I started out with a different, but simliar iteration of this quilt when we first got the word “rhythm”. I knew I wanted to convey all the rhythms in the world – music and drums and dance and movement and the pull of gravity, tides in the sea… so I initially sketched out three panels encompassing these ideas and excitedly went about making them.

I started with the same woman I have depicted here, only in purples and golds on iridsescent blacks dotted with “stars”, and I was pleased; but then stumbled upon how to incoporate these three disparate panels together.

I fussed about it for weeks, and then finally decided to start with the  ”earth in rhythm” panel – it was initially much bigger than this smaller earth in the final product, and as you can see, for some reason I felt the earth’s rhythm had to be depicted in firey oranges and bright and calming blues.

And then, as I was constructing my large, rhythmic earth,  I had my “aha” moment. My dancer was drawing energy from the earth itself.

And so I had my ” rhythm”. Which I call “Double Helix on the Downbeat”.

–noun
1. the act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
2. an image; representation; counterpart.
3. a fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration.
4. a thought occurring in consideration or meditation.
5. an unfavorable remark or observation.
6. the casting of some imputation or reproach.
7. Physics, Optics .
a.the return of light, heat, sound, etc., after striking a surface.
b.something so reflected, as heat or esp. light.
8. Mathematics .
a.(in a plane) the replacement of each point on one side of a line by the point symmetrically placed on the other side of the line.
b. (in space) the replacement of each point on one side of a plane by the symmetric point on the other side of the plane.
9. Anatomy . the bending or folding back of a part upon itself.

Remember:

While you work on your challenge quilt you’re free to blog about it on your own blog or talk about it in the forums. Post sneak peeks and give us some insight into your creative process. If you would like to be able to post to this blog just email me at sue@threecreativestudios.com to let me know.

Post a photo of your finished quilt along with a description in the forums or here on the official Quilt Challenge blog anytime during the reveal week of 8/25/10 – 8/31/10.

All the details on this challenge can be found here.  Questions? Just email Sue at sue@threecreativestudios.com

Have fun with this challenge!

This quilt is the second in a series celebrating my favorite places here in the mountains of NC. It’s a small stream that I visit often, and I never tire of the rhythm of it’s sparkling waters. I can spend a whole day doing nothing but sitting here and daydreaming and never think that I have wasted a moment!

Can’t believe I made the deadline on this one! Finished it late yesterday, photographed it in the bad light of an approaching thunderstorm and had to hurriedly post it to the forum before I had to unplug my computer! Whew!!! Today there are no storms, so here ’tis.

12x 21 – commercial batiks, raw edge pieced, free-motion and hand embroidered, beaded … and I don’t know what the heck you call that mess in the corners that represents plant life! Just a bunch of tiny scraps and fibers sewn together on water-soluable Solvy.

]]> http://threecreativestudios.com/quiltblog/2010/06/28/rhythm-it-is-all-music-to-me/feed/ 3 http://threecreativestudios.com/quiltblog/2010/06/28/waves-constant-rhythm/ http://threecreativestudios.com/quiltblog/2010/06/28/waves-constant-rhythm/#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:49:34 +0000 justinehennessy http://threecreativestudios.com/quiltblog/?p=529 Last week I was stuck but the good thing about deadlines is a project gets done for better or worse! See my blog for details. Justine

Here is my challenge piece on rhythm. I had no idea what I would do for this word until I picked up a piece a fabric on a trip and my son-in-law said it reminded him of dragon flies. Opportunity! The beat of their wings is impressive – - and definitely rhythmical. The quilt itself gave me the opportunity to explore working with transparency and a 3D aspect.

Blogged here .

Finished! After several sketches I chose one to create an appliqued quilt. I used a blanket stitch around all the pieces and then filled in all the orange and yellow with free motion quilting. It’s not visible in the photo but I did some free motion random circles along the long borders and vertical quilting on the ends. Measures about 24″ by 17″. Thanks for another fun challenge!