Embrace 1

Embrace 1 by Maria ElkinsI’ve been so busy working on “Windblown” that I haven’t said much about “Embrace 1” which is the other quilt I just finished. It is a interpretation of three woodblock prints that I did during college. I’ve always liked the sketch-like quality of the image, and I wanted to try to capture the same feeling in fabric.

I started with a black and white version last October. In November I decided to play with colors that I wouldn’t normally use like lime green, lemon yellow, and orange. From there I decided to play with some free motion quilting. It’s been a fun project to work on — another chance to stretch and grow. If you’re interested in reading and viewing the process, you can follow the posts in the Embrace category.


Comments

4 responses to “Embrace 1”

  1. In Love!! The black and white version is compelling; this one in color is alive and exhuberant.

  2. It is always so fascinating to see what color can do to a project. I love the colors you chose for this project. Beautiful!

  3. Ohh you’re so lucky to have worked with wood blocks. I never really knew about them until last year when I saw an exhibition of Mabel Hewit and thought WOW! I’m really going to have to explore this medium someday!

    1. Of all the printmaking techniques, woodblock and lithograph were my two favorites. I love that woodblock is so hands-on. Digging into the wood is quite satisfying. I used the dremel, too, which yields completely different marks. It allows for more fluid movement, which is more natural to me. I have another woodblock image that I want to translate into a quilt someday, but I decided to use the “Embrace” image to work through various approaches first.