This is the tidy, trimmed version:a small section of the back of what I have been stitching for a week. Am I under arrest?I remember some years ago I was at Quilting By the Lake, which is ostensibly art-quilt oriented. That year, Nancy Crow, Miriam Nathan Roberts, and many other luminaries of the ART quilt world were teaching there and their work was displayed for all to admire. Imagine my surprise when so many of these ART QUILTERS pawed and turned over the pieces as though they were at a pipe and drape show and exclaimed in shock and horror at more than one famous quilter's piece, "OH, look at that BACK. How AWFUL!" Humpf.
And here is the front of a different piece - blocks sewn together from the other night. It is boring: what was I thinking? Well, I do know what I was thinking, but I can't tell you.
I just know it seemed like a good idea at the time. 
12 comments:
You can't tell us...why, do you think we'll arrest you over that two...right enough, two offenses in one post, shocking...!!!
Thanks for bringing this up. I have been having anxiety pangs about messy backsides. As a strong proponent of "Out of sight - out of mind" I don't know why.
well i like the boring piece...its a nice orderly chaos.
I figure if the back is good enough for me than other folks can like it or not. Then again - I am not very good at following orders. I want to know what you were thinking ! That's more to the point !
Yeah, not all my back are wonderful. Gasp! It would be nice if I could make each piece perfect, but sometimes it just doesn't turn out like that. I think if the messy back is all that can be critiqued on a quilt of mine, then I must be doing pretty good! I like the use of interesting fabrics in your "boring" piece.
Ha - all my backs look like that - but who cares? Does anybody ever turn over a canvas and tsk tsk about the back?
I can't put my finger on what bothers me about this piece - except that I think it needs some dissonance.
So, off I go to try again...
Well Rayna, like Karoda, I happen to like the "boring piece" too....if you are too bored with it, send it on to me, for I will surely enjoy it for many years to come!!!
xo
Like the others, I don't think it is boring either. The colors are vibrant and good surface design.
I find it remarkable how often I have had the need to make a rather traditional looking piece with outrageous fabrics. Maybe just occasionally our minds need a rest from creating wonderful work the rest of the time?
Your irregular centers are trapped in the straight squares. An off center square around the whole piece might help "move" them a bit. Personally, I would cut vertically through the center of the squares and "reconfigure" the strips, it will loosen up the wonderful non-conformist feel of the original squares.
I wonder what the backs of Van Goghs paintings look like.....
This piece is anything but boring. I love it -- the rich colors -- the design -- it's a great piece!
And as for messy backs, I've been terrible about that since I first learned to embroidery and it has carried over into all my life. I just cannot make a small knot on the thinnest of threads! And now I'm old enough that I don't care!!! All good art is messy at some point and sometimes it just has to stay that way.
Whoops; that as supposed to be: since I first learned to embroider!
Post a Comment