Friday, December 09, 2005

Collaboration

I went over my a friend's home last week. She has an amazing room off the kitchen for a studio and some "wet" work areas in the basement. She dabbles in lots of techniques and is just getting started as a fiber artist... but she's got great passion and potential.

In the basement, we picked up this little cloth from a pile of recently painted and silk screened works. (It's about 15 x 13.) I thought it was great. I said, Wow! You could just quilt it, embellish it just a bit and it would be super! Then I offered to give it a try! She accepted and we arranged a trade. I'd finish her small art quilt and she'd pack me up a bunch of embellishments and other goodies.



I just sandwiched it and started quilting. I used many of the same motifs I've used in the past. The ones I really like, feel comfortable with and add a whole new composition on top of the original painting.

Then I started to consider embellishments. I'm loving my new sequins...



I decided on a translucent greenish square sequin, then an orangey super small circle sequin topped with a iridescent seed bead outlining the circle.

It still needed something more I thought. That circle shape really reminded me of a washer (which I've used to embellish with before). I didn't have enough or the right size, but Home Depot is just around the corner (and across the street from Joanns -- dangerous).



And here's what I came up with. I think it's fun. I hope she likes it!

She and I are going to the Art Quilts Maine guild meeting tomorrow. We'll make our exchange and have a great girls' art day too!

15 comments:

Karoda said...

What fun! and it was a great piece of fabric and now its really rocks. I love the washers hanging off the end!

Karoda said...

What fun! and it was a great piece of fabric and now its really rocks. I love the washers hanging off the end!

gabrielle said...

She will be blown away and immediately want you to teach her how to quilt...well, at least, I would.

Deb R said...

That turned out so great, Deborah. Your quilting is fabulous and I love the embellishments you chose. Aren't those square sequins just TOO cool?? I bet she'll love it.

Anonymous said...

Oooh! Red! Loverly! And small? I have not seen the square sequins - tres cool! Your quilting is qonderful.

Debra said...

This started as a wonderful piece of art fabric, and you turned it into a fabulous art quilt.

Love the square sequins (will have to look for those).. and the washers make the piece!!

Jen said...

The washers and embelllishements look great,just enough and not overwhelming. You wouldn't want to overshadow that beautiful quilting. Jen

Diane Perin said...

Ditto! Ditto! Ditto! This is great and your friend will surely love it.

sophie said...

Great collaborative effort. The quilting is perfect for the wonderful fabric, What fun embellishments! I'll bet your friend will want to collaborate some more ... in her shoes, I would.

Terry Grant said...

I love your quilting, Deborah--especially the diagonal "path" with the winding feathers. Washers are great fun, I think. The only "embellished" quilt I ever made had washers sewn all over it. It's viewable here: http://andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/2005/10/pet-projects.html

Micki said...

Your quilting really makes the piece sing and the washers are a great touch. Your friend is really lucky.

Pat Dolan said...

What a great friend! What great colors! Great sequins! Quilting! Ideas!
This makes me want to try to find a few buddies with whom to collaborate!

Anonymous said...

so very COOL! I am loveloveloving this piece - the movement the quilting brings! The just right amount of sparklies! the way yyou tied in the central shape with the embellishment goign out of the bottom border - BRILLIANT!

- said...

Can't say anything that hasn't already been said but I have to chime in. I LOVE this quilt. Your quilting and embellishment are both perfect. Now to find some square sequins...

Michelle said...

I absolutely LOVE this!!!! It is, by far, one of my favorite art quilts that I have seen!! love love love it!!!!