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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Waiting- the Fiber Funster's Challenge

Waiting by Charo Lopez
My small art-quilt group, the Fiber Funsters, met yesterday with our every-other month challenge.  We take turns choosing a theme.  This time, Charo picked "Waiting" for us to interpret.  Charo's piece, left, features her cat gazing out the window at little birds and bugs made from beads, buttons, and embroidery.  The pillow her kitty sits on is puffy and with little braid and tassels.






















Allison Chang's "Waiting" (work in progress)
Allison started with white fabric and she wrote "Waiting" in Chinese characters across it.  She then fused shapes in a metallic gold, red, green, and black.  The squares and plaids contrasted with the circles, spirals, and dramatic red diagonal slashes made for active composition.  She also has put three half spheres of beaded wool felted roving.

























Carolyn Hitter posed for several photos for her quilt
Carolyn started with having her husband, Jim, take some photos of her contemplating something from behind.  Using a method she learned in Leni Levenson Wiener's "Photo-Inspired Art Quilts: From Composition to Finished Piece", Carolyn took the photos and applied a Cutout Filter in Adobe Photoshop Elements.  She then chose the photo she liked the best (on the far left) and traced the shapes (below.)  The background of Carolyn's quilt is made from a fuzzy interfacing... just like on a design wall!  Her title says it all: "Waiting for Inspiration"
"Waiting for Inspiration" by Carolyn Hitter


Any of us who are mothers can relate to the sense of waiting that goes along with pregnancy.  Waiting to get pregnant, to find out whether you'll have a son or a daughter, to make sure they're healthy, and finally for the wonderous day when you meet your child.  Lise's humourous spin on these aspects of pregnancy is whimsical with the pink (for girls) and blue (for boys) background that the pollywog shaped sperm are swimming through.  
"Waiting" by Lise Vandandaigue
Similarly, Debbie has a beautiful pair of thread-painted birds waiting over their nest filled with three eggs.  The background has a very delicate soft changes of color with light blue and lavender squares pieced by fusing.  



My piece is still a work-in-progress.  After missing a flight out of Paris one year, I had to wait for 9 hours for the next flight.  Pretty tough when you're by yourself and already time-lagged.  Of course, it's nothing compared to those who have been stuck in an airport for days due to whether or other problems... my heart always goes out to them.  I'm adding freemotion quilting for shading will continue for background 
"Waiting" by Christina Fairley Erickson (work in progress)
 You Might Also Be Interested in:

Fiber Funster's Group 
Reveal- Celebration
"Opening" - The
Fiber Funsters
The Fiber Funsters 
Group Challenge










Here's some other great blogs to check out:

Leah Day's FreeMotion Quilting Project

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Nina Marie Sayre's Art Quilt Blog

Never to Hot to Stitch

10 comments:

  1. I am in a similar group. We generally dchoose a technique. But I like the theme idea as well. I am doing Nudes Bathing for the April Challenge of 3D and Texture.

    Love all these very creative pieces. I love how it challenges my mind to take a step out of what I normally do.

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    1. Our group often does a technique demo or practice together on the month between our challenge (we meet monthly, but have 2 months to complete our challenge pieces.) I'd love to see your April Challenge piece!

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  2. Wow, I love how different people interpreted the same theme. Thanks so much for sharing these, Christina, and linking up with TGIFF!

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  3. I love challenges -- they usually push me to do something outside my comfort zone. And I love to see all the different interpretations!

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  4. I'm speachless - you all have made so stunning quilts!

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  5. I love this challenge idea! Well done to all the participants!

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  6. It is always interesting to see how others interpret a theme! Wonderful ideas...

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  7. ohhh you are lucky to have such a group! What a great idea. I was going through them and liked them all - I get to yours and I went - ohhhhhh. Maybe because I spent so much time on buses (being a late driver) but I really love how you play with the forground and background subjects!

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  8. An interesting challenge and what a variety of interpretations!

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