The annual benefit auction is the signature fundraising event for Studio Art Quilt Associates. Your purchases help increase the recognition for art quilts and the artists who make them while supporting SAQA’s exhibitions, publications, and education outreach. The 2014 SAQA Benefit Auction is coming up in September. My donation work Neptunes’ Necklace#1 is part of Section 1 that is open for online bidding from14-20 September.
This post sets out the development of Neptunes’ Necklace#1 from design wall auditions (below left) to completion (below right).
The geometric shapes become more refined and expressive as the background is incorporated:
This shows the top layer in colour and gray scale:
Intensive, straight-line stitching involves many thread tails that I sew in by hand:
Here is the quilted work prior to trimming. The white chalk line square shows there is barely a millimetre to spare to make it the right size:
Intense stitching creates wonderful texture on both the front and back of the work:
For this work, partly because it “shrunk” in the course of construction, I decided up an overcast edge finish. As shown in my Overcast Edge Quilt Finish tutorial, I find I get a much neater finish when I use the overcasting foot (Foot C on the Janome Horizon 7700 or the equivalent on your machine).
Neptune’s necklace is a form of baubly seawood that grows in the Copacabana rock pools. As these seaweed images show, Neptune’s Necklace comes in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. It has inspired a new series that I look forward to sharing with you in coming months. In the meantime, you can view the wonderful selection of textile works available for purchase on the SAQA website and the SAQA Pinterest Board.
By the way, if you have been thinking about joining SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates), you are welcome to use the discount code “BGS” to save 10% on your membership fee. Join SAQA now.
Jill O'Connor says
That greeny-gold colour captures the baubles so well, against the aquamarine of a shallow rock pool. Can you tell I spent many happy childhood hours exploring rockpools and platforms, and ‘popping’ Neptune’s necklace baubles?
Brenda Gael Smith says
Yes – the popping is essential, and irresistable!