opposites: an education

Opposites have been on my mind today. And with them, the memory of Alice when she was young saying 'ossopite' for opposite which is, I suppose, quite apposite.

I am in the early stages of a new columns quilt - a version of my Hot Summer Quilt which was inspired by the columns quilts in Kaffe Fassett's V&A Quilts. This should be incredibly simple; take nine 9" wide strips of fabric and sew them together to make a quilt top. How difficult can this be?

As it turns out, it's the opposite of simple. I love this design and the visual effect it achieves but, by golly, it takes some sorting out. It's actually a matter of taking a bundled, complex mixture of designs (above) and straightening them out (below) into a pattern and overall design which works. 

And, as you can see, I've only managed so far to put seven fabrics together. I'm ruthless, I know, but this is a quilt in which opposites don't work. So a mix of small and large-scale patterns are out, as are contrasting colours. In a bundle a mainly bright red fabric looks wonderful, but when you set a strip of rich scarlet flowers into the line-up it looks terrible.

My strips are laid out on our bedroom floor. For the last two days I have been doing a huge amount of step-exercise, running up and down stairs with various fabrics. I have gone to sleep thinking about the quilt and woken up with it staring at me from the end of the bed. But gradually, the idea of KISS (keeping it simple, stupid) is working and I am sheddding the more difficult fabrics. It's quite an education in visual ossopites, as Alice might have said.

Comments

[Pam]

In North America, a quilt like that would be called a "strippy" quilt!

[teresa]

I absolutely love that part of the process. The adding and editing. The strips look fabulous together.

[Leslie]

Time to call in Thomas!

[Christiane]

the more simple it seems the more I get involved. your choice of fabrics on the photos looks very good to me, I love the pinups!and the hollyhocks but apart. if you like the idea of opposite what about an additional b&w print.
kiss can be a challenge :)

[els]

we (in Berkeley California) are experiencing summer weather and your bunch of flowery fabrics comes at the right time! this is the time of year to long for cool dresses with botanical designs.
makes me wonder whether i could make a blouse of patchworked fabric - thanks for posting, especially the nostalgic tulips

[Sherry]

I love the fabric with the ladies on it. It's so gloriously kitsch!

I'm taking and art history course right now, and we are exploring the origin and meaning of kitsch. That takes all the fun out of it, but your ladies bring it back!

[Sherry]

And I want to thank you for your blog, which brings a spot of calm in my life as I prepare for my qualifying exams.

[izzyr2008@yahoo.com]

This is a wonderful array of colors. Please could tell me how long each strip is ? Thanks ..IMR

[kosenrufu mama]

i love that fabric and they are so colorful!!

[tobynkate]

I so loved your first floral columns quilt that I wanted to do one of my own. Especially because I’m generally much more subdued in my color selections and wanted to break out into bolder colors. But when I began to work with the fabrics I realized just how difficult it is to choose the fabrics that really work together. I think I’ve got my fabrics but I’ve “cheated” (at least in my mind) in that I’ve made choices from the same fabric collection. But at least the colors are very bold. The ones you’ve chosen above are lovely. It’s fascinating to see how the next pattern picks up something – color – shapes -from the previous and then takes it in a new direction. I can’t wait to see your final two choices and the final quilt.

[Mary K. in Rockport]

Didn't you just love your children's little verbal errors (our favorite was "ditz me" for "kiss me") and regret, in a way, when they were outgrown?

[Lynn]

I love the large scale of the prints in this project. I have been on a mission (futile I am sure) to use up my scraps. I am working small. I think I need to take a break and think big! Your selection is gorgeous.

[Betty]

I just love the lady on the fabric in the first picture - where did you get her from?!

[catherine]

Challenging indeed, but I also love this process of adding and subtracting and moving around. It is fascinating how different patterns and colour combinations work (or don't!) together, and it's also so much to do with how much of the fabric that you see - I always look at combinations completely differently when I hang them on the washing line to dry compared to looking at them folded in bundles. Have fun Jane!

[Rachel]

I love your fabric choices so far!