Birch Tree
I love Klimt's patterns, but I find a lot of his paintings have too much pattern. It is a bit overwhelming, especially with all the gold. I much prefer his paintings of birch trees and decided to combine both pattern and a single birch tree when I discovered some Klimt inspired patterned fabrics in my stash that I bought quite a few years ago. I was intending to include leaves hanging down, using patterns from the fabric that seemed suitable. However they looked more like seaweed. I then thought of adding some smaller birch trunks in the background, but that did not look right either. So it is a single birch in winter. I would have posted this yesterday, but for the realisation that I couldn't finish it with a facing as I usually do, as the extra wadding that I put under the tree made that part too thick to use this method. So instead of spending about an hour and a half in putting on a facing, I spent 6 1/2 hours sewing, unsewing and resewing (repeat several times!) a pieced binding as I did not want to put a 'frame ' round it with a single coloured binding. I will avoid doing a pieced binding in future! By the time I finished it, there was not enough light left to photograph it, so I left it until today. I had hoped to finish my Janvier quilt yesterday too, but that will have to wait until next week now.
This is lovely Jinnie. Your fabric choice is very Klimt-y! And your binding is amazing. I have taken to using a facing rather than do this; I like this site for instructions: thesillyboodilly.blogspot.ca/2012/09/tutorial-super-duper-easy-way-to-face.html
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your shoulder has mended. Nice to see you back sewing!
Jinnie, one of the hardest things for any artist I think is knowing when to stop - it certainly is for me. What you decided is just right. The simplicity is what catches the eye and is so appealing. Very clever use of those fabrics as it was only when I enlarged the image that I saw the bark patterns were Klimt fabrics!
ReplyDeleteHilary
Very clever use of all your Klimt fabric to create a Klimt inspired work. Amazing how many times the bindings or other trip us up. Worth the extra hours in this case.
ReplyDeleteKlimt's work can be very busy on the eye and you have homed in on one piece and simplified it even more - a really great interpretation of his birch trees and what brings it all together so beautifully is the fact that you have used Klimt fabrics. Your binding worked so well it was worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteI also have those Klimt fabrics but have never used them . You have done so very cleverly and they stand out so well on your single birch tree. . Well done. Rosemary
ReplyDeleteGreat use of the Klimt fabric Jinnie!
ReplyDeleteSelecting one image to focus on is brilliant! When I looked at it closer, I too, was surprised by the Klimt styled fabrics that you used! Your story about "re-doing" rings a familiar tone with me as well...can't wait to see your Janvier piece!
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