I joined this group for two reasons - to learn new techniques and to received feedback on my work...I"m new to art quilts and am excited to hear constructive critiques. Size: 9x11. The background is muslin painted with acrylic - pale yellow overlaid with Kansas sky blue. Each layer is a separate quilt. The foreground is fabric that I sewed tucks into and quilted between the tucks. The harvest field is raw edge applique (first time to try this - I like it!) on the yellow field. The tree line is also quilted separately. I have a new sewing machine that can sew through multiple layers - this was the first time to test that feature - worked GREAT in the binding - very pleased with that. My inspiriation for this was a drive through Kansas last week on the way home from a conference in Hutchinson (just north of Wichita). I kept passing these striking fields of sorghum (at least I think that's what it is) yellow stalks with red fuzzy tops. These fields against the big blue Kansas sky were so striking I tho't I need to figure out a way to quilt this. I woke up Sunday am and could "see" this quilt. It's rather simplistic next to many of the ones created in this challenge - but I like it.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Harvest Fields
I joined this group for two reasons - to learn new techniques and to received feedback on my work...I"m new to art quilts and am excited to hear constructive critiques. Size: 9x11. The background is muslin painted with acrylic - pale yellow overlaid with Kansas sky blue. Each layer is a separate quilt. The foreground is fabric that I sewed tucks into and quilted between the tucks. The harvest field is raw edge applique (first time to try this - I like it!) on the yellow field. The tree line is also quilted separately. I have a new sewing machine that can sew through multiple layers - this was the first time to test that feature - worked GREAT in the binding - very pleased with that. My inspiriation for this was a drive through Kansas last week on the way home from a conference in Hutchinson (just north of Wichita). I kept passing these striking fields of sorghum (at least I think that's what it is) yellow stalks with red fuzzy tops. These fields against the big blue Kansas sky were so striking I tho't I need to figure out a way to quilt this. I woke up Sunday am and could "see" this quilt. It's rather simplistic next to many of the ones created in this challenge - but I like it.
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6 comments:
Very effective use of the pleats at the bottom. You get shadow and depth with them, not to mention the physical texture. Is the crop a piece of red sewn over the yellow and then cut away, similar to making chenille? The only thing I might change would be the diagonal quilting in the sky. It tends to compete with the shape of the clouds. You did a beautiful job painting the sky, and maybe a less angular quilting pattern would enhance it even more.
Delta, thank you for your comments - helpful!!! For the crop, I cut pieces of red fabric, sewed them onto the yellow field as I quilted that piece. Then, I washed and dried it - this frayed the edges. I agree about the diagonal lines in the sky...I have not tried free-motion quilting yet but am supposed to be able to do that with this new machine. That probably would have been a more effective way to quilt the sky.
I like the texture created by the pleating and the frayed edges for the tops of the plants. I think you have successfully communicated the picture you had in your head - and that's not always easy. You will have a good time with free-motion quilting (probably after you have had a bad time and broken a dozen needles) but it will get better with practice!
Ah, I thought at first to agree with the change in quilting the sky but the more I look at this, the more I like the directional lines in the piecing, the pleats and then repeated in the sky....makes the piece more abstract. I like it.
marlene
Hi Pat, This is a lovely piece with great color, texture and value contrasts. I actually like all the straight lines with the quilting lines and the tucks...it contrasts the rolling hills and clouds. This feels like a rain falling while the sun is shining, which is a delightful thing! The only comment I can think of...is that the red lines look a bit steep, if they were a bit more diagonal I think the perspective (and depth) would be better.
Cynthia
Great job on the 3D elements. I like the idea of the 3 separate quilt layers. You did an awesome job painting the sky. I like the variety of diagonal angles. It makes the layers appear to be rolling hills. The pleats and raw-edge red stripes are very effective.
On my screen the yellow comes out as more of a taupe. I think the yellow would be stunning. Maybe I'll import the image into Photoshop and adjust the color so I can see it with the yellow.
By the way, simple is just as good as complicated. If you wanted the hills to appear further away in the distance I would overlay the dark green hills with a sheer to take down their value (make them a less intense color), then they will recede even more. But it's also fine having them appear closer. It's just a matter of the effect you're aiming for.
A tip: When photographing, watch the edges of your quilt, they're curling up and making it appear not so straight. Maybe you could press the binding, being careful not to flatten your lovely pleats.
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