Tag Archives: pictorial quilts

Bike Boys not ready for Road Trip

I’ve spent the last week on the road visiting family and friends.  It was my hope to take the bike boys with me and continue to make some small progress.  I spent a good bit of time in my studio selecting a section of the composition to take with me.  When I started making a pile of the fabrics and tools that I would need to carry, I realized that it was just too much.  

My plan B was to take the pattern with me and work on it.  The full size of the piece is about 3 x 6 feet.  I’ve had to make the pattern in two 3-foot sections.  It was taking ages to draw and mark, so I started putting fabric together before it was completed.  Now, I’ve progressed to the point that I have to finish the rest of the pattern and attach it to the first section.  I carried  the pieces with me, and my family is pretty understanding, but there aren’t many places where one can walk into someone else’s house and spread out to work on a big project.  In the end, I decided that it was more important to put my project away and just be present with people.

I’ve been back home for 2 days and have been trying to finish up the pattern.  Parts of it are quite intricate and cause me to question the wisdom of this project.  However, with each section that comes together in fabric, the volume of the nay-saying voices is diminished.  I think I’m reaching the point of no return.

Here is a look at the pattern.  I draw the sections and assign numbers to designate value, and then use red pencil to mark the edges that will tuck under.  I also outline the different figures with highlighters to help me know what set of fabrics to use.  It is a tedious and time-consuming step in the process.  I’ll be happy to have it done.

Share

Front Man

This week I’ve been able to add the front rider on the bicycle built for 6.  When I stepped back to view my progress, I was not as thrilled as I had hoped to be.  It doesn’t pop according to plan.  As I evaluate it, I realize that the colors are warmer than the background, but the chroma, or intensity, is not as rich as it should be, and I don’t have the value contrast that I need.  I may try to infuse and add, or over-fuse with bits of very dark and light fabrics to make some changes, but that is risky.  I run the chance of pulling the piece out of shape or fraying the raw edges.  I’ll have to give it some thoughtful consideration before I make that kind of move. 

I think a better plan, for now, is to move forward with the next 2 riders and create a bigger context for this front man.  Maybe I can compensate with those characters.  I also have the option of waiting until I’m in the thread-painting stage to try to make the needed adjustments.  That, however, is a long way off.  If I wait till that stage and it doesn’t work, I may be hard pressed to  find another option.

Another minor setback: I’ve lost a pattern piece for the toe of his shoe, and have spent a good amount of time sifting through all the little bits of paper in my trash to no avail.

On the up side: I do like the red bike.

You might have guessed that this is the time when the nay-saying voices are singing in my head. Stumbling and struggling in front of others is very humbling.

Share

New Progress on the Bike Boys

Building the background

This week I’ve managed to add more background.  You can see some buildings taking shape, along with another onlooker.  Even though

this piece is done in neutrals, I still want each element to be unique.  For me, that means giving each it’s own set of fabrics.  Thechallenge is to find a wide variety of fabrics from which to choose.  Although I just started cutting and fusing fabrics, I’ve been thinking about this project for over a year and have been collecting fabrics for at least that long. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that I actually have all of what I think I will need to do this piece.

72 fabrics from the stash

As I choose fabrics for the background, I’m thinking about how to give it life and make it interesting.  Some of my previous backgrounds have been just solid pieces of fabric; a kind of blank canvas from which characters pop forward.  I think that has been a weakness of my previous work and I want this to be so much more.  At the same time, I want it to stay in the background and play a supporting role, not compete for the viewer’s first attention.  To this end, I have chosen to narrow the value scale.  I won’t work from white to black, but, rather, from a very light to a very dark gray.  In this way, the contrast in my values will not be as dramatic as in the foreground.  Also, I’ve chosen cooler colors.  The grays that I have picked are on the bluish side.  They will take a back seat to the warmer neutrals that I will use in the foreground.

Share