drunkard's path - QuiltCon 2019, Part 2

The Drunkard’s Path is a traditional quilt block with a long, if debated, history. Our knowledge of the history of any particular quilting block or motif is primarily dependent upon oral tradition, and it often reaches far beyond the expected domestic sphere in which we might couch our expectations. This block is a great example of this. 

According to some sources (links below), the Drunkard’s Path may link to shapes found in ancient Egypt and Rome. In fact, it is also known as Solomon’s Puzzle. Some oral traditions suggest a link to Underground Railroad directions. But the history that links directly to its name is the Women’s Temperance Movement and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (founded in the mid-1870s). Although the block, in its simplest form, may consist of a circle within a square, when the cut pieces are separated and shifted, they can create the crooked line of a “drunkard’s path.”

I found the Drunkard’s Path reinterpreted in so many of the quilts at QuiltCon. Now, over 6 years sober, I found this personally intriguing (synchronicity?), but also fascinating to see how a very simple design can be re-envisioned by each artist. Here are two new selections and two repeats from part 1.

The Modern Drunk, Jodi Robinson, @jodidesigns (Pennsylvania, USA). Best Machine Quilting (Framed, Needle Moves). “This is my modern interpretation of using the very traditional Drunkard’s Path block. I love to create very graphic large-scale quilts, and then add machine quilting that enhances the quilt design without overpowering it. My goal with the quilting was to add the illusion of movement, the illusion that the shapes are expanding out from the center of the quilt.”

(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame – the needle moved over the stationary quilt, such as a long-arm machine)

Modern Times, Jenny Haynes (Sheffield, UK). Modern Traditionalism. “The cogs, stems or caterpillar wheels turn this way and that in this indescribable creation that grew from play with the two classic blocks, the New York Beauty and the Drunkard’s Path. When Making comes from play and pure joy, the subject can be hard to pin down. What do you see?”

Quilted by Joë Bennison.
(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame – the needle moved over the stationary quilt)

Refraction (please see Part 1)

Single Helix (please see Part 1)

Sources: 

America’s Quilting History: The Power of Women’s Temperance Movement Quilts

A History of the Drunkard’s Path Quilt Patterns (Accuquilt)

Solomon’s Puzzle Bible Quilt Block Pattern

Drunkard’s Path (Quilter’s Cache). An example of how the quilt block can pieced for the traditional crooked path.

line and texture - QuiltCon 2019, Part 1

My best friend quilts (she also sews other things, dyes yarn, spins yarn, knits, and lots of other beautiful things). I do not sew, and certainly don’t quilt. But I grew up with a true appreciation for handmade quilts created by my grandmother. I've loved them all my life. So, I was happy to tag along when my friend headed to Nashville, TN this past weekend for the annual QuiltCon in the downtown Music City Center. The event was presented by the Modern Quilt Guild (MQG). Hundreds of quilts on display had been juried and judged in specific categories, plus many others selected for display as part of the Charity Quilt Challenge.

I expected beautiful quilts. I was aware of and fascinated by the storytelling traditions in quilting and the personally artistic nature of creating quilts. What I underestimated was the impact of reading the stories in conjunction with viewing the quilts. (Detailed information sheets were posted beside each quilt.) I experienced chills in more than one instance. I was also not prepared to see the fantastic modern interpretations of this traditionally domestic art form. This experience was akin to visiting a modern art museum.

The conference's website confirmed that photographs of the quilts were allowed. (QuiltCon 2019 Pricing, Policies & Rules) These are certainly not the best "photographic" images, but I hope they convey the skill, texture, and beauty of the quilts. I'm getting to know my new camera, and a giant conference hall doesn't have the best lighting to make it any easier to produce good photographs. 

Multiple posts will show quilts as I have personally grouped them. As a non-quilter with only bare bones art and textile knowledge, my groupings may certainly be based more upon personal connections or external connections (regional, topical, etc.). The captions, on the other hand, share details from the information sheets that accompanied each quilt, which include the collection in which the conference organizers placed the piece. It is most definitely worth reading these for the quilter(s)'s stories of their process or inspiration.

In this post, I have selected pieces that satisfied my love for quilted lines. Especially combinations of straight, crooked, or curved; stitches doing geometric gymnastics; repetition; converging and diverging rays; swirls confronting straight edges. These are not lines drawn on paper, though. There is texture created with each stitch, each time a needle pulls thread through layers of fabric, but some of these have taken texture further. Oh, how I wanted to touch these quilts.

Super Donut, Stephanie Skardal, @stephskardal (North Carolina, USA). American Patchwork & QuiltingTwo-Color Quilt Challenge.  "This original design was inspired by my personal challenge of creating curves from my typical linear, geometric aesthetic. A graphic two-color palette bring focus to the piecing, and domestic machine quilting continues the theme of using lines to add curved quilty texture. A bright, coral, solid back (two tones) compliments the aqua. This quilt was designed in Photoshop, cut and pieced based on a paper template, and machine quilted with a walking foot." 

(Techniques: hand appliquéd, machine pieced, machine quilted without a frame - the quilt moved under the stationary needle)

Klem, Daisy Aschehoug, @warmfolk (Nesodden, Norway). American Patchwork & QuiltingTwo-Color Quilt Challenge. "There's no specific intent behind the shapes in this design. I experimented with the placement of lines and curves until I found something that seemed balanced enough to feel good but just enough "off" to be interesting. I'm drawn to patterns that are just shy of being completely consistent, and in this particular piece, I enjoyed the small bit of chaos in the relationship between the background and the foreground." 

(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame - the needle moved over the stationary quilt, such as a long-arm machine) 

Note: "Klem" is Norwegian for "hug"!

Number 21, Miguel Huidor, @mh_x_q (California, USA). Appliqué. "This quilt plays with the tension of precision and rawness. I began with the precision of printed and yarn dye stripes and contrasted it with the rawness of frayed layered cut fabrics. The base of the quilt cover is made of two different striped fabrics improv pieced together. I then quilted all the layers together. Then I machine appliquéd the strips of 3 different stripes to create new geometry and patterns. This quilt is about the process of layering and creating new patterns." 

(Techniques: machine pieced, machine appliquéd, improvisational piecing)

Refraction, Megan M. Ellinger (Tennessee, USA). American Patchwork & QuiltingTwo-Color Quilt Challenge. "Inspired by the traditional Drunkard's Path block. I chose to play with scale and secondary designs to create this two-color quilt. The shapes are emphasized by the quilting lines which travel from some shapes into others, changing density as they bend." 

(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame - the needled moved over the stationary quilt)

Give and Take, Kari Vojtechovsky, @quiltsforthemaking (Colorado, USA). Minimalist. "I mimicked my Robbing Peter to Pay Paul design, but streamlined to one large block. The curves broke up the right angles of that quilt, so I chose to incorporate circles into this quilt. The quilting was designed to enhance the minimalism of the piece. Christine Perrigo and I worked together to create this design and she did all the quilting. The quilted feathers are a nod to traditional quilting and an unexpected addition to the otherwise linear quilting. The quilt may be minimalist, but has its own quirky personality." Quilted by Christine Perrigo. 

(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame - the needled moved over the stationary quilt)

Splat, Billi Rakov, @BilliRakov (California, USA). Minimalist. "This quilt is inspired by the back of a chair's ornamental middle rung and splattering of paint. The colors are meant to be seen as only as a few colors from afar but a variety up closes. The middle section has narrow piecing that is not quilted. The front quilting starts at the edges as orange thread and changes to pink and yellow towards the middle. The back quilting thread is white with a middle section of light green. This blends optically into the light pink metallic linen. A handquilted turquoise thread is included as a bold accent." 

(Techniques: hand quilted, machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame - the needle moved over the stationary quilt)

Walking Hand, Sheryl Sheppard, @itsSewScottsdale (Arizona, USA). Handwork. "A three dimensional take on the Tumbling Block featuring a hand quilting method I call "Walking Hand" which resembles the walking foot machine quilting method modern quilters have become known for. Directional hand quilting spaced 3/8" apart enhances the 3D effect of the blocks. The background is hand stitched at 1/2" intervals with glow in the dark thread that illuminates the center blocks. There are approximately 10,700 inches of running stitches."
(Techniques: hand quilted, machine pieced, paper pieced, foundation paper piece design using EQ8)

Single Helix, Julie Doy, @birdiken. Small Quilts. “Single Helix started as an experiment in half circles, bias applique, and walking foot quilting. I was interested in the Drunkard’s Path type designs used by @pappersaxton and Jacquie Gering’s walking foot designs in ‘Walk’ along with the use of solid fabrics.” 

(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted without a frame – the quilt moved under the stationary needle, bias applique)

Mayan Sun, Stephanie Ruyle, @spontaneousthreads (Colorado, USA). Small Quilts. "Mayan Sun is a study in bold shape defined by curves and details. Purposely working in a restricted color palette makes the details more evident. The use of complimentary thread for the quilting allows the hand embellished details  in the quilt and in the binding to make a bold, yet complimentary impact. The binding is a coequal design element and completes the overall composition instead of just framing it."
(Techniques: hand quilted, hand embroidered, machine pieced, machine quilted without a frame - the quilt moved under the stationary needle, piecing, free hand drawn curves and circles)

Louver, Jayne Willis, @twiggyandopal (Tennessee, USA). "Texture and illusion are a big part of this quilt. I used my "Textured Twist" technique to create a visual sunset called 'Louver'. It reminds me of the slats of a venetian blind. By changing the angle of the slats it changes the amount of light that gets in. The design changes depending on the angle you are looking from, creating an intriguing illusion. The unique texture created from the twists makes you want to reach out and run your hand across it!"
(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted without a frame - the quilt moved under the stationary needle)

Ctrl Alt Delete, Dena Mehling, @chuckstar158 (Colorado, USA). Modern Traditionalism. "I love trying to create the illusion of depth and tessellation using fabric. Inspired by traditional log cabin block construction, I sketched a triangle shaped block and shades of colors to give direction to the light source and resulting shadow effect. I chose three tessellations to stand out and give you a place to rest, restart, and ground the image. Christine's quilting highlights the shapes of the "stars" and treats the orange stars individually."
Quilted by Christine Perrigo.
(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame - the needle moved over the stationary quilt, paper pieced, hand bound)

Prickly Path, Sarah Sharp, @nohatsquilts (Indiana, USA). Modern Traditionalism. "It was on one of my family's annual treks out east that I discovered Grandma's Fan--a block that, although unassuming at first glance, turns into something spectacular when repeated on point and evidently, with the addition of some spikes!"
Quilted by Angela Walters.
(Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilting on a frame - the needle moved over the stationary quilt, paper pieced)

again. this time with feeling.

I'm learning. I need to learn lots more. Example: remember to bring flashlight and head lamp when trekking out this late in the evening.

Near Black Balsam Knob, on the Art Loeb Spur Trail, Pisgah National Park

Black Balsam Knob summit, Pisgah National Forest

Black Balsam Knob, Pisgah National Park

Black Balsam Knob, Pisgah National Park

Black Balsam Knob, Pisgah National Forest

Black Balsam Knob, Pisgah National Park

found shots

Outside Bocelli's in Waynesille, NC.

Jellyfish sculpture, outside Suntrust Bank, Main St., Waynesville, NC (July 2011)

Fog on our mountainside (March 2011)

Halloween, Fletcher, NC

Home (March 2010)

Prayers, Strasbourg Cathedral, Strasbourg, France (August 2010) 

Strasbourg Cathedral, Strasbourg, France (August 2010)

Home, Waynesville, NC (July 2011)

Tunnel spider, home, Waynesville, NC (2011)

Detail of portrait hanging in stairwell of Walton Hotel of Carthage, TN (October 2011)

Reflections, entrance hall of Walton Hotel, Carthage, TN (October 2011)

Cincinnati, OH (August 2011)

Historic Wegman Company building, Cincinnati, OH (August 2011)

Adobe Kuler

Every now and then FaceBook will turn up something amazingly useful or meaningful. I spend far more of my time on Ravelry and Goodreads, so I'm always surprised when I find myself on FB for any amount of time, except to post family pictures or share a new blog post. Tonight I discovered Adobe Kuler, which can create color themes based on your uploaded pictures according to a chosen "color rule": analogous, monochromatic, triad, complementary, compound, shades, or custom. You can upload an image and play, but you can't save it without creating a free account, which is quick and easy. Just use your normal "My Adobe ID" if you already have one. I experimented with the analogous setting using this picture of seagulls from our trip to the beach:

Kuler did it's thing automatically (instead of the user selecting the color samples from the image by hand) and gave me this link to the resulting color swatches (similar to those in my earlier post that I created using PicMonkey): https://kuler.adobe.com/seagulls01-color-theme-3824653/

It doesn't give you an easy way to save the color scheme as swatches, but I just took a screenshot, pasted it into IrfanView 4.25 (my fav go-to simple image editor), and cropped out the swatches:

(Analogous color scheme generated automatically by Adobe Kuler)

The program shows where the colors were pulled from the image. That beautiful blue came from the tail of the gull in flight.

I uploaded the same image of the ocean and gulls that I played with in the earlier post:

Adobe Kuler provided these analogous color swatches (https://kuler.adobe.com/beach_color_palatte-color-theme-3824680/):

(Analogous color scheme generated automatically by Adobe Kuler)

This time I cropped the screenshot just using Mac's Finder toolbar options (I moved to another laptop).

I know this is still the tip of the color iceberg, but I'm intrigued with all of these techie tools! Does anyone else use anything like this? And how do you use them?