As I often do I have joined yet another yahoo group and we will be making a quiltie in a getting to know you swap. I have wanted to make an art quiltie or even an art quilt for some time so I thought I'd have a small practice. I use a lot of coffee to dye fabrics and paper so what better to illustrate myself than a quiltie made with coffee dyed fabrics.
I did the pre-requisite top layer and added some thick wadding (batting) and the bottom layer then on the first one I machine stitched. I also added some hand stitching and beads. I then backed it and edged it with matching fabrics. It turned out more like a pancake than a quilt - unless flattish and thin is what a quilt should be like......
So attempt number 2 - same design, same fabrics but only hand stitched through all the layers before backing and edging - still rather pancake like.
What am I doing wrong or is this correct for a quiltie? If it is correct I'm not sure I want to waste my time and money on the sandwich - I can get this effect without paying for wadding/batting!!OK I'll try again - one last time before tell myself I can't make quilties and go back to my other more textural art forms.
8 comments:
I think they look great Anna and I especially like the second one.I have 2 suggestions .
1. Try using a different coloured thread for hand stitching in one section only.
2.Try making one using different colours with the same design and see how you feel after that.
Flat, very flat, is not uncommon. If its not the look you're going for there are a couple of choices:
1) use a double or triple layer of wadding
2) quilt much less densely so the wadding has "poof" space between the stitches
3)take the flat quilty and use it as fabric on top of another piece of wadding and attach it to that wadding with wider spaced stitching so it gains the "poof" -- this solution looses the back of the quilty piece you made flat, but I'm sure you can work around that :-)
4) do a little trupunto with sections either in the making of the quilty or in idea 3 above....
Good luck!
They look good to me. If they are to represent "you", maybe you should do some of your dimensional work on them. Just make a bigger post card. I'd like to receive something like that-loved what you did with the Tyvek. It could be added to the quiltie. SAndy
I love it and this is what i think of as a quilty, I don't think you need to worry too much about the density, remember it is to convey you, and you don't normally work on mega quilts.
Congratulations Anna, You made you're first Art Quilty. I always learned that the only thing that makes it a quilt (or a quilty) is that there are three layers. A top, a backing and a background. There are no rules about how much or how less it should poof. So be happy with them, they are great. Don't mind about rules or how it should suppoose to be.....I always use that to make sure I make a different kind of art...that's my approach, and I know that there are quilters who despise that, but that is what an artist is like, being different!!! Be yourself, express what you feel.
Wow Anna! I agree with all the ladies comments. I've been quilting, by hand and machine, for donkies years, and you've made two beautiful quilties with your first try. You are not doing anything 'wrong', but you might not have realised that by doing such close quilting you are pushing all the air out, and finish up with a 'pancake' - it isn't wrong - it is what happens. All the ladies have given you options - you just might decide it is not for you - but no way are they a failure - they are just beautiful. Val
Anna, they are gorgeous.
I agree with the others and would add that there are as many ways to do quilties as there are people doing them.
That's what makes them all unique.
Hugs, Alis
I agree with all the lovely things everyone else has said, they are truly lovely and you've done it!
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