Tuesday, October 23, 2018

FEEL FREE

LIBERATED QUILTMAKING
INTERMEDIATE 3-D ART
scrap fabric, sewing machine 

This is a unit for my 2nd year 3-D class where they are learning to use the sewing machine
in order to create an Art Quilt.
First we spend a week learning to use the machine
and piece fabric together.
Then several more weeks are used to teach Fiber Artist Gwen Marston's Liberated technique
to build an Art Quilt.
( took a class from her years ago that was fabulous
 and it opened up my quilts to being so much more creative/freeform)
about 2000-2001
In the Liberated technique,
no patterns or templates are used.
You design as you go.
Here is lone 3-D 2nd year student,
senior Rachel Kannampuzha,
 at her sewing machine.
I provide the machines. 
I thrift, rescue and restore them so I have a full class set.
I even have 5 Featherweights if the kids want to sew on one of them.
I love to share those sweet machines with the kids.
They fall in love.
Or maybe it's love at first sight.
Hee hee
Here is Rachel's finished quilt.
She chose to do 3 very different landscapes and pulled them together with the floral fabric.
Most all the fabric is donated or thrifted,
and is washed and sorted into bags that flow visually together.
When I have more then one student we lottery the bags so all is fair,
I even get to pick one to use as my demo bag.
Last year with Rachel,
 I picked the handdyed bag 
but I got so busy I wasn't able to finish my demo.
Rachel was also taught to machine quilt her pieced top to batting and backside
as well as how to make a professional binding.
I want you to check out all the quilting she did in every section.
Wow!!!
She really enjoyed this learning experience 
as well as being able to design her own patterns and to work so freely.
I just enjoyed working with Rachel because she is such a great designer and craftswoman,
and she takes direction so beautifully.
You are missed very much this year Rachel.
Hoping you are enjoying your first year of college.

A close-up of the hand ties Rachel used in her border areas.

1 comment:

  1. I know I sent a bunch of comments in one day, but somehow this one slipped between the cracks ... it's worth another try as I was so impressed by the care taken in this triptych. I especially appreciated the careful quilting wrought in variegated threads, the repetition of triangular forms binding the three scenes together, and the jaunty sun in the final picture was/is beyond perfect.

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