Welcome back. Today you can see what fun I had with parts I gleaned from taking apart computer hard drives, cd burners and cell phones. At our Studio Art Quilt Associates convention in Santa Fe, we’re going to have a silent auction of miniature art quilts just for people at the conference. This will be part of Friday nights’ Santa Fe Spotlight, a festive couple of hours featuring music, merry-making and mingling (oh yes, and dessert, but that didn’t start with an “M”). Knowing that Kris would be mad if I brought new and exciting things (she’d call it crap) into the studio she had just cleaned, I decided I had better make something lovely out of the parts to try to distract her. It’s interesting working so small. Every stitch has to be carefully thought out. These little gems are 6” x 8” matted so that only the center 6 ½” x 4 ½” is visible.
“Communications Failure” is made with the PC board from a broken cell phone. When I was searching through the scrap bag (remember, I’m the packrat!), I found a lovely print with figures on it. The word veritable was printed in the selvedge. This couple looked like they were having problems communicating, even without a non-working cell phone.
“Gold Circle” is a piece inspired by the curve in the PC board from a hard drive, and the tag I found in my box of clothing labels (See, I really am a packrat). Does anyone remember Gold Circle, the store?
“New Year’s Eve in Silicon Valley” came about as I was trying to find scrap colors to coordinate with the PC boards. The background fabric was actually a stylized flower, but when I placed the board on the fabric, the board looked like a building and the curved lines reminded me of the light show in Hong Kong. This building was way too short to be in Hong Kong, so I decided this is what would happen in San Jose on New Year’s Eve.
13 responses to “High Tech Quilts”
“scrap colors to coordinate with the PC boards”, “my box of clothing labels”-oh dear Deb, now I begin to understand you much better! I absolutely love what you’ve done-unique, creative, fabulous! I’ll be bidding on these.
Wow!!! How much fun. I got up early to see what you had created. (and you know I’m not a morning person!!) And there are 3 fun creations! Oh boy… clean that studio again 🙂
I so feel the pressure now – what to do with that box of computer parts?! I just know they’ll have to match with pink.
Spectacular! I would love to see these in person. This is mixed media art to the max. Do I see tatami sewing in the circular one?
How about tomorrow 😉 Tatami is on Communication Failure. I tried to make the stitching very even on Gold Circle. Not bad for free-handing it–except for the smallest inner circle. I traced a spool for that one.
So much creative energy packed into these little works of art! Your artist’s eye sees so much in the scraps & pieces and your imagination pulls it all together. Amazing talent! BTW loved seeing Kris’s beer cap tote in person. Pictures do not do it justice.
“Munchies” is the M word you need. Love the New Year’s piece!
You are so right, Martha.
Okay, you have completely intimidated me. I have no computers to take apart. I’ll have to look through the recycling bin and see what I can come up with. Your pieces are great – maybe you should teach a collage class next!
Jeanne, Next time you come to CA, just make a side trip up north. We can have a play day and you can use my crap–I mean wonderful parts.
That would be so much fun! I’ll have to think of an excuse to come to CA…
[…] looks like I’ll be able to bid on almost 50 matted pieces that are app. 4″ x 6.” Deb made her auction pieces a while ago (she’s so quick, that one) and encouraged me to make a high-tech quilt, too. […]
[…] reader, you may recall that last year I was working with PC (printed circuit) boards to make mini art quilts. Well, I’ve been taking apart phones, cd players, calculators, remote controllers. I have an […]