It's cold and snowing outside today which means it's the perfect time to curl up with a good book under the covers of a warm blanket or quilt. I have been working on my own quilt for a while now and figured I'd show off the progress I've made so far. I started off with a fabric that had different streaks of color in it, which led me to find other fabrics that would then compliment that and create an interesting pattern. My quilt is admittedly a little wild and crazy with all the different colors I've incorporated into it, but I like its vibrancy and uniqueness. I definitely like it better than just the plain blue and yellow color scheme that was suggested in the original pattern instructions, which I found a bit boring.
All of the fabrics I used were pre-dyed with their own colors and patterns. Obviously it would have been cool if I had dyed my own fabrics, but with being a novice at quilt making, I figured I'd keep the whole process as simple as possible my first time out of the gate.
Textile art is something I have very little experience with, but would have liked to have studied it more in school. Although some would consider working with textiles as more of a "craft" rather than an "art" I think there is a blending between the two worlds going on more and more. In fact, textile art is not limited to quilting or even wearable art. If you Google 'textile art' you can find a multitude of different works that have nothing to do with either of those two categories. I actually saw an artist at a show once that made "paintings" out of thread. Instead of brush strokes, each mark of color was a thread that was blended together so well that from a distance you wouldn't have known that the piece was made of thread instead of paint.
Perhaps if I ever get a chance to take some classes that focus on textile art I will try branching out and incorporating more of that in my own work. But for now, I will focus on finishing my first attempt a a quilt so I can enjoy its warmth throughout the rest of this winter weather!