Spiraling into Abstraction!

Back in February, I had the pleasure of taking Lyric Kinard's Abstract-A-Licious in person workshop. After watching Lyric demonstrate one abstraction exericse with Ricky and Alex on episode 2013 of The Quilt Show, I was excited to learn more new tricks for creating abstract designs in preparation for upcoming quilt challenges. Lyric's workshop did not disappoint. She guided us through a number of exercises to generate original quilt design ideas through abstraction.  Below are a few of my own thumbnail sketches from all around the workshop environment. From there, we took our favorite (mine was inspired by a travel mug sitting on my neighbor's work space) and make subtle changes in value or pattern.

Thumbnail Sketches

Masterpieces also served as inspiration for our abstraction studies, using simple shapes and lines.   

Masterpiece Inspiration

Everyone shared scraps used in several of the exercises.  I especially enjoyed watching how most of the attendees could not resist touching and playing with all the scraps. All this energy was put to good use, once Lyric tasked us with organizing the scraps by color to create a scraptastic colorwheel.

Scraptastic Color Wheel

After sketching a few more compositions using simple shapes and lines, we recreated one of our doodles into fabric.  Despite a simple composition, the fabrics add such wonderful pattern and movement into my design! Many thanks to whoever brought these fun scraps!

Doodles Translated Into Fabric

One of the exercises started by tracing our pair of scissors.  With each subsequent drawing, we made small modifications. After just a few iterations, my sketches began to spiral out of control! The last exercise of the day was to create a fabric composition inspired by one of these exercises. I chose to continue building on the scissors exercise. First I found some pink batik scraps that featured large spirals and added some teal spirals that I cut out from prefused circles leftover from a previous workshop.  Instead of fusing the background strips, I snapped a picture and carefully transported it home to piece the background.

Spiraling out of Control

Once safely home, I made quick work of improv piecing the scrappy background and fusing all the spiral shapes into place.  I quilted the first large teal spirals into place with nesting C-curves, but when I went to stitch down the second large spiral, I started to experience a lot of skipped stitches.  With each stitch taken, glue from the fusible continued to accumulate on my needle. I tried using rubbing alcohol to wipe off the fusible and even replaced the needle, however I continued to experience great frustration caused by lots of skipped stitches and nesting of threads on the back. Into timeout it went until I found a solution.

Somewhere I read that Schmetz was launching a new nonstick needles, designed to be used with fusible applique. After several unsuccessful searches at small quilt shops, I gave in and ordered a package of Schmetz Super Nonstick Needles online.  Here is the information as written on the back of the packaging: "Use Schmetz Super Nonstick Needles when sewing with embroidery stabilizer, temporary spray adhesive, or self-adhesive hook and loop tape.  Anti-adhesive coating (NIT), large eye, distinctive scarf, and reinforced blade prevent skipped stitches and provides a residue-free needle."  I will admit that I was a little skeptical but desperate to try anything at this point!

WOW!!  What a noticeable difference these needles made in my ability to complete all the quilting on the fusible spirals with only one (maybe two skipped stitches in total). Not only did I see considerably less build up of glue on the needle, but in the few instances where I did notice it, it was super easy to remove with my finger (no alcohol required).  These needles are a serious game changer and I only wish I had known about them earlier while working on previously fused quilts!!

Super Nonstick Needles to the Rescue!!

Each of the teal spirals was quilted with a fun variety of free motion quilted motifs (C-curves, chain of pearls, flowers) using Aurifil 50 weight in either Light Juniper #2845 or Light Jade #1148. Aurifil 50 weight in Light Salmon #2220 was used to stitch zig zag meander into the pink background areas. As I approached the pink batik spirals, I simply echo stitched in and around the spiral. I liked it so much that I decided to stitch a few ghost spirals into the solid background areas as a fun little quilting detail.

Quilting Details

Even the quilt back features spirals as I found this great fabric in my stash!

Reverse Side Spirals

Many thanks to Lyric Kinard for introducing me to some new exercises to help jumpstart my creative juices!!  A big thank you to Schmetz Super Nonstick Needles, making it possible for me to complete the quilting on this fun project!

"Scissors Spiraling Into Abstraction," finishes 15" x 19"