* Content Warning - This post may contain language and pictures that maybe offensive to some readers. You have been warned *
This quilt is many years in the making. Mostly the making has all been in my head. It first started with me collecting wood types. Then I wanted to figure out how to use these wood types. With my fascination of typography (at an artificial level) I saw an art work by Cecil Touchon on the web. He uses text in a different way and a different "canvas". The need to create something became stronger after the recent turmoil in the world I wanted to make a statement.
This project was difficult for me in many ways. It was something that I have never done before and had no real guidance. Books didn't help, people didn't help, youtube helped a bit. I am an artist who does not jump into something until I have everything I need, and I have an idea of what I am doing. I am afraid of making a mistakes, and yes, you can call me a perfectionist.
Each baby step and made towards this project was a big step.
Buying rubber stamps, buying the Profab Textile Paints | Opaque, then the brayer, then the Akua printing plate (not even sure if I needed this or not), then the white and whitish Kona cotton fabrics.
I also inherited a carving tool from my niece, and I bought Speedball Speedy Carve Block and a whole stack of extra large rubber erasers at the dollar store, all which I have not used. I have ideas, I have lots of ideas. It is just that implementation is a little bit on the slow side.
Back to the process.
I laid out a large box of cardboard, made lines on it so that I can stamp straight lines. My first attempt, the one below which was done on the cardboard came out iffy, because the surface was too soft. I decided to use the back of an old beat up cutting mat. I stamped and stamped and stamped. (Note in the above picture the the newspaper headline says "Healthy relationship and sexuality series upcoming...", how appropriate.)
After making the panels - I laid it out for a week plus a few days to dry.
Below are pictures of each of the different panels I made, in approximate order. The later panels look better, because I finally got the hang of it and knew what I was doing or needed to do.
After a week, I heat set it. I researched on how to heat set this. So the best way to heat set this was to place an aluminum foil on your ironing surface. Turn over your fabric so that you are ironing on the back side or wrong side of the fabric. To be on the safe side, either use a pressing sheet while ironing your piece or a thin towel that you no longer care. This is just to protect your iron from any ink that may not have dried. According to the instructions on Pro Chem, you need to iron for 5 minutes, but don't stay in one area, you need to move it along. Don't rush this process. As pain staking this process was, it is worth it.
After it was heat set, I waited again for another week (the instructions says 10 to 14 days). I tested a small piece of fabric and hand washed it and threw it into the dryer. It did not lose color. Woo hoo.
The left side is the piece small piece of fabric that I washed and dried in the dryer.
Next I hand washed all the fabrics with a gentle detergent such as woolite, and dried it in the dryer.
I started piecing. I knew I wanted white spaces. I pieced it similar to a log cabin. Cutting and piecing. Going around in circles.
I machine quilted in the ditch first and then filled in the white spaces with straight line quilting. I still have not started learning how to use the ruler work, so those straight lines, I turned the quilt every which way I needed it to.
So back to why did I make this quilt? Why this word? This year has been a year of frustration all around. This is my way of coping and expressing myself.
So the next question is - do I submit this into quilt shows? Do I have the guts to submit it into a quilt show? Shall I challenge the quilt show promoters with this quilt? Will they show the quilt in a quiet corner?
The adventure continues.
Title: Making A Statement :: FUCK
Dimension: Approximately 43" x 43"
Materials: Kona Solid Cotton, Aurifil 50 weight thread
Method: Machine Pieced + Machine Quilted
Date completed: 08.2018
Quilt & Bitch
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