Monday, April 30, 2012

Pennsylvania Serendipity


I really wrestled with this challenge, coming up blank for a number of weeks until one day I realized that I was just trying too hard.  If I was making a quilt based on the word “Serendipity,” I should make it serendipitously. And so I began.  I could think of no more serendipitous fabric than one of my snow dyes, and I chose a piece with teal-y blue highlights and lots of the texture that snow-dyeing produces. I put in some cerulean blue slashes with hand reverse applique to bring out the blue highlights and then I was stuck so I set it aside until the next serendipitous moment.

I decided to sandwich the top and do some machine quilting to emphasize the textures in the background. I was playing with shapes to applique on top of this when I serendipitously thought of the nautilus shape, a shape that has always fascinated me, and wondered what it would look like if I exploded it.

I obviously liked it so much I added another and then exploded some circles as well.  In the spirit of serendipity, these are all non-fused, raw edged, and machine appliqued. And this was a stretch for me, since usually I like to finish the edges, but I think the frayed fuzziness fits the serendipity theme.


 I added some clusters of French knots in perle cotton for a little more texture, faced it and it was done!

Madalene

4 comments:

  1. Gorgeous. It's elegant while having happy energy. I love that snow dyed fabric. Hope to try that someday, somewhere that gets snow! I especially like the natural geometry & bright color of the exploded circles and nautilus against the mottled "water."

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  2. How perfect to use a snow dyed fabric for this theme! I love the splash of blue - and the nautilus-exploration is an eye catcher. Beautiful !

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  3. Love your fabric. I've done lots of it and always interesting........you worked beautifully with it. To me I see it as a hieroglyphic or petroglyph (not sure those are the correct words)......but signs made on a stone wall..........or fossils................wonderful image, enlargement and piece!

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  4. Nice work, Madalene! Love the "exploded" shapes! The color selection and balance of elements is so nicely done!

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