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Hawaiian Blue: Cosmic
Illusion #2 |
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Salli McQuaid: Hawaiian Blue, 59”w x 28”h, 2006.
A particular technical challenge I had when making Hawaiian Blue was that I used silk fabric for the black areas. Silk ravels, ravels, and then it ravels some more. I was afraid some pieces would disappear before the quilt was finished. So I learned to zigzag seams and use fray check on other edges. When I was finished with the quilt, my studio looked like it had experienced a black snow storm. A little pickup, some vacuuming, and, after a couple of weeks, I no longer found black pieces of black silk thread in the studio. Actually, I had many concerns when making this quilt. I wanted the imagery and enhancements to be minimal. Yet I wanted to convey a Hawaiian theme, with black beaches, crashing waves, native-like motifs, lava, and exotic flowers. To me, Hawaii is the greatest of retreats, and this quilt is a retreat. Hopefully, the viewer steps into a room and experiences the vista of Hawaii. The vertical Japanese "rising steam" pantograph pattern symbolizes the warm tropical atmosphere that pervades the Hawaiian vista. Quilt History: Selected for "Windows" exhibition, The Gallery at St. Johns, Kingston, NY, 2007. Chama Outdoor Quilt Festival, Chama, NM, 2008.
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