Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Opinions Please - #2

This is another of my feather prints - ferns and feathers were the 'stamping' tools. This piece is machine quilted & has binding on the two short sides... and it's been hanging on the design wall for over a month - mostly because I am very dissatisfied with it as it is. It's lacking "punch" - for lack of a better word. There's no real composition... and it reminds me of wallpaper!
My present thoughts are along the lines of placing thin strips of black + white geometric fabric in some sort of smashing, eye-catching design... It seems to need some masculine energy, what with all the gentle curves everywhere...
As you can see, this one really, REALLY needs your suggestions! Once again, HELP!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is that beautiful outer frame I can just see? Why not add an inner frame of the same contrasting cool blues/greens?

Suzanne Sanger said...

Have you considered cutting into this fabric? How about David Walker's layered cut away machine applique technique where you layer 3 to 5 fabrics, stitch your design through all layers, and then cut away to different fabric layers to reveal the completed design? It's fun, fast, easy, and yields some surprising results sometimes. This is neat fabric, but as you say, all by itself, it lacks the punch it would have as part of a composition.

Alison Schwabe said...

I agree with suzanne, why not use it as a resource and cut into it, its very dramatic fabric. I don't think black and white stripes in any form would do a single thing, either.

Deborah Boschert said...

I like the first allison's suggestion of making an inner border out of the blue/green frame. Then maybe some tiny silloutted birds parading across in a quiet small line? Just black. Or maybe even sheer black. But not black and white. I agree with the second alison there. I'm not excited about black and white. Or maybe just put it away for awhile and let it rest until the creative spirit REALLY moves you.