Friday 25 November 2011

Through The Window

This post is almost a word for word copy of the post that will have been revealed this morning over at the International Quilt Challenge blog and I have reproduced it here to save me re-writing a separate post for this blog (lazy mare!).  I think the photos should open if not please pop across to the Challenge blog for a better view.  I am trying to save time as I have a busy week coming up and am writing this post in advance.

As I said in my earlier post I was becoming fascinated with the quality of light that comes through a stained glass window and I particularly became fascinated with the cut through process that I had been playing with.  After I had made a piece 10" square for my Journal Quilt I have gone on to make an A3 sized piece for this challenge.  It is not the only piece I have made, more of that in a minute.



As you can see I didn't actually take this particular technique any further, mostly because I didn't have the time but I may well play with it some more when time allows.  You may notice that the quilt I made for the Olympics had a grey binding whereas I used black for this.  I wasn't sure whether the black would be too dark but I think it works.

I said in my previous post that I wanted to experiment with sheers and I have had a great time doing just that.  I took a selection of neutral organzas, silks and nylon sheers and used fabric paints tostamp and make monoprints on their surfaces.  I kept the monoprints neutral in tones of grey and was a bit worried at first that they might be too light to show up.  Sadly I was so busy working I didn't take any photos of the process.

The next step was to use silk paints to add colour to the pieces of fabric.  I decided on silk paint as I didn't have a lot of time, again.  Once the fabrics were all prepared I started to cut and piece them using a pojagi style of seam.  This is the result:



The photograph above was taken indoors with the piece laying on the top of my sewing table.  It is very slightly smaller than A3 size.  I then took further photographs outside.



After photographing the piece hanging from our driftwood I couldn't resist hanging the 'window' in the lilac tree where the sun was shining through this morning.





I have made a lot of mistakes with the stitching in this technique and a certain amount of drifting has occurred but I am so delighted with the way this has turned out.  The surface marks are really exciting me and I am really happy with my interpretation of 'Through The Window'.  I am quite tempted though to leave it out in the garden to let the sun shine through and see how it ages.


16 comments:

ju-north said...

Beautiful work Julie! Love the colours and the way you have put them together

quilthexle said...

What a wonderful piece ! I love the pic with the light shining through it ;-))

Heather said...

It looks gorgeous in the outside photos and cries out to have light shining through it. You must be delighted with the outcome Julie and be blowed to any stitching mistakes - I couldn't see any.
The black edging on the first piece probably makes the colours in it appear brighter and stronger.
Great work - makes me wish I was a quilter.

mrsnesbitt said...

Wow! Julie this is amazing!

Peneller said...

Well done Julie. I love this and the effect of the light coming through is really lovely.
Penny

sweetypie said...

julie, thats really lovely, once again --can we all play???????

Robin Mac said...

That piece is gorgeous Julie - too nice to let rot outside! But i love the light shining through it. Mistakes? What mistakes? Don't tell anyone, they are what you really intended, aren't they? Cheers

Maggi said...

That piece looks stunning out in the garden Julie.

pam said...

wow that is great love the etheral effect of the light coming through

Anonymous said...

That's lovely! I really like the way the dappled shadows echo the marks on the fabric and it harmonises beautifully with the garden behind.

Angela said...

I didn't see any stitching mistakes just beautiful colours and the piece looks lovely haning in the tree.

B.T.Bear (esq.) said...

Yor arty werk always looks perfect to us!

Hey, did yu get the book we sent?

DILLY said...

Hewo Julie!!
Dilly send pikcher ov Dilly to Julie!
Dilly send pwitty book!
Julie get?
Dilly scared norty post Bears steal!!! MWEAH! Bluddy Bears!

Anonymous said...

That last photo is especially gorgeous Julie: the silk paints on sheers have picked up the lights and it looks like stained glass. Beautiful.

Sandra Wyman said...

I love both pieces but the second one is exceptionally gorgeous (if you can be exceptionally gorgeous!) I especially love the way it looks with the light through the trees.

Timaree said...

I love how it looks outside with the light coming through. What fun to go out into the garden and see it but maybe you should bring it in till winter is over and then let it be outside during the seasons you'll be out there to see it.