Monday 19 January 2015

This is a quilt ...

 I am making an unusual quilt and exploring  SAQA's (Studio Art Quilt Associates) definition of  a quilt as "a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure." And so, the plaiting of the fabrics creates one type of layer, the joining of the new to the existing creates a series of layers ... recording the source of each different fabric creates layers in my journal - of friendships and memories and of experiences shared and intertwined ...this is a quilt.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ali,
Brings back some memories!
How heavy is it? My Mum made a mat like this and it was heavy, and hard wearing underfoot! Looked good and felt good underfoot too, but as I said ... heavy! Certainly no feather doona!

Unknown said...

You are so right about heavy - and it remains a work in progress ... and not a feather in sight!

Alison Schwabe said...

Ali - I have reservations about how far you've pushed the verbal envelope to claim it fits within the definition's phrase 'referencing a stitched layered structure'
As you say, the plaiting creates one type of layer, progressively stitched to join to earlier parts of the edge of the braiding as it proceeds. The result is what the viewer sees as one layer. It's certainly a richly textured one - but without your verbal statement it doesn't read as a 'layered structure'.
IMHO, SAQA's definition implies, but doesn't clearly state, that the layered structure (as in 'quilt' ) being referenced needs to be shown in some way to the viewer.
You could make the connection clearer to all viewers including those who don't have your statement, by adding a backing that protrudes around the edge. I'd suggest considering felt which you could trim with pinking shears, or make a shaggy/wispy edge by pulling at the edge with pliers. Something like this would help the viewer perceive the notion of 'layers', and it would be in effect a 'frame', too. After that you don't need any more statement than a well crafted, probably witty, title that reinforces that notion (could that reference collage? scrapbooking? or some other popular domestic crafts ...) Then forget the rest of the wordage.