You might remember this that began in June. It’s taken five months to put it together, in between other things, but it’s now one complete square, about 37″ or so.
I hadn’t originally envisaged ‘proper quilting’ it – as in backing, batting, and top, but somehow that just happened. Normally I would just have used a top and a backing. My batting of choice is Hobbs Heirloom wool, which is lightweight and very easy to quilt; I’ve never got on well with the cotton or polyester battings. The backing is cream cotton calico.
It’s very pale, and very neutral, and I’m currently undecided about whether that’s a good thing or a dull thing. It’s definitely quiet, and I like quiet. And it’s winter, which is a good time for quilts and quiet.
The circular outline (couched, black and cream silk bourette yarn) is a little thin, and the quilting so far is probably a little small.
But it’s a start. For now, it will rest on the chair while I look at it a bit more.
My problem generally, and this applies to painting as well as textile art, is that I usually like backgrounds as they are. I often have trouble adding the requisite focal point because I don’t want to obscure the background.
This little quilt has some really interesting patches, some of them made from layering sheer fabric over another, like this tea-dyed silk with a layer of dress net over the top:
And this vintage cotton with textured nylon chiffon over the top:
I don’t want the quilting to trample all over the piecing and the more interesting patches, but I do need to quilt all the layers together securely. I may try tying the layers here and there. I think it just needs to sit on the chair for a bit while it thinks about what it needs (don’t we all!)
The sketchbook I’m plotting this (and others) in is an A4 landscape-format book, one of my favourite layouts.
Everything in this sketchbook is about remembering, recollecting, and forgetting. There are spots of time, there are ghosts (from time past), there are attempts to turn something intangible and unfathomable into something visual and tactile. There are shadows from time past, and there is the light of time present.
The thinking and the testing is all part of the finished thing.
Today I will be mostly looking at a small quilt as it rests on a chair. And yes, I call that work now. It’s ridiculous really.
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Well, it is work. Getting your mind and your mind’s eye in the right state to be receptive to the still, small voice of a quietly-spoken, quiet quilt, is not necessarily easy in the hustle and bustle of normal life. As it stands, it speaks to me of landscapes and petroglyphs, familiar overlain with unfamiliar.
Whether that helps or hinders you, I can’t begin to guess!
grateful for any help at all at this point, to be honest 😆 But yes, actually, that is helpful – I hadn’t seen that in it at all, but I can see it now. Even now I have a hard time thinking of this as work. For many decades ‘work’ was a half-hour walk followed by eight hours in an office/bank/classroom, then a half hour walk home again. I still have to pinch myself some days.
Realmente maravilloso!!!!
thanks so much
work is a necessity, or at least it was back in the days when we were raising a family … now we’re retired and “work” has been banished from our every day conversations … we play … in fact, I so love piecing bits of cloth together that I have long called it “patchplay”
so may your mind rest easy … may your pieced cloth make itself more fully known to you … and for what it’s worth, I do love “small quilting” if only because I get to take that much more time with a piece before letting it go, calling it done … that said, I do get what you mean about not wanting to obscure the patches themselves … perhaps “framing” some of them with the quilting running around rather than through???
Thanks, Liz. I’m very much looking forward to my own retirement (in 8 years time), although it probably won’t look that much different from running a small business, apart from the selling and the occasional stress…
Yes, I was thinking some simple echo quilting around some of the blocks might work. It’s turned out to be nothing like the plan I had for it, which has thrown me a bit. But then what would be the fun in making something you can already ‘see’? This one will start talking to me at some point I’m sure.
I think it’s beautiful and relaxing. Perfect with a book and cuppa. Sometimes our eyes do need a place for rest and i think that’s in this lovely calming quilt.
thanks so much. It definitely is a quiet one, and nothing wrong with that 🙂
Why don’t you quilt along the seam lines? Kind of like “stitch-in-the-ditch”, but less regimented. As if you were outlining the quilt all over again.
thanks for the suggestion Annie. I think I will probably outline-quilt some of the blocks once there’s some sort of main design feature established. So far it’s not giving much away.
Love the soft colors in this quilt top Karen! I’m looking forward to seeing it hand quilted. 💙
Hobbs wool batting is my favorite too, and my favorite thread for hand quilting is Gutermann 100% cotton hand quilting thread. It’s always a pleasure to see your work💙
thanks so much Pam – nice to know we choose the same materials!
It’s gorgeous. And it’s ok to take time and stand back – sometimes pieces want you to go in a direction you hadn’t thought.
Very true – this one could well be a lesson in patience
What a beautiful read to have immersed myself in today. I love your “quiet quilt; the beautiful, soft colour palette. Thank you for giving us glimpses into your sketch book too. It is fascinating and endlessly interesting to see how we all back up our work.
Thank you so much fir sharing
thanks so much, Di. This one started off as a sketch but it’s developed a life of its own, as these things tend to do. I’ll wait for the mystery to unfold!
I’m laughing at myself because over on insta I was going to say “it’s quiet” and decided to say that here and what’s the first thing you say!
I must say, I like this very much and am surprised at myself re: that as I’m usually pretty married to color. (though not always brights.) But I like this very much.
also thank you for so much process info. it’s always fascinating.
ha, quiet by name quiet by nature perhaps, and yes, that is funny 😀 It’s a bit more neutral than I would normally do, so now of course I’m less confident about taking it forward. But forward we will go, one way or another…
stretching can be quite fun and at least on this side of the pond, we could use some quiet.
I’m enamoured with this.
Thank you for sharing, your writing is lovely as is your quilt! I love the idea of letting it rest, then when it is ready, it will let you know what it needs. Thank you again, ~Jana.
thanks so much Jana. I’ve learned to trust these things, frustrating though it is sometimes. I guess we all need a rest now and again 🙂
I really love the quiet and peacefulness of your quilt! Don’t forget that you can stitch in the ditch instead of quilting over those very creative blocks
thanks so much Vicky, yes I’m thinking of couching in the ditch for some of it. It will be an adventure 🙂