Gwyned Trefethen’s Musings

Week 2019 – 03/15

One of the advantages to working on a smaller scale, as I have chosen to do for my MAP (Monthly Art Project) is how quickly a piece comes together. Today’s post examines how “But Can She Type?” evolved.

Creating gradating strata is a good way to start a bargello layout.
Strata warps slightly no matter how carefully it is sewn. This is due to the natural stretch in fabric. In order to minimize this effect I always line up my ruler with the center strip before cutting off the next strip.
The strip is sewn into a loop by seaming the top and bottom edges together.
The bargello pattern is created by shifting which fabric is on the top of the strip. Therefore, the strip is reopened to have the correct fabric on top.
Note how when sewn together the fabrics descend or ascend like stairs.
I chose to do a bargello background for this piece to mimic the look of typewriter keys striking paper.
I echoed the sentiment with my free motion quilting the various words of the question, “But Can She Type”. If you look closely you will see “can” following the wave of fabric.
This poster of Golda Meir was the rallying cry of feminists for those of us coming of age in the ’60s and ’70s. No one would dare ask Meir to take a letter.

I am linking up with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Fridays.

By Gwyned Trefethen

I am an artist who uses fabric, thread and miscellany to create designs gifted to me by my imagination.