I used a fabric painted deep shimmery blue with sunprints of tiny star confetti and sea salt patterning that I thought looked like snow falling at night when I painted it. I had 2 pieces of a commercial print in white and pale blue with silver metallic enhanced leaves. I cut out the fabric to form the edges of frost on a window. I also added some shredded Mylar that I had for more shimmery frost. Snowflakes were cut out from Organza backed with Wonder Under, then fused to the quilt. Quilting in silver metallic thread, and beading in the snowflakes and between the flakes and quilting were also added. I wanted this to represent a very cold snowstorm as seen through a frosty window. It is 16"x20" in size.
This is a detail shot showing the beading on one of the snowflakes, and scattered between the quilting lines. It also shows the fabric used to give the look of the frost around the edges of the window.
In the middle of beading the first piece, I ended up playing with cutting snowflakes out of dryer sheets. I had painted the dryer sheets with pearlescent and sparkle paints. I then decided to make a second, smaller piece by playing with ripping more dryer sheets up to use for the more delicate frost. I also used the silvery leaf fabric from the first piece. I did lots of stitching with silver metallic thread over the dryer sheets, and outer border fabric, along with the quilting on the snowflakes and the swirl and snowflake quilting used to fill the open blue spaces. I decided to leave this one without the beading. This one is 11"x14" in size.I have many process photos showing details how these were made on my blog.
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9 comments:
Sue, I like what you've done!
The first piece looks more like a portal that one is looking through to view the sky with snowflakes falling (or a dark blue pond reflecting snowflake shapes). It definitely has a sense of 'chill' to it. I particularly like your use of shredded mylar and the great idea of sunprinting star confetti! It is very effective. You almost don't need the Angelina fiber. Overall, the piece has an interesting 3D effect.
The second piece, to me, is more flat (2D). It feels more like one is looking at a frosted window with a view beyond. The quality of using the ripped dryer sheets around the portal edges gives the piece more of a sense of frost than the first piece.
Overall, I got more of the sense of 'cold' from the first piece than the second. Maybe that is because of the dimensionality of the piece. With the 3D piece, I enter into it and sense the cold of the frost around me whereas with the seond piece, I'm looking at the frost from inside rather than shuddering with the frost around me.
By the way, I couldn't get much from the detail shot. In any case, you've used some interesting materials to do this challenge, and you've succeeded at it!
These are absolutely gorgeous. They just jump off my screen. Thank you so much for sharing your techniques.
I agree with Cay Denise about the chill of the first piece. It really makes you shiver and remember times when you felt that cold.
the second piece is also good. I think perhaps the difference is that the snowflakes on the second one were much more solid, so it reads in a different way. the ones on the first piece read as part of the frost.
But also, I think the narrower aperture for the "sky" in the first piece lends to the Very Cold feeling, too...like the frost has really settled in.
I really like these. I hope you do some more. I think they would sell well at your shows. :)
Sandy in the UK
I join in the comments of the others. Both are very well done. I prefer the first one, but I must admit, the idea if tearing the dryer sheets is good and does a very good job of 'schmoozing' the edges. Clever to cut out around the pattern in the fabric for the shapes against the frozen window.
Thank you for sharing!
Carole
Hi Sue,
Both the pieces are very effective giving a frosty look! I think you have been very creative in your approach to these quilts, and I love your snow flakes. I tried to do a similar thing on my frosted window panes, but you achieved what I only attempted. Way to go! How hard was it to cut the dryer sheets into snow flakes after all the folding you have to do? I tried it with paper, and it was difficult to get good detail.
Nice work Sue!
Hi Sue - You really met this challenge and then did it again. I agree with all the comments above. I do prefer the first piece with the more subtle snowflakes and the mylar. I find it very beautiful. It is a work I would look at often if I was fortunate enough to own it.
Roberta
Sue, I love these pieces. I especially like the lacy effect of the snowflakes on the first piece.
Great job!
Lisa Konkel
I'm with the rest of these wise women... the first piece is my favorite... looks like what I see on my windows almost every morning... Excellent work! I can feel the cold in this piece... I think I'm ready for spring!
BRRR....
As gorgeous as these windows look, I'm happy to be living in Southern Ca. LOL
I can't wait to try the torn dryer sheets...great look!
Sooo pretty
Cherie
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