Untitled - EBMC January, Part V (Crit Update)

Start

Finish

16" x 16" 

Commercial cotton fabrics, 

cotton thread and batting

Machine quilted with walking foot

ETA (Editted to Add) the Crit:

EB is very perceptive as well as kind and supportive with her remarks.

Square is definitely "in"!!    I like the simple uncluttered look...you do have a lot of weight in the left hand corner though - something to think about for next time.  it is hard to balance such a distinctive and strong shape.  I love how the lines form an abstract pattern.

I think the 'weight' in the lower left was one reason I was struggling with proportion -- I just couldn't put my finger on the problem at the time.

I'm thinking that if I'd reversed the fabric it might have been a bit less 'weighty'.

The distant hills work well...narrowing it off you do get a sense of going off into the far distance.  Probably, with our 20 20 hindsight would have been interesting  to have reversed that rather distinctive fabric for the further hills, so that the pattern was a little less clear...but it's just a nicety.  

Re: the background fabric (the not-snow parts): I'd already auditioned that fabric both 'right' and 'wrong' side up...but it's a batik and there's really no difference.  Had nothing else in my stash that was quite right -- either too dark or too light.  Tried coffee-dyeing a piece...too uniform, no texture.

Also the quilt on the very light band could have been further apart at the bottom and closer together at the top - also giving an illusion of distance.  Otherwise looks good!!  Very prairie!

I think EB is referring to  the quilting on the wide band of snow, and she has a good point there.  I hadn't thought about that.  Need to tuck that valuable point away for later use!

In the next few days before February, I'm piecing, hand-quilting and knitting while resting up up for the next episode of EBMC!

Reminding Us It's Winter

January arrived for real some time last night, with snow and blowing snow, temps of -22C with a wind chill of -31C.   My furry companion, Diesel, knows exactly how to deal with this weather: turn one's back on it and catch a few z-z-z-z-z s.

Blanket Buttonhole Stitch Block - TAST Week 2

Me? I've been in the Sewing Studio.  Last evening I set my mind to this week's Crazy Quilt Block for TAST, and this morning, while listening to the podcast at Nonnie's Quilting Dreams, I finished it.  I had great fun with this piece, and got a bit carried away with the beads.  My in-line blanket buttonhole stitch is quite good, but it proved a challenge to use it for couching and on velour.  And yes...my 'wheels' need work if I am to do them on fabric that's not specifically laid out for embroidery (silk is quite different than aida cloth or even-weave linen!)

Then, with Peter Tongni and CBC 2's Choral Concert as accompaniment, I headed to my sewing machine and made up a couple more rows on the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt top.  So large that it now fills my design wall, hanging down to the floor, I've decided to make a separate unit of the last 8 rows.  I'll attach it to the first 9 once I'm finished.  Measuring for the borders will be tricky -- I'll have to move furniture to lay it out on the kitchen floor!  This is not the largest quilt I've ever made, but I lived in a larger house the last time I did something like this...

Certainly this top has more pieces than any I've ever created, and will have to be very densely quilted to deal with the bulk of all those seams and junctions!

What's in the plan for this afternoon?  As it continues to blow, I'm staying warm with The Quilt Show, (always lots to see on that site!), perhaps an episode of Antiques Road Show, my knitting...and maybe -- just maybe -- I'll curl up with Diesel.  Stay warm!