Tarts Progress Nearing Finish Line

I was out of the house almost all of last weekend, which is not my usual routine.  While I had fun, I was disappointed not to get to spend copious amounts of time working on my projects. Still, as I mentioned on Wednesday, I did fit in a bit of work around the edges on the Tarts.

Tarts, Pie with no stitching
Tarts, Pie with no stitching

I played around with different looks for the piece of pie. I drew one, first, that the viewer looked at straight at, e.g. the viewer did not see the top of the pie at all.  It didn’t really work for me. I didn’t like the look, so I reworked it so that the view had a more angled view.

I didn’t have a good pie crust color that I wanted to use (‘wanted to use’ being the critical phrase, here) The orange makes the viewer do a double take, IMO. I will do something, perhaps, with the quilting on the piece to tone down the orange a bit. The orange does blend in with the other orange fabrics in the whole piece.

Tarts, Pie with Stitching
Tarts, Pie with Stitching

After I place everything the way I want it on the background, I stitch it down. In the last few pieces I have also been topstitching in addition to the machine appliqued zigzag stitching. I don’t think you can see the topstitching in this picture, but people who are able to view the piece in person will be able to see it, I think.

I picked the background to make a triangle with other purple pieces at the top of the piece. I picked it after I picked the ‘filling’ fabric. I wonder if they don’t allow each other to shine? I think this particular block looks better as part of the whole than by itself.

I left a bit of the fabrics above and below showing so you can see how it fits in close up.

Tarts, June 14, 2009, with Pie
Tarts, June 14, 2009, with Pie

Here is the whole current piece. I kind of miss that big white rectangle at the bottom and am having trouble assimilating the pie. I think I will manage to get used to it. I can’t imagine a big white rectangle in the piece would be a great design decision.

Am going to try to get to some studies for the silverware next to the red cups. I am also thinking I will add a few more black and white squares to the checkerboard on top of the frothy drink.

Author: Jaye

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.

6 thoughts on “Tarts Progress Nearing Finish Line”

  1. You are more of a trained artist than I am I think. You’ve taken classes or studied art perhaps? So I am only asking these questions in order to understand as I have not taken any art classes or quilting classes for that matter. 🙂

    1. Why did you choose to have the purple background and the pie’s innerds almost the same shade? (btw, I like the orange crust very much!)

    2. On three of big corner pots, are you going to embellish them with perhaps something like thread painting?

    3. Have you considered adding cookies or scones? I noticed that you have in a row, cream and sugar, then two cups, then a cupcake with another cup.

    I hate to say things about someone else’s work but I really am curious as to the “why” in your projects. This is such a happy quilt in process. I love the colors and have really enjoyed watching the progress.

  2. Sherri: I took several art classes in college, though I wasn’t an art major. Some art history and 3-4 studio art classes. I would call it more informing than training. I also read a lot, generally, about art and design and different artists ideas on those subjects.

    1. I am really struggling with the limited colors in the color wheel for backgrounds in this quilt. There seem to be a lot of factors rumbling around in my head about this quilt. I decided on the purple for the inside of the pie because I thought it looked like blueberries. I know it is hard to believe, but completely separate from that decision I decided on the purple for the background, because of the triangle it made with the other backgrounds/large pieces of purple. Not the best decisions, I think, but I decided to try it out and see if I hated it or my loyal readers hated it.
    2. The piecing and machine applique’ are only the first step. There is lots of steam to be added via transparent fabrics or thread or beads. One step at a time.
    3. Yes, cookies and scones have been considered, but because of their shapes, they don’t make good candidates for standing out and people knowing what they are. I also don’t want to introduce a lot more whites and beiges to the piece.

    All – and I do mean ALL – comments are welcome. I respond better to criticism when it is delivered in a positive way.

    Thanks for taking the time, Sherri!!!

  3. I agree, the pie is most definitely blueberry! I saw that, right off.

    I figured you were going to embellish those big areas when you were done with the piecing too…glad you affirmed that. 😀

    I have not read art books as I am not disciplined enough to read non-fiction these days. My brain won’t slow down enough to absorb what the words are saying to me. And the only art ‘training’ I have had was one year of high school art class…about forty years ago???!!!! (gads I am getting old) lol

    This is why I like the creative prompts so much. They are forcing me to get back to my artistic roots and reconnecting those brain cells that used to create so much art when I was younger!

    Thanks for explaining your choices Jaye!

Comments are closed.