JOURNAL QUILTS 2007
Theme: Trapping and bonding
INTRODUCTION
Quilts are all about layering. The middle is trapped and layers are bonded by stitch. These elements add to the complexity of surface and, maybe, meaning.
In choosing to explore the themes of trapping and bonding I hope to do more than experiment with two techniques that are widely used in quilting. I want to look at how they might relate to or enhance the subject.
JANUARY JQ: WHAT’S IN A NAME?
I really like the flower design on my IKEA ironing board cover with its nod to Rennie Mackintosh and Japanese line drawing. The flow of the hand in one sweep creates a graceful and simple motif, which I wanted to try with free motion embroidery.
My hand-dyed threads were used in the bobbin and the design worked from my own drawings on the back of the quilt having first pinned 4 layers of sheer organza where the flower heads would be. The painted ground had already been layered and quilted. I used my bruiser of a soldering iron to bond the sheers and burn away unwanted pieces. Beads were added where I had been too heavy handed!
The rose-like flowers reminded me of well known Shakespearian lines, which I stitched onto the surface. I think we can be trapped by our need to classify. This is seen in the quilting world where we are sometimes so tied up in trying to categorise quilts we lose sight of the quilts themselves.
Being the first journal quilt this was the hardest one to start. Maybe one day I will create a sweet smelling rose!
The text stitched at the top and bottom edges is from 'Romeo and Juliet':
What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.
My hand-dyed threads were used in the bobbin and the design worked from my own drawings on the back of the quilt having first pinned 4 layers of sheer organza where the flower heads would be. The painted ground had already been layered and quilted. I used my bruiser of a soldering iron to bond the sheers and burn away unwanted pieces. Beads were added where I had been too heavy handed!
The rose-like flowers reminded me of well known Shakespearian lines, which I stitched onto the surface. I think we can be trapped by our need to classify. This is seen in the quilting world where we are sometimes so tied up in trying to categorise quilts we lose sight of the quilts themselves.
Being the first journal quilt this was the hardest one to start. Maybe one day I will create a sweet smelling rose!
The text stitched at the top and bottom edges is from 'Romeo and Juliet':
What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.
FEBRUARY JQ: LOCKED IN
Keys were my ‘trapped’ theme for February. As well as being physically imprisoned we can be locked in to actions or ways of looking. My own impotent key collection became a metaphor for all those things I hang on to but never get round to doing, doors I will never open. In letting the keys go I opened up another possibility.
I printed with keys and negatives made from Softsculpt to create the ground. This was layered up with wool/viscose felt and small keys trapped inside. The whole was quilted – with difficulty round the keys – and then hot washed to make texture from the shrinkage of the wadding but leave the keys flat. Photographs of keys were manipulated in PaintShop Pro and printed onto T-shirt transfer paper. These images were appliquéd to the surface.
The whole is darker than I wanted, and it was only when I chain stitched the title that I wondered if it reflected how I was feeling in the dark days of February.
Text: Locked in
I printed with keys and negatives made from Softsculpt to create the ground. This was layered up with wool/viscose felt and small keys trapped inside. The whole was quilted – with difficulty round the keys – and then hot washed to make texture from the shrinkage of the wadding but leave the keys flat. Photographs of keys were manipulated in PaintShop Pro and printed onto T-shirt transfer paper. These images were appliquéd to the surface.
The whole is darker than I wanted, and it was only when I chain stitched the title that I wondered if it reflected how I was feeling in the dark days of February.
Text: Locked in
MARCH JQ: BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS
This is the proverbial space between two terrifying perils and the source of the better known ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’. The Argonauts were guided through by Thetis, a Nereid. Although Odysseus lost some of his crew to the sea monster Scylla, he avoided losing his ship to the monster Charybdis.
I wanted illustrate how one might crumple and burst when squeezed in such situations. The central section has wool/viscose felt behind it, while the other 2 sections have unshrinkable wool wadding. The contrast was not as great as I had hoped. I slit open the viscose in places to reveal tufts of trapped dyed silk throwsters’ waste. The foiled triangles in the ‘sea’ represent the monster’s teeth, and the six-headed appliqué on the rocks is the lurking Charybdis.
I wanted illustrate how one might crumple and burst when squeezed in such situations. The central section has wool/viscose felt behind it, while the other 2 sections have unshrinkable wool wadding. The contrast was not as great as I had hoped. I slit open the viscose in places to reveal tufts of trapped dyed silk throwsters’ waste. The foiled triangles in the ‘sea’ represent the monster’s teeth, and the six-headed appliqué on the rocks is the lurking Charybdis.
APRIL JQ: STUCK TOGETHER
The text in 'Cracked' is a quotation from the artist Andy Warhol and reads:
"I broke something today, and I realised I should break something once a week ... to remind me how fragile life is."
This arose from an experiment for the Contemporary Quilt Suitcase Collection. I used the sample of fragmented fabric for my ‘bonded’ theme.
I wanted to discomfort the viewer with naïve perspectives, a still life format in textiles, plus a cartoon element because life/art isn’t always what you expect it to be. The subject can be thought of in both negative and positive ways: The pot is broken or the vase is restored; the couple are stuck with each other or they have stuck together through thick and thin.
Markals and paint were applied to cotton and viscose to create pattern. Machine fed and free motion quilting adds texture. The framed picture was sketched and scanned into PaintShop Pro to be manipulated before printing onto T-shirt transfer paper. Bonding the vase to the background might have been more appropriate than piecing it.
Note: Ros made another small quilt with the same image entitled ‘Cracked’: This was one of the quilts Ros included in the Contemporary Quilt series of Suitcase Collections.
I wanted to discomfort the viewer with naïve perspectives, a still life format in textiles, plus a cartoon element because life/art isn’t always what you expect it to be. The subject can be thought of in both negative and positive ways: The pot is broken or the vase is restored; the couple are stuck with each other or they have stuck together through thick and thin.
Markals and paint were applied to cotton and viscose to create pattern. Machine fed and free motion quilting adds texture. The framed picture was sketched and scanned into PaintShop Pro to be manipulated before printing onto T-shirt transfer paper. Bonding the vase to the background might have been more appropriate than piecing it.
Note: Ros made another small quilt with the same image entitled ‘Cracked’: This was one of the quilts Ros included in the Contemporary Quilt series of Suitcase Collections.
MAY JQ: TOGETHER FOREVER
Although these look like flamingos they are stylised swans in the rosy glow of romantic union! Generally swans mate for life so I wanted to bond them into a permanent image.
Cotton velvet and viscose fabrics plus sequin and bead embellishments were chosen to imply richness in the union. By rotating the fabric the colour looks different on each swan. The swans were appliquéd to the quilted background. Thinner cotton was used for the necks to avoid bulk. The tendrils were free-motion zigzagged to provide a a frame.
Cotton velvet and viscose fabrics plus sequin and bead embellishments were chosen to imply richness in the union. By rotating the fabric the colour looks different on each swan. The swans were appliquéd to the quilted background. Thinner cotton was used for the necks to avoid bulk. The tendrils were free-motion zigzagged to provide a a frame.
JUNE JQ: STONE WALLS, IRON BARS
The title is taken from a 17th century poem by Robert Lovelace written while he was in prison. It came to mind after taking the Oxford Gaol tour.
A layer of silk organza (which had been folded, pegged & dyed shibori style) felt very reminiscent of prison photos I had taken when it was placed over some cotton velvet sporting silver paint splodges.
The paint daubs and organza grid were accentuated with hand and machine stitching. The rest was quilted to give a stone like texture. Newspaper letters were trapped under the surface layer to provide the title and a little colour. Red wool was trapped under cotton organdie for the edging
A prison image and the Lovelace reference were placed on the back using Inkjet Heat Transfer Paper.
Note: Ros made another small quilt on the same topic at the same time:
A layer of silk organza (which had been folded, pegged & dyed shibori style) felt very reminiscent of prison photos I had taken when it was placed over some cotton velvet sporting silver paint splodges.
The paint daubs and organza grid were accentuated with hand and machine stitching. The rest was quilted to give a stone like texture. Newspaper letters were trapped under the surface layer to provide the title and a little colour. Red wool was trapped under cotton organdie for the edging
A prison image and the Lovelace reference were placed on the back using Inkjet Heat Transfer Paper.
Note: Ros made another small quilt on the same topic at the same time:
Oxford Castle and Gaol buildings were converted into a hotel plus a museum of their history - see: Oxford Castle & Prison and Oxford Prison History.
This second prison quilt quotes from the Richard Lovelace poem
’To Althea from Prison’. The last verse reads:
"Stone Walls do not a Prison make,
Nor Iron bars a Cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an Hermitage.
If I have freedom in my Love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone that soar above,
Enjoy such Liberty."
’To Althea from Prison’. The last verse reads:
"Stone Walls do not a Prison make,
Nor Iron bars a Cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an Hermitage.
If I have freedom in my Love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone that soar above,
Enjoy such Liberty."
JULY JQ: FLEEING FIGURE IN A LANDSCAPE
Ideas gathered from my visit to the Oxford prison site combined with thoughts sparked by a radio piece by Ian McMillan on personal and public landmarks. My writing focused on St George’s Tower from where Queen Matilda escaped across snow to Wallingford in 1141.
Various white and cream fabrics were used to create a landscape scene using a technique from Quilting Arts, issue 27. Couched threads were used to demarcate the fields and cover the joins. Worsted One-ply Wool knitting yarn was zigzagged around the edges.
A chiffon figure was bonded to the quilted ground using FuseFX and trapped Angelina fibres to create a ghostlike image. An extract from my writing was stitched with an embroidery module to indicate where inspiration for the quilt had come from.
The text at the top of the quilt reads:
Although midsummer we imagined a snowy scene towards Wallingford.
The text on the fleeing figure is the title of the quilt:
fleeing figure in a landscape
Various white and cream fabrics were used to create a landscape scene using a technique from Quilting Arts, issue 27. Couched threads were used to demarcate the fields and cover the joins. Worsted One-ply Wool knitting yarn was zigzagged around the edges.
A chiffon figure was bonded to the quilted ground using FuseFX and trapped Angelina fibres to create a ghostlike image. An extract from my writing was stitched with an embroidery module to indicate where inspiration for the quilt had come from.
The text at the top of the quilt reads:
Although midsummer we imagined a snowy scene towards Wallingford.
The text on the fleeing figure is the title of the quilt:
fleeing figure in a landscape
AUGUST JQ: YOU MAY BE EVACUATED
Dramatic images of cut-off towns and trapped people during the recent floods were the inspiration for this quilt.
Selected newspaper pictures were painted with acrylic wax then bonded to a green base covered with black FuseFX. Some sewing-room detritus was added then a layer of painted Fuse FX applied to the whole. Additional stamping, foiling and paint were used to evoke the pink and green of summer roses.
The quilting motif is the symbol for a severe flood warning.
Selected newspaper pictures were painted with acrylic wax then bonded to a green base covered with black FuseFX. Some sewing-room detritus was added then a layer of painted Fuse FX applied to the whole. Additional stamping, foiling and paint were used to evoke the pink and green of summer roses.
The quilting motif is the symbol for a severe flood warning.
SEPTEMBER JQ: BITTER SWEET
After seeing various exhibitions relating to the bicentenary of the abolition of the British transatlantic slave trade I wanted to create my own piece to express some of my thoughts.
I felt it important to have an African presence to reflect that continent’s rich history and culture before the slave traders arrived, so all the cotton is West African batik or wax print. This is applied to a quilted ground of Evolon. The background design came from a digitally manipulated photograph of sugar cane which was merged with images of the yokes used to harness slaves. African beads and shells embellish parts of the quilt. Tyvek strips create a window frame to contain the applied sugar bowls and to suggest looking beyond the immediate into the distance of time.
The demand for sugar fuelled the transatlantic slave trade. My sugar bowls are taken from 18th & 19th century examples but use African fabrics to draw attention to the slaves who produced the sugar.
To signify the abuse and cruelty dealt out to slaves the title was burned out to reveal a blood red fabric beneath.
I felt it important to have an African presence to reflect that continent’s rich history and culture before the slave traders arrived, so all the cotton is West African batik or wax print. This is applied to a quilted ground of Evolon. The background design came from a digitally manipulated photograph of sugar cane which was merged with images of the yokes used to harness slaves. African beads and shells embellish parts of the quilt. Tyvek strips create a window frame to contain the applied sugar bowls and to suggest looking beyond the immediate into the distance of time.
The demand for sugar fuelled the transatlantic slave trade. My sugar bowls are taken from 18th & 19th century examples but use African fabrics to draw attention to the slaves who produced the sugar.
To signify the abuse and cruelty dealt out to slaves the title was burned out to reveal a blood red fabric beneath.
OCTOBER JQ: LANDMARK
A quilt using writing and rejected samples from my July journal quilt. It focuses on the idea that landmarks can be both public and personal. The tower imprisoned Queen Matilda during the 12th century. The photographs indicate the bonds and continuity of my own female line.
Photographs were manipulated in PaintshopPro then printed onto cotton organdie aiming for a sheer effect and reduced colour to suggest memories. As the images were too indistinct they were bonded onto white cotton, cut out and appliquéd in what I felt was a pleasing arrangement. Fragments of my writing were machine stitched then hand seeding added. Markals were rubbed over the white viscose satin ground after quilting because the faint tracery already there had virtually disappeared. Gold Angelina was used for contrast and to convey the glitz of what is now a tourist attraction at the Oxford Castle site.
The photographs are of Ros's mother, Ros herself and our daughter Matilda. Some of the sentences stitched together onto the quilt are incomplete and include:
Standing high in Paradise Street, St Georges Tower…
The tower, inaccessible then, remained a mysterious presence, a link to an ancient story and that or my forebears.
Mum would take me with her to Oxford cattle market…
Now I have climbed that tower and gazed across a landscape changed even in my lifetime. Looking out with me was my daughter Matilda.
Photographs were manipulated in PaintshopPro then printed onto cotton organdie aiming for a sheer effect and reduced colour to suggest memories. As the images were too indistinct they were bonded onto white cotton, cut out and appliquéd in what I felt was a pleasing arrangement. Fragments of my writing were machine stitched then hand seeding added. Markals were rubbed over the white viscose satin ground after quilting because the faint tracery already there had virtually disappeared. Gold Angelina was used for contrast and to convey the glitz of what is now a tourist attraction at the Oxford Castle site.
The photographs are of Ros's mother, Ros herself and our daughter Matilda. Some of the sentences stitched together onto the quilt are incomplete and include:
Standing high in Paradise Street, St Georges Tower…
The tower, inaccessible then, remained a mysterious presence, a link to an ancient story and that or my forebears.
Mum would take me with her to Oxford cattle market…
Now I have climbed that tower and gazed across a landscape changed even in my lifetime. Looking out with me was my daughter Matilda.
NOVEMBER JQ: ARACHNE
A spidery time of year! Spiral webs glisten on the dark green yew hedge. Gossamer sheets embellish the grass. Silken strands enmesh me as I walk outside.
In legend, Arachne the weaver believed she was more skilled than the goddess Athena. Although Arachne won the contest Athena ripped her masterpiece to shreds and turned her into a spider.
In an attempt to capture the beauty of a spider’s trap I photographed a web and printed it onto fabric using Bubble Jet 2000. This was densely quilted to leave the web strands and the name standing proud. Markals were rubbed over the quilting. Foiling was used to emphasise the name and a scattering of beads added. I bonded and stitched purple silk edging. This has spiders stamped around it though they are barely visible.
(This is a quilt missing from Ros’s collection.)
In legend, Arachne the weaver believed she was more skilled than the goddess Athena. Although Arachne won the contest Athena ripped her masterpiece to shreds and turned her into a spider.
In an attempt to capture the beauty of a spider’s trap I photographed a web and printed it onto fabric using Bubble Jet 2000. This was densely quilted to leave the web strands and the name standing proud. Markals were rubbed over the quilting. Foiling was used to emphasise the name and a scattering of beads added. I bonded and stitched purple silk edging. This has spiders stamped around it though they are barely visible.
(This is a quilt missing from Ros’s collection.)
DECEMBER JQ: MAILBAG ROOM
Another quilt inspired by my Oxford Gaol tour. Recorded archive included reminiscences of a former inmate who recalled making hessian mailbags by hand. This involved sewing eight stitches to the inch, a standard rigorously enforced by the gaolers with regular measurement checking. Anything not fitting the regulation had to be unpicked. I was reminded of similar rigidity in some quilting quarters as to what is acceptable hand quilting!
A photograph of a gaol window was manipulated in PaintShop Pro then printed onto fabric treated with Bubblejet 2000. Walnut ink and paint were used on the edges which did not print and to fill in the lettering. The grille is machine quilted with invisible thread. Various hand stitches have been placed between the bars in an attempt to follow the rule. The edge was stitched to emulate the blankets used in cells.
A photograph of a gaol window was manipulated in PaintShop Pro then printed onto fabric treated with Bubblejet 2000. Walnut ink and paint were used on the edges which did not print and to fill in the lettering. The grille is machine quilted with invisible thread. Various hand stitches have been placed between the bars in an attempt to follow the rule. The edge was stitched to emulate the blankets used in cells.
