Saturday, November 03, 2007

My Journal Quilt



Perennial Measure, 17"x 22"
Jennifer Anderson, El Cajon, CA
Creative Quilting techniques used: fused, layered applique (p85), machine embroidery(p48), free motion embroidery and quilting, and oil pastels (p47)

Autumn crisp color, rustling leaves
Winter grey skies, branches etched.
Sweet green leaf buds, brave first flowers,
Heat of summer's fullnes,
Green Earth's perennial measure.

On a pieced background of commercial fabrics altered with oil pastels and fabric markers, I used fused applique, thread sketching and machine and free-motion embroidery. Simple quilting through all three layers outlines the tree shapes so that they are distinctly visible from the back.
Now that the show is in progress, I guess it is OK to show my journal quilt entry. This is old hat for lots of art quilters, but it was my first time to participate. I really enjoyed it, and I especially like working in this size. Big enough to have some impact and small enough to manipulate easily during construction.
When I made this quilt, it was long before the fires and I was thinking about incorporating all the seasons in the same quilt. I used the black and discharged looking fabric for contrast and to represent a winter night. Kind of eerie that it looks like fire and burned up trees as well, considering what has happened since.
I won't see it in person since I'm not going to Houston, but I'm delighted that so many others will.

9 comments:

Micki said...

I think you captured all the seasons very well. Great quilt.

DebbyMc said...

I really like this, very much! It does make me think of the fires and my first thought was that you were so quick to have such a great piece depicting them already =-) How cool to have it hanging in the show...

Anonymous said...

California seasons!! No snow. Brilliant. I like the leaves and stems - great work. Can I add your link to the QA JQ's?

Deb Hardman said...

I love it. I also love the fact that you layed it on the mat with pine needles & the stone edge for the photo. At first I thought it was part of the quilt, it looks so natural!

Rian said...

Absolutely lovely. And poignant, too. Well done.

Deb Geyer said...

It is wonderful, Jen. I love the colors and the composition.

Sheri said...

Very pretty ,love the colors.
Sheri

Nikki said...

Wonderful quilt.

dee said...

Beautifully done Jenny. The colors are lovely and it has a kind of goosebumpy quality given recent events.