Week in Review 2022 – 04/22

The sky, or upper portion of the image is made up of jagged, scraps of red fabric. The base and much of the right side of the image is covered with tightly packed yellow buildings with blue windows and doors.
This is my blueprint or guide for piecing together Bat Sh*t Crazy.

Challenge

Bring it on! I love a challenge, even if I approach the challenge with gritted to teeth. Bat Sh*t Crazy is one massive challenge. Why? Simple, the piecing is beyond elaborate. There are some technical challenges such as to how to overlap buildings of different scales. Don’t forget the challenges of contrast, movement, focus, repetition and cohesiveness, just to name a few. Then there is the subject matter: Putin.

A square is divided into various sized rectangles filled in a variety of colors. Each rectangle is further divided by thin ink lines.
This is the piecing scheme for the block I am currently working on. It is 12″ x 12″. I won’t be adding the lowest green rectangle. There are approximately 130 individual pieces. There are more if you add the sky pieces.

How do I face such an overwhelming challenge?

7 Rectangular units, subdivided into mostly more rectangular units. There are various notations in blue ink defining each unit
This is one of 4 pages of units that will be paper pieced and sewn together to make up a 10″ x 12″ block.
  • I slow down
  • I break things into manageable units
  • I walk away
  • I return
  • I listen to the muse who suggested hinting at stained glass windows in the church
  • I congratulate myself for saving the perfect remnant of fabric, purchased decades back, dragged through two moves to use in windows
  • I accept this quilt is going to take months to make and that is OK.

Is Crucial

An unfinished block depicting the lower half of a church on the left and a small home on the right.
A few of the units for the block depicting a church and small home has begun.

To Growth

Why do I put myself through such torture? Experience has taught me challenge is necessary for growth.

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By Gwyned Trefethen

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

6 comments

  1. 130 pieces in a 12 inch square block? Whoa, that makes my brain hurt. I applaud your vision and commitment, knowing that I could never see such a project through to the end.

    1. It makes my brain hurt, too, Joanna. I didn’t realize how many pieces there were until I sat down this morning and added them up. Now it makes sense why I couldn’t finish the block in a single studio session. Thanks for sharing your kind thoughts. Always to good to hear from you.

    1. I can’t seem to resist the desire to design and make intricately pieced art quilts. One step at a time and accepting it will take time are essential. Your work is also intricate, so one stitch and one bead at time suit it.

  3. Yes, you do certainly love a challenge. The piecing on this seems daunting, but I know yours will be perfect. Oh, yes, and I love the title. Is this for a certain show or a challenge?

    1. I worried about offending someone with the title. However, so far everyone agrees with you, so the title stays. I plan on entering it into SAQA’s CFE Color in Context: Red. Hence the red, raging, chaotic and burning sky.Your confidence in me, Norma is appreciated. Thank you.

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