Pencil, Practice and Process
I’ve been working this “Black and White Whole Cloth” quilt for months now and I think (hope!) I am nearing the end. Even I am shocked at how long this quilt has taken me-I started it in November after all! It’s going to be a large quilt-maybe 60″x80″-ish, intensely quilted. I wrote about it earlier here and here.
I only know how I work and I love to hear how others work their projects. Design is difficult for me so one way I help myself along in the process is to sketch my possible motifs and designs on paper. That way I start to get the muscle memory I’ll need to quilt it. I also begin to get a feel for the proper scale of the motif and whether it will work where I want to put it. I am not a skilled drawer but this is still a very important step for me. I will draw page after page until I settle on the motifs I hope will work.
- Black and White Whole Cloth Practice Sandwich
Once I begin to get the sense that I have a quilting plan, I will layer up a practice sandwich-it MUST be the same batting, fabrics and threads that I plan to use on my quilt. This sample is pretty big-about 20″x24″.
My Mission Statement for this quilt includes using very high contrast thread so that I can see the stitching lines from afar, and, I hope that it will become a 2-sided quilt. I love two-sided quilts! By choosing white sateen for the front and black sateen for the back, I was on my way to making this quilt two-sided-yippee!!
I spent many stitches on the practice sandwich deciding on the right thread. I wanted high visibility which meant a thicker thread, but I also wanted to put skinny little 100 wt Superior Silk in the bobbin. I couldn’t have too much discrepancy between the weights of the threads or my tension would be difficult to manage. On this quilt, with the high value contrast I have built into the quilt, the tension needs to be absolutely dead on per–fect. It has been quite a challenge to maintain that perfect tension with that particular thread combination as well as a wool batt that compresses to nothing!
Oh geez I love the back! That luscious light gray silk thread on that black sateen makes my heart sing! I bet I have at least 15 hrs in on the practice sandwich alone.
But that is nothing compared to the practice I did 7 years earlier on “If Diane Met Karen”. Here you see how much “practice” I did before I put a needle to the actual quilt. I had to work out my decisions on batting, motifs, colors, threads, scale. I had no “intuition” at that point and needed to test out every single thing before I started the quilt.
I don’t even want to know how much time I spent practicing on this one. It was worth it in the long run! I can’t imagine starting a quilt cold turkey without some good ‘ole “Pencil, Practice and Process”!
.
Very exciting to see a little of your design process. Lovely samples and a fantastic If Diane met Karen.
Thank you Gurli! I love to see how others do their work, what inspires, etc so I try to share mine too.
Jenny, I must disagree with about “design being difficult” for you & not being a good drawer. The pencil designs look incredibly detailed and complicated to me. Seeing your process is always an inspiring study in patience and focus.
Thanks Marcia! Design does feel difficult for me-I’ve been working this thing since Nov after all! I look at my plants and try to simplify it so that I can quilt it, so I get to edit out the difficult details:-)
That’s going to be *some* quilt when you get it finished! Wow! And…on a domestic machine?
Oh Margaret I am hoping this quilt turns out well after all this time! Don’t think I will go this big again on a whole cloth though. Actually it’s not that hard to quilt this on my domestic machine because of the wool batting-light and compacts.
Wow, I don’t think I would have the patience for this type of project! You are an inspiration!
Roxane that makes me giggle! I actually am really running out of patience for this one but I just have to finish!
Incredible work jenny, I always forget that The Rembrandt complex includes the practice as well as the imagination. You know “I think artists just come up with these things and complete the process in one swoop”. Thanks for every word you write.
Oh yeah, that dog gone practice thing-the least sexy part of the whole process… And boy I sure am not in the “complete it in one swoop” crowd! I figure if I get one of those in a lifetime, I’ll be happy! Thank you for your kind words.
Incredible, as usual! Practice is never wasted. We always learn from everything we do. You are going to be so happy with this one when it’s done. Can’t wait to see it in Houston.
Thank you Franki! I doubt I will make the deadline though-again.
Ooh, your black and white quilt is looking scrumptious! I think that smoky charcoal color just smolders with all your swirly quilted curves. Love it!
Thank you-what a lovely comment! I like that I can actually see my quilting from afar.