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After several ideas, I decided to go with the big ball of fire in the sky. I had just the right hand dyed fabric from Val Bennet at Farne Designs. then I found the blue with black spots - acetate satin . The border is the back side of pieces of rayon I had used for lining in a jacket! I liked it as it was a bit more reflective than matt cotton, but also not as shiny as normal lining fabric. I used a silver pen to draw stars on the satin, and it became space. The space piece was not square, but when I laid it out, I decided to leave it wonky. for me this helps to keep the infinity of sapce, rather than put in in a box. especially where it sort of goes off into the distance on the top right corner.
The border is also a bit angled at the top. I wanted to give the sun enough space round it, and it also visually balances the angle of the space fabric.
I used holographic thread to quilt orbit like patterns in space...some more obvious than others. I realised I needed quilting in the border behind the sun, but in reality, that should still be sun, if it weren't cropped. I was trying to work it out, and asked my son. (He used to be my best person for advice, but as he has got older, can't be bothered!) this time he stopped long enough to look and say to quilt it in rays, and since I had used silver for the orbit, I should use gold for the sun. Perfect!!+detailsm.jpg)
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I experimented with using a stiff fabric for the batting, and now I wished I hadn't, but it will do. In the photo, I still have to finish the edges. I think I will satin stitch with black rayon, as that will help to keep space from having to fit in a frame.
Sandy in the UK
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12 comments:
Congratulations to you and your son. It's beautiful.
Sandy,
This is a very nice composition. I especially like the radial quilting on the sun, it must be nice to have a resident critic.
You certainly got the colors...fire...and ice.
I like the holographic thread.
Carole
Hi Sandy, I really like the threadwork/quilting lines, especially the intersecting orbit lines in the background...good job! A couple thoughts: what if the radiating lines had a few curvy lines mixed in? What if you emphasized the sunspots with threadwork, paint or quilting lines? What if the background fabric pattern were less uniform and more random...or a lighter or darker value (both the sun and background seem to be medium values, though the black border mitigates that)?
I'm always full of what ifs...you can tell me to shut up anytime now!
Cynthia
Hi Sandy,
KAPOW!
This is funky, fun, and unusual. Like the wonky edges and the bright colors Great job.
Brenda
Cynthia, you have some of the same ideas I had. I had intended to quilt the sun emphasising the anomolies in the fabric. so it would actually give the sun a bit more texture. I don't think I will go back and do it now, but if I ever want to do more with it, I would do that.
In the photo, the two fabric read as medium values, but I think that is the flash from the satin. the blue is actually darker, and from different directions reads as darker still.
I really can't do anything about the uniformity of the stars, as the blue fabric had the black spot pattern originally. what I did do was to draw larger stars in the larger spots, and smaller ones in the medium spots, and just dots in the very small spots. then I drew some six pointed stars randomly on the blue between the dots. those stars actually look closer and help to make the various sizes of star/dots look like they are varying distances away.
thanks for the comments.
Sandy
I think it's interesting how you and Cynthia have very similar subject, and such different quilts.
I like the irregular shape of the background. It makes it look like it radiates out from the sun.
In the photo the blue looks like lighter next to the sun, like the sun is illuminating it, (or is that an effect from the flash that you were explaining in your comment).
Very bold and graphic. You have made a very striking quilt.
Hi Linda, yes, the lighter bit is from the flash. perhaps I can get a better photo sometime now that I have satin stitched the edge. I wanted to get it posted before I got back onto my major projects.
Sandy in the UK
I think the background not being squared really works - seems very expansive.
I think I would add more quilting in the star area - maybe a little bling - beads.
Hi Sandy - This little quilt has a good graphic presentation. The color contrasts tell the fire/ice story very well. I particularly like the edges of the sun and the places where it appears that there is another sun under the top one. The quilting in the sky also adds a nice dimension. I think you might like the sun quilted in jagged curvy lines rather than in straight lines. I say this because I did a similar piece some time ago and keep thinking of going back and pulling out all the straight line quilting!
Roberta
I know what you mean about the straight lines Roberta. I had originally thought to do flame type quilting on the sun. I might still do it for fun one day!
thanks for the comments everyone!
Sandy in the UK
This makes me think of fireworks exploding...right off the quilt! I love the asymmetry.
Cherie
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