Sunday, March 18, 2012

Off-Balance and TIPSY!

Tipsy, 16 X 16
Hand dyed and commercial cottons, machine pieced and quilted 


I had so much fun with this challenge!  I enjoyed doing the freeform piecing over Christmas, so decided to use that for this challenge.  With the word balance, I immediately went to the meaning in art.

As I played with my ideas, I wondered if I could give the viewer the sense of being off-balance at the same time creating a work that is balanced artistically.  I'll leave it to you viewers to decide if I succeeded!

My palette is partially drawn from a quilt I made for my daughter years ago, and by my desire for COLOR after the browns and grays of a Utah winter- even a mild one!

I love circles, and wanted to use curved lines in my quilting to offset the more straight edges of the piecing.  So I sprang for a gadget for my Bernina that allows me to sew circles.  It was definitely worth the money.

So, no deep meaning in this one, just plain fun. 

8 comments:

  1. This is really beautiful Beverly! I feel like I'm looking through a modern stained glass window out to lush green foliage. I think I have one of those circular gadgets stashed somewhere in my sewing room .... I'm inspired to search for it as your circular quilting is lovely, a perfect contrast and balance to your straight lines.

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  2. I love purple, and I love purple and green even more, although I hardly ever use them. I love your perfect circles as well. It might be a fun quilt, but it is also gorgeous and full of detail. I would love to se it in person, I expect it is even better.

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  3. Your use of complementary colors plus black and the neutral really are effective and enhance the strong graphic quality of the piece. The circle quilting provides a nice contrast to the geometric elements.

    I toyed with the idea of using the circular attachment to quilt the piece I did not use and may still attempt it.

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  4. Beverly, this is gorgeous in its simplicity and its wonderful colors. I don't know about this circle gadget... do tell!

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  5. Oh these colours are so rich. I'm entranced by your use of them. You have such a wonderful sense of colour in all of your pieces, but I especially like this one. With the circular quilting, I am reminded of rain drops falling into a stagnant pond where the balance of life within it can be so fragile.

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  6. wonderful rich colours, so well balanced - I love your freeform piecing, and it is perfectly balanced with the rest of the composition and the circular quilting.

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  7. Love the improv piecing and of course the circular quilting! There’s a nice balance in use of colours and composition. I love Brigitte’s idea of a stagnant pond!

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