Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Blue Form


This could have been any color, but since the challenge was blue....  Yes, it's sculptural, but note that it is composed of five sections, each of which has backing, batting, and front fabric, all quilted before assembly.  So, is it still an art quilt or quilted art? Do art quilts have to be flat, 2-D?  You make the call.  Feedback is welcomed.

It's 9" tall and approximately 10" wide.  It's not a a soft sculpture; it's hollow.  Contour mesh (aluminum screening) adds structure to the lower portion.

Robert Hartley

Field of Square Posies

Blue is not a color I use often, so when the challenge was announced, I was on the fence. But after all, it is a challenge, so I pulled what few blues I have and came up with this piece, Field of Square Posies, which measures 12 1/2" x 9 1/2". I thought I added only a bit of yellow, so was surprised to see  a bit of green as well. Sorry, I didn't notice this until the quilt was finished!
All comments are welcome.
Ann In Fallbrook, CA

Monday, January 27, 2014

Wild Blue Yonder

Some friends and I dyed white fabric in an Indigo dye vat a couple of years ago, and I never did anything with the fabric.  The Blue theme this month is perfect for this.  It is a quilt on a quilt, as I brought the lighter square forward to add dimension.
Size is 14 x 22 inches.  I still need to add the outer binding.  Comments welcome.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Bluebird of Happiness


My sewing room is too cold to work in right now, but I found this challenge irresistible. So I decided to make "something blue" by just using cutting and fusing. I used fabrics from my bag of blue scraps, and there are about 40 different fabrics in the feathers. 

Once it warms up enough for me to get to my sewing machine, I will do some quilting on the bird and in the background. The finished size will be about 12" x 12"

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Challenge #89, January 24, 2014: Blue . . .

Hostess:  Ann E. Ruthsdottir
Title:  Blue . . .
Due date: February 1, 2014

Theme:  Thinking blue
When I think about blue, countless themes come to mind: blue bloods, blue mood, the Blue Man Band, blue skies, blue water, Blue Ridge Mountains, Blue Stocking Society, blue collar, blue ribbons, etc. Blue is often used to signify the best quality as well as the lowest emotional mood.

Blue was my Mother's favorite color, not mine. However, I am painting my bedroom a shade of blue-purple. Not sure if it is to remember my Mother. It just seems to appeal to me at this point in my life.

Blue is the most popular color for decorating a home. My first table ware was white with blue decoration. My neighbors got together and got 'the first set free' at a Kroger promotion. I tired of the decoration, but loved the gift of friendship.

My challenge is to create a quilt that makes one think “blue”.

Technique:  Limited color palette
The major color should be blue. It is OK to add white and black and ONE other color. These should be minor additions; just an emphasis on the BLUE theme. Any subject that appeals to you, real or imaginative; traditional, modern, abstract or 'art' quilt

Resources
Following are some links to BLUE sites that hopefully will give you some ideas. I tried to put the ones I thought the best first. I got totally overwhelmed with all the gorgeous eye candy that is on-line.

Picasso:

Matisse also had a BLUE period

Biblical uses of “blue”: http://tinyurl.com/FFFC89 or


Blue quilts





Video: Hungarian Blue Quilts, Houston Quilt Festival 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m59YO-XLBQA


More references to BLUE
Depression Awareness Week: 11 Artists Who Had Blue Periods


And to find more references, just google “Blue”!


One final note: have fun with this!

Friday, January 03, 2014

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Winter Ditch





Here is the full view, followed by two close-ups

This is my impression of a dried grasses in a snow filled winter ditch.  I started with white fabric and added colour using coloured pencils, because snow is very rarely seen as pure white.. The actual FMQ'g was done with three different colours of thread.  I used one of my own photos as inspiration.  I have been fascinated with the effect of wind and water, on snow and sand, for years and collect photos whenever I can.  Comments are welcome.
Pat f in Winnipeg