ADDING WOOL TO A QUILT WORK

"Structure 1" in progress , approximately 48" X 36",  Lori LaBerge  2017

I have been restructuring one of the pieces I began work on at Penland. It was a piece I just wasn't happy with as it looked too pretty. Various blacks and a textured wool were placed on top of and around the cotton section until I arrived at the above. Much more my style.

Here is the piece before:

This was my first time working with no plan, just stitching pieces together. As I always have a design planned, even if just in my head, this threw me off my game. It's just not right. The top was straighter leading down to the slanting of the lower section. This created a lack of balance. Why is the lower section crooked? No real reason there besides experimentation. Not working. 

The colors were lacking the contrast I was looking for. The piece was, also, just too feminine for me. After putting the work aside for a while, I pulled it out this week and decided a strong black would lead to what I was looking for. 

Rough close-up on studio floor

I started by cutting the piece where the lower slant began. I am now ready to create two pieces. The next step was placing dark gray textured strips across the piece. This gave an architectural feel. 

The next step was adding the edges. I continued with an overdyed black wool which worked well, but needed something. A textured wool was brought in to add to the feeling of structure. A plain black wool can barely be noticed directly below the cotton section. It is differentiated from the darker dyed black when you see the work up close.

The black was extended on the left hand side to give the work some space. The piece is now strong and stands well on its own. Now to see how the wool and cotton react to each other when stitched together. 

A WEEK AT PENLAND: TEXTILES, ENGRAVING AND MASONRY

A 29" X 32" quilt I designed and completed in Martha Clippinger's "Intuitive Geometries" class at Penland. Thanks for the red stripe fabric, Martha!

There is always something special about Penland. This week was spent in a textile class. We learned to put planning aside and work intuitively  It took a while for me to feel comfortable as I usually design everything ahead of time. By the afternoon of the second day it seemed like everyone was in full swing with projects growing and mistakes being turned into amazing work. Here's a photo journey of the week:

Beautiful moss covered steps greet visitors on their way to the supply store.

A mountain view was visible from our work tables.

Stitched projects hung from clothlines in the workroom.

Projects were placed on the design wall for study.

Some students worked on large projects.

There was an informal exhibit of work at the end of the week so we could all visit and learn about the other classes.

A close-up of part of the display by the engraving class taught by Pierce Healy.

The engraving class even made their own tools!

The masonry class, led by Joe Dinwiddie,  worked on building a stone wall and stairway.

Close-up of stair area

The wall even provided a place to store your moonshine.  After all, this is North Carolina.

After returning home, I found a great spot for the quilt.

We couldn't have had a better group of people working together.  A special shout out to Martha and Ann who worked to make this class informative, fun and a truly memorable experience.