New Quilt: "Unconnected & Incomplete Topographies #1"

I have been making a series of quilts over the past few months that I think illustrates very nicely the philosophy I try to employ when making art. "Art of Inclusion" is all about never parting with anything I create because, some day, it will find the perfect home. A lot of what I have been producing lately are free-motion stitching samples, now that I finally have a machine that is built to excel at that. The samples frequently piss me off greatly when I make them because each one is a reminder that I cannot yet follow a line accurately or create perfectly even free-motion stitches or create decent right-angle turns, and I am frequently tempted to toss my stitch samples in the trash. But that is not how I work and so, I have been putting a lot of thought into how to jazz-up my samples so they magically look good enough to include in finished quilts.

This quilt began with a sample piece that included free-motion stitching in red, plus some swirls of yarn that represent my first ever attempt to use my Bernina #43 Free-Motion Couching Foot, which I will be reviewing here on the blog when I have mastered how to use it.  I embellished the muslin with random shapes of heat transfer foil, then hacked it into three pieces and rearranged them into vertical stripes. I covered the edges of the stripes with grey ribbon that was once the hanger-loops from a friend's skirt. The rest of the quilt was basically built around that central element, with the help of fabrics and unfinished bits some of which have been hidden in my stash for years. 

"Unconnected & Incomplete Topographies #1"

Title: Unconnected & Incomplete Topographies #1
Materials: muslin, various cotton & synthetic fabrics, inkjet printed cotton, yarn, beads, swarovski crystals, oil paint stick, heat transfer foil, sequins, lace, embroidery floss
Dimensions: 11.5" by 14.5"
Date: 2012

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