Art Quilt Challenges by Donna Hussain

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Connie Horne.

Recently a group of my quilting friends in Sacramento, California (USA) decided to form Pins and Needles, a new quilt circle that would focus on making art quilts. Most of us had mastered traditional quilting skills, but now wanted to learn about basic art and design principles such as balance, perspective and scale, concepts that painters, sculptors, and photographers apply to their work. We also wanted to use materials such as beads, stamps, mirrors, paints, and a wide range of embellishment techniques but were reluctant to experiment on our own. Group support has helped our members venture into new avenues of creativity.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Donna Hussain.

This past year we studied one chapter a month of The Quilting Arts Book by Patricia Bolton and made small samples of the techniques described in each assigned chapter. Circle members also participated in two major quilt projects: the making of monochromatic quilts and sewing two panoramic quilts of the Sacramento skyline.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Helen Burke.

Making monochromatic quilts was an exercise in value. One of our members collected paint chips from a paint store and put them in a paper bag. With eyes closed each member of our circle drew one of the paint chips from the bag. The color of the paint chip determined the color of the 9x15 inch quilt each member was required to make.  Only light and dark fabrics of the paint chip’s color could be used. The quilt design was up to the individual.  After three months all of the participants brought their monochromatic quilts to our monthly meeting.  We were thrilled with the results.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Kim Brownell.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by BJ Bailey.

For the second major group project our art quilt circle decided to make a panoramic slice quilt, chosing a photo of Sacramento’s skyline taken by Evan Wisheropp (the son of one of our quilters)  to be the image we would reproduce in fabric.

Donna Hussain's working copy of the skyline.

A committee of three set the guidelines and rules for the project. Since ten quilters wanted to participate in the project, the committee decided that we should make two identical panorama quilts, five slices each.  After deciding what each of the finished quilts should measure (70 x 220 inches) the committee printed two enlargements of Evans’ photo that size.

Each paper enlargement was then cut into five vertical segments (14 x 44 inches). After outlining the basic shapes on the patterns with felt pen the committee randomly distributed the slice patterns to the quilters. We quilters were advised to pay attention to the horizontal lines on the patterns so that the slices would match up when joined together.

Each quilter also received a 4x6 inch color photo of the panoramic scene to help in the selection of fabric colors for her slice. Since we planned to hang the five slices of each quilt from a single sleeve we were told to omit a traditional quilt binding.  To cover the edges of my quilt I added ¼ inch to the pattern specifications for the quilt top (but not to the batting or back fabric), then folded the ¼ inch excess to the back of the quilt and secured it with a hem.

Sacramento Skyline I, Quilters left to right:
Lori Wisheropp, Denise Schmidt, Helen Burke, Judith Imel, Sunni Hamilton

The committee requested that the quilters work independently, not showing their quilts to others during their construction. We were given five months for the completion of the slice panels. As you can see from the pictures that accompany this article the panoramic quilts turned out to be spectacular.

Sacramento Skyline II:  Quilters left to right:

Connie Horne, Jan Soules, BJ Bailey, Donna Hussain, Kari Bauer

At our December meeting of Pins and Needles we will be choosing an art quilt book for the coming year that has exercises to help us refine our artistic skills. In addition we will be collecting suggestions for one or two group projects for 2012.

______

Note:  The images and drawings on the skyline are copyrighted and used with permission here.   Several people were involved in the process and are available if you would like to commission a similar pattern for your own photo:

Step 1: photoshot in the Yolo Causeway. Photographer; Evan Wisheropp 

Step 2: Photo manipulation: Lori Wisheropp and Sandra Torguson

Step 3. Cartoon sketch; Sandra Torguson

Step 4: Combining sketch and ghosted photo image and full size print output pattern: Lori Wisheropp

Step 5: Distribution with full size pattern and small photo for reference.

Contact Lori Wisheropp for more information.

California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles. 

The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha. 

Art Quilt Challenges by Donna Hussain

Pictorial Log: Quilt-On-The-Go by Donna Hussain

Wedding Quilt by Donna Hussain, 120”x130”

My daughter recently married and asked me to make a quilt for her as my wedding present.  How could I refuse her request?

Over a period of several months I sent the newlyweds sample pictures of quilts that I thought might appeal to them.  Their final choice was a quilt design that I found in a Keepsake Quilter newsletter (www.keepsakequilter.com). The pattern has large-scale patchwork blocks that are easy to sew. However I decided to add side extensions to the floor and a pillow tuck of my own design to the queen-size quilt. With these additions the quilt grew quite large.

To sew the quilt on my home sewing machine I chose the method of quilting-on-the-go. That is to say I would first join and machine quilt the center blocks of the pattern, then add rows of patchwork blocks to encircle the center. In this quilting method each added section, usually one or two rows of patchwork blocks, is machine quilted before adding additional sections to the quilt top.  For detailed stitching directions read How To Machine-Quilt A Large Bed Quilt On A Home Sewing Machine, an article I wrote earlier for this blog.

 Pieced quilt center ready for quilting

The major problem in sewing a large quilt is handling the bulk of the fabric and batting. I do not have a quilting studio or a long arm quilting machine.  My quilting hobby occupies half of the master bedroom that I share with my husband.  The surface for my domestic sewing machine, cutting boards, and sewing supplies is a door purchased from Home Depot that sits on table legs.  The only way I can machine quilt a large quilt is to quilt-on-the-go.

My work space

Unfortunately, I lack a large design wall, so I built the quilt design by laying out sewn patchwork blocks on the bedroom floor.  My ironing board, bed, dresser, and sewing table all helped support the quilt bulk during various phases of construction as you will see in the pictures.

Two rows added to one end of quilt center, ready for quilting.

Joined rows ready for machine quilting

 

Marking the machine quilting pattern

Machine quilting

Edge blocks ready for quilting

 

 

Close-up of machine quilting pattern

After completing the quilt center I added a narrow brown and blue frame to the center design. The squiggly free motion quilting pattern that I chose for the blue stripe required movement of the fabric (changes of stitching direction) while sewing, a flexibility that was possible when quilting the blocks along the edges of the quilt. 

 Fabric frame of quilt center

 

 

 

Machine quilting the blue stripe

Next, I added one of the sides to the bedspread.  I cleared my dresser for workspace when smoothing out the wrinkles as I bundled the back, batting, and patchwork together. Note that the bulk of the quilt center is lying on the floor.

Bundling the patchwork side blocks with batting and back.

 

 

 

Preparing a side for quilting

 

 

 

Quilting the side

 

 

 

Checking the look of the attached side

Once the two sides of the quilt were attached and quilted I worked on the section for the foot of the bed.  This addition has the same pattern as the sides but needed additional blocks at both ends so that the section would extend the full width of the quilt.

Preparing the end section for quilting

 

 

 

End section quilted

The final hurdle before completing the quilt was to add the pillow tuck. My choice of design was blue and green stripes because stripes would be easy to quilt. Believe it or not, the pillow tuck caused me more problems than any other part of the project because I failed to get the back smoothed and stretched adequately before machine quilting.  The result?  Back puckers. Correcting my carelessness caused me many hours of “reverse sewing” and stress.

Last week I presented the wedding quilt pucker free and complete with binding to my daughter and son-in-law who are celebrating their first anniversary. Their appreciation is reward for all the time and effort I spent making their wedding quilt.




California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles.

The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha.

Pictorial Log: Quilt-On-The-Go by Donna Hussain

Art Quilt Exercises by Donna Hussain

Click on this link to see the book:

Art Quilt Workbook: Exercises & Techniques to Ignite Your Creativity

A year ago a group of my quilting friends formed an art quilt circle to study techniques that Jane Davila and Elin Waterston present in their book “Art Quilt Notebook.”  Each month we read one chapter, then made a 9x12 inch quilt using skills we learned from the chapter. In the fall of 2009 many of our exercise quilts were entered into the annual quilt show of River City Quilt Guild. The quilt photos in this article were taken at that show.
.
One of our first projects was to sew a quilt with the design of a pear and its shadow. Most of us used the pear pattern and sewing instructions from the book.

by Vera Karnes

 by Janet Van Wert

The early chapters in the text emphasized basic principles of design, such as focal points, balance, movement, repetition, depth, prospective, proximity, proportion, space, variety, rhythm, and movement. We each experimented with these design principles when making our exercise quilts.

by Maureen Caputo

 

by Maureen Caputo

 by Joyce Reece

 by Beverly Beedie

Some of us chose a single theme for all of our exercise quilts. Kari’s was gourds. (We had a laugh over her quilt Gourd by a Bull.)

 by Kari Bauer

by Kari Bauer

 by Kari Bauer

 by Kari Bauer

After reading the chapter “Inspiration from Images,” many of our group members used photographs as inspiration for their quilt designs.  I scanned a family photo of a relative into my computer, then printed the photo on fabric to make my exercise quilt of a Muslim girl wearing a burka. Beverly used a family photo and a map of a backpack camping trip for her exercise quilt.

by Donna Hussain

 by Beverly Beedie

The chapter on painting and stamping techniques inspired Janet to dip a potato masher in bleach, and then stamp the masher on fabric. The resist pattern made by the masher looked like a Japanese pattern to her, so she added other oriental motifs to her quilt top.

by Janet Van Wert

The chapter on found objects suggested ways to add three dimensional items to our quilts, such as stones, sticks, buttons, shells, and earrings.

by Janet Van Wert

by Loraine Brown

Figure 16, Donna Hussain

The chapter Thread Work was instructive on thread painting bobbin drawing, couching, and free-motion quilting.  Formerly not my style, but after reading the chapter I relaxed and gave thread play a try.

 by Donna Hussain

Our group members also made exercise quilts using hand-dyed fabrics and fabrics that they painted.     

            by Loraine Brown

This year our art quilt circle has added many new innovative members.  We also have a new source book, “The Quilting Arts Book” by Patricia Bolton, spend part of our monthly meetings watching how-to quilting videos, and plan occasional workshops and play days to enhance our artistry and quilting-making skills.

How about you?  Are you part of a group that has used exercises like this to develop your art quilt skills?  I would love to hear how others explore their creative potential through a group process.




California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles.


The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha.

Art Quilt Exercises by Donna Hussain