Art Quilt: City Share

For several years I have wanted to experiment with deColourant (post from 2019), which used to be known as discharge paste, on black cloth. It's apparently a thing. I can see why. My first recent exploration was with the art quilt, Folding Birds, and I fell in love with the look (although the medium is quite odorifous/odiferous/malodorous). For this quilt, my printmaker self wanted to play with marks and textures: brushes, frottage, stencils. I found that I'm currently approaching each project with an idea or concept, but keeping a room open, an invitation to the guest of spontaneity. Maybe I always did this and am only just aware of it now. After concentrating on fiber art for several years, I feel I am finding the processes that I most enjoy. [So she proclaims this year. ; )  ]



City Share
25"w x 40"h (63.5 cm x 101.5 cm)
Hand-stenciled cotton, woven cotton, commercially printed cotton, velvet; deColourant, fabric paint; cotton embroidery and Sashiko thread; machine and hand quilting

I keep all the stencils I draw and cut, which gives me a nice image library of my own making. I knew I wanted one of my crows, which I found, and then the girl called to me as well. Working with images of people and birds, my favorites. City streets, graffiti, torn posters. We are interdependent. We make a mess. The crows depend on us to make a mess. The crows clean it up. On my street the crows line up on the telephone wires on garbage day, just waiting to see what gets knocked over and out.


The sashiko stitch I chose to use is "Arrow/Feather." Humanmade/Natural. Bonus: looks like books!

The center panel was actually frottage over some "Poetry Dog Tags" I had. I picked through the words and pulled out some that spoke to me. I'm fine with the texture, but in a few places you can still read them. I am sorry it is difficult to see in the photo, but I like knowing the words are hiding there.


There will be more.


All art quilts so far are listed on my website here.


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