I just realized that I haven't posted in a long time. My life has totally turned upside down in the last couple of weeks. But I have a handle on things now. So back to my regularly scheduled life...
I started working on the Art Image Challenge for March. I decided not to go with the discharge dying and go with fusing instead. I have this insane need for snowflakes to have strict six fold symmetry. I think it is the engineer in me. I took classes in both undergraduate and graduate school about x-ray diffraction. X-ray diffraction is a technique used to study crystals. Many solids are made up of crystals, including metals and ceramics. X-rays are beamed at a surface, and the angle and intesity at which they bounce off gives a lot of information about a material. You can also difffract electrons. Anyway, symmetry is very important in using diffraction to study a material. Symmetry also plays a huge role in material properties. So the fact that snowflakes have six fold symmetry may seem like a trivial thing, but to me it is not.
I could not get the precision I wanted with the discharge dying. Perhaps if I took a lot of time and perfected the technique, I could get the precision I want. So I decided to just make snowflakes and Wonder-Under them. (I did a lot of reading on Melody Johnsons's Fibermania about fusing.) I am not a fuser, so this is also new to me. And I need something to keep me occupied over the next couple of days while my oldest is on his first overnight field trip.
I have learned about a new store called Fiber on a Whim that I am wanting to visit. I am planning a trip to see the quilt show in Roswell at Bulloch Hall this week. I have never been to that one, but a friend asked me to go with her.
Ok, some little hands are wanting to help me type now, so I will stop.
6 comments:
My husband is a crystallographer, so I enjoyed reading this. (He is interested in the symetry in quilts!) Good luck with fusing. I haven't done much, because I don't like fooling with pulling paper off. But lately I find I like it--can't beat the speed.
good luck - I think there is a snowfalke quilt hiding in me... (I love the ones that Paula Nadelstern did/does... But mine would be like yours - based on 6)
Hey, welcome back! I always wanted to do some of that six-sided symmetry. There is just something about it that is perfectly mystical. Mystically perfect? (I have an engineer living in me too, so I totally understand where you're coming from.)
I'm really enjoying fusing and find that for multi piece fusing I really like the Steam A Seam 2. You can stick all the pieces on and then iron them all on at one time. Look forward to your six-sided symmetry. I suppose my aerospace engineer son would understand that obsession.
I completely agree with the 6 sides on the snowflakes. I do very intricate cut paper snowflakes, ALWAYS with 6 sides, & have tried several methods of interpreting in quilts. The easiest was by fusing, but to get the cuts right I had to stabilize the fabric then lay my paper snowflake on top with a little Sulky 2000 to hold in place, & I made the cuts in the fabric with an Exato Knife. Very tedious. That's why that particular quilt only has 3 snowflakes!
Don't feel intimidated by us! We love you! Bring your snowflakes and play!
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