Monday, September 29, 2008

Zipper

The theme for my series is "Simplify". I am trying to do this on so many levels. One thing I found over the last year of challenges was that my ideas were often too complicated to achieve a finished project in a week. So for this series I decided to depict everyday objects in an abstracted or simplified manner. I am trying to get back to basics and concentrate on shape, movement, techniques, machine quilting and, of course, color. This piece is called "zipper" and it is a diagonal emphasis in a yellow-green: purple-red color scheme. It was a lot of fun to make. My original intention was to use an actual zipper in the center but I didn't have one in my stash that would work. Just driving to the store to get something is not an option in the remote area where I live so I looked for alternative solutions. I found a piece of painted aluminum chain that reminded me of a metal zipper so I used that. The two sides of the quilt were each constructed, quilted and finished separately and then connected by hand sewing the chain in the middle.
The purplish zipper is needle turn applique and the background is pieced.

16 comments:

Art by Rhoda Forbes said...

Kathy, great job on the challenge. I really like the pieced background, and your zipper alternative turned out great!

Unknown said...

I really like this Kathy. Great colors and the zipper idea was very creative. Good job!

Kathy Angel Lee said...

this certainly gets to the simplify concept. Great color choices and movement.
Kathy Angel Lee

Joni said...

Kathy,
I like your simplify it approach, and in this piece you applied it well. Your colors work very well together and the overall effect is very eye catching. Great job on the quilting too!

Cherie in Del Mar said...

My favorite colors! What a fun quilt this is. Good job...
Cherie

Roberta Ranney said...

Hi Kathy - You have met your own challenge so well. This piece is simple and wonderfully graphic. The complementary colors work so well to tell your story. Everything works together - the variety of background fabrics, the quilting, the chain. I also like the little inner border - it adds a nice touch.

I would like to know the size of this piece - I picture it as being in the 9 x 12 range but was thinking of how great it would look made on a larger scale.

janice pd said...

Love the bold graphics of this piece and your creative way to make the zipper. Your use of the purple in an inner border keeps the eye moving around the piece.

Monty Wilson said...

Could be a railroad track, too, with two rows of chain. This is a terrific abstract and I love the colors!

anna k. said...

Kathy this is so dramatic.
Fantastic piecing and great colours.

Betty Warner said...

This is a very successful piece. It is 'simple', yet my eye wanders around to look at the different fabrics and to follow that great inner border. The idea of creating two separate pieces then connecting them was terrific.

Carole said...

Kathy, if Simplify is your theme, you did it and you did it well!!
Hands all around on this one. Very, very well done!
A lesson I could use that is for sure.
Looking forward to your next 'Simplify'.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy,
Looks like you achieved your goals!
This has a lot of movement and contrast.
Love the idea of having the back finished separately. It gives you a little more wiggle room time wise.
Your chain zipper solution looks great. It is an "abstract" zipper!

LAQuilts said...

I'm looking forward to you simplified theme. The colors work well - my computer is showing more a blue-green verses a purple-red but it is still striking.

Cynthia Ann Morgan said...

Hi Kathy, love your theme...great idea. Are you going to make them all a similiar size? It would make a fun exhibit...all these colorful simplified objects hanging together would be striking.

Diagonal composition is perfect for the subject and the strongly contrasting colors and values make this very graphic and pleasing.
Great job!
Cynthia
Just an idea for your series: what if you incorporated a bit of complexity in the background (ie more piecing)? It might highlight the simplicity of the object in comparison and would definitely add more interest.

brendaj said...

Hi Kathy,

I absolutely love the way the purple pops off those greens. What a great example of how effective the complementary scheme can be!

Brenda

Betty Donahue said...

Great job.