A Study of Contrast

Sherrie, Ada, and I have embarked on a study of contrast. After a rambling discussion, we decided each of us needed to do some research and solidify thoughts.

I looked up definitions of contrast in assorted dictionaries to get the thought process going. My findings follow.

Contrast:

1. the act of contrasting
2. a striking exhibition of unlikeness; a great difference
3. a person or thing that is strikingly unlike in comparison, that shows differences when put side by side with another
4. opposition or juxtaposition of different forms, lines, or colors in a work of art to intensify each element's properties and produce a more dynamic expressiveness; the putting close together of varied forms or colors to heighten their effect, and the effect of the whole composition by comparison
5. the relative difference between light and dark areas of a print or negative
6. the brightness ration of the lightest to the darkest part of the television screen image
7. a difference between linguistic elements, esp sounds, that can serve to distinguish meanings

I also found the etymology for the word. Contrast comes from the French contraster and from two Latin words contra (against) and stare (to stand). Originally it meant to fight against or to withstand as two opposing sides in a battle would do. The term contrast was re-introduced in the 1700s as an art term. This was an interesting thought. The quilt with all its blocks, fabrics, colors, and quilting is like a battleground. Each element is trying to stand out against the others and gain the viewer's attention. The strongest one wins. If all are of equal strength, the eye wanders around not knowing where to focus.

I noticed that the 4th definition referred to the opposition or juxtaposition of different forms, lines, or colors. I made a list of different types of contrast from a quilting perspective.

1. Color - blue vs red
2. Value - light vs dark
3. Scale - large vs small
4. Pattern - plaid vs floral
5. Shape - square vs round

The 5th definition refers to the relative difference between light and dark areas of a print or negative. This made me think about the advice to organize the fabrics to be used in a quilt from lightest to darkest without considering the color. (To do this you have to view the fabrics through blue and green filters.) The amount of difference between the darkest and the lightest fabrics would be the degree of contrast.

1. High - medium red vs white
2. Medium - medium red vs medium blue
3. Low - medium red vs medium red

Every quilt does not need to have the highest degree of contrast possible. If that was the case, we would all use solid black and white in every quilt and then mix in some mediums.

Next I asked myself why I would use a high, medium, or low degree of contrast.

Why high contrast?

1. for dramatic effect
2. for immediate focus on a particular element of the quilt
3. to showcase exquisite piecing and applique

Why medium contrast?

1. cozy, comfortable quilts
2. scrap quilts with many fabrics

Why low contrast?

1. to add interest without overpowering; for example, pieced backgrounds for applique
2. to give the eye a resting spot before it moves on to focus on another area

Consider contrast throughout the quiltmaking process. Do you have the desired amount of contrast:

1. within individual blocks,
2. between blocks,
3. between blocks and sashing, setting pieces, borders, etc,
4. between thread (quilting) and the surface?

Prior to embarking on this study, I didn't consciously think about contrast. After all this research, I felt like I was now confused about contrast and would have no idea how to explain it to someone. When we convened to talk about our research, Sherrie said something that hit home with me. Be more purposeful about the use of contrast.

How Do I Quilt Thee

This would be a great name for a quilt! I will use it someday. It would also be a good name for a chapter in a book or a magazine article.

Why is it so hard to decide how to quilt a top? (I am thinking specifically of machine quilting.) Maybe...

1. The quilter might be too worried about ruining a nice quilt top with less than perfect quilting.
2. The quilter might have limited skills.
3. The quilter might lack ideas.
4. The quilter might lack imagination.
5. There are too many options and the quilter doesn't know which to choose.

So...what is a quilter to do to overcome these obstacles?

You might ruin the quilt. Get over it. Do you manage your life based on what might happen? If you go on an airplane, it might crash. If you get married, you might get divorced. If you buy a new car, it might be a lemon. Accept that whatever you do today is the best you can do right now.

You have limited skills. The standard answer to this is "practice quilting every day." That advice never made sense to me. We lead busy lives. If a person has 1.5 hours to indulge in quilt-related activities on a Thursday night and the person is in the midst of piecing blocks for a quilt, it does not make sense to change feet, thread, needles, and tension to practice quilting for 15 minutes. I improve most when I spend concentrated amounts of time quilting. I may not quilt for a month. Then I may spend 2 months quilting a big project. I would also recommend that you take advantage of opportunities to take multiple-day machine quilting classes. Too often the one-day classes only cover the basics, don't allow enough time for students to practice, and don't permit the teacher to give one on one help.

You don't have ideas for quilting the top. You need to develop a quilting repertoire. Collect stencils that you would like to try. Organize them so you know what you have. You may have books with a lot of good idea, but can't take the time to look through all of them every time you are ready to design the quilting. Make copies of pages with great quilting ideas and put them in a folder...near the stencils. You could also put magazine pages and photographs with great ideas in the same place. Photograph or draw architectural details that might translate into quilting designs. Doodle on paper while waiting to speak with the next available representative.

You lack imagination. This means you quilt in the ditch and perhaps meander in the background...every time. You can't think what else to do. Perhaps you are just in a rut. If you can get out of the rut, you may have a wonderful imagination just waiting to be unleashed. In fact, you must have a wonderful imagination if you gather fabrics and make quilt tops. You probably don't make the same quilt over and over. Make yourself try something different when it comes to the quilting.

You have lots of ideas, but don't know which one is right. There isn't just one right way to quilt a top. Refer to Quilting Makes the Quilt by Lee Cleland, an Australian quilter. Lee made 5 identical copies of 12 different quilts. (Yes - a total of 60 quilts) Then she quilted each of the 5 quilts a different way and they all look great. Consider your options, make a decision, and start quilting. Or you can make 5 copies of each of your quilts and do each a different way. It's your choice.

Naming Quilts

I didn't know that quilts had names until it was time to fill out entry forms for my first entries in our local guild's quilt show. Those quilts were named after the fact, while I was filling out entry forms the week before the deadline.

Since then I've changed the way I name quilts. I start thinking about the quilt name while I am making it. Sometimes the name comes to me early and easily. Sometimes it doesn't come to me until the quilt is finished. Sometimes I have to settle for a name for lack of a better one. If the name feels right, it helps me bond with the quilt. Some of my favorites include:

1. It's Like Sleeping With My Stash. This quilt had over 550 different fabrics and I found it all in my stash.
2. Jane Doe - A Quilt With No Name. I was having a hard time naming this quilt and kept referring to it as the quilt with no name. Eventually that phrase reminded me of the old song, A Horse With No Name. When I searched for lyrics for that song, I found a website with ideas for naming horses. (Wouldn't it be nice to have a website with ideas for naming quilts?) I called the quilt Jane Doe because that is the name one uses when the real name is unknown and kept the quilt-with-no-name part for fun.
3. No Piecing Required, Just Quilt As Desired. This was a small wholecloth quilt about 25" square. The name was bigger than the quilt.
4. American Spirit. This was the quilt I made after the 9/11 attacks. It was a murky, scrappy quilt in blues, reds, tans, and golds. It symbolized the ability for a country to endure through dark days and survive.
5. Bittersweet. Fall is my favorite time of year. My birthday is 9/14. Around that time of year, I find myself using fall colors. I was enjoying the September weather and this quilt with its leaf blocks tremendously. Then it was 9/11 and what was normally the best time of the year became anything but.
6. Summertime. This Cups and Saucers block quilt was done in pastels with a nile green background. I made it in the summer and it was reminding me of warm summer afternoons and sipping ice tea on the back porch. Around the same time, I got a George Gershwin CD with the song Summertime on it. Check out the lyrics. "Summertime and the livin' is easy. Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high." The cotton is high! That is the case at my house. It is folded on 5' wide shelves taller than me.
7. Rhapsody in Blue and Purple and Green. This is a continuation of the Gershwin theme. I was listening to Rhapsody in Blue and working on a quilt in blue, purple, and green. I looked up rhapsody in the dictionary and found that it is derived from rhaptein, which means to stitch.

I like humorous names best, except when it comes to quilts like American Spirit and Bittersweet. If the quilt has too lofty of a name, I feel more pressure for perfection. I try not to take things too seriously and just have fun. When I'm relaxed, things go well.

Why I Started Quilting

When I was engaged to be married, my mother embarked on her mission of making a drunkard's path quilt as a wedding gift. I was the firstborn of 4. She made it clear that there would be a quilt for each of her 4 children. Eventually there were also quilts for grandchildren and all were drunkard's path quilts because these were the only templates she had. They were cardboard templates. She traced around the template in ink and cut out the pieces with scissors. Piecing and quilting was done by hand. She tried to get me to help. I found it to be so tedious and frustrating. I vowed to never willingly make a quilt. That was in the late 60's.

Years later a co-worker (Bev) told me that she cut the pieces for a quilt using rulers and a rotary cutter. Wow! That sounded way better. I thought I would like the machine piecing, but what about the quilting? There was no way I could do it with my home sewing machine. How would I fit a big quilt in that little space? I could envision stacks of unquilted tops all over the house. Then she told me about longarm quilters.

So I started quilting because of rulers, rotary cutters, and longarm quilters.

The first book I bought was At Home With Thimbleberries Quilts by Lynette Jensen. Before I purchased it, I carefully looked at all 25 quilts in the book and chose to buy it because I thought I would want to make most of them. I consulted with the shop owner about which ruler (singular) I should buy. She convinced me to get a 6 1/2" x 24" and a 6 1/2" square ruler and, of course, a cutting mat and rotary cutter. I was a bit aghast at the expense of the book and tools, but went ahead with the purchase. After all, these items were one-time expenses.

It seemed to take a long time to cut all the pieces for my first quilt, but at least it was accurate. I was finally ready to start piecing. The first night I made what felt like a million flying geese. The next day at work I reported to Bev that I hated tying knots in all the threads. She said, "What do you mean?" I knew I was not supposed to backstitch like I did for dressmaking, but I didn't know about chain piecing. After each seam, I pulled out the pieced unit and cut the thread. Then I did the same thing with the next unit. Bev told me about chain piecing and I got much more done the next night.

I've come a long way since then. I buy quilting books for the sheer pleasure of possessing them. I own rulers galore, including multiples of some sizes so I can have one near the cutting table and another by my sewing machine. I have multiple rotary cutters and mats of different sizes.

But the biggest change is that I must quilt my own tops. I can no longer stand to let someone else do it. And I do it with my Bernina, a home sewing machine.

Scrap Quilts

When I first started quilting (in another millenium), I said that I did not like scrap quilts. I think there were 2 main reasons why I said that:

1. I did not like all scrap quilts. There is a limit to what I want combined in one quilt.
2. I lacked the confidence to manage that many fabrics.

At first I limited myself to quilts in which all the blocks were made of the same fabrics. About midway through the first year, I got bored with that. Now I love scrap quilting, but I control what I combine in one quilt. I call it Controlled Scrap Quilting. These are the principles I follow:

1. Gather fabrics for the quilt and stand back. Include lights, mediums, darks, small, medium, and large prints, geometrics, plaids, dots, etc. in as many colors as you wish. Does the pile of fabric look okay?
2. If you can't tell from the pile of fabric, cut 2-3" pieces of each. Do the scraps look okay together?
3. Look at the fabrics through a camera lens. Do they look okay?
4. If you are not sure of a fabric, take a chance. Make extra blocks so you can leave some out if they don't work when it is time to lay out the top.
5. Do the fabrics used in each block look okay together?
6. Notice that I am saying okay, not good. The minimum requirement is that they look okay together.
7. Lay out the blocks so they look sort of good next to each other. At a minimum, they should not clash.
8. Don't worry if a fabric is close to another piece of the same fabric. That happens.
9. If all these guidelines are followed, the resulting top is likely to look GREAT.

(I also said I did not like heavily quilted quilts, but that is a topic for a different entry.)

The Beginning

This isn't really the beginning of my quilting journal, but it is the beginning of my blog. It is a place to save my ramblings for all posterity, to document my wildest quilting dreams, my successes, my failures. How ominous! Here we go. Hang on tight.