Colour Tart

Something caught my attention when reading an article in a quilting magazine yesterday and that was the author's apparent shock/horror at the colours someone was using... brown, pink and orange.

Huh? What is wrong with brown, pink and orange?


Brown is most definitely not a colour I favour but it has its uses and its place on my fabric shelves and the three fabrics above seem to me to be a nice combination. Or are they?

One of the many deficits in my character is that when someone writes or speaks with authority on almost any topic, I always assume, if our views don't coincide,that they must be right and I must be wrong. Happily for brown,pink and orange the author admitted to being converted by the end of the article.

Colour is supposed to be difficult, quilters are supposed to be intimidated by colour, books have been written on the topic by quilters, painters and all sorts of other people. When I first began quilting I read that colour was an area that gave every quilter problems, so I bought a couple of books and then I gave them away because all they did was confuse me with theories. While I do have a colour wheel, I don't consult it very often because where is the fun in looking at a colour wheel when you could be pulling out fabrics until something really appeals. Admittedly you then have to put it all away again, so in that sense, the colour wheel has to be easier.

While I don't know much about the theory I decided a long time ago that I'm not intimidated by colour. If colours scream in pain when held together then I will find something else. Colour is a personal thing, and while my choices may make someone else want to throw up, that is their problem, I am probably happy with it. Maybe it's different if you are a painter or an interior decorator, maybe it would be different if I went in for showing and competing. I can imagine some judge thinking 'Well for pities' sake! This one knows nothing about the colour wheel, does she? That's a big fat zero for her!'

For quite some time in my early days as a quilter I tried, really tried to be intimidated by colour,I read the books and used the wheel. It just made me miserable, where was the fun in all this? Truly, I'm not sure I care if my latest piece is using a complimentary, split complimentary,triad or tetrad scheme. If it looks good to me then I'll go for it. It's much more fun looking through my stash. And that is because? I'm just a colour tart!


When I was small there was a phrase my grandmother quoted which always amazed me...
Blue and green should never be seen.
I would lie on the grass on a summer's day, look at the blue sky through the green of the trees and wonder where she got that barmy idea from. I liked blue and green, and I still do. You never see colours clashing in nature, do you?

My current project seems to have an awful lot of different greens in it, maybe it needs a lift with another colour. So just now I consulted the colour wheel. Hmm, I can have either oranges and violets, reds or variations. None of them appeal at all and actually sound a bit dull, so, I think I'll go for some tiny flowers in white or yellow, because they appeal and I am a colour tart after all

Playing with images

Sometimes, OK, frequently, I get lost in playing with Kaleider and while I have no need to justify anything I do, this morning I have been playing with a purpose, to find some good images for the Quilt University course I'm currently doing with Lily Kerns called Digital Fabric. This has a lot of potential but like many online classes it doesn't just depend on the tutor and the material presented, which in this case is very good, it also depends on the students and apart from a brave few this is a silent class. I groan with embarrassment as I sit in my nightclothes, unwashed and with my hair on end. Could it be me? Sadly I don't think that people will start talking at this late stage of the class even if I wash and dress right now.

So here are a few of my Kaleidered photos ready for action.


This one is from a photo of lilac taken last year. Unfortunately the computer, the ISP and Blogger all seem to be at loggerheads this morning, but most people will be able to conjure up a mental picture of a lilac spray......



This is one of about twelve images I have 'made' so far from a photo of red currants taken a few years ago by my son....


And this one, a vibrant orange lily, I took last year. It hasn't been 'kaleidered', simply inverted in Photoshop Elements. I think inverted simply means changing to the complimentary colours of the original.


Lastly, here is the current bag from the BQL bag challenge,
Before ....



And After it had been kaleidered....

Comments

As always, I really appreciate your comments, thank you Margaret, and Julie, andJenny . To answer Nellie, the measurement is roughly 24" x 24" at the moment, but of course that could change, though currently I don't favour a border. There needs to be more foliage if I am to follow this photo, but not for a while. We are off later today for a few days in Lincolnshire.

My husband's woodturning is producing some very interesting shavings and other curly bits at the moment, some of which I have been saving, though for what purpose I can't say. That isn't being secretive or coy, I really don't have a clue, but there must be some use for it! He produces enough for us to go into production as exclusive manufacturers of woodchip wall paper :¬}, and while quilters leave trails of threads, woodturners leave trails of paper thin wood. Everywhere.

Here is a photo of some luscious red currants, obviously.


And here is just one of the many images after playing with it in Kaleider.

This particular one is now on fabric. I really recommend Kaleider if you enjoy playing around with your digital images, either for a purpose or just for fun. Given a wet afternoon, some bored small people and you surely get your money's worth!

Another step forward

Slightly more progress.
The foliage began with various greens chopped up, laid on pale blue tulle and covered with soluble film then free motion stitched. When that had been rinsed and dried I cut pieces to fit between the tree trunks. Then it occurred to me that if I continued I wouldn't be able to do the planned texturising of the bushes on the far bank. I used the machine embroidery technique of tightening the top tension to enable the bobbin thread to be pulled up to add to the texture. Some was a dark thread and some was a variegated thread. Useful way to use up almost empty bobbins, too. The only other additions is the drooping foliage on the left edge. As I had no suitable tulle, I decided to do some free motion leaves with the occasional tiny piece of fabric added to create the 'airiness' of sky through foliage. There has to be a quicker way, and that is to wait for more tulle from either Equilter or The Tulle Factory. Decisions, decisions.

Finished .

No one can accuse me of rushing things.

From start to finish it has been almost a year.

This was a totally new venture for me, probably because this is the first time I have disliked something so much that chopping it up has seemed like a good idea. Even my husband, who raised his eyebrows at the drastic action, likes it. As for the poor bird's broken legs, we-ell, after having spent ages removing his satin stitched straight legs, I began looking through various bird books and almost all the photos showed straight legs. I compromised and gave him 'ankles' high up which barely show in the photo.

Sewing room activity

So, or maybe that should be sew:¬}, at last I'm getting somewhere. After discovering that I was adding bits of reflections where eventually the boat and trees were going, I decided to stop and have a rethink.

This is only pinned so far but at least it cuts down on the watery bits needing depth and reflections. The trees were fun. I didn't have enough fabric to do more realistic greyish tree trunks and eventually, after considering piecing in the sun lit bits, various bleaches and some sunny looking tulle, cut into a lush piece of hand dyed cotton. However, the grassy bank needs a rethink because the greens look wrong now, though whether it is that some are too dark, or others are too light I can't decide.

It really hurts my scroogette tendencies when this happens. Telling myself that it isn't wasted fabric, because it will go into the box with all the other scraps of pre-fused fabric doesn't help, and it isn't as if I don't have enough green fabrics, and I am more than happy to be told my choices are wrong, I'm simply not programmed to reject. Anything or anyone. I think there's a word for it and it's probably rude:¬}

I'm still struggling.....

....with the water on my French river quilt. So far I have tried gold organza for some glitter. Dismal! Naturally it only glitters when it catches the light, the rest of the time it just flattens everything. Next I tried slivers of various tulles painstakingly laid down and covered with more tulle. That was fun! I had to stop using the design wall or the light table and use the ironing board so that I could sit down. Each time I reached across the darn thing to lay another piece of tulle down, the sleeve of my cardigan picked up a few more, but in the end it was all OK and took a photo for the QU gallery for the tutor's opinion. Maybe the tree reflections could be a bit darker?(Gentle tutor speak for try a little harder dearie!). Various bits of tulle now adorn not only my person, but also the bathroom floor and a variety of other places. No matter, the reflection is darker and I have scads of tulle and other sheer fabrics. Getting the river right holds up progress with the rest of this quilt. Some of the work in the students' galleries is stunning. The class finally closes in three weeks and I'm still playing with the water. No matter, it was the whole point of taking this class and like Baldrick I have a cunning plan. If all else fails I shall cheat.

It was so nice to see comments here and also to receive emails with birthday wishes, thank you. We had a lovely evening. The day didn't go too well as I heard nothing from my son, neither call nor card. It was rather upsetting, he had never forgotten before and I felt a bit pathetic and tearful. His boys rang in the evening and they and DIL said he was very busy at work. So be it, intensive care medicine can be very stressful. We toddled off at the appointed time, arrived at the little pub to shrieks of delight from DD1's two girls who rushed out to greet us and then, standing in the doorway with a big smile on his face was my lovely boy :¬}.

My husband deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of a mystified and slightly cross person. DS was attending a conference at an Oxford hospital, everyone knew and everyone including the children kept it secret. Lovely.

I've noticed in the past how old people wander off the subject and now that I'm officially of that ilk, I'm doing it. Back to textile stuff! This is something I did a while ago, just to use up some tiny scraps and hopefully not shown here before. It is about 12" square and titled Scrap Garden.



Now this river gave me no trouble at all! It was inspired by the lovely poem Silver by Walter de la Mare and is around 15" by 10".