Friday, February 27, 2015

DECONSTRUCTED SCREEN PRINTED PINE NEEDLES

Our Fiber Junkies group loves to create deconstructed screen printed fabrics.  A whole pile of them in my stash is a testiment to our love of this technique.
The screens dictate the finished size of the piece (unless one overlaps when printing). Using 1 large and 1 small pine needle sprig, placed over a piece of corrigated cardboard, my screen yielded 8 prints.  Usually the first one or two pulls through the prepared screen are not that great, then comes several good ones, and finally as the dye peeters out....the remaining are of less quality.  Deconstruced screen printing does NOT acheive clear images....rather, the beauty of this method is the blurred interesting images that result.
It's not unusal for me to have a difficult time working them.  For one thing, the images generally have so much energy.  Additionally, there are often so few of one design/colorway etc. In this case, with 8 options and a fairly recognizable design, I opted to use 6, splitting each 'block' and assembling again with other fabrics.
Here's the result.....my idea to eliminate the center (white) sashing may or may not have been wise.  Perhaps it is fine either way.....though the goal was to create a piece that wasn't set in quite such a traditional manner.  So stitching the two blocks vertically, w/o a sashing seemed to add more interest.  

The next design hurtle will be figuring out the finishing details.  For you FMQ's.....it'd be a no brainer.....but that's not a skill I have or I guess care enough about to do the work (and I know it's work) to acquire it!  The finished piece will be posted....sigh....when the work is complete.

Follow these links to see what creative projects others have worked on this week:  Whoop, Whoop Fridays, Nina-Marie's Off The Wall Friday, Crazy Mom Quilts, Richard & Tanya Quilts


12 comments:

Kathy said...

What a great way to use those blocks. Really like the block design and you are correct-the extra white sashing was not necessary. FMQ is where I would start, then hand stitch and beads. I'm sure YOUR solution will be elegant because you take the time to think things through! This one will be an exceptionally lovely piece!

Kathy said...

What a great way to use those blocks. Really like the block design and you are correct-the extra white sashing was not necessary. FMQ is where I would start, then hand stitch and beads. I'm sure YOUR solution will be elegant because you take the time to think things through! This one will be an exceptionally lovely piece!

Quilting Stories said...

Your creations are so pretty and original!

Nancy said...

These look really great. And I LOVE what corrugated carboard does in fabric prints of any kind. And in journals. I look forward to seeing how you finish.

Shannon said...

This is fabulous! I love the bold geometric piecing paired with the softness of the prints. And I think you definitely made the right call leaving out the center sashing. I think it would look to block-block-block-block with a center sashing and it looks great as is!

Linda M said...

Great prints! The pine needles worked really well, I'll have to remember that - there's a pine tree next door.I also like the way you are putting them together.

Norma Schlager said...

This is a winner! Love those touches of green and the pieced strips. Your prints are wonderful.

LA Paylor said...

I have been playing with pine needles too. I wish I was in your group! LeeAnna at not afraid of color

Lynette said...

This is so cool!! I've never tried screen printing, so I don't know what the whole process is like - but wow, what fun results. And you processed the prints in such a neat way. I really like the absence of sashing between the verticals. Nice effect there. And the prints are so dynamic in such a fun setting, that you don't fancy-wancy FMQ work!

Gwyned Trefethen said...

Don't know how you do it time after time, Mary, but I stare at your work in awe with its complex simplicity. Your instinct with beads and embellishments is so strong, why not go in that direction?

Susan said...

I just absolutely love everything about this. The prints, the way you've pieced them, the layout, everything!

Patsy said...

This really came out beautifully, Mary!