Saturday, January 06, 2007

Bridge - Day 2

Well I have spent the day working hard on this and my back is now telling me all about it. It is very hard to stay motivated when you can only see a small part of the picture. Believe me I only got to see this about half an hour before you guys.

Anyway as requested, some close up shots, and bigger pictures.
This one shows part of the background trees and bushes. It is quilted with a leaf pattern. I have put the hopping foot into every close up to give you some idea of the scale. For those of you not familiar with these machines I have an APQS Discovery, and the hopping foot is about half an inch in diameter.
This is part of the path. If you look carefully you can probably see the edges of the pieces of fabric. My machine doesn't have a stitch regulator so I am trying to get my stitches even myself. I tend to get it pretty well for a given design but it changes from one patterns to another. I can live with that, but I suspect American judges will be more critical. So be it, it's art not textbook quilting.
Here is some of the grass, both shades are grass, one is in light the other in shadow. Part of my reasoning on the quilting patterns is to convey essence of thing. I am trying to give cues for people to fill in the details, rather than just supplying the detail myself. I suspect I am technically giving too much information, but for a first attempt it will do. Maybe in future I will be able to put more trust in my audience.

This is the edge of the base of the bridge. The one I am using as source is formed concrete, and I think the pebble texture says that quite nicely. I wish I had taken some pictures before I quilted it. It was very different. I am also thinking about trying to get some action pictures. I tend to have my left hand guiding pieces under the foot, I knock my knuckle pretty regularly trying to catch misbehaving bits, and I think it would make for some interesting pictures.
Finally, this is where I have got to today. Remember I have to have this completely finished by the end of Sunday. I have the fabric cut for the bridge, which will be the next thing to put on. I am quite pleased with what I have so far. The largest blocks of green will be mostly covered by blossom. There will be a tree on the left of the picture spreading branches over most of the quilt. Covered in pale pink blossom. It will be the pinkest quilt I have ever made, possibly ever will make. Oh and of course I hate green too. Who would have thunk it? :)

I still don't know it's name, or how I am going to deal with the water. Fortunately there isn't too much water.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is so nice to see close ups - thank you very much. I would like to try this technique at some time in the future, if I may.

I did a pic of a buddleia once and snipped tiny bits onto bondaweb, ironed that and then ironed it to backing fabric. Quilted like mad over the top. There were so many snippets it didnt matter if some were knocked off on the way. Your idea is much more controlled and the fabric wont be as stiff either.

Anonymous said...

I looked very closely at the stitching on the path. I call that sort of quilting 'pebbles'. Does it have a name?
Anyway your stitching is wonderful. As far as I know only Diane Gaudanski and June Barnes gets their stitches as regular as that and they're using domestic machines.
Love the composition.
Well done that woman!
Sally

Dormouse said...

It's looking wonderful. I think it's going to work out great.

Still trying to get my head around the idea of you using a ton pink though. :D Then again blossom isn't exactly hearts and barbie so you're in a whole different ball game.

Ferret said...

Caroline,
I started out trying a fusible on the backing fabric which worked pretty well, but isn't really necessary. I couldn't face putting it on the fabric as that would mean I had to get every piece up the right way. Not for me thatnks. Please do have a play and see what you can do with it. If you told people where you got the idea I would really appreciate it.

Sally,
I call it pebbles :) I think that is it's 'official' name too. I wonder how names become official. Thanks for the vote of confidence on the stitching, coming for you that is a great consolation :)

Dormouse,
I supppose you are right, natural pink and syntetic pink are very different. I think I must be over my green thing as not only am I doing this (which in my head is green more than nay other colour) but I have a green nude planned. Inspired by the same exhibition at the National Gallery as it goes. Wierd. Maybe this looking at art is having an effect.

Anonymous said...

Great to see your "pebbles", Ferret - as I am thinking of using that kind of quilting on a piece I intend to (someday) do from a gorgeous hand-dye I own that I can't bear to cut up - I was thinking a geological sort of approach to it. Anyway, I like your pebbles/bridge a lot and it's definitely if not precisely inspiring me, reinforcing what was a vague idea.