12 December 2006

Occasional Sunbreaks


As we settle in for another gray, wet Northwest winter, I'm amused by the variety of phrases the daily paper trots out for the 5-day forecast: Rain. Light rain. Showers. Possibly damp. Wet in the AM. It may rain. And my favorite, occasional sunbreaks. "Sunbreaks" wasn't a word I'd encountered before moving to Portland.

In quilting, a so-called "challenge" usually involves making a quilt on a given theme or incorporating a particular, often problematic, fabric. It's supposed to be fun, to help you stretch as an artist, get you outside your comfort zone, and think beyond your usual aesthetic. So. The current challenge for a group of art quilters I belong to involves a beautiful coppery metallic fabric. It's showy, intense, and heavy. I hung it on my design wall and meditated on the possibilities for a couple of weeks. Finally I realized what my subconscious was trying to tell me: Sunbreaks.

I worked quickly and improvisationally on this one. It came together in three or four days. It still needs to be layered and quilted, but I'm pleased with it so far. Guess I was just ready for a sunbreak.

4 comments:

Libbi said...

It's beautiful, Reev!

(btw, the weather reports in the Bay Area used to deal with fog in a similar way. I always found it very amusing!)

Anonymous said...

It is my favorite weather term which we encountered in our winter trips to visit Steph and Jack. I loved the piece and I for got to mention last night that everyone should take a look at your flat iron quilt which is stunning.

Anonymous said...

how beautiful! and done by a dog...delightful!

Revalani said...

By a cat, actually, but thank you!