I started this project by brain storming the topic with my husband. I knew the first thing I thought of was warp and weft and I wanted a different approach. He suggested families since our new family trees merge in every generation creating an interwoven family. I said "Wow, Trees". His response was - you just love tree imagery (I am guilty as charged - trees speak of life, strength and endurance). I thought more about trees relative to our theme and thought of how canopies of trees weave into each other in a dense forest. Then for some reason I thought of the central prayer of Judaism that states "The Lord is One" which some like to extend to thinking all of the creations are part of the one - we are all connected. I just had to do this image.
Execution gave me fits. I have added to the challenge by trying to use different technical approaches for each quilt. For this I dragged out a collage box and started layering upholstery fabrics on muslin and a gorgeous deep blue purple silk charmeuse swatch that I dyed in some class. One of my goals is to use up some of the bits and pieces of fabric that I've accumulated this way. I cut out foliage , sewed it down and put it on the wall and horrors - no contrast, no image, yuch. I then backed the whole thing with black craft felt and decided to see if thread could provide image rehabilitation - no joy. I was going to scrap the effort and start again but a fiber artist friend suggested I could cut stencil like shapes into the image and add contrasting edges. I decided to cut out the bulk of the background and put everything on another dyed sample that gradated from yellow to blue to add light and life to the image. This was a big improvement. Good thing I did not wait until the last day to get the quilt together! Another one of my goals is to par the general clutter in my life. This month I started with my bureau which is a big job. One of the things that I found stored with my socks was dyed cheese cloth that I bought from Ellen Anne Eddy. There were 2 pieces; one various shades of yellow green and one dark brown/black/green/blue. I went back to the studio to finish this piece up. I planned to add the green to the foliage but instead ended up accented the bark with the dark texture of the cheese cloth. I then ironed the new background onto fusible batting with the tree elements, added a backing and much more stitch to make sure every element is attached and the piece is well quilted. I decided this one needed a traditional binding in dark brown.
The picture needs some work - Houston hasn't seen sun light in what seems like weeks so this is pinned to my design wall and I attempted straightening in Picassa
What a challenge you gave yourself but you did a wonderful job. The cheesecloth on the tree trunks gives them great texture. I also like how you achieved a look of dimension using the off white fabric in the center. The subtle shading of it really does the trick. I too have not mastered how to get a "square" photo!
ReplyDeleteSara I loved the concept "image rehab" and could relate, as that is what I go through with most everything I work on. Stashing dyed cheesecloth in your sock draw gave me a big chuckle too. Your goals to use up bits of leftovers as well as paring down your clutter worked in your favor and no doubt you'll create more fun, interesting art as you continue challenging yourself this way. Kudos for thinking outside of the box! The tree bark is fabulous.
ReplyDeleteBoth have commented on the tree bark--the first thing I was going to say, but I'll simply say "ditto"--it is marvelous. And I love your goals of trying to use what you have [remember I KNOW what your stash looks like, and likely I've only seen a portion of it!] The tree imagery is perfect for this challenge, and you have met the challenge marvelously! I, too, had toyed with the idea of doing a tree--interwoven branches, interwoven roots, etc., but then the other idea came to me. So I have a special affinity for this quilt! Oh, and I loved your finding the fabric in the sock drawer. I made a serendipitous discovery this week for yet another project in my pj drawer, of all places!
ReplyDeleteThat is so funny about the sock drawer! Then to top it off Alice found something in her pj drawer. What a treat. Well, I rearranged (as well as cleared out) my living room and my office and still haven't found what I lost around Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteSara, this is super! You really were able to show the strength and intermingling of the trees. I love the colors and your use of the cheesecloth make this awesome!
Sara, I have actually found that a cloudy day for taking photo's is the best. There are no harsh shadows and the light is natural and soft. I also have taken it early in the morning before the sun is barely up, but if you are like me the sun better be up later rather then early.
ReplyDeleteI have made a flannel board out of a corkboard by purchasing a cork bulletin board and putting flannel over it. Since it has a frame on it I just use a butter knife or something thin to slide the flannel under the edge.
When I take my board outside, the flannel holds the quilt enough without pins that even todays wind did not make it flutter.
I just prop my flannel board up on a chair and sit in a chair at the same height and take a photo making sure that I have the quilt centered in the frame. Camera's do bend things, so they still may be a bit off, but as long as we get to see your quilts, I'm fine with that.
I hope that everyone reads this! It is a genius of an idea. I've been pinning or taping with duct tape on the back my quilts to a piece of foam core. But that does NOT work on windy days, and I have a hard time making the board stand up straight! I am going to make a display board like yours for photographing all my quilts from now on! Thanks a bunch!
DeleteJudy that is a good idea. Sadly it has not only been cloudy it has also been gray and very wet, I am going to look for a bulletin board
DeleteI love this quilt, I like to think the trees are holding hands with their roots underneath the surface like an old married couple who know each other well. I too suffer from the crooked pictures so I got a lesson from Judy while she was here.
ReplyDeleteI love this description, my initial sketch did have interwoven roots too
DeleteWonderful imagery and ditto to what everyone else has said.
ReplyDeleteSara, I love your imagery of the Jewish philosophy that all of creation - humans, earth, plants, animals, creepy crawlers, etc - are connected - and therefore, we are responsible for all of creation. As I grow older, that philosophy becomes more and more meaningful to me. Thank you for expressing this lovely philosophy in your beautiful tree quilt. I hope to see it in person. Thanks, too, for your dedication to try something new for each reveal. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteInterwoven family trees...I love both the image of the trees and the philosophy behind it. Your use of the cheesecloth for the bark of the trees is wonderful. I so admire your dedication to keep working on your quilt until you were happy...a good lesson for me, as I tend to give up too easily.
ReplyDeleteHi Sara - I really enjoyed your narrative of the story behind your quilt, and appreciate your description of the materials you used. The hand-dyed cheesecloth was inspirational ! Where do I find things I've misplaced ? ? Like you and the other MMs.... in the weirdest and most unexpected places :-D Where is my brain when I put things down - there seems to be no logic to my in-house wanderings !
ReplyDeleteHi Sara - I really enjoyed your narrative of the story behind your quilt, and appreciate your description of the materials you used. The hand-dyed cheesecloth was inspirational ! Where do I find things I've misplaced ? ? Like you and the other MMs.... in the weirdest and most unexpected places :-D Where is my brain when I put things down - there seems to be no logic to my in-house wanderings !
ReplyDelete