Friday, February 13, 2015

EBMC February III - Feed Those Birds!

"NOW for your next one!! Bigger!" she said.

"Instead of stippling, just [go] with a horizontal line...", she said.

So I sandwiched a piece of white fabric about 22" W x 18" L and using white thread, free-motion quilted horizontal lines, then trimmed the edges:


That was Wednesday.  I admit I was a bit uncertain at first, but after a while on my design wall, it's grown on me.

"Keep the feeder very simple as you have...it doesn't have to be slap bang in the middle...in fact, probably better slightly off-centre," she said.

Before stitching, I decided to rehearse with charcoal on a large sketch pad, in a frame the size of the trimmed background (20" W x 17" L):


So far, so good.  In fact, the drawing was easier to do than I expected, given the size (large for me).

I took a regular mechanical pencil, lightly sketched the placement of birds and feeder on the white quilted background and then went to the sewing machine, again with black thread top and bottom:


Alas...I got the feeder a bit too far left.  With only 3 birds, there was a gaping white space on the right and lower left of the piece.

Solution?  Add two more birds (middle right and lower left) -- first in pencil; then in stitch.

BUT...d'you see it?  Take a closer look:


The lower left bird's not too bad, but that one on the middle right is decidedly UG-LEEEE!

Can this piece be saved?  Or will it be filed away as "just a sample"?

I could get rid of the offending bird altogether:



But...that a) puts the feeder closer to the centre (again) and b) leaves four birds -- an even number which, I believe, is not favoured artistically by Those Who Know...

I could leave a hint of that offending bird that is, well, less offensive:


This one's rather fun, I think.  It's as if Offending Bird is coming late to the party. "Save some for me!"

Let me know what you'd do, eh?

As it is, I'm leaving the next quilted background for tomorrow...and linking this to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday.  I'm grabbing a cuppa while I read the other posts and take up my hand quilting.  Join me?


9 comments:

Kathie Briggs said...

Margaret, I wouldn't crop it. I like the feeder to the far left. U don't think the offending bird is all that bad but if it bothers you a lot (and it seems like it does) I would put it away, even off the design board for at least a day. Then get it out and evaluate how it makes your feel. If the offending bird is really offensive to you then maybe you want to redraw the bird the way you want it to be and make another piece.

elle said...

You are definitely onto something!!! I really don't mind the FOUR. :)

Jenny K. Lyon said...

I'm not a "Those Who Know" but I like the expression! I like the 5th guy being late to the party and I love the free sketched feel to your piece. The 5th guy makes it a bit unbalanced in a good way and adds even more whimsy. Fun!

Teresa Duryea Wong said...

Your post is funny and I love your stitching. Looking at it from the propsective of a random visitor (not one Who Knows) I love the cropped image with just the head of the "offending bird" peeking in. Looks very mysterious and cool!

Kaja said...

I like the balance of the first one, and personally thought that little chap on the right was quite sweet. I definitely wouldn't crop him off completely as I think the version with the feeder centred is somehow much more static, so cropping but leaving him just peeping in seems like a good compromise. :-)

els said...

Just like the others, I would just leave the 5th one.
If it really bothers you maybe you can take out some stitches?

Giddings Art said...

I agree with everything Jenny said.

Maggi said...

Nice piece. I like the version with the 5th bird just appearing, it really draws the eye towards the main area.

Regina B Dunn said...

I also like it cropped with the 5th bird just appearing. It's a great piece. I love your stitching. It has such a free and fun feel to it.