July Design Master Class-Final
I shouldn’t expect every month’s piece in Elizabeth Barton‘s Design Master Class to be spectacular. I have to remember that the whole point of this class is to learn what I don’t know, to experiment and feel free to play. I really loved the whole process this month of working from a piece of music, using rhythm to create a quilt inspired by that piece.
You may recall I created my piece from Dave Brubeck’s Take Five that you can listen to here. You will find this piece very familiar if you don’t know it by name.
The funny thing is that since I’ve worked with this piece, I hear that music everywhere! I was just visiting Chicago, went to the Navy Pier, and as I’m walking through the corridors and restaurants, there it is, again!
I really loved my sketch. I thought I was pretty clever. It reflected the rhythm of the piece, the jazzy nature and the 4/5 off beat. Great start. Although Elizabeth suggested that I remove all the x’s and only include 0’s, I wasn’t keen on that.
As I played around with my sketch, I decided to include the boxes that enclosed the x’s but to leave them blank. Ah, I liked that. I wanted another shape in there, not uniform 0’s throughout.
I chose a bright, happy pink that I love-it’s a hot summer after all! This was definitely a whole cloth type of piece in my mind. I auditioned some hand dyes and subtle patterns but they distracted.
I love my design but somehow it is less impactful than I hoped. I think that once again it’s about value. I think if I’d kept my background a lighter value and had my thread color shout, it would have worked much better. I used a strong colored thread for the 0’s and boxes but they don’t show that much on the pink.
I am happy with the subtle color for the background quilting-I wanted the setting for the shapes to be sculpted.
And you can see my VLC-Visible Learning Curve on this piece. If you peer at the lower right hand corner you will note that my lines are much closer together-too dense actually. So I opened it up as I quilted. Oh yeah, I meant to do that….
The back shows how this might have looked if I had used a lighter value fabric. Envision now that I had used a very strong color for my shapes upon that light fabric-much better.
You may also note the uneven pinky tinge to the fabric. Well, that was actually WHITE when I started and that pink bled like nothing I have ever seen. Will I ever learn? Sigh.
Oh I do love this design! Just a bit of tweaking and I think it would have been a delightful piece.
Use your imagination and envision this a pristine white. It would just have been this delightfully sculpted back. Sigh. Again.
I’ve completed 7 months of the year-long class. I’ve completed 6 quilts and have deliberately chosen to not complete May’s quilt.
One Big Take Away so far is value! Yes, I know “color gets the credit but value does the work”. I know that. But in my own work I have to set my mind that I need to exaggerate the value contrast far beyond my comfort zone. Then it will be just right!
NOTE: Straight lines are ridiculously difficult to free motion quilt. About halfway through I began to use Angela Huffman’s Quilted Joy Ruler. Rocked. My. World.
I’ll be linking up to Nina-Marie’s Off-the-wall-Friday.
I LOVE this piece. It is stunning. It is obvious that this class has been good for you. It’s been fun following your lessons via your blog. You have always been a spectacular quilt artist but it’s obvious that through these exercises you have gone beyond to an even better quilt artist place! Wow!
Thank you-that’s very encouraging Bobbi! I have been learning a lot from the class but the funny thing is, if I just could discipline myself to do a monthly challenge, I would learn a lot there too. Hope to end the year a much stronger designer.
Hi Jenny,
I have really enjoyed your posts about your class. Very inspiring! I have to ask…..your quilting is so beautiful…..what kind of machine do you use?
Sandy
Thank you Sandy! I just switched to a Bernina 730 Artista (the older one with a regular sized harp). I also use a Bernina 185 and 153. Guess you can tell I’m a Bernina girl:-/ I personally have no desire for the huge newer expensive models nor a long arm.
So cool to see your process! I do love this piece although I agree with all your edits.
Thank you Roxane-yup, that value thing seems to bite me every time. I have to learn to exaggerate.
I agree with the other commenters Jenny. It has been fun to share this journey vicariously with you! I also love this piece and agree with your self-critique.
Thank you Laura. I enjoy the sharing and the critiques. It will be interesting to see what Elizabeth says.
I think you’re inside your comfort zone on this lovely piece, since you didn’t seem to struggle as much as you did with the previous one. What would have happened if you had changed thread color across the piece in the ground (the non circle and square part?) What about a really dark fabric and really light thread? I don’t know if you use any software that would let you audition such possibilities, but I sometimes think it would be worth learning how to use my computer to explore alternatives before I cut my fabric.
Thank you for the thoughtful response Joanna. I do like the idea of dark fabric and light thread-yikes, stitching really needs to be good on that one! I have just recently began to ponder using software for my preliminary sketches. I just don’t know what to use and how yet.
I actually did struggle with this one and it was in the design, not the execution. Creating a quilt from sound was hard! But ultimately delightful. I appreciate the perspective here-yes, I went to a safe place to execute a difficult concept. I’ll keep pushing-that’s why I’m in the class!
Love the piece and I agree that you were in your comfort zone with it. Why not take this design and do it again, this time using what you’ve learned to really stretch and make something uber wonderful? I’m enjoying seeing your process and hearing about your thinking as you go through these projects. Good work Jenny!
The sketch was such a good start and you’ve taken it to a grand finish, even taking into account the things you’ll change next time. Love the pink!
And I can hear that music inside my head….
This is lovely! I love the look of straight lines, they create a nice foundation for the other shapes!
It was a fun piece! I am thinking about redoing some things on it right now. Stay tuned!