Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Recurring motifs 9 -- spirals

I'll wind up my reflections on the motifs that appeared over and over in my daily art project last year with the spiral, which has turned out to be probably the most important discovery of the year.

I hadn't realized that I loved spirals when I started my stitching project, although the first one showed up very early, on January 4.  This was not a motif that I had ever used much in my work, nor did it ever appear in my doodles.  If I had to make a free-association with spirals in fiber art, it would be to the quilts of Jane Lloyd or the hand-stitching of Judy Martin and Christine Mauersberger.

Jane Lloyd, Whirlpool

But guess what -- the spirals kept coming, in many different stitches.  Here's one from early in the year with an awkward curve.

The shapes improved with practice.  And I used several different stitches to make the spirals.

Finally near the end of the year I decided that my favorite was an interlocked running stitch, in which you start with one color, then go back and fill in the blank spaces with a second color.




6 comments:

  1. I should have a go with a beaded spiral.
    Sandy in the UK

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  2. I've always loved spirals and use and innie-outie spirals as a quilting motif quite often. I like your stitched ones.

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  3. I like the one second from the bottom with the french knots at the end.

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    1. Linda -- I like that one too. If I hadn't discovered it really late in the project -- December 29 -- I probably would have done that kind of motif again and again.

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  4. Very nice! Spirals are one of my recurring themes in my free motion quilting. Maybe I will give them a go in appliqué and embroidery too.

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  5. You've inspired me to try some spirals in my quilting designs. Lovely.

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