Structures #50
Structures #50 ©2007 45"x44"
I finished quilting Structures #50 early this morning and just now finished binding (finishing the edges nice) and getting the sleeve and label attached.
The last few months I’ve been doing the sleeves (the hanging mechanism) and labels as I finish the quilts because I get frustrated when it’s time to ship work to a show and I discover my work isn’t really quite finished and I need an hour or 2 to put on the sleeve and label. It’s great to know all my work is ready to waltz out the door at any minute without having to stress the final details now.
I tried something a bit different with Structures #50 in the quilting - the entire thing is quilted in bright contrasting red, orange and pink thread. While I like the quilt it’s not one of my favorites so I figured it was a good chance to take a risk with the quilting. I do like how the vastly contrasting bright thread looks on the very earthy and neutral colors but I’m not super fond of the shapes. I think larger areas of each thread color might have worked better. But in general I’m quite pleased.
Detail of quilting:
Detail of quilting:
I originally designed this quilt with the gray running across the top. I decided to flip it sideways because I didn’t like the T shape the grey and light tan made together and it felt very unbalanced. I had to readjust a few of the yellow lines after I turned it to get it to work for me but in the end I’m pleased. I rarely think making big changes like this were a good idea and again I’m thinking it might have been better with the original orientation. I second guess myself way too much.
Here the quilt is both ways. What do you think?
As you may have guessed I got my USB hub working again (I unplugged and plugged it back in a few times - very high tech stuff). But now I have a new problem - as I was trying to download the 120+ images on my camera the battery went dead and it corrupted a file on the flash drive. My camera software refuses to do the download the images from this flash drive so I ordered a flash card reader so I can pull the files off myself. This isn’t entirely a bad thing - my camera is only USB 1.0 and slow at downloads, with the USB 2.0 card reader it’ll be a lot faster.
Even so computers are really rather frustrating. Anyway now it’ll be a while before I post pictures from the Mesa Contemporary Fine Craft show - it closed yesterday so at this point no rush.
Posted by Lisa in: Abstract Contemporary Textile Art
Rosanne said,
March 4, 2007 @ 5:25 pm
No URL. I’m just discovering how great this Blog-thing is.
Your work is wonderful! I love playing with some of the same elements in my designs: variations on a grid, mutted colors with a bright punch (love the bright quilting thread idea!). The size and amount of your work is awsome.
Hope you don’t mind me cking in every once and awhile to see what is new and to get inspired.
Sincerely, (Do people still say that?)
Rosanne from Ga.
Sequana said,
March 4, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
That choice is a tough one. I see the “T” that bothers you, but my first response is to favor that one. *S* Do you think there is ever a final final that we are totally comfy with?
You’ll love the card reader. Makes all the difference.
Lisa Flowers Ross said,
March 4, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
I like the gray on the side.
Brenda said,
March 5, 2007 @ 1:11 am
For what is is worth, I prefer the original orientation with the grey across the top but I wouldn’t agonise over it!
Martha Marshall said,
March 5, 2007 @ 2:55 am
I like the side by side orientation of the design. And I like the contrasting bright thread!
Know what you mean about finishing all the details and being done with a piece. It’s the same thing with signing, final varnish, and putting the wires on the backs of my paintings. It feels good knowing all that is done!
Claire said,
March 5, 2007 @ 4:26 am
I like the original orientation best, the lighter part is more prominant and I *really* like the way all the fabrics in that section work together.
The second orientation makes the darker/larger block stand out more, I think.
Either way it is fabulous piece :-)
PaMdora said,
March 5, 2007 @ 4:45 am
I think I like it better with the gray on the top. That orientation everything seems to blend together more, but the other way seems to make the yellow lines pop out and I focus more on the big piecing line between the two sides.
I know what you mean about tech stuff. It’s always so slow. I’ve been wanting to post something on my blog, but in the middle of convertting and only half done. So I think I should stick with that job and get it done!
Olga said,
March 5, 2007 @ 5:47 am
A great piece of work. I prefer the way you have chosen to go because for me it has more movement in it. The version with the grey across the top I find too heavily horizontal, whereas turned a quarter there is a dynamic between horizontals and verticals, and also more of a dialogue between the larger dark and light vertical areas. Both are great designs, and for me the grey across the top version is a statement, whereas the grey down the side is a question.
These are such personal decisions, however; but it never ceases to interest me how a quarter turn such as this can make so much of a difference.
shan said,
March 5, 2007 @ 6:24 am
This piece glows–maybe it’s the red quilting that brings out the vibrancy of the other colors. Beautiful!
Gerrie said,
March 5, 2007 @ 11:03 am
For what it is worth, I like the original orientation, too. Being retarted in artspeak, I can’t put it in to words, but there is something about the way the colors work togethr - it is more dynamic. Either way, it is beautiful and I love the idea of using the bright colored thread for quilting.
Nellie said,
March 5, 2007 @ 11:11 am
Both orientations work for me. Your sectioning for the quilt patterns draws me in for a closer inspection of the “cracks”.
Lisa Call said,
March 5, 2007 @ 9:44 pm
Thank you to everyone for your opinions. I agree with most of you that it looks better the original way. Except I like the quilting to run vertical so it will remain with the gray on the side.
I really must stop second guessing myself and from now on NO MORE TURNING MY QUILTS. I really am never happy when I do this so I’ve got to stop. It’s actually been a couple years since I’ve done this so I’ve mostly broken myself of the habit but occasionally I get lazy and use this as a way for a quick fix for something that is broken.
Rosanne - welcome to my blog - and yes of course - come back as often as you like.
Sequana - interesting question you ask about if there is ever a final final we are happy with. I think one of the hardest part of making art is knowing when it’s time to stop.
Again - thanks to all of you for the input. I appreciate you taking time to tell me your thoughts.
Sheila said,
March 6, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
On applying sleeve and label immediately after binding: I never consider a quilt done until I have. I include the time spent doing that in the total tally of days/hours spent making a quilt. The few times I didn’t, I always regretted it, because, as you note, when you need that sleeve in place you usually don’t have a great deal of time to mess with it.
On technology, and computers in general: I have always had a love/hate relationship with my computer, et al. Just today, I turned on my printer after the computer had been running for awhile - in fact was in the middle of typing a letter - when I got the dreaded blue screen. First time for everything, but it did make my heart beat faster. Kept telling myself, don’t worry. You took Lisa’s advice, bought an external hard drive and backed up everything less than a week ago. Fortunately, this was a minor blip and the computer booted back up just fine…for now.
On orientation of the quilt: I like its current orientation better. I think Olga gave the best description of why I find it more pleasing and interesting that way. I don’t think turning a piece is just a lazy way to fix a problem. I think sometimes our brains short circuit or we are trying too hard to make something work. I had a piece that never felt quite right vertically, although I messed incessantly with the pieces to get a good balance. It balanced but felt very uptight about it. When I pulled it off the wall to layer it for quilting, I spun it and suddenly, on its “side” it looked terrific. I considered sewing sleeves on two sides because, stubborn me, the piece was meant to hang in a space that could only accommodate its vertical orientation. But eventually I gave in, and found a different space for it so that it could hang horizontally. As they say, sometimes the quilt knows best which way it wants to go.
janina said,
March 7, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
Hi Lisa, Came to you via another blog (can’t recall which, I’ve been looking at so many tonight!). I’m an Australian, and when I look at the “detail of quilting” images you have provided of sections of your quilt, they look very much like Aboriginal art. Do you know what I mean? I absolutely love Aboriginal art. It is so intuitive, that’s what makes it so special. So, when you asked the question, I thought to myself about these individual sections, that I personally could see nothing wrong with them. In fact, I thought each section WAS the quilt! By the way, I’m not a quilter, even ‘though would like to have that skill (I do other things instead). And, yes, overall I can see that they are ’structures’; I did pick up on that very quickly. I like it! Cheers!
Paula M said,
March 9, 2007 @ 9:55 am
these are architectural wonders. another example of changing how I view quilting. I had zero interest in quilting and didn’t even know it was ‘alive’ until i saw your blog.
Lisa Call said,
March 12, 2007 @ 11:28 am
Thank Paula. Quilting is whatever you want to make of it these days!