approx. 18" x 14"
I wanted to work from a life drawing rather than a photo for this challenge, and chose a single element that might be found in a garden, one not so scorchingly hot as my own ... a pine cone. First I made a rough sketch of the pine cone, focusing only on the triangular tips of the scales that seemed to jump out from the shadows, then stylized my drawing slightly.
While fusing the scales to the piney background fabric, I accidentally laid one upside down and fused it to my iron. Instead of fusing it back into its original spot, I set it free above the pine cone and found a new direction for my piece: setting myself free from the quilt police and any of my own inhibitions about quilting.
Here are some of the things I freed myself from on this piece:<1.> Laser sharp precision. I tore fabric (makes a great soft raw edge), cut freehand with the rotary cutter, left the appliqué edges very raw and left threads hanging. (btw, its actually more work than I expected to jag up those edges, they don't just happen on their own!).
<2.> Quilt sandwich conventions. I laid the quilt top on a larger piece of wool felt, added a few straight pins and quilted away. I started near the edges and machine quilted towards the middle. I decided to try a large stipple and do it fearlessly. (Usually machine quilting stresses me out. I really enjoyed it this time and didn't cross over my lines once even though I wasn't being very careful.)
<3.> Over-planning syndrome. (Sometimes when I plan out a piece too completely before I begin I can't bring myself to actually complete it because in my head its already finished.) Making this quilt was like doing a puzzle because I didn't know ahead of time what it would end up to be. I loved the surprises at every turn working on this piece.
I always enjoy a bit of hand work mixed in so I hand embroidered the path of the free pine cone scale, tying the knot on the front and leaving the tail free flowing.
Finally, I snapped a picture of the pine cone. Its not the same angle I was sketching and I have no idea which side I sketched from, but if you look at the top half of the pine cone you can still see the way the triangular tips of the scales stand out from the dark inside.You can read some more musings about this quilt on my blog.
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10 comments:
I really like this, especially the way that one piece is flying free!
Laura, this is a wonderful piece of abstract. And how wonderful that you left the quiltzilla's behind and did your own thing!
The loose petal, gives the piece a lovely movement especially with the tails of thread flowing out from it. Great job.
Nice to have you back Laura!!
Very interesting, too, using a Pine Cone.
It is very well done, I like how you sort of 'peeled' it away and the flight of one... whatever they are called, is a nice touch of Whimsy.
Don't you jut love using that wool felt? It is great, makes a nice quilting stitch. I can't see your quilting, but am glad you had fun with it.
Laura, I like your pretty pine cone, and the freedom from the quilt police that it symbolized. My granddaughter would call your pine cone a "princess Pine Cone" it has so much style. You have inspired me to try to do some raw edges too. Joni
Love the whimsical feel of the pine cone segments. The one fly away and it's quilting lines gives more interest to this quilt.
As so often happens, serendipity lends a creative hand.
Penny Irwin
LOVE this quilt! Fun, fun fun! I love the fabrics, the quilting, the design and especially the renegade...LOL
Cherie
Hi Laura, good to have you and your work back in sight! Thanks for sharing your process/journey, too.
You obviously had fun with this piece ...and you got a great result.
Cynthia
Laura,
a great response to this challenge and a lovely whimsical representation of a pine cone
Anna
Great abstraction of the pinecone. I also really like your fabric color choices.
Thanks everyone for your comments,
Carole, I really do love that wool felt ^_^
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