COMPOSITIONAL EXERCISES
• Length: 5 days
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Prerequisite: Must be a good machine-piecer and skilled at cutting improvisationally.
• Sewing machine used
Please Note: The design exercises are new to this class.
DESCRIPTION
Students will begin by developing CONFIGURATIONS. A CONFIGURATION is defined as an arrangement of connected lines and shapes that create a figure on a ground. Students will develop their configurations by first cutting the parts out, using only solid black & solid white fabric, and then pinning these parts to their work wall. Next they will learn the mechanics of engineering the sewing together of this type of pieced construction. These CONFIGURATIONS will be used in assigned compositional exercises.
The FOCUS of this class will be on creating strong compositions, intuitively and improvisationally, and to push one’s imagination into being more playful and flexible. Students will learn to work effectively from instincts as they make use of LINE, SHAPE, FIGURES,CONFIGURATIONS. Figure/ground composition, value and color usage will be emphasized at all times. It will be valuable and important that students come to class prepared with a sophisticated range of shades and values in solids (commercial or hand-dyed) in as many color families as possible. It is important that the range of values includes very light colors, medium lights, mediums, medium darks, and darks.
***Bring BOTH the GLOWING and the FLAT versions of as many of these colors as possible. All parts of each composition will be pinned to wall as it progresses so students must bring at least 2 boxes of good quality short, fine Clover ball-head pins.
This class requires very individual thinking and total concentration, and is meant to be challenging! The method of working will be a journey about discovery and will require an attitude of risk-taking! The design exercises will stimulate thinking and hopefully help to develop more individual work.
Note: All design exercises will be done in solid colored fabric using machine-piecing techniques. Each exercise will result in a composition. Keeping a sketchbook with excellent notations will be vitally important throughout the workshop; therefore, it is required that students bring a digital camera and a small digital printer (such as the Canon Selphy printer) to use as a tool for keeping track of “works-in-progress.
All exercises will be done by direct machine-piecing.
Come with an open mind and no agendas, ready for growth and for risk-taking!
Presentation:
Optional but important: Each student should come prepared with a digital presentation/laptop or 3-6 actual quilts and be prepared to make a short (3-5 minutes maximum) but articulate presentation about their work including future goals. The Crow Timber Frame Barn provides use of a digital projector connected to a laptop.
SUPPLIES
Sewing Machine
Swing-Arm Lamp
Digital Camera and Printer
Multiple Outlet Power Strip/Adaptors
Glue to Adhere Snapshots into Sketchbook
Iron/Iron Cleaner
Heavy Duty Extension Cords
Small Spray Bottle
4’ x 8’ Batting/Flannel (White) on which to pin work
Ball-Head Pins (very fine and regular size)
24" x 36" Cutting Mat/Extra Large Rotary Cutter and Blades
Scissors/Needles/Thread/Rulers
Sketchbook/Pens/Other Supplies You Want
Packing Tape if shipping boxes
Optional Books:
> CROSSROADS, 2007, Breckling Press (new catalog from one of Nancy’s exhibitions) - available at Crow Barn
> NANCY CROW, 2006, Breckling Press (new book covering Nancy's work from 1989-2005) - available at Crow Barn
Unfortunately, the following titles are out of print, but your local library may have them or order on Amazon.com.
GRADATIONS: FROM THE STUDIO OF NANCY CROW, Quilt House Publishing
NANCY CROW: WORK IN TRANSITION, American Quilters’ Society
NANCY CROW: QUILTS AND INFLUENCES, American Quilters’ Society
NANCY CROW: IMPROVISATIONAL QUILTS, C&T Publishing
Fabrics:
5 yards each of:
• SOLID BLACK and SOLID WHITE (Pimatex by Robert Kaufman is wonderful quality)
• SOLID COLORS (wide range in light, medium light, medium, medium dark, dark values) so you can be free to work – Reds, Pinks, Blues, Teals, Greens, Limes, Violets, Browns, Yellows, Golds, Oranges, Purples, Maroons, Turquoises, Rusts, etc.)
• GRAYS (wide range in light, medium light, medium, medium dark, dark)
• TANS (wide range in light, medium light, medium, medium dark, dark)
• OFF-WHITES (warm white, cold white, cream)
***Bring BOTH the GLOWING and the FLAT versions of as many of these colors as possible.
We will use everything listed above so do not decide to leave anything out.
• Please wash and shrink all fabrics! No need to iron though if you fold at end of drying cycle!
NOTES REGARDING FABRIC SUPPLY LIST
Yes, the rumor is true!!! Yes, I do ask that each student bring lots of fabrics. My personal theory embraces the belief that one will be freer to be creative if one has many fabric choices available in class. After 30+ years of teaching, I consider each class I teach to be on a graduate level and therefore I expect students to arrive prepared with all necessary supplies. In that regard, I have outlined those fabrics we will use in this class. For some students, my fabric supply list will seem overwhelming in quantity and variety, while for other students, the selection they bring will never be large enough or good enough.
About solid colors - the more shades you have to work with, the more you will learn about how to work with color. Color is Joyous!!! Color does not cause pain!!! Take DELIGHT in color!!!
Working in color does not mean only using BOLD colors or HOT colors; working in color means learning to be versatile in all types of colors.
I caution you not to bring mostly middle value solids, rather you must bring a wide variety, including:
• Light values
• Medium light values
• Medium values
• Medium dark values
• Dark values
• Please bring the glowing version… AND… the dull/flat version of as many colors as possible.
• Remember that ANY COLOR… AND… ANY VALUE of ANY COLOR can be glowing or dull/flat.
Many students arrive with their own hand-dyed solids or stacks they have purchased from other
dyers. By all means, bring hand-dyed if you want.
But solids (dyed commercially) are equally acceptable.
I usually work with my own subtly dyed solid colors. My own palette includes approximately 500+ shades.
Regarding fabrics: I recommend 1 yard cuts or larger because I feel happier with a minimum of 1 yard cuts (actually 2 yard cuts), but please feel free to come with 1/2 yard cuts if this will facilitate your having a much broader range of values. But please do not blame me if you run out of any color as I have no way of knowing which colors you will use up.
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