Our assignment for this week was to make three Snitzels - one Achromatic, one Monochromatic and one with Complimentary colors.
I didn't have any idea how to start, or what was really needed or even meant by Snitzel.
I really didn't want to cut up fabric for this. I really didn't want to get into my stash of black and whites for the Achromatic. I was thinking it's a waste of fabric (more on this later).
I know...I could use paper. I was at work and started cutting up my copy of The Stranger. I tried freeform. It looked horrible. I can't just pull this out of the sky. I needed a direction. So, I went with a quilt idea. I started cutting out triangles - with a rotary cutter and ruler. Easy. I cut out dark triangles and light triangles. Then I just started moving them around. Not too many different ways to arrange triangles. It wasn't beautiful, but I pinned them to a piece of paper, and called it done.
I like the way the pins look!
Next up, back at home was Monochromatic - all one color. Which means to me that value is what is going to do all the work. I pulled out my greens. I eliminated all the fabrics with more than just green, which left very few that I liked. I was a little surprised that I didn't have a lot of choices. I had different shades of green - mostly yellow-greens and blue-greens. I went with the group of fabrics that had a good value range, the blue-greens.
Jean had asked us not to use rotary cutters, but to free-form cut with scissors. Oh, my. I'm no good at free-form anything. I need a plan. I cut some strips (with the rotary cutter) and sewed them together, and cut random sized squares. I figured if I didn't think about exact sizes and seam allowances I was headed in the right direction. I was loosening up by stages. Hey, I'm making progress. I laid them out with other strips and this is what I got:
I pinned the strips to batting, and called it done, too.
Next up, the Complimentary colors. I was looking forward to these colors. I took an idea from my friend, Becky and used one of the more abstract photos I had taken while on our trip and used that as a 'plan'.
Trying to find fabrics that look like the photo is very difficult, so you have to go with what you've got. I found some interesting fabrics right away and had a lot of fun putting this together. I don't like using fusibles, I don't like the way they feel. So, I just cut out the fabrics...hey, is this 'free-form'? Maybe! But, I'm following the 'pattern' of the photograph, so I can do this. I wanted to sew it all together, but Jean had said, no, just pin the pieces to batting.
So, here is the photo, and the Snitzel I made:
Pretty cool, huh?