Twisted Textiles

This quilted painting was inspired by a dream I had. I blogged about it previously, before I even did any quilting, but the color in the photo turned out too yellow. Now I’ve got a photo that I’m satisfied with!

I couldn’t really paint exactly what I saw while I was sleeping, but this is very close to what it felt like. I also kept the color palette very minimal to make it more dream-like.

Here’s the description from my journal:

I’m wiping down the outside of some windows that frame a front door of an old farmhouse, glass is very high, some areas are like stained-glass. Somehow I know that there is nobody living here, but it is still occupied in some way? I’m supposed to be going around the side of the house to meet people (a gathering? near the storm-cellar perhaps?) but I stop to sponge off the dirt from the glass to the left of the door.

I move on to the window to the right, and as I near the bottom of the glass with my sponge, a reflection of a face shows in the glass—it appears that a small child is inside looking out, but it’s face is very dis-figured. I am shocked to see it and exclaim, perhaps even jump back in surprise?

As I look to my right on the other side of the porch column, I see a child standing there, ready to lead me to the gathering place. She must have been the image that I saw reflected, but her face is very normal, round; actually neither boy nor girl (no remembrance of hairstyle). The texture of the glass in the window must have made her reflection look grotesque but I have a feeling that she manipulated the vision deliberately, calmly, just to frighten me.

She smiles still, and is very stoic as she beckons me to follow her.

Here’s another quilted painting (I love doing these!) except this one is on silk, and I used a method of batik to preserve the white areas.

I also quilted it by hand using embroidery thread, which took about 10 hours…I was sooo nervous about using the machine on the silk! It may have been okay once I had basted the three layers together, but at that point, I figured I’d finish it by hand to be absolutely sure (because the silk is so stretchy on the bias!). It’s about 12 inches in diameter, so it was manageable in an embroidery hoop.

Just for fun, we also placed the lights behind the fabric for a photo, which really emphasized the “stained-glass” quality of the batik. (click the thumbnail for a larger version)

I’ve also –FINALLY!– learned how to bind the edges properly on quilts and such…so this one was my first attempt at a completely circular object. It turns out perfectly if you remember to cut the fabric on the bias!

I’m having difficulty photographing my new quilted paintings…it’s a challenge to light them exactly right, to bring out the three-dimensions you see in “real life” viewing.

This quilted painting is about 9×11 inches (including binding on edge) and matches another one that I previously posted about.

A few areas of the painting (including the curtain and the large silhouetted figures in the foreground) are stuffed with Fiberfil—in quilting the process is called “trapunto”. If you’re curious, this scene is inspired by a short story by Angela Carter. I really enjoy anything written by her, and have already started several other paintings based on her works of fiction.

When photographing these types of fabric works, I usually end up with shadows that are too harsh, obscuring parts of the painting and distracting from the overall image. Fortunately, my husband has been an immense help in this area, and we finally got some good photographs, including closer details of the stitching
(click all images to enlarge:)

I must have jinxed my sewing machine by discussing her performance behind her back…for she seems to have pooped out on me now. Makes an awful grinding noise and refuses to go. I got about half the free-motion done on the painting I mentioned previously, but the finished photo and explanation will have to wait a little longer :/

In the meantime, here’s a peek at one of the first “quilted paintings” I did several weeks ago. It’s cropped to show the middle part of the painting, with another third on top and below this. And I haven’t given her a name yet… that’s always such a tough job!

I’ve decided that I will no longer be “unable” to draw things from memory or purely from my imagination.

…Yes, just like that.

This painting (so far) is Procion MX fabric dye on cotton…and I’ll soon be adding the smaller details with some free-motion quilting. It’s one of the first few paintings that I’ll be doing based on dreams, memories, and short-stories that I’ve read. In a few days when I finish quilting it, I’ll be back with another photo—and will give you the longer version of the story behind the image.

*phew* It sure feels good to finally be “coloring outside the lines!”

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