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| Ducks and Clocks
This was in interesting challenge, thanks Laurie. Not quite sure that this is "kitschy" or more retro, maybe a mixture of both. My first thought was the flying ducks which were a common sight on Australian living room walls in the 50/60's. I couldn't get it out of my mind so settled on that as the subject. With a bit of artistic licence the ideal way to represent this was the flying geese block.
While I'd done flying geese before I'd never done curved flying geese so paper piecing was the obvious choice of method. My first problem arose when I remembered that the design needed to be reversed to turn out the way I had planned it - too bad, 1/2 done, no time to re-do so I plunged on. Next problem - I didn't really want to do any curved piecing so after choosing the background fabric I thought I'd try something else I hadn't done before, appliqué with monofilament thread. All those edge seamlines meant that bagging the appliqué was the best method for this. I was pleased that the monofilament worked well, won't wait so long again to use it.
The background fabric is a reminder of those floral kitchen curtains of the 60/70's. I intended quilting around the flowers but that didn't work so used a serpentine stitch that I have used previously and am becoming quite enamoured with. At this point I realised that the not only did my wrong-way-around "ducks" look quite odd , but the landscape format I had planned didn't look great either, and it just needed something else to make it presentable eeew! Time was running out (no pun intended), what on earth could I add that would fit the ducks on the wall theme. A clock seemed to fit the bill, albeit a clock without numbers and hands. The clock style I chose is again probably more retro than kitsch. It was simply fused and free-motion stitched in place.
To finish off I used another new to me technique, learnt at a Susan Carlson workshop - glued, random shapes cut from the background fabric. An interesting technique but only suitable for a piece not destined to be washed at some stage. While my original intention was to have the ducks flying in a staggered line across the wall in landscape format it looks so much better in the portrait format
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WELCOME TO ART QUILTS AROUND THE WORLD An ever changing group of art quilters from around the world. We have members from: Australia, Canada, Denmark, India, and USA. Every two months we make a small art quilt on a designated theme, we share the results here on our group blog. Current Challenge: Mosaic; revealed on 30th Nov 2022
I'm going to google Australian living rooms from the 50's. You are the second one to mention it so it most be memorable. I love your step by step explanation of the whole process and that you tried so many new things. It really turned out great. Love the colors.
ReplyDeleteLove your back story and the large scale background fabric is wonderful. I didn't realize the Kitsch challenge would be so challenging to the group!
ReplyDeleteGood choice Robyn. My Nan had some of those ducks and ended up with one in the end and it had a broken wing. I wonder if our great grand children in the future will look at our stuff and think " what were they thinking".
ReplyDeleteHa has, I'd love some of those ducks now Denise :-}
DeleteYes they are very collectable these days and expensive.
DeleteI went with the ducks too, but I love your abstract interpretation. And your squiggly quilting, really does look like snack tracks in the desert sand.
ReplyDeleteSnack tracks! Hilarious, glad they don't exist. I meant to write snake tracks. This time proof read before hitting publish
DeleteYour clock reminds me of a compass rose which would make the geese flying north for the summer - one of my favourite parts of spring is hearing Canada geese squawking overhead.
ReplyDeleteThe background fabric is a great choice for the kitsch theme. I can easily imagine the pattern on someone's wall. :)
Love it. I think I could do something like this with a clock and a picture of my dog. She has an internal clock like I've never seen before!
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