Tuesday, October 10, 2006

1st Challenge


I'm posting a picture of my challenge piece. I know it has a lot of problems...and no name. Please help me!

5 comments:

Cynthia Ann Morgan said...

Hi Cheri,
Can you tell us more about your piece and your intention? I see a lovely silk background and some embellished ribbons and flowers and the 3-D pink element on the left that is rock shaped. The leaf embellished white ribbon, the white flowers and the pinkish rock have the feel of a sparkling stream with flowers on the rocky bank. I'm not sure about the green ribbons and black flowers. Do you think a grouping of smaller rock shapes would look good there instead? I'd like to see the background quilted, too...perhaps in flowing lines that echo the white ribbon or in pebble shapes. I think it has some good potential, Cheri. But I'd love to hear what you were going for!
Cynthia

CalicoDaydreams said...

I don't see a lot of problems! The only one I notice is the angle of the picture.

The fabrics you picked are wonderful! I love the background fabric!

Your piece has such fantastic textures. The colors are beautiful with the greens, white, purple, and coral. I love the way you layed the ribbons, and the texture of the coral fabric with the beads.

Your binding looks great and the dark color really works to frame it.

The only thing I would suggest to make this piece better is to photograph it while it hangs on a wall.

As for a name... ribbons and waves, as the quilt puts me in mind of a sea of ribbons with the coral colored piece as the sand.

laura west kong said...

Beautiful fabrics, textures, and color scheme. Great job using dimension, you have a good variety there and skillfully applied. Silk is not the easiest thing to work with.

Here are a variety of directions you could take this piece (not really so many problems as you think, but lots of possibilities):

The green seems to stand out the most, so for more balance I would try to introduce another green element on the left side, perhaps something vertical, another ribbon or a group of fibers twisted at the top of the orange piece, tucking under the orange (or even weaving in and out of the orange) and coming out the bottom fringed like a tassel.

It makes me think of a fan. If you extended the middle green ribbon down to meet the other elements in the bottom left hand corner it would enhance that effect and also add more unity to the piece.

The way you've folded the ribbons makes it look like they're floating in a gentle breeze. Another direction you could take would be to play up that feature and add other "airy" elements, butterflies maybe?

I agree about the flowing quilting lines. That would really enhance your quilt and give it even more dimension and texture.

Be sure to add a hanging sleeve of some sort. If you saw it properly hung on a wall, it would be shown off better, and you could also see potential problems at the angle which it will eventually be viewed (which I assume will be on a wall and not lying on a table). You would be surprised at how different it seems when you look at it on a wall, as opposed to laying on your cutting table.

Roberta Ranney said...

Hi Cheri - your work has so many attractive elements but, like Cynthia, I would like to know more about what your goals for the piece are. The right side of the quilt with its diagonal ribbons seems to suggest depth, which I know you were working toward, but I am confused about the fabric on the upper left.

Roberta

Jan said...

I love the background fabric, too. The ribbons and flowers seem to be blowing around during a storm. The large orange piece, although lovely fabric, seems to be a bit too large for me. Maybe if I knew what it was? I think we need to know more of what your intentions were when creating this piece.

Jan