November Challenge at the Quilter's Studio: Organic shapes with depth and dimension

Challenge #3 November 14/due December 12th

Create a small art quilt with these 3 ideas and bring to next meeting for show and tell

1. Use organic shapes
2. Consider positive and negative spaces created with the shapes
3. Use one or more techniques, like trapunto, appliqué, reverse appliqué, cut away and dense area quilting, to create some depth and subtle dimension.

Organic shapes are shapes with a natural look and a flowing and curving appearance
· Wherever the ends of a continuous line meet, a shape is formed.
· Geometric shapes such as circles, triangles or squares have perfect, uniform measurements and don't often appear in nature.
· Organic shapes are associated with things from the natural world, like plants and animals.
· Organic shapes are unexpected in a quilt where geometry is prevalent.
· Every shape has two parts: the space occupied by the shape and the space around the shape (positive and negative space)
· Consider the edges of both the positive and negative spaces –both can create interesting shapes.
· You might start with a contour drawing as a design aid

Quilts have a unique advantage over other art medium…depth and texture created by sewing through the layers. We can play that up by stuffing, layering and recessing areas of the quilt.

Create some depth and subtle dimension by use of layering of fabric with one of the techniques.
· Layering fabric on top and/ or in combination with a layering of batting behind the shape (and cutting away batting around the shape) – appliqué and trapunto - will bring those elements forward.
· Layering fabric behind and cutting away part of the top layer – reverse appliqué and cut-away – will push those elements back.
· Variation in density of quilting will create depth and dimension by pushing back areas where densely quilted and letting areas come forward where lightly quilted