Jackie Wills Textile Artist, Waistcoats and Patchwork: fibonacci hexagons

Showing posts with label fibonacci hexagons. Show all posts

Friday, 10 November 2017

The Lost and Found Fibonacci Patchwork Quilt

I swim every day in the sea at Torre Abbey Steps in Torquay, often joined by other regulars who share the same enthusiasm and pitch up at the same time. Topics of conversation are wide ranging but often refer to sea state, weather conditions and the inane comments that people make when passing. There are only so many ways you can answer to "Is it cold in there?" or "you are brave" My general response is to smile and reply nicely that the sea state is Caribbean......

Anyway one day I was talking, unusually off topic about my love of textiles and in particular the fibonacci quilts and waistcoats I created at Cockington Court. See https://uniquewaistcoats.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/fibonacci-patchwork-waistcoats.html and https://youtu.be/BP-TC20Po0w https://youtu.be/_lxa-9FV7bs A regular swimmer called Laird overheard the conversation and had a recollection of me teaching his late mother, Elizabeth over 25 years ago. It was rather wonderful to recall to Laird what a clever and dedicated needlewoman she was. I talked about the regular Tuesday group and how she added her enthusiasms and things we talked about. We discussed the work she created and I could recall one very large hexagonal quilt which Laird had inherited and another wall hanging created using glazed cotton chintz that he did not recall.

This piece of work suddenly re-surfaced after he mentioned it to another family member. It had been hiding, folded and unappreciated in a cupboard. Laird showed me and it was a delight for me to see after all these years and wonderful that Laird has been reunited with a stunning piece of work so lovingly sewn by his late Mother.

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Easy Way to Colour Patchwork Pattern. Fibonacci & Elongated Hexagons EPP

Easy Way to Colour a Patchwork Pattern. Fibonacci & Elongated Hexagons EPP

I have been hand sewing hexagons for over 45 years. In the old days I would use isometric paper to design hexagon patterns. This method works well if your hexagons are all the same size. My packs of hexagon paper templates include hexagon grids for designing and www.patchworktemplates.com has one that can be printed free of charge. These can be photocopied and coloured in.

The pattern planning changes when different shapes are used in one design. Fibonacci and Elongated Hexagons come to mind. This also applies to other shapes that tessellate.

There is an easy solution. Lay paper templates out on a flat surface. Spend time moving shapes around until your eyes are pleased. This will help visualise colours and structure of pattern.

Photograph arrangement, print onto copy paper and colour with crayons.

Another option is to photograph, create a digital image on computer, insert photograph onto a paint or desk top publishing document. I use Pages on Macbook. Using a small coloured shape, duplicate many time and place onto the centre of each paper template. Print.

See: http://youtu.be/M6ePQYWEQC4

It is really simple and gives room for experimentation before committing to fabric.

See: www.jackiewills.co.uk

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Hand sewing hexagons together. Why is it so compulsive?

Hand sewing hexagons together. Why is it so compulsive?

Starting with a question not everyone reading this blog will relate too. For those familiar with the joy of collecting textiles, keeping them safe and pristine waiting for the moment the brain switches to sew mode, project in hand or to be planned. Paper hexagons ready to be covered with treasured or just purchased fabric. The moment needle punctures through layer of cloth and paper, thats the moment when the world disappears and immersion into another begins.

Its true to say that I am well qualified to confirm this transition. My first experience of covering a six sided hexagon with fabric occurred around 44 years ago. My mother encouraged knitting, crochet and even tatting but I found those crafts tedious and unrewarding. Tensions with wool, with loosing stitches and stitches of uneven size made frustrating creating. Perhaps impatience did not help, that gaping hole where a crochet stitch belonged meant ripping back to the point. I did not see the point.

It would be impossible to calculate how many hexagons I have sewn. More than 10 quilts with over 3000 hexagons each, plus too numerous to mention smaller projects and samples. A fair estimate would be heading for 100,000 - yes, one hundred thousand hexagons. One hundred thousand paper templates covered with 100,000 bits of fabric. Why, as I type now I wonder why!!

Concluding with the observation that sewing hexagons has shaped my life into contentment, creativity and a feeling of pride with the work created. The sadness is when I die, with no children to pass onto, I can only imagine that my lifetimes work will at best end up in a car boot sale, far grander than the worst scenario of being buried under piles of refuse in rotting away............and then there are the unsold waistcoats................... Should I care. Definitely not.