How to quilt a largish face?

[Betty J.]

Ok, I have nearly had a disaster on my Hoffman Challenge quilt. :cry: :shock:
I wrote a blog on this on my personal blog: http://blog.bjfabricartist.com/
I may have diverted the disaster, but after I corrected the color runs on the face by overpainting it, I decided it has to be fully quilted. I had hoped to only quilt lightly because she is a young woman and I don't really like quilting on young faces. But that won't work.

Hollis Chatelaine and Sharon Schamber do close contour line quilting. I kind of think that makes the faces look a little older, but it does kind of work. Our wonderful color teacher Michelle Jackson uses a tiny bubble fill on her faces, but I tried that on my practice face and it didn't look very good at all. Perhaps it was my quilting. So I guess I will go with the close-countour line quilting unless you wonderful people can think of another approach. Here's a pic of the face as it now looks:



I will quilt this tomorrow probably. I think I'll not put such a large young face on a quilt again unless I can come up with a good quilting method for them.0

[Renata L.]

BJ,
I don't know enough to offer you advice on quilting a face (or anything else, for that matter ). However, I found the web page of a fiber artist, Virginia Greaves, and she has a whole section on portraits. Perhaps, there you might find the solution to your challenge. Her URL is http://www.virginiagreaves.com/portraits/

I hope this helps--your quilt looks beautiful! As I looked closer at the face of the young woman... is that you, BJ?

[Margo C.]

BJ...zoom in on Pat's quilting here: community/

[Renata L.]

Margo, that is a beautiful quilt. I apologize, but who is Pat and where can I learn more? Thanks!

[Margo C.]

Sorry, Renata! I thought it would link to Pat's TQS profile. She is Pat Durbin and her quilts are FANTASTIC!!
community/my-profile/Patsquilts

And....her web site: http://www.patdurbin.com/

[Renata L.]

Thanks, Margo! I just went to her profile and IS her work FANTASTIC! What an artist!

[Renata L.]

BJ your lady is so lovely! I like it just the way it is, but that's just me.

I also love Marilyn Belford's fabric portrait work. Perhaps you can google her and see if she has a blog or website that might have some closeup photos.

Can't wait to see what you do with her!

[Betty J.]

Thanks everyone for your help. Margo, I love Pat's work and have followed her work for years now. She lives in the same area my brother (whose name is also Pat) lives. I have some good news though. This morning I took out my big steam iron and stretching to the quilt and managed to get the whole thing in a much better state. The face is fine the way it is again, and I think by the time I add beads on her neck, which I plan on using multiple strands of sewing pearls which I will stitch down adding quilting there, that will be all she needs. The face is still a little mottled so I may do a little more painting, but I may just leave well enough alone.

Renata, it's funny you should mention the resemblance (LOL)...No, it's not me, but I used a photograph of my paternal grandmother, Irene, who died before I was born as my inspiration for the face. Indeed, I plan on naming the quilt "Irene".

Thank the Lord and whoever made them and improved them, for really good steam irons. I have an old Rowenta that still works after five years or so. I hope it lasts a long time still.

Whew! What a scare.

[Betty J.]

PS. The one thing this did is bring to my attention really cool other quilt artists to look at. Thanks!

[Betty J.]

BJ your lady is so lovely! I like it just the way it is, but that's just me.

I also love Marilyn Belford's fabric portrait work. Perhaps you can google her and see if she has a blog or website that might have some closeup photos.

Can't wait to see what you do with her!

I just found her site: http://www.marilynbelford.com/content/gallery/ I love her quilts too, but I hadn't connected the quilts of hers I have seen to the maker. Thanks!

[Betty J.]

I love her face without quilting. I also love that it is one fabric. I don't like when they use several different ones on a face. I guess the effect when you are not close up is better as it gives it dimension and color. anyway......I like yours best. Great job.

[Betty J.]

Karen, Thank you! Love the feedback.

[Terry K.]

Betty Jo, I'm glad to read that the face is going to be fine without having to add quilting to it after all. WHEW....Big sigh of relief!!!!

[Terry K.]

if you are registered for sharon shcamber site, she has one of her last video, how to quilt a face.

[Terry K.]

Oh, Betty Jo what beautiful work, I too would be reluctant to stitch the face.It looks lovely as it is. Elaine