I have always loved the look of old plant engravings. I was curious to know if that look could be reproduced with thread on fabric. What I realized is that it really can't because you can not get the lovely thick and thin line quality that the old engravings have.
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Front
Back
I do like the effect and will probably play with this some more. The quilting is not finished yet. This is aprox. 21 x 30. I am thinking about maybe adding some color to the bug. I will bring a photo up in photoshop and play around with it to see if I like the look before I add any color to the fabric.
This is the engraving that I used as inspiration and my sketch that I transferred to the white fabric. I used a .05 lead pencil to draw the plant lightly on the fabric. I fused the fabric to the batting to act as a stabilizer for the heavy stitching.
My sewing machine decided to gobble up a bunch of thread and wrap it around the gears, preventing me from finishing the quilting until I took apart the machine and my daughter and I went at it with long nosed tweezers. By the time I was done I was too tired to quilt anymore and probably not in the best frame of mind. My old Pfaff is probably in desperate need of a tune up at this point.
Oh my! This is truly beautiful. And I would say it's a great success.
ReplyDeleteWOW! that looks stunning. It puts my needle doodle exercises to shame. Your work never fails to inspire and amaze me.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteBut this hardly puts your needle doodles to shame, just imagine those same doodles on plain fabric with out the print of the fabric competing. I have seen the fabulous quilting designs on the backs of your quilts with all the buildings on them. They are as gorgeous as the fronts in a completely different way.
I feel like sometimes I do so much decorative painting that the quilting is not just secondary, but gets completely lost and unimportant. I thought I would try to do the opposite and make a piece that is just about the quilting. There is something about that simplicity that is so nice.
It may not look like the old engravings, but it is lovely nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteYou did a pretty darn good job of it - and I LIKE the look - expecting more great experiments in this area !
ReplyDeleteGorgeous work, Judes. Great idea - trying on the color on photoshop before touching the piece. One problem for me tho, that requires patience. I'm woefully deficient in that area, but I make up for it by being completely obnoxious and overbearing. It's all about balance.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is gorgeous, Judy! You should definitely do more. I don't know which I like better, the front or the back!
ReplyDeleteVic
I desktopped the green side of your WIP for inspiration. And it is working! I am thinking of doing this and that to my fishy quilt. [not sure yet what all] I'll do it by hand, but you get the credit for launching the lightbulbs at me.
ReplyDeletethank you!
I will send you my size (under separate cover) for my skirt order. I would like it in Chocolate Lollipop fabrics, ok?
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, I added my pic to my profile. Now my mug is going to be pasted all over the blogosphere. HA!