Pages

Friday, February 17, 2006

Starting to 'Encrust'

Sounds like some sort of failed medical procedure! Yesterday I got downloaded the first lesson in Encrusted crazy Quilting with Sharon Boggon - wonderful to finally begin this Christmas present to myself :) One of the exercises Sharon talks about in the first lesson is to help us develop out ability to use colour effectively. For me I think there is a long way to go! Firstly I do know some of the colour wheel stuff but I find it really difficult to retain the information - shades, tones, hues erg! What? I have, so far, just gone to my stash and picked fabrics out at random. Another difficulty is the idea of planning the block before you start and taking into account how the eye of the viewer will move around the piece. What, again? I just throw it on the foundation and desperately try to cover the gaps that inevitable occur VBG

Anyway , here is a photo of my journal entry for the first exercise. The left hand column are squares cut from a magazine. This idea (cutting up a magazine) nearly stopped me before I had begun! Shock horror - cut up a MAGAZINE a sacred holly magazine - with sissors! NO! But yes, I bought a crochet magazine today which was rubbish and I wish I had never bothered - but aha serendipity puts a use for it in my path and voila it is cut up - before today I would have kept it neatly anyway even though I don't like it will never look at it again and wont make anything from it- how silly is that? But you don't understand - it is a magazine. That is nearly a book, you know, you can't cut them up - but yes you can - and I did! The second row are threads and fabrics and lace to match the colours from the mag snippets and the final row are fabrics

then on to making our first block for the course. Having been traumatised (only kidding) by the previous exercise I decided to play safe and stick to complementary colours. Not my usual fabric colour choice but I learnt today that I have a limited range of colours to choose from in my stash. No yellows to speak of, very few blues (that surprised me - I thought I had loads) and only 2 oranges. Loads of cream and gold but I don't even know where they fit on a colour wheel anyway. Oh my, there's a lot to learn :)


But lots achieved today - journal finally looks like it belongs to an artist (!?) and not just a scribbler - I do resent letting these little square of fabric go out of my stash tho - what is that about? But hey, I need more stash anyway, right? Block made and I like the colours but I have no idea what colours to use to emboider on them so that will be fun. And sorting out my stash into colour families was great - and very revealing - off to fill the gaps - look out oxfam here I come :)

On the secret front - no more clues just yet, or you'll guess before I am ready to reveal all * taps side of nose knowningly* and belle, you be quiet now :)

6 comments:

Calidore said...

I still haven't done the magazine excerise - instead I went straight onto sewing the block. Which I like, but after seeing what you have done with the mag might just have to go and try that. I think it was a bit daunting for a start off - you have made it look managable. Thanks for that.

Hugs

Catherine

Linda said...

I loved reading your post. I have to agree about magazines. When my children were in kindergarden I had to buy magazines just to cut up. No One goes near my magazines with sizzors.
I am in the class also and well, I just skipped that cutting up part. lol sssshhhh, don't tell.
Your block is pretty.
Linda

Nanette said...

I could be paid to keep quiet Jam vbg

And I loved hearing about your first lesson and seeing your 'homework', think I'll learn something too, I'm hopeless with the colour thing too.

Like your block too, pretty colours, can't wait to see how you embellish it

Linda said...

I *think* I *may* know what you are up to. I thought I stumbled across something the other day, but when I went back to look for it now, I couldn't find it. Because the way I used to find it has disappeared.

I may have been dreaming.

But not even this blog is listed on your profile now, which is a bit of a give-away.

But I could be wrong.....

Maureen said...

Don't tell me that you've joined the 1000 Journals!
Or is this to be perhaps a PC theme??

Jacqui said...

No Maureen, not the 1000 journals :)