Challenge, Farctured Fragmants, Goddess Series, ISIS quilt, Machine Drawing, Paper Quilts, Sphere systems

Crows January 5, 2012

January 5, 2012 admin

Drawn by the sound of crow calls I watched the birds take there flight in the early dawn this morning. They were commuting against a strong gusting wind as they departed from Oak-wood Cemetery were they roost in the winter, to each of their respective hunting grounds. The flight is powerfully beautiful in its grace of movement as it was contrasted against a silver gray sky that was dotted with little blown snow flakes today. Living with the daily routine of these creatures has made me pay attention to their existence and has enriched my life. I have made several quilts with crows as the stars. Their simple dark forms show up so very well against so many surfaces that I always find it to be an enjoyable task to build a work around them. Sense they are present so much around were I live I have many opportunities to watch them in their daily routines. At the moment with the fresh snow they stand out quite sharply as they dance around the ground in there search for food. I like too how they cluster together in the evenings as they gather for the night. All heads facing the wind and raucously shouting to one another filling first one tree top then another. Then taking flight at the same time without a seeming signal as they then move a bit closer as a cluster toward the final roosting place. All the time the numbers increase as they move toward a movable base and the sound becomes louder and louder as more birds stream back. I have tried to walk to the center of were they gather for there night roosting- I have never been successful. But that is the fascination of it for me.

Progress Report:

DMC Challenge Sphere System-

This challenge started on my is visit to Marty in Oct. I spent a lot of time this week working on the DMC project.

This was one attempt with two partial copies of were I thought I was going. I experiment by pinning things up and this is an example of that process. As it turned out I hated the layered X- cut fabric on top. I like the texture- and the idea – but it is not the place to use this idea.

So what I ended up with is this:The irregular edges are proving to be a challenge, but I think I will work it out.

Machine Drawing

Chamomile

I had originally though that this quilt would be done as machine drawing of Golden Rod. But the silk thread was too heavy for the machine and kept creating a mess on the back of the quilt so I took it all out. I could not look at or deal with the work for several mouths. Returning to it, I found I really like the fabric lay out, so I looked for a new subject matter. I came across this card of Chamomile and used it as my inspiration instead.

I have only completed one of the plants in this photo. I have sense put in two more- one on each side of this one. the additional quilting adds to the final effect quilt nicely. I am in the process of adding the facings to this work and I am sure I will complete it this week.

Twinkling Tracings

I have continued to work on the commission too. It now has a title and is called Twinkling Tracings. This is the first panel in the series. It is currently being pressed flat under my big cutting matt with half of the books from my shelves resting on top. The two other panels will get the same treatment and then I will be done with the studio part of the job.

Gold and brown field with blue zig-zagging across — Twinkling Tracings-

ISIS Quilt

Horizonal quilt of Isis in gold on a cream filed surrounded by other Egyptian images — Isis

This is the Isis quilt all finished. It came out quite quickly for me . I think this will be the last of the Egyptian quilts for a while. I do not think I even would have done this last one if I had not been reviewing my goddess series and wondering how I could go forward with that idea. The question remains what will be the next goddess quilt?

Fractured- paper quilt and Fragments

We all have times when what we thought would work is a failure. Well such is the case with this piece. I started out making a quit that would feature a three dimensional tunnel shaped addition. The back got created and the tunnel got created- but they did not work together at all.

Paper quilt in blue and white with gold ribbon — Fractured

So I created a cracked paper quilt to put the tunnel on. They did not work together either……. So I played with the paper quilt . cut some triangular wholes- added some paint and gold ribbon. Fractured was born and I like it all on its own. OK- so this exploration has lead to one more project.

I took the fabric quilt back that I had originally made for the tunnel and applied the flattened beads I had created with play dough to its surface. The beads were made as a play project with my grand son a few weeks ago. I had stamped them with an Egyptian stamp and though they might be used on one of the first Egypt quilts. But they did not work there. Too much of a color contrast for those works.

Gold and blue background with blue add ons — Fragments

Blue playdought bead with silver paint — Fragments- close up

This detail shows a close up of one of the beads. The surface was brushed with a white paint to high light the presses images.

I still do not have a home for the tunnel- but it may be like the beads, something that just has to shift around in the studio for a while before it finds a home. I will be OK with it if that never happens because I know it was an experiment and there are bound to me miss fires when one is playing that way.

I have had a good creative start to the new year and I hope I can continue to work successfully solving the problems as they come my way.

Keep Creating

Carol

Cre-8

Category Archives: Sphere systems

Adventureus…Jan 12, 2012

Crows January 5, 2012

Creative Fiber Collage Artist Carol Boyer