In a million years I would have never thought I would make a quilt featuring ballerinas. When I was a very young kid, maybe 4 or 5, my well-meaning mother enrolled me in ballet classes. I used to yawn my way through the class and then perk up when we got to tumbling, summersaulting, cartwheeling. I kept up ballet for many years and gave it up when I did a pirouette and socked myself in the face resulting in a bloody nose! Shortly after that I switched to more athletic, and less graceful, pursuits.
The piece measures 20" x 27". I fused down the background and then the figures. After that I satin stitched between everything in black. I then FM quilted the background, but not the figures.
Overall, I think I met the challenge pretty well. I like 95% of the piece. The only section I do not like is the yellow curve in the mid-lower left side - going into the border. I think it looks to chunky compared to the other curves. If I had to do this again I think I might get some of that really thin, fusible, satiny piping and use that instead of the satin stitch. I saw it recently at a quilt show but I don't know what it is called.
Thanks for a great challenge. Let me know what you think. Veronica Von Zwehl
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12 comments:
Wow, I love this Veronica! Smashing colors, terrific movement and wonderful composition. Love the two sided border, and your quilting is beautiful.
Cherie
I love ballet, so this really appeals to me. I agree with the yellow swatch. How about changing the color with ink or paint or my new favorite, inktense pencils using a small brush to make them like a water color.
Over all this is EXCELLENT! It reminds me of some very famous work. Not copied, just in the same vein. Definitely a keeper.
Your ballet experiences sound like me. Coordinated I am not, but this piece has so much beauty and flow one would never know you didn't make it to the stage. When I saw this one, I said, "Yes, this is what the challenge was all about." It's perfect.
Love the design colors and quilting.Great quilt!
meena
Wonderful color treatment, Veronica. The juxiposition of the figures, and the contrast to the background shapes is really amazing. The yellow doesn't bother me at all.... it keeps the eye moving. Border is great.... now is this made from one piece of multi colored fabric? Sure looks like it.... Great job!
Lovely! The dancers entertwined with the background has such a relaxing flow to it. I also love the vibrant colors you used.
This is a gorgeous quilt! The colors are beautiful. The color changes are deftly executed. There is a wonderful sense of movement. I had to look hard to find the "problem area". Although I agree that the curve is not as graceful as the others, it by no means diminishes the whole. What a great quilt!
This is wonderful and definitely portrays a sense of movement. When I 1st saw your quilt I had to chuckle - in my Tuesday pm. drawing class we all worked on a concept very much the same as your quilt. I told our instructor that we often used this method when working with fiber, and sure enough, there it is in your quilt!
I agree with the comments above. The colors, movement, border, and quilting are wonderful. What more can I say? Lovely quilt.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Beautiful piece, Veronica
What a great interpretationof the theme. Very nicely done.
Pat F in Winnipeg
Wow, love the way you used color in this composition, one has to stop and let the mind absorb it all. Great movement, it just keeps the eye moving around the work. Fabulous.
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