Saturday, January 14, 2006

Measure twice, but look closely at requirements

I started another JQ size piece. Kept looking at my first JQ attempt. What was wrong? Oh, the size. It is 8 1/4 x 10 1/4 - but it is supposed to be 8 1/2 x 11. Hmmm. How did that happen? Best not to go into that. Wasn't that fond of the first piece (except that I did like the title) and since I was already trying the tissue paper background again, decided to to ditch the first one and keep working on the second. I'm liking the second piece much better.

PROCESS FOR DISCARDED, INCORRECTLY SIZED EXPERIMENT:

Tissue paper fused onto felt, stamped, rubbed with metallics, quilted with copper thread:


The stamping is just assorted letters and neither the stamps nor the copper thread show up much - especially after this stage.

Then I took some scrap felt pieces and embossed them, added some copper wire, small pieces of copper tape, sheer fabric pieces, beads, and Scribbles fabric paint.

Had no idea in mind, just kept playing with it.

Finally added a fused binding. I was so pleased with myself for trying this, for experimenting, but not particularly liking it. The title is "Signs and Symbols in Copper Canyon."


I think I'm going to like its replacement better. Since I'd already started on it when the sizing ERROR was discovered, no real frustration except about my carelessness. What if I'd really liked it, and then discovered I couldn't use it?


Finished A Body in the Bathhouse, a tongue-in-cheek mystery by Lindsey Davis. Ms. Davis must have recently suffered a renovation project (an affliction of great magnitude) and decided to work through her frustations in a novel. I can certainly sympathize. The fact that the novel is set in Rome and Britain in A.D. 75 does nothing to mitigate the difficulties - universal and timeless - of working with building contractors. The list of Principal Characters includes these minor characters:

Gloccus and Cotta - bathhouse contractors in bad odor
Marcellinus - a retired designer (with a very nice house)
"Uncle Lobullus" - a contractor, never there
Pomponius - a project manager (thinks he is in charge)
Magnus - the surveyor (thinks he ought to be in charge)

4 comments:

  1. 1. If you'd discovered you loved the quilt and it was the wrong size, you could perhaps have attached it to a larger wholecloth piece, essentially creating a frame.

    2. The book sounds good!

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  2. I like it, Jen. I like the colors and the little repetative squares. I'd like to hear more about how you do your embossing

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  3. This is the kind of work that gives me "tingles" (which is a good thing not an illness) I really like your piece. Having a similar size issue with my first JQ. It didn't really matter with the FPC's but the technique of layers and fusing and stitch is subtly shrinking my pieces... time for me to cut down to an even loss on all sides and put a bigger edging on it.

    Thank you for sharing :)

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  4. Well, Mary, that damn fabric bead is coming off right now! Guns are verboten on my quilty stuff! Won't have even the appearance of a gun... :)

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Good to hear from you!