Back to the belated Christmas present
Monday, 17 January 2011 01:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lobsterdesignsNow that I'm feeling a bit more confident about beading, it's time to get back to peering thoughtfully at Dr F's wallhanging-to-be. I am still fairly stuck but at least I've started sketching. While the designs are very much in the early stages, I thought I may as well ask my lovely readers for ideas now. I have been thinking of doing a border design all the way down the left and in the top half of the right borders, and then continuing the curved lines into the border in the bottom right. I have lots of beads available as well as embroidery threads, a couple of colours of 3mm organza ribbon, cotton thong and satin cord, and I was thinking of using those along the curved seam lines, though I may not.
B shows a copy of an elevated beading technique I rather like in Nancy Eha's book, but after sketching it I realised that I'd be beading from here to eternity, and that is not the plan. I've done a simplified version in A and C, and if I used bugle beads it would be relatively quick, I hope. In other thoughts, I'm playing with curves ending in scrolls, but it feels like the turtle quilt all over again. I also placed a zigzag over the bit of the bright turquoise fabric where there seem to be be two vertical paler lines, not quite sure what else I could do to play that bit up. Then I did some random playing with spirals and square spirals. Not sure I want big shapes on this, possibly the square spirals though, and maybe I should just try scattering smaller things, like individual beads and little clusters such as barnacles. I've also tried a quick sketch of a winding path, those gorgeous things in the Robin Atkins book which I'd love to try, and that's the one in A which looks like a ribbon - possibly not good placement, but with the next sketch I might start with those. Lastly, the basic lines following the curves in B might be good for quilting lines, if I actually quilt this at all. The combination of piecing, quilting, beading, embroidery, and various ribbony embellishments is making my head spin!
Thoughts and suggestions, folks?
B shows a copy of an elevated beading technique I rather like in Nancy Eha's book, but after sketching it I realised that I'd be beading from here to eternity, and that is not the plan. I've done a simplified version in A and C, and if I used bugle beads it would be relatively quick, I hope. In other thoughts, I'm playing with curves ending in scrolls, but it feels like the turtle quilt all over again. I also placed a zigzag over the bit of the bright turquoise fabric where there seem to be be two vertical paler lines, not quite sure what else I could do to play that bit up. Then I did some random playing with spirals and square spirals. Not sure I want big shapes on this, possibly the square spirals though, and maybe I should just try scattering smaller things, like individual beads and little clusters such as barnacles. I've also tried a quick sketch of a winding path, those gorgeous things in the Robin Atkins book which I'd love to try, and that's the one in A which looks like a ribbon - possibly not good placement, but with the next sketch I might start with those. Lastly, the basic lines following the curves in B might be good for quilting lines, if I actually quilt this at all. The combination of piecing, quilting, beading, embroidery, and various ribbony embellishments is making my head spin!
Thoughts and suggestions, folks?
no subject
Date: 18 Jan 2011 02:07 am (UTC)Also, I see nothing wrong with revisiting the turtle quilt. I feel like there will be themes that repeat. I discovered when DD2's quilt was almost done that it was basically the same pattern as DD1's, but they look nothing alike. http://members.cox.net/jsam/quilt/aequiltfront.jpg is DD1's which was done in 2009. DD's was just finished a week or so ago: http://picasaweb.google.com/hummingjoni/2010Quilts#5559999720149311378
Also, I have to recommend this book to you. Journey of an Art Quilter by Barbara Olson. I don't know that I'm headed in the direction of art quilting, (I don't think so), but what she has to say at the beginning of the book about inspiration and process is really interesting. She talks about how beginning at the center of the piece is what really works for her. I'm trying to figure out what my starting point is. I am looking forward to reading more.
Have fun with this! It will be gorgeous no matter what you do.
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Date: 18 Jan 2011 09:36 am (UTC)I think the thing that is really bugging me with this quilt is those beautifully flowing piecing sections. If it was just one piece of fabric I'd probably be fine, the Bead Journal Project is getting off to a good start anyway. Either I start sketching basic echo quilting lines or similar (this is what I meant about the turtle quilt holding me back), which would be OK for quilting but not for beading, or I just flail about. I really want to do designs that work across the piecing boundaries, and I thought it would be easy but it isn't at all!
I've been chatting with a lady from the Bead Journal Project by e-mail, who will hopefully be popping in here, and she was talking about picking out features from the fabrics by beading. This is finally something for me to start working with, and I was doing a little sketching last night which I'm eager to continue today.
I've just realised that I've never read more than the first few pages Robin's online book due to PDFs not being the greatest for a craft book, where you want to be able to flip through it. So I'm printing it out right now and will try to get it comb-bound soon.
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Date: 2 Feb 2011 05:47 am (UTC)I loved Atkin's book too. I had dh print it out for me:)
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Date: 2 Feb 2011 10:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 18 Jan 2011 12:14 pm (UTC)Borders: elevated beading in a diamond grid pattern, using turquoise bugle beads (frosted AB, shiny AB, or both) and seed beads. This would be down the whole of the left border and the top half of the right border.
Seam lines: reinforced with satin cord/cotton thong/whatever on the bottom half, and the lines would continue into the right border. More cord lines in between in the border section, following the general curves. Look at photo B above and imagine those curves just in the border, not in the main panel.
Piece 1 (at bottom of main panel): not sure yet, I've scattered a few turquoise frosted beads. Heavier beading such as barnacles?
Piece 2: a few sets of beads following the curves of the fabric.
Piece 3: there are three larger blobs/circles in the fabric, and where I've placed mirrors on them to photograph, I'd actually go around them with seed beads.
Piece 4: I should fish out the sketch that shows this. Lines of beading over three of the circular dotted lines in the fabric, more or less top left, middle bottom, and top right, and then a row of beads following a curve in between.
Piece 5: a couple of vertical lines of beading on either side of that lighter bit, with the line on the right being higher than the one on the left.
Pieces 5 through 7: a big winding path (made with bugle beads) curving roughly where I've placed that string of faceted beads, and a row of mirrors following the curve on the top side. Perhaps a few barnacles or similar vaguely following it on the underside.
I'm definitely getting somewhere, and I've realised that I am going to be much happier putting flannel behind this than batting, so I think I am going to baste the flannel on and then get started and see what happens.
Current state of the quiltlet
Date: 30 Jan 2011 07:50 pm (UTC)I more or less know what I want to do next, but have stalled slightly and need to kick myself into finishing it.
Re: Current state of the quiltlet
Date: 2 Feb 2011 04:38 am (UTC)Re: Current state of the quiltlet
Date: 2 Feb 2011 10:02 am (UTC)I finished the beading the night before last, I just need to bind it and add a hanging sleeve. Photos will arrive shortly!