Challenge 62

My asymmetrical version of Notan!

Notan Trees

Untitled

Although, I am posting last this was done the week of the challenge deadline. I just never got around to the posting part of it. This was a fun challenge. I'd like to do three more and put them together. I think it would give it a totally different effect. Critiques, criticisms and comments always welcome.

Tails of a Phoenix

I had just made a trip to Nepenthe Restaurant in Big Sur and was inspired by the Phoenix image. This piece used two tails of my imaginary Phoenix and in the Notan style, created two more tails from the pieces I cut. I really enjoyed this challenge and the piece I created.

The size is 17 ½ by 17 ½

Jeanne Holmes

Sea Notan Art

I Have posted my Quilt to the blog and FFFCC 62 Thank you for such a great challenge.

This was a fun project. I "think" this represents Notan Art. I am not the best cutting and trimming person. So I made it simple:) I could not resist the seaweed.

 Susan Ward aka SusanPI2   

 

 

 

 

 

"Imagination What a Wonderful Thing"
Quilting In Kentucky
http://artquiltssusanpi.blogspot.com/

 

Notan Snowflake

I started with a circle and cut the pattern to look like a snowflake. One side of the white fabric had some sparkles on it. I realized that since everything was symmetrical, I did not have to recut the cut out pieces to get the right side up. Big time saver. I'm really pleased with how this turned out (except for the top point that isn't quite straight. It 15" x 15" and right now unquilted. I'm trying to decide if it needs to be or just frame it. I know have my snowflake for our Embroiderers Guild challenge too!

Nancy Schlegel

Three Studies

Here are three that I like. I haven't had time to convert to fabric yet...too many irons in the fire right now...LOL

This is fun and a valuable lesson in positive/negative, light/dark interaction. Thanks Wendy!

Cherie

Notan.....

You have all done a great job!  Notan is such fun and with so few rules, its easy to just keep it going!  I did a bunch over the summer... here are just a few:

     

Lotus Petals

Jack in the Box

Simple Hearts

Simple Trees







Butterfly and Flower

This must be a first. Nearly on time. I cut several experimental Notan images, most of them symmetrical. Then I decided to try something more representational and asymmetrical. This is the one I decided to try in fabric. There is something I like about it, but think it lacks balance. I have uploaded two views, the smaller one is rotated 90 degrees right.

I liked this challenge so much, that I am going to take the idea of paper cutting positive and negative shapes to my guild for a fun activity at our next meeting.

I am eager to do some more. This is such a welcome break from my usual work. Much more immediate gratification. I say that, but I did take the time to applique the shapes, fused and stitched.

Comments/critiques welcome.

Cards Notan

This was designed in Make the Cut software and cut with an electronic cutter. The great thing about it is that I got 2 for 1 . I loved this challenge!

Meena

Notan

This was a lot of fun.

If you cannot enlarge this, go to my Flickr site and click on action and then view sizes.

Notan

This has been one of my favorite challenges.  I had never heard of the Notan concept but was fascinated with it as soon as I started researching.  I found this great example by Lynn Ticotsky and knew that I wanted to try something similar.  With the aid of CAD drafting software I tried out several different ideas for a repeating pattern.  (Some that I didn't choose are in this blog post.)  I created a freezer paper template and cut the chosen pattern out of black fabric with fusible web on the back eight times.  The resulting 16-square block reads more like an irregular 9-patch to me, but it is made up of just the eight cut-outs and their "leftovers".   I'm not a very precise person, so this definitely looks better from a distance where you can't see all the fuzz, but I really like it.

Right now it's just fused to white fabric, but I would really appreciate some advice on whether to add a black border, and what sort of quilting pattern to use.  I don't want to distract from the design, but I'm not sure that just tracing it with quilting lines would add much.  Input greatly appreciated!

(dimensions are 24" x 24")

(Cutting out Notan shapes is perfect activity to do while joining hubby watching football!)

Trees

Whoever said Notan is addicting is right! I did a second Notan of trees and decided to just flip the paper to one side, rather than all four sides. I also did not make the image symmetrical. I liked the way it looked and proceeded to make a small quilt which measures 10" x 21". Instead of using the method of flipping and gluing (like I did on my previous quilt - post is below this one) I traced the paper pattern onto wonder under and fused it to each fabric and then cut out and fused each piece down (the orange on the dark brown and visa versa). This was far neater and simpler and faster than trying to flip the actual fabric and glue it down. I sort of wish I had reversed the dark and light so that there was more of the light background showing within the trees. The quilt has very little quilting - I just stitched along the edge of the fused fabric. Comments welcome.

Leaf Notan

I made a paper sample of a leaf notan. I liked that the inner square was not perfectly centered. I then decided to go forward with a quilt. It measures 24" square. I used some fabrics I had ice dyed. I used the same technique for the quilt as I did for the paper sample - cutting and flipping. The fabric was not near as stable as the paper. I used a glue stick and dabbed each piece of fabric with glue before sticking it down. I felt there was too much background showing in the middle of the quilt so I stuck three additional leaves on each square. The inner squares do not line up well on the quilt, since they were not centered on the paper pattern. I used a free motion satin stitch around each element in the quilt to neaten up some of the rather frayed edges and FMQ just the background of each square. The quilt looks a little too traditional for my taste, but I do like the way the fabric seems to glow. Comments welcome.

Notan symmetries

I used freezer paper and black paper to do my designs. I took a class many years ago from Michael James and we worked with just black and white and some Notan during the three days. I have never done any else with it but like the symmetries that appear. Thanks for this challenge!

Sally K. Field

My Take on Notan

Doing too much cutting with a scissors makes my thumb numb, so I decided to do this challenge on the computer. I started with some sailboat drawings that I had and put them into a square arrangement that I liked. When I "folded" back the cutout sails, there was too much white space. I figured that if I put it into a repeating tile design that it might work better. The first photo shows a single tile and the second shows it in a nine-patch arrangement.

This challenge was a lot of fun and gives me some ideas for repeat fabric design. Thanks!

Jean Cheszek

Notan designs

I actually have a partially completed quilt that uses the notan design elements but I wanted to do something from scratch.  The first night I cut out a basic square and straight lines out of freezer paper.  I fused it to some of my dyed fabic and then painted the uncovered fabric black to get my first design.  I like the clean lines but it didn't excite me.  While cleaning the next day I came across a leaf design I had drawn several weeks ago and decided to try to turn it into a notan piece.  I really wanted to applique this piece so I could finish it.  Since there is a right and wrong side to the fabric, I had to draw and cut out opposites to complete the design.   I ended up with two completed pieces that I may turn into a bag or pillow.  I really like the second design more but I think it needs something in the middle.  I could really get hooked on this technique!

LindaBN from Louisiana

Fall Pennants

Early for a change...

This challenge fit in with another project I needed to finish this week. A swap of fall pennants. The photo shows one face up and one face down. I began with a triangle and cut oak leaves out of the side. The applique fabric was backed in MistyFuse and I switched the oak leaves from one side to the other so that the fusing worked.

The applique fabric was rusted and I had a really hard time sewing on it. Had to help my machine push through it once or twice.

Now I see a face in the triangle and I want to try an even more figurative Notan just for fun. Thanks for the challenge, it was excellent timing for me.

Palmetto Moon

I knew when I read this challenge that I really wanted to do this one. I'm leaving Tuesday on a trip so I knew I wouldn't have time to make this up in fabric. However, this is a project where you can, at least, make the cut out and design.

I started playing with some free form designs but soon came up with the idea to make SC's state logo. A palmetto tree with a crescent moon. It took me about four tries to get it to this stage.

I have the white freezer paper pattern ironed to a black fabric. I like this and will eventually turn it into a quilt

Notan Screen

Since I used Notan in Challenge 58, I decided to make an organza silk screen as described by Enid Gjelten Weichselbaum in her article “really reusable Organza Silk Screens” in the October/November Issue of Quilting Arts Magazine. I made three expanded squares out of freezer paper and chose the most simplistic to make the screen. I did not take a picture of my work on the black fabric as I thought it would be on my screened fabric. Another learning experience as I lost some of the elements of Notan. I will use components of the other two Notan projects for some additional screens as they have some interesting design elements.
I was pleased the way the screen turned out. I do need to “kill” the screen in a couple of spots where the joints meet. Not a true Notan but the exercises were fun and I do have a finished project.
Thanks Wendy for a fun project which will lead to lots of design possibilities in the future. Comments/critiques are appreciated.

Pam