Sunday, May 27, 2012

A New Leaf



While pondering the “green” challenge”, the idea which came to mind repeatedly was leaves. I began by making square blocks of green fabric loosely based on the log cabin pattern. Each block contained at least one fabric with a leaf pattern. Although I liked the direction this was taking, it was not really breaking any new ground. Then I saw a PBS program, Craft in America: Threads, which featured among other artists, Faith Ringgold. One of her works which was based on eight triangles in a rectangle, was inspired by a design used by the Kuba people of the Congo. Miss Ringgold has frequently used variations of this design in her work.

 Incorporating leaves into this geometric pattern became my goal. Gloria Muddle’s technique of painting on fusible web and adhering the painting to fabric described in the February/March 2012 issue of Quilting Arts inspired me to try printing leaves onto fusible web. This method was fun and yielded varying degrees of success. Printing on fusible web instead of directly onto the fabric meant that I was not ruining fabric if the leaf print was unsuccessful.

New Leaf - Challenge 6



Detail










7 comments:

  1. Judy this is stunning! I also read that article but my results have been quite as interesting. I love the depth of this piece!

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  2. There is so much to see in this piece Judy. I could look at it for hours. I have yet to go and read the article, but I will when I'm finished looking at your piece. Kudos!

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  3. You know, I have printed on fusible, but I never thought of it in this way. I love the colours, probably because it is Autumn here and of course, I love leaves! I am sure I will spend much more time looking at this as there is so much in it.

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  4. I looked at your green square blocks with which you started and I also love them. Your final quilt has so much surprises to look at and I love that you chose to use all the shades of green and orange/brown of a leaf’s life!
    I don’t have the issue of Quilting Arts, but hope to find out more about the printing on fusibel web.

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  5. Fabulous! I see you have given some details of this technique at your blog so am headed over to learn more of how you created this beautiful leaf quilt!

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  6. this is stunning Judy! I love the technique you've used, and your use of value is perfect. I'm going to have to reread that article I must have only skimmed it. Fabulous!

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  7. Judy, there is so much to draw my eye around this piece- your use of color, your value shifts, and the organic leaf shapes juxtaposed against the straight line piecing. I think it is stunning. Now I am going to have to look up that article!

    Interesting how many of us gravitated to leaves for this challenge, and how different the results are.

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