I love daffodils and tulips and other flowers that bloom from bulbs, but I think the allium is particularly dramatic. My quilt explores a bit of the allium life cycle. It's titled, Allium Four Ways.
I've included buds just beginning to unfold.
The full bloom in all it's spherical glory!
Tiny drawings of the buds on their tall, straight stems.
It was a fun challenge to mix in various other elements, like the sheer blue overlap, the wavy purple hand stitched lines and the block of that beautiful teal large print floral. I really love working in a collage format and finding ways to make unexpected shapes, color and materials work together. Sometimes it takes a long long time and lots of moving elements around before I'm pleased with the results. Metamorphosis takes time.
16 comments:
another fabulous piece. I love the overall composition and the various textures you've introduced. The allium in various states are wonderful - your details are perfect.
Love this one, Deborah!
I agree metamorphosis does take time, but worth the effort in tis case. I work the same way, moving things around and letting them rest for a while. Your full bloom is really great with all the stitching.
I am grinning with pleasure at your quilt, Deborah. It's wonderful to see your purple/green personal palette here, but there's an energy and a soft looseness to this that is gorgeous and feels different from the more structural pieces you were making before. Maybe it's that moving from house shapes and straight-ish lines to a natural subject like allium led to these beautiful flowing lines? As always, the echoes of images in stitching and hand detail are fabulous.
You chose a difficult image! I love Alliums, but they are so hard to draw. You broke down the essence of the plant and presented a beautiful rendition - congratulations!
Oh the layers! Oh, all the personal symbols, oh the composition.... Oh the beauty...Oh the jealousy....:)
Just when I think I have learned a trick of two from you, you up a gear. Good job this is not a competition!!
Can I ask, is the band with the embroidered bulbs on parallel to the bottom of the quilt in real life and if not why did you choose to put it at an angle?
Wow Deborah, you have a total winner here. The bulbs with their roots are too fun and my eyes just dance around at the printed textures. Wonderful! I'm enjoying how so many of us used plants/flowers in our quilts.
I love it! There is such a beautiful delicacy here, and wonderful colors. I second Diane's delight in the flowing lines. Perhaps we can see more botanicals from you in the future?? (hope, hope)
Is this really only 20x12in? Despite the delicate palette, this piece has a bold presence.
Thanks all! I am really pleased with it and a bit surprised by how many of you have mentioned the flowing lines and less-structured composition. I don't think I even realized I was incorporating those elements, but I think you are right.
Helen... are you asking about that green strip with the buds? I had intended it to be parallel with the bottom of the quilt. I think I must have done a poor job in trimming to size and I threw off the alignment, but I think it looks worse in the photo than in real life.
Love it. I wonder how you manage to put so many different things in a piece this size without it looking too crowded.
I'm not as jealous as Helen, but almost!
What a fabulous interpretation of the theme and so well perfectly executed. I agree about all those elements looking like they belong exactly where they are and making the whole piece looks so cohesive. I am particularly drawn to the roots of the bulbs!! And I love the little green strip with the stitching. Ok - I love the whole thing.
I too love this piece and all it's layers and texture and that you kept your trademark style while dealing with this difficult theme. Lovely.
Add me to the list of those who immediately noticed the flowing, loose lines. There's a breezy effortlessness in this quilt that is perfectly suited to the subject. Look at that art nouveau curve in the purple line at the top! I am loving it :)
And I am so admiring of your ability to add just a perfect few hand stitches here and there that MAKE the quilt. The turquoise blue arc is just right!
This is really beautiful. I love all the things that everyone else has mentioned, but that row of little pointy bulbs at the bottom is my very favorite thing!
I approached your post from the bottom up, so the first thing I noticed was the roots--love the detail. And of course the color pallet and subject matter steal my heart. Alliums are some of my favorite flowers.
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