Saturday, February 1, 2014

Urban Crosses: Four-in-Art Art Quilt #2


The topic for the second entry in the Four-in-Art Challenge is Structure. There are eight quilters in this group and we each have made a 12 inch mini art quilt around this theme. The overall yearly theme is Urban. Here is my entry...
Since I always enjoy spotting steeples and church crosses in every town and city that I visit, they seemed the perfect choice to depict in art quilt form. Living in Kansas City, we have a particularly unusual steeple of light coming from the top of the Community Christian Church on the Country Club Plaza. Outside the church, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, stands a wonderful cross monument. (The photo below is taken from tourist information published by the city.) 
I've decided that I would like to try to have all four of the quilts that I'll be making for this challenge blend together as a set. With that constant in mind, many of the fabrics that were used to make Urban Crosses are repeats from my first entry, Flying South, which was a depiction of the word Maps.
Wanting to somehow represent light, I landed on using the Drunkard's Path block to simulate the spotlights coming from the top the church. The map-like fabric in several of the blocks references city streets.
My quilting lines radiate from one spot, again, to imitate the light coming off the church. I chose to only make 3 crosses to represent the beautiful monument in the photo above. 
I found this cute city streets fabric in my stash to use for the back of the quilt with the map-like fabric as binding.
The dark grey strip in the center might represent a street. I'm so clever!
Piecing the quilt was an enjoyable experience once I finally decided on a theme. The one darker peach piece is a bit out of place maybe, but I've decided that it reminds me of a sunset or the Holy Spirit with the placement above the center cross.
It was a stormy day when I stopped outside the church and snapped this picture of the crosses. The steeple light is visible only at night, of course.  The cross symbol is an important one in my life as well as to many living in urban and rural settings everywhere.
I'm glad for the challenge of making the symbol into a quilt!
Take a look at the other seven Urban Structures entries here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2044432@N25/
You also might like to visit each participant's blog site to learn more details of how each was made. Grab a cup of tea and join me!



22 comments:

  1. Beautiful Carla!!! The selection of your structure and then the fabrics and colors are all so right on. I happen to like the darker orange piece. Because of it's placement it reminds me of a flame coming off the cross. The Holy Spirit at work in your work I'd say. Well done.

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  2. Very interesting to see your process and results on these. I immediately "saw" the darker piece as a "flame" (of the Spirit) atop the crosses :)

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  3. I love the quilting and I get the "feeling" of light shining on down. Beautiful. I love that you incorporated fabrics from the first challenge too. I love the stormy inspiration picture too! That backing fabric was a really fun choice. Well done!

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  4. Oh Carla! This is amazing! There is so much to look at in your Structures quilt, and therefore so much to consider and ponder.... I agree with the others about that one piece of orange fabric- the light of the Spirit! You nailed this theme!

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  5. This is amazing. I do love how you interpreted this sculpture. Great color choices.

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  6. I've come to your blog last, tonight, after a long day of looking at light (in a James Turrell exhibit in LA) and how he talked about the light as being a force, tangible. I feel that way when I see your quilt--light and lit from within in the color used, and representative of light and of Spirit and of faith. As others have noted, this is amazing, and I read your blog twice, soaking it all in.

    I'm so glad you included photos of your inspiration, but really, your quilt stands by itself in its interpretation--stunning. Thank you for such a lovely art quilt, and thanks for being a part of Four-in-Art!

    Elizabeth
    opquilt.com

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  7. Well it's a bit hard to follow Elizabeth's eloquent comment, but I think you executed this beautifully. You are certainly sewing outside the box ; )

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  8. A great interpretation and I love the final quilt. Very impressive. Xo

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  9. I think you've outdone yourself with this wonderful art quilt! You had me hooked with "...Frank Lloyd Wright..." and certainly he would have admired your interpretation. I love the pattern you followed (Drunkard's Path), that you are tying all 4 art quilts together by way of the fabric, how the quilting truly mimics rays of light. The actual piece - your inspiration - is complicated, but your interpretation is just perfect!

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  10. Your quilt is wonderful! I love the elements and the proportions and the unexpected colours. It is a lovely interpretation of your structure, which is so interesting. I love the crosses sculpture too, and how you allude to it in your quilt.

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  11. I'm teaching myself to quilt & would love it if you could do a tutorial on this block (non PP) I plan on doing a Christian Quilt for my daughter (they are in Bulgaria doing Missionary work) all the blocks will be of a Christian theme. I understand if you can't. BTW beautiful block!

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  12. This a stand-out piece. I knew immediately, upon seeing the photo, my interpretation. I saw the darker peach piece and thought of the flame on the Methodist church sign in town--the Holy Spirit. I saw the three crosses and thought of Mt. Calvary. Your description gave me the inspiration behind your quilt. And each time I look at it, I see something more. A wonderful quilt.

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  13. This is a fantastic mini-quilt! All four of your challenge quilts will look great displayed together. I really love your use of color as symbolism here. It's just marvelous. Congratulations :)

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  14. Quite a wonderful inspiration, I'd say, and such a great interpretation. It's really special that you chose crosses, and your fabric selections are spot-on - especially that bit of the Holy Spirit. How clever to think to keep all the challenge pieces in the same color family. They'll make such a statement when they're hung together. You've done a smashing job of this one, and really did a good job of stepping out to do improv! I'm impressed with your efforts. Oh, and you're in such good company with this challenge! Lots of talent there! Continue to have fun with it.

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  15. I think this little quilt is just beautiful. I love the subject structure and how you were able to pare it down to the three crosses, but still convey the feeling of the original. The improv of the piece is great, something I am not good at at all! I also like that you tied the fabric to the previous piece. .

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  16. Your many talents always wow me. Love that you included the crosses.

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  17. This is just wonderful, Carla!

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  18. You did a beautiful job Carla!

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  19. I so enjoyed the tour of Kansas City that you took me on. Such a beautiful city. And this is a lovely quilt representing that that beautiful steeple.

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  20. I love your work - just beautiful! You and Quilt Improv have inired me!
    Hugs - Lurline

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  21. Really like this quilt. Your skills are terrific.

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