Textures: Can you resist the urge to touch?

There's something about fabric that draws us closer and begs to be felt. Whether its the smooth, shiny, soft, pebbled or ribbed fabrics, the threads, stitching, or added embellishments, it is the textures of quilts that are temptation to the fingers as well as the eye.

"Texture," one of the Elements of Design, was the topic of the March Inspirational Quilting program. Examples of actual textures (rough, smooth, bumpy, shiny, woven, plush) and visual textures, created by prints and patterns on fabrics, illustrated how the use of texture can add interest, movement and contrast to a quilt's design.

Hand-dyed fabrics give the illusion of soft brushed cottons or suede.

Balance and Symmetry

A critique of the Continuing Education exercises on balance and symmetry was conducted. Guild members used different mediums—fabric, pencil, quilting software and rubber stamps—to create their compositions to illustrate these Principles of Design.

Radial Symmetry (left) and Rotational Symmetry (right).

Asymmetrical Balance (left) and Radial Symmetry (right).

Crystallographic Balance (left) and Shifted Row Symmetry (right).

Show and Tell

What's the Number 1 Rule at quilt shows? "Don't touch the quilts."

What's the biggest impulse at every quilt show? "I want to touch that."

It's all about the Texture.

Laying the groundwork for Inspirational Quilting

With guidance from Lorraine Torrence's book, Fearless Design for Every Quilter, we'll begin discussion on the Principles of Design at the February Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting. At last month's meeting, we tapped into our right brain and began to train our eyes to see and work with line and shape. We'll continue to explore the relationship of these design elements and the Principles of Design as they apply to our quiltmaking.

For Monday's meeting, bring:
:: your sketchbook
:: the Fearless textbook
:: a glue stick

NOTE to new guild members: If your photo is not in the 2010 Choo Choo directory, please bring a favorite quilt to the February 21 guild meeting for a photo.

Just for Fun
Want to see if you are left brain or right brain dominant? Try these creativity quizzes. You might be surprised.

Right vs. Left Quiz 1
Right vs. Left Quiz 2



image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaxzine/2278300537/

"Inspirational Quilting" program begins in January

Most of us call ourselves "quilters," a title that conveys humbleness and modesty. We make careful selections and sometimes struggle with confidence about color, balance or design—yet we choke on taking credit for accomplishing something "artistic" when the work is completed. We often forget that through our quilted creations, we do tap into the “artist” within ourselves—either consciously or subconsciously.

The Choo Choo Quilt Guild is launching a program in 2011 to change some of this. The yearlong program is called, "Inspirational Quilting," and the goal for the monthly exercises planned is to learn to appreciate the marriage of the art and the heart that is enveloped into even the simplest of our projects. For centuries, our fore-mothers knew that quiltmaking served as an artistic outlet. Let us again be reminded of that.

The program begins Monday, January 17 with a lesson called “Learning to See Again.” For Monday’s meeting, please bring:

• a 9” x 12” (or larger) sketchpad,
• a pencil for drawing,
• your copy of "Fearless Design for Every Quilter" by L. Torrence and J. B. Mills; read the "Laying the Groundwork" section for the meeting,
  
• a willingness to relax, experiment, learn and grow.

Rest assured that what is learned through this series of programs will be applied to whatever style of quilting is your personal preference. Be prepared to check self consciousness at the door and surprise yourself! Come ready to experiment, play and learn.

Stenciling and Screening on Fabric

The June meeting of the Choo Choo Quilters featured a program on two surface design techniques: stenciling with oil paint sticks and silk screening.

Designs were drawn on freezer paper and then cut out to create the stencil. After ironing the freezer paper stencil onto the square of fabric, a stencil brush was used to lightly fill in the areas with color from the paintstick. More than one color could be used to blend the colors on the fabric.

Here is an example of how this surface design method could be used to make a quilt. Hand-dyed fabrics were used for the blocks as well as the sashing and outside pieced borders.

A close-up of two stenciled quilt blocks is shown here.

Another technique that was demonstrated was silk screening. Fabric paint was mixed with shaving cream to silkscreen designs onto the fabric.

The Show and Tell part of the evening included a cute baby quilt, a vintage quilt top made from an Anne Orr "French Wreath" pattern and a colorful bed quilt.