"The Gatehouse" Elizabeth Barton 2004 37.5"W x 24.5"L
This quilt was on Elizabeth's website and it 'spoke' to me loud and clear. The colors are so very appealing - red-orange, golden yellow, several greens and teal. And that wonderful slatted fence, which I think must be a silk screen as I have seen it in other quilts she has made.
She told me that it was a larger quilt that didn't work, so she trimmed huge strips off the sides - until it satisfied her. They also satisfied lucky me. Later, perhaps when I was in Georgia to take a class with her, she gave me one of the strips she cut off. When I show the quilt to a group I think it is educational to also show the 'discard'. We sometimes think that the entire quilt that we make must stay that way, however, I know of at least half a dozen quilt makers who have reduced the size of quilts, even after they are quilted. And in every case, I agree with the artist - a little judicious trimming has improved the quilt.
I have shown you three of Elizabeth's quilts from the Collection and there is one left that I will present some other week. I surely do covet several that are on her website, but in this down economy I just can't buy any of them. A sad situation.
Oh my--how gorgeous! I am totally in love with this piece. You are lucky, indeed!
ReplyDeleteAh, definitely now this is my favorite (I don't think I saw it before. I'm with Terry -- you are lucky indeed!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Very interesting to learn of the trimming too.
ReplyDeleteI love Elizabth's work and her intelligent, pithy blog and am looking forward to seeing her at QBL n July.
ReplyDeleteTrue, sometimes we just need to crop or cut and we have a better piece. It's scary,though.
R.