Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Dog Ate My Homework

I don't have a dog, and my art class project is done ahead of schedule -- imagine that!

This week's assignment was Correspondence with Memory.  We were to create a piece of Mail Art.

My piece is called Scents of Summer.  I was considering my childhood memories and my happiest memories were of summer:  crowds of peonies, stands of rhubarb, fruit preserves bubbling on the stove, and a towering lilac under my second-floor bedroom window.  In my mind, I saw how to create these with fabric.

Using materials I had on hand, I selected a piece of olive fabric and some chunky sage yarn.  I stitched the yarn to the fabric:


It created some great overall texture:


My 'design wall' consists of my hallway (good lighting!) and some painter's tape.

I next set to work on the peonies.  I cut a bunch of pink circles:


I stitched them down using a pinky-purple metallic thread from WonderFil (8897).


I was pleased with the result and then set to work on the rhubarb.  I selected WonderFil Mirage (rayon -- SD.09) and grabbed my Handi Quilter Straight Edge Ruler.


I tried to create a hint of the rhubarb's texture:


Next I had to plant some lilac:


After the lilac grew tall, I had to trim it:


I next headed to the kitchen where I had pots of preserves simmering -- apricot, plum, and strawberry:


I created the aromas using WonderFil Spagetti (12 weight cotton -- SP02, SP08, SP15).

This part of the assignment was complete:


Now I am going to shock you.  The next step was to Cut It Into Pieces.

The envelope:



The notecard:


The inside flap of the envelope (a picnic blanket!):


Later today I will write the artist's statement and submit the assignment, but the grade will be unimportant.  I had so much fun making this.  I tried many new techniques and threw some of those attempts away.  I learned as much from the failing as I did from the succeeding.

I made an extra notecard and will mail it to one person selected at random from the comments.  Tell me anything -- a quilting success, a quilting failure, your favorite summer memory, etc.  Comment deadline, midnight Eastern Time on Friday June 21.


Teri did her homework early this week too.  See how she interpreted the assignment here.

8 comments:

Debeva said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Debeva said...

Wow that is really a great way to make several small quilts at one time. Very inventive. I was just thinking of my favorite summer memories and they were filled with smells of honeysuckle and wandering around in the forest and the lady slippers on the bottom of the forest floor. Feeling the sun shine down on you with no worries and having warm blueberry pie and swimming. Also memories of my dad so tan, tall and handsome. Boy to have those days back.

Katie M. said...

You took me to summer at my grandparents - especially with the lilac. Summer was always a great time spent at the beach, fishing with my grandpa and just enjoying the things a child/teen should enjoy! I love the way you interpreted your summer and then to cut it up and use it and still keep the integrity of piece - impressive!

Unknown said...

How cool to be so creative with your thoughts, and using what you have to sew it all together. Just lovely. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Kim said...

No way! How fun was that!!! and very original. So you actually send it in or just show it online?
I like the way your creativity is taking you new places :0)

Nice job I give you an A+

Hugs and Happy Sewing

Kati from Kati's Quilting said...

I love the piece you created Debby! I also have memories of apricot jam, picking currents from the bushes, and definitely lilacs. My Mom has lilac bushes as a fence between our neighbor for the length of the whole driveway. When they bloom they smell like heaven :) Every time I smell lilacs they remind me of those bushes.

The Calico Cat said...

How's this for a memory...

I chopped the tip of my finger off at a quilt retreat.

Sharon said...

I love your work. You're so creative. I've had so many thoughts since reading your post, but this on rose to the top. I'm happy that I can start quilting again. My sewing room is on the second floor of our house, and I haven't been able to climb the stairs. I had knee replacement surgery in April. I made sure my sewing machine and assorted projects were in the dining room, but I haven't been able to quilt. I haven't found a comfortable spot. Over the last week, I've been up & down the stairs several times. Going up is much easier then coming down. So, this afternoon, I'm going upstairs and spend some time quilting on my HQ16. I might even have my husband bring my sewing machine upstairs. And then I'm going to repeat the process in September when I have my other knee replaced.