There are numerous wildfires raging throughout California, causing great destruction in its wake and lots of heavy smoke compromising the air quality. While I am currently safe from the fires, these incidents have certainly influenced this week's Dice Composition featuring the color orange within a Magic 3 layout. Read on as I share more about my inspiration, process, daily progress, and reveal the finished Dice Composition.
85/100: Roll Dice and Pull Fabrics
I think I'm FALLing in love with the color orange!
I celebrated this week's orange dice roll by stamping some color-FALL leaf prints using Color Shift paints.
A few other orange fabrics were pulled to create a Magic Three layout.
I'm gonna work on simp-LEAF-ying the layout. So don't LEAF me hanging...check back to see my daily progress!
86/100: Stamp and Fuse Fabrics
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.”― Emily Bronte, English Novelist and Poet
Fused and cut out my magic three shapes. Did a bit of stamping for use in the background. Now let the layout play begin...
87/100: Explore Layouts
"If you are in denial about climate change, come to California.”-California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Here in California, late summer and fall have become synonymous with wildfire season.
My heart goes out to all those who are impacted by the record number of wildfires that have already emerged throughout California (and other parts of the world). Another wildfire broke out today near Grass Valley while the others continue to grow larger...
These incidents have certainly played a role in several of the layouts below...
88/100: More Layout Play
"Global warming isn't a prediction. It is happening."-Dr. James E. Hansen, Climatology Researcher/Climate Activist
Tonight started with a very different vision but quickly transformed through a series of small design shifts:
- Rough cutting the frames
- Using the rough cut scraps to create flames
- Cutting up leftover background prints
- Backing squares with glowing fabrics
89/100: Finetune Layout, Fuse, and Topstitch
It may not look like much progress at first sight. First there was a bit of finetuning and removal of floating squares before fusing the elements all into place.
Then the topstitching was completed using an assortment of threads.
Everything is ready to add more more stitched textures tomorrow...
90/100: Hand Embroidery
Added a bit of hand embroidery this evening: Seed stitching to create glowing embers and backstitching for the leaf veins.
Smoke and allergies tuckered me out so I'll save the remaining stitching to tackle tomorrow...
91/100: Hand Embroidery, Face, Label, and Start Blog Post
This week's Dice Composition involved a fun assortment of threads: 40 and 50wt Aurifil, 40wt Superior Fantastico, 8wt Wonderfil Eleganza, and a 30 or 40wt pearlescent metallic thread from an unknown manufacturer.
As the wildfires continue to grow throughout California, we desperately need "Wildfire ReLEAF."
And here is the completed Dice Composition...
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| "Wildfire ReLEAF" Finishes 12" x 12" |
Personal Critique:
- Utilizes an analogous color scheme of yellow, orange, and red, set against neutrals of black and white. A variety of light, medium, and dark values are incorporated into the fabrics and threads.
- Movement is achieved through the use of the dancing squares, floating leaves, seedstitches, and wavy borders/strips.
- Contrast was incorporated through the assortment of texures and patterns stamped and stitched into this quilt: lines vs. curls, light vs. dark values, seed stitches vs. colonial knots
- While the leaves were intended to be the focal point, I wonder if the bright floating squares and background stitching draw more attention given their brighter fabrics?
Please send happy thoughts to the brave firefighters and all the families that have been impacted by the wildfires. Rain dances are always welcome to help extinguish some of the fires.
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