"Repeat Eyes Her Dinner"
8 x 12 inches
This is my first completed Journal Quilt for 2011. My personal challenge was to use some of my shibori-dyed fabric.
So I used the stuff with the little moons because geckos are nocturnal. I stenciled little gecko shapes with freezer paper templates and sponged the paint onto the fabric. It's pretty subtle. Not what I intended, but after it dried, I liked the "ghost-gecko" look. I left the pictures pretty large, so you can click on them for a better look.
The gecko and cricket are raw-edge appliquéd with textile paint and thread to enhance them. I chose the leopard fabric for her top side because she is a leopard gecko.
The sand is more paint and thread.
What would I do different? Another of my self-imposed rules was to make each journal quilt 8.5 by 11 inches. I chose this size because it's large enough to really try a technique -- but not so big that I won't have time to finish. This one missed that rule -- and actually, I think it looks unbalanced. I think it needs another border on the side.
I had wanted the gecko to dominate the quilt, but with the top and bottom borders, it just doesn't work for me. I think I could have done without the borders and made the gecko larger, but then I wouldn't have used the shibori. So maybe I need to make another one...
8 comments:
While these kind of creatures give me the heebee jeebees, I can say that seeing them in a quilt and not in person is much much better. I love your border fabric!!
I like the way it looks bordered on the top and bottom. You give great personality to your critters.
He is one handsome creature for your first journal quilt 2011. Your shibori is the perfect border piece - enjoy the moment!
I thought the thing for these was learning.... Maybe not the thing you intended to learn... but you learned something... and maybe the second part of the Journal project could be to journal in writing what you learned in textile form and stick it on the back, then you would have a 2 sided quilt!
your quilting is fantastic!
Karen,
I thought this was a photograph you printed to fabric. The gecko and the cricket look so real! Nice job! And I love the gecko border on the shibori!
What do you think of removing the bottom and side, only leaving the moon print at the top? Just a thought. This piece has a lot of personality, I like the fabric you chose. they eyes are really well done too.
I Love it. That is such a cool geicko. I like the shirobi fabric. If you remove anything, take the side border off. It will be balanced with the top and bottom border. It looks great. Love that cricket.
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