This latest workshop with Hollis Chatelain focused on working with hand-dyed fabrics and how stitching can change them through thread color and value. As usual we spent the first few days completing samples. But the last three days were something quite different. Each of us chose two fabrics united through color or gesture. To quilt the first fabric, we were told simply to respond to it. I knew what I wanted to do, but wouldn’t you know it, for some inexplicable reason, I had tension issues. I say inexplicable, because I had been using my machine up until a couple days before the workshop without a single problem. No matter how I adjusted the tension, I couldn’t seem to balance it. I finally decided after removing some very bad quilting, to unpin my sandwich, insert a different batting and change thread type. Finally, everything fell into place, but I didn’t get far before the day was over. You can see what I’ve done, and how far I have to go.
Responding to a specific fabric
For the second fabric, we were to quilt busy and quiet areas. I nearly finished this one.
Busy and quilt areas
On that last day, we had a fabulous and most enlightening session. Each student laid out their two pieces on the floor and we selected two to four fabrics that complemented both pieces. Here’s mine.
Background fabric selections : green, purple, black
After all of the quilting is completed on both pieces, we have to cut them up–yes, cut up the quilted pieces–and design a single quilt. Hollis showed us examples from previous groups. As you can see, I chose my two hand-dyed fabrics based on gesture. Should be interesting.
On another note, I’ve signed up for another international quilt challenge–this one centers around world heritage sites. My site is Le Cathédral de Notre Dame de Chartres in France. I’ve been to the cathedral in Chartres twice, once on a trip and once while living in France. I selected Chartres, because I felt I would relate more to a place familiar to me. I have no idea what I’m going to do. A stained glass window would be obvious, but I might come up with something else. Chartres was a major pilgrimage site, so I might go in that direction.
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