Dawn to Dusk Panels - Journal Entry #1

Three Panels - 45 by 65 inches

The Inspiration Story:

The newest textile is about the light seen at dusk and at dawn of the day. The inspiration for the creation was SAQA’s announced call for entry, Dusk to Dawn. The panels came together quickly and easily, as if they were made to go together. The combination of the hand dyed whole cloth panels remind me of the light at the beginning of the day and the tonal hues seen at the end of a day. As a photographer, I am aware of the transforming effect of light at different times of day.  Dawn and dusk are magical times of the day. Each panel was made at different times employing two different processes of textile dying.

I plan to document the making of the piece from piecing to finish.  The idea started in a small group discussion with friends, other creative souls, that meet periodically.  Not knowing how I wanted to stitch, I engaged the assistance of these friends.  They are my go to girls when I am stuck.  We were discussing ways to quilt the panel piece and one of them recommended documenting the progression of the work.  By blogging I will record the details of the making. This a good discipline for me and a way to journal the layers through time by documenting my processes.

Construction Notes:

The piece is 65 inches wide by 45 inches long.  It is constructed using three hand dyed cotton fabrics.  The center panel was folded, clipped with surgical clamps, and then ice dyed.  The outer panels were dyed using soy wax as a resist with letters added with a thermofax screen and textile paint.

After the panels were sewn together, the first level of basting, 505 spray and fix, was applied to the fabric.  An iron set at high stabilized the panels to the wool batting.  Then the panels were machine basted with a home Juki sewing machine. Stitch length was set at 6 and sewn at six inch intervals.  One good tip Cory, a professional long arm quilter and friend, recommended was to stitch in the ditch between the panels.  This added stitch will keep the line between the panels straight as quilting is added. The panels are securely attached to the batting and ready for the next layer, hand stitching.