Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sara's Daydreaming
I had trouble with this theme. I am frequently distracted and unfocused from what I am supposed to be paying attention to but I don't seem to have clear daydreams - more like a cloud spun through a maze or a hamster on a wheel. I thought of showing a closet of size 4 dresses but I am not into producing realistic images. I also want to use the 12 by 12 format to try out different techniques. The end result is I remembered a class I took at IQF last year by Laura Coates Perez entitled "Tea Bags and Ephemera". It involved attaching ephemera to fabric with matte medium. The teabags were used to trace or print images. Rubber stamps and shiva paintsticks tied things together. In my house one of the issues is finding the rubber stamps and or ephemera you know you have but can't get to. That gave me some (probably well needed ) limitations.
I started by soaking muslin in a very dilute solution of water and Golden iron oxide paint. I was going for mottled and rusty which happened in few places but it did add a pleasant yellow/orange background. I ended up doing 2 pieces. The top piece has silk rose petals, English and Arabic text cut from discarded books that my husband found in a library trash area, magazine images, a teabag, Chinese Joss paper and some rubber stamps. I used Shiva paint sticks on top of the image. I was getting impatient waiting for the matte media to dry so I started another using flowers I found in an old copy of Oprah magazine. I rather like that one better. Quilting is done using invisafil thread. Since the quilts were using non-traditional techniques, I decided to finish them the same way - I zig-zagged silk sari yarn to the border of the quilt and then pinked the edges to meet the yarn border. I used a continuous piece of yarn for the sides and tops and one piece across the bottom to tie bows in the corners. They do represent the swirling chaos in my mind!
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Sara,
ReplyDeleteHow fun to use all those interesting techniques and materials! The one with all the shiny, text, and stamping on it really intrigues me. I just want to touch it and explore all that you put into it. Looks like you had fun quilting these little quilts! Love the yarn and pinking as the edge finish!
I am amazed at what you packed into such a small space! So many ephemera, so many different products, so many different techniques! I need to come spend a week with you, no doubt, as my too-literal mind always goes first to the the "realistic images" you steer away from! I don't know which of the two I like best; maybe the second one?
ReplyDeleteSara, those two pieces so fabulously reflect your thinking and are beautifully presented. Super.
ReplyDeleteCollage is fun to do and interesting to look at because you don't view everything all at once. You were probably daydreaming during construction without realizing it. I read somewhere that our creativity depends on daydreaming because that is where our ideas have the freedom to develop. That's worth thinking about anyway. My gardener side gravitates toward the floral look of the second piece.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I was daydreaming! I just flit around so much while doing it. I do dream of a garden someday - sadly the best growth I've had was dill weed - I think the name says it all. I have 2 raised beds that are in chaos. I hope I can stand the heat in August to get a fall garden started.
DeleteHi Sara - How interesting that you were able to incorporate so many techniques into your quilts and explain them all so well. I completely understand about being distracted, unfocused and feeling like a cloud spun through a maze. You captured your feelings well - thanks for sharing them with us !
ReplyDeleteI too was introduced to ephemera by MM Andrea and have used it in past work. It is fun to incorporate so many varied things in a quilted piece isn't it? You've utilized a variety of things so well in the piece. I really like the quilted flowers and leaves on the second one.
ReplyDeleteOh Sara - this is so clever!!! You've created two very interesting little quilts. The fact that you were daydreaming as you progressed through your design is evident in each one. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI love collages, and have boxes ( and boxes! ) of ephemera tucked here and there. Your two quilts have inspired me to maybe utilize some of my collection in a future MM quilt. Reading your thought process makes me think that we may be related...I also have a closet full of clothing, that I have dreamed about fitting into for years ( I KNOW I never will, but don't seem to be able to part with them either! ) I'm enjoying looking at how well you married the various techniques used with your quilting.
ReplyDeleteWow! TWO beautiful quilts! My husband is creating composites of all of our quilts in an 11 x 17 format for a display that goes with my quilts. He wanted to know which one he should choose and since I like them both so much, I left it up to him. Great job!
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