Sunday, February 19, 2006

Barbara's Composition



I'm designing my Winter Madonna and I've decided to work in circles as well as in white. The central image is transferred onto a round doily and surrounded by a traditional applique design called Cesar's Crown. I've used the challenge fabric in every other section of the crown.







I'm using another traditional applique pattern in the smaller circles called Wheel of Lilies. The Madonna also carries lilies in the central image, and is surrounded by them in one of the smaller ones. Two of the darker circles also have the Wheel of Lilies applique (actually ironed on) but the contrast isn't sharp and I may do those over.

The whole composition is pinned to a pieced background on which I've arrange vintage hankies. One of these is beige, and I may coffee-stain the white ones to increase the contrast.

I've imagined this as a round piece, so I may re-position the hankies and cut the whole thing into a circle. I'll have to back it with Peltex if I go that route.

And here's a piece that I designed at the same time, I've got plans for this one which also involve Madonnas.

1 comment:

Debra Dixon said...

I definitely like your direction--I think the appliques look like snowflakes and since this is the Winter challenge would definitely emphasis that idea. Lilies remind me of Easter and spring so would probably downplay that idea.

I like the square shape but might include another thin beige line like the vertical line. You could make the hankies much darker for some nice contrast. They don't have much now even the beige one; but, you could leave them as they are too and that would be fine.

The second piece would be spiffy for the Spring Challenge! I will be using lots of flowers too.

Have you tried printing the images so the edges are fuzzy? that would be cool on the hankies to look like the Madonnas are faded into the hankies.

Looking good!!