Watching the Personality Emerge

I've been busy in my studio working on another "pods" quilt. In this one, I've again played with multiple fabrics as I string-pieced strips to add complexity to various sections of the quilt top. The string-piecing and the interesting batik combine nicely with lots of visual interest. The strips of hand-dyed turquoise give a resting place for a eye.

My piece is starting to shape up but despite the colorful mixture of movement and activity, it still lacks a personality. This is where the quilting stitches come in.

As quilting lines appear, my quilt top is beginning to show its new-found personality. Additional shapes are emerging from the fabric. Other shapes are emphasized by rows of stitching. Stippled sections provide texture and relief in contrast to the stitched pods.

Each quilting stitch adds more and more to the depth, the detail and the overall personality of the artwork. Yes, we need those quilting stitches to hold the work together and provide stability but they are all so much more important to the personality of our finished project.

Do you have a project that came alive when you quilted it?