Elements

I'm almost embarrassed to post this after all this time. But a bit proud that I actually saw it through, though. I seem to be rather good at starting things with great enthusiasm when inspiration strikes, but then everyday life kicks inn and I get distracted by chores or new inspiration and another UFO has been born. That's what happened here as well: I eagerly joined Project Spectrum - Elements in 2009 all fired up with inspiration. Emily Dickinson's poem Wild Nights seemed to have it all - fire, air, earth and  water, and I decided to use the poem as inspiration for my quiltlets. They are only 8 x 12 " so I didn't think I'd be too owerwhelmed.

Fire was easy, the bed with flames and the beginning of the poem, hot colours and flame quilting, yes this was fun!

 

Air was next - light colours, a sea chart printed on organza, quilted air currents and fluffy organza clouds with pearl raindrops around the edge - yes I was on a roll!

Next in line was Earth and I was a bit baffled about how to illustrate "might I but moor tonight - in thee", but a boat in a safe harbour with brown and green hills seemed just right. I used brown and copper paintsticks and placed the fabrics on a basket to rub some pattern onto it in. The boat was coloured in with watercolour pencils and brushed with water to make the colours richer. A bit of brown wool around the edge finished it all off. So far, so good.
But then the doubts set in. Was the whole concept too cheesy? Using the poem like that? Disrespectful? So there it all stopped...

Until a couple of weeks ago when some friends and I started talking about those dreaded UFOs we all seem to have hidden away. I pulled the three little quilts out of hiding and decided to just go for it and make that dreaded fourth one. Water is my element after all, so how hard could it be? I didn't really stop to think, just did it - I used some water/sea-prints added a piece of folded and scrunched up Bali fabric to represent a boat, some beads and finished it all with a floral binding to represent Eden.

A few hours later it was all done. Not perfect, but finished. I stitched them all together adding some pearls in between and some ribbons and pearls for hanging and Elements was ready to go on the wall. Not perfect, but finished. And I got to try out some new techniques and ideas that I might use in other projects. Not too bad, after all.