Viewpoints 9 (Cycle 3) Challenge 3

Title of work: Contagious

Theme: Unconventional Materials

My Feedback: Accepting Changes

I love Betty’s suggestion of using unconventional materials. It’s something I'm always trying to do, but I didn’t have enough courage to take the challenge. I look forward to taking this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone.

©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Toru Kogure

Stomacher, 1760s - bouillonné silk satin, chenille threads

I am skilled in creating with commercial cottons. I like the patterns and colors on them, and I love to make them become lovely works by sewing.

©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Toru Kogure

Round gown - taffeta, sequins, tassel ornamentation

During my stay in Portland for SAQA conference this year, I visited a museum. There was an exhibition about costume of the 18th and 19th century. The materials and techniques caught my eye. I look forward to changing my use of materials in this challenge.

©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Toru Kogure

Petticoat, early 18th century - silk taffeta ribbons, silk satin

Artist Statement:

My imagination goes wild. I draw the flowers freely to depict the impressive natural movement and texture. I challenge myself to create a contagious piece of work with simple color blocks.

Making this quilt is like sketching. I use fabrics dyed with acrylic paints to piece the color blocks, making it looks like a piece of drawing. With a sense of retro, I use needle and thread as painting brushes to test the energy of hand drawing and explore the joy of spontaneous creativity.

I love handwriting. I think handwriting is an emotion, an image and a sense of healing. Therefore, I do handwriting and sketching everyday, it’s just like the habit of having a cup of coffee every morning. The stories written in the notebooks are very important. To me, the texture transformed by the strokes and lines of words are truly valuable. Different strokes have diverse feelings. Naturally they become beautiful rhythm and cadence, and dance lively on the paper to evoke creative inspiration.

In this challenge, we are asked to use unconventional materials. To me, commercial cotton is indispensable for creating. I rarely use dyed fabrics in my previous works. This is my first time using dyed fabric exclusively in a quilt. It is a pleasure sewing the flower. Just like sketching happily on the paper, it gives me a non-stop contagious power. For a moment I thought I was a painter. Thank you, Betty, for the challenge!

Materials: fabric dyed with acrylic paints, woolen yarn

Techniques: hand pieced, hand appliqué, hand embroidered, three-layered hand quilted

Size: 24” W x 40” H

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