The first assignment for my Media Intervention printmaking class was about Identity, and we had to either create three different pieces by printing the same image and alter it, or print the same image and alter it three different ways.
As usual I made things more complicated for myself than they really needed to be and decided I would make a quilt out of three printed pattern elements that I felt represented significant parts of myself.
I made a paper model of the block I wanted to use first, something that definitely helped me make some decisions. For some reason I’m shocked every time I make a quilt how small the pieces end up after they’re all cut and sewn so many times, so I decided to double the size of everything so the finished blocks would end up being 18″ rather than 9″.
I silkscreened my images onto 10″ squares of cotton fabric (except for the blue, I wasn’t paying enough attention and bought a cotton-poly blend on accident.) After printing, I cut them down to the sizes they needed to be for the pattern I was using – all sizes between 7″ and 9 /4″.
Then I went to work sewing them together.
One of my favorite in-progress half square triangle units.
I still have to put the layers of the blanket together and do the actual quilting part, but the quilt top is finished.
(And will fit quite nicely on my bed when it is finished)
meganelizabeth 
I’ve told you this in person before but I’m extremely impressed by your abilities with textiles and sewing as well as your use of color and pattern. I’m curious to see the different ways that you integrate this into your thesis work in ceramics. I’ve also read your post on the Peter Pincus tests and I would love to see some more in-depth explanation of that process because your results look wonderful. I can’ help but remember how hard Shannon worked on her ceramic “quilt” during her Thesis I semester and I think its fascinating how you are working in such a similar yet completely different way.
Yup. It is a challenge to combine the processes both in methodology and in the way pattern is generated, because the ceramic process makes patterns so differently. Are we making a spirograph slip-trailing device or what?
I’m working on it, that’s part of why I want to make a bigger version of the spirograph.
One of the biggest problems I have with envisioning a way to work with the spirograph patterns is that it only even works on a flat surface, so I’ve actually been thinking transfer methods would be more effective.
I like your patterns, particularly your spirograph patterns. since it is based on mathematical principle, I think you could use 3d rendering software to create a volumetric form in the way pattern is generated. By manipulating the directions(x,y,z values) of the lines, you might be able to create multiple layers of different patterns in 3 dimensional space then generate the surface from it. It sounds so complicated and I am not sure how it will be like, and also I really like the linear quality of the patterns you drew on the paper. but i hope this helps 🙂
wow! that quilt top is epic, such a beautiful way to incorporate your own patterns into a functional and traditional form of art.
Yup, never had a problem with work ethic.The craftsmanship looks spot on.
My reservation and criticism centers on the dream catcher motif. Remimds me of all the chincy “Indian” stuff made in China that my father gets in the mail for free because he made a donation once. Maybe there was something in the assignment that I am not realizing that warrants the use of an overly commercialized symbol or something. Sorry it irks me so bad!
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No I’m with you on the dream catcher, I wasn’t happy with how cliche it wound up either… It started from a drawing that I simplified a lot so the line quality would be the same as the other images and it unfortunately came down to just not having time to rework it anymore.