Sara's Elements of art - line

My quilt is based on the elements of art. I pieced Improvisational blocks with skinny strips - when faced with an inability to get a sewing machine to work, I resorted to hand quilting lines and dots with embroidery floss. I think it was a fortuitous problem as now the quilt speaks of rhythm as well as line.

I really loved this challenge. My first thought was the periodic table since I spent many years in chemistry classes. Hmm - can I say that my quilt was made if Helium and floated away? I settled on line since I remembered a sensory perception class I took with Susie Monday in which I clarified that I notice line and rhythm when I look at a scene. I liked this challenge so much that I even started another quilt which did not get done do to many life challenges, QA and the sewing machine that would not work. I do plan on finishing and posting that one too.

Judy W's Element of Simplicity: No Excess

My Element idea is a bit obscure yet quite meaningful in regard to my focus on simplifying my life in 2012.  Simplicity (like Elements) will mean something different to everyone.

All my choices were symbolic.  The design is uncomplicated, focused and simplistic with an overall depiction of my targeted goal.  The red ribbon X is emphasizing NO as well as the cross hairs of a target.

My fabric choices hopefully convey the following... black chicken fabric is akin to running around like a chicken with my head cut off when I complicate my life with too many choices, tasks or thoughts.  I feel like I am in the darkness of confusion.  The white clock print fabric reminds me of time constraints and choosing what is important and letting go of the unnecessary.  It is lighter in appearance and so is the feeling that follows with accomplishment and letting go.  In choosing the solid yellow gold fabric, I eliminated all distraction and reached the bulls eye of my target - by eliminating Excess (XS), and achieving the ultimate element of simplicity.

Finishing details include a narrow red ribbon crosshatch to indicate a target (goals), a kumihimo (Japanese Braid) embellished inner circle that defines and honors reaching my goal of simplicity in life, and concentric quilting lines radiating toward the center of my focus.  Lettering is a bold black embroidered reminder to stay true to the Element of Simplicity by eliminating Excess in my life.

I used fabric glue to adhere the ribbon and braid. Quilting stitches anchor the ribbon but I chose not to couch the braid unless it indicates that necessity later.

Carolyn's "In Her Element"

I thought of all the numerous meanings of the word, "element" and decided right away that I wanted to do something different and quirky. Turtles live in their "elements", so I decided on a design that featured a female turtle in her elements - her shell and the water. My inspiration came from Philadelphia artist, Lynnette Shelley, who creates mosaics of her Hawaiian memories.

I drew a female face on the turtle with lipstick, rouge and long eyelashes, and then topped her head with a flowery hat. I added sea plants and grasses that are also in their "element" at the bottom of the sea.

Machine piecing, raw edge fusing, machine quilting and hand embroidery highlight my fun design.

Nedra's Element - Geranium

Two things came to mind when I first thought of our new topic- design elements and chemical elements.  The scientific side of me kept taking over as I mulled the exciting possibilities – gold, silver, cobalt, copper, iron.  I had many pictures swirling around in my head.  Why, I’m not entirely sure, but I googled the periodic table and realized there were many strange elements I had forgotten-molybdenum, lawrencium, americium, germanium.  Ha, that last one sounded interesting. An element named after Germany?  Drop an m and you have geranium.  Geranium – Now wouldn’t that be a beautiful element and thus I envisioned this modified version.

I found a drawing of a geranium by Inge Jacobsen which I modified a bit, then printed a copy and traced onto fabric.  I painted the geranium flower and leaves and then fused it to my background fabric, which reminded me of atomic particles. I fused the symbol and atomic number to the piece and then machine quilted the atomic particles to complete my depiction of  this fictitious member of the table.