So, with our challenge word mystery, I wasn't sure which way to go with it and none of my ideas shouted to me. My daughter, Jodi, helped listen to my cranky ranting one evening and then inspiration happened!
We had a huge ficus tree in our front yard that covered our roof and dropped berries twice a year which would ferment if you didn't pick them up fast enough!! One year, a large branch broke under the weight of the leaves and berries. We had it taken out and its roots were traveling under our driveway and up under our front door step!
Do I miss that tree? No! (well just a little!)
So I used the grid, a lesson online at Joggles.com (Jane LaFazio's class Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life) to pay homage to the missing tree. The large berries are inked on fabric and painted with Neocolor II watercolor crayons. I embroidered the grid in black perle cotton using a wrapped chain stitch. The french knots in the small berries and the roots of the tree are in embroidery floss. It's called MissTree. The missing tree was photo transferred onto ExtravOrganza (in the top right quadrant). The bird, an Ikea fabric, is looking for all those missing berries!
Grids are great. I suffered as you did with this topic. To me, IMPOSSIBLE. But now such a treasure from all that came from it. Good to see that wrapped chain stitch in action. My machine has something similar and now I have it in context. I love embroidery in quilts. Good going. I miss some of my trees as well!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful quilts this challenging theme has produced! How serendipitous that you had that conversation with your daughter, too. I loved looking at this quilt, each thing in each part of the grid, linking each one to your narrative. And I have YOU to thank, too, Barbara, for inspiring me, in both my Surprise and my Mystery quilt, to use embroidery stitches as embellishments or even as quilting. Remember, our visit in California, when you brought me an assortment of your quilts? I recall how wonderful I thought those were that used hand embroidery. So this quilt evokes happy memories from me as well as great admiration for your vision and how you interpreted it.
ReplyDeleteI meant to say, too, that I love the play on the word "mystery" that is your title "MissTree." Just love it!
DeleteBabara,
ReplyDeleteI love the grid and each section is so interesting! I have a hard time leaving white space and you make such wonderful use of it.
I will have to investigate ExtravOrganza. I haven't seen it yet.
This is so much fun learning about the different materials and paints out there that I haven't had a chance to see yet. It is really nice to see how use them in a quilt.
This is a wonderful quilt. I really like the use of the grid and the hand stitches and how you developed the theme. The bird seems to be pondering the mystery of "where did that tree go!".
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all the information on how you created your wonderful "MisTree." I'm investigating the water color crayons and the ExtravOrganza. It is so much fun to be inspired by other Material Mavens. I echo Sara's interpretation of the bird and the missing tree. Even if you don't miss it, the bird does! Beautiful quilt!
ReplyDeleteVery clever interpretation of the theme! I love the details in all of the sections of the grid. Yours is so different from the all of the others - makes it very special!
ReplyDeleteI love grids, which is why I think the 9-patch is the perfect traditional quilt block. Each one of your grid sections is so satisfying to look at and I really enjoyed reading the "back story". I'm always amazed at where inspiration comes from.
ReplyDeleteThe play on words is humorous and inspirational since I have a strong tendency to be literal. I also relate to missing trees - whether the memory is favorable or not. There's so much I enjoy about this quilt, especially how the eye is drawn to examine parts to perceive the whole.
ReplyDeleteEven though MYSTERY was hard for you, you mastered it beautifully. So many different images and yet they work together so well.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara - I love the grid concept, and that you hand embroidered the grid lines. Your idea of transferring onto ExtravOrganza is great, and the way you incorporated some IKEA fabric into your piece was terrific. We have an IKEA about 90 minutes away from where I live... its one of my favorite destinations :-) Delightful quilt !
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