Okay folks, it’s down to the wire—finishing the portrait collage of my son, Sam—my summer project. And three days from today, summer is officially over. Just so you know, when I say “finished,” we’re talking about the collaging part of it. The quilting part, nope, not gonna happen by then.
But that’s okay, the work (for me) is in the collage, and I’m so close to being done I can taste it. It’s about time to be done as well, I’m feeling like I’m ready to move on to the next project (see #3 in checklist below).
In this week’s Throwback Thursday post, I presented a checklist to keep in mind as you ask the question, “When is my Fabric Collage Done?” And that’s what I’m going to answer today, “Is my collage, Earthshine, done?” (Detail photo above).
The “Am I Done” Checklist as Applied to Sam’s Portrait
1.) Have you asked someone you trust for their opinion?
Tom has left on a weekend kayak trip, so final feedback is coming (appropriately) from Sam. Aside from being happy with his portrait itself (nice to hear from the subject matter), here’s Sam’s feedback:
• the (light) strands of hair to right of ear stand out in their change of texture, but not so much in value
• he likes the overall shape of the moon now, after the adjustments I’ve made to the outer edges
• upper right corner of the universe background looks too “empty,” in comparison to rest of background
• earth looks a bit flat, especially now that the moon has more dimension—could possibly be helped with sheers, especially adding more color with some green sheer fabrics
It’s important to keep in mind is that when you ask someone for their opinion, it’s just that, their opinion. It’s very helpful to see your work through someone else’s eyes, a more objective viewpoint from your own. However, acting on those opinions is up to you. It’s your work. In other words, I’ll definitely check out what Sam saw and questioned, but may or may not act on them.
2.) Have you created and completed a punch list?
Created? Yes—adding more points to the list begun with Sam.
Completed? Not yet—I’m still working on checking things off the list!
3.) Are you excited to get working on a new collage?
Yes (see second paragraph of post).
4.) Have you added bits of the favorite fabrics you picked out before you started?
Yes, almost there. I had cotton prints set aside long before I even started this portrait almost a year and a half ago. Most of the prints I really wanted to use got into the first and second drafts. I’m finding it harder to curb myself from adding more and more sheer fabrics in this third (and final) draft—partly because I keep finding more options the more I paw through various tote bags—my storage solution for the slippery and hard-to-fold sheer fabrics.
In August, I posted Part 3.5 of this series, with a video of how I’ve been using sheer fabrics for the final draft of this collage. If you’re wondering how to glue the sheer pieces in place on top of the collage, watch that video.
Below is video #2 of the continuing Saga of the Sheers—I’m concentrating on accentuating values—highlights and shadows—in Sam’s face (before and after photos above) and in the moon as a whole.
5.) Have you learned all you can from working on this particular piece?
That’s a good question. There were certain novelty fabrics I wanted to use in this portrait of Sam at 23 years old—particularly world maps, musical themes, and stars. The linear patterns of bars of music and lines in a map were new for me to cut up and work with as pieces in a collage, and I learned a few things as to how best to maneuver and place them.
As the portrait progressed, I decided that adding layers of sheer fabrics for visual depth and blending would also play a major part in this piece, and it’s been interesting seeing how those varied translucent fabrics are playing off one another. I didn’t use any sheer fabrics at all in the previous two quilts of Sam. I talk about the 3-year old Sam and 13-year old Sam portraits in this post.
6.) Is done better than perfect?
I don’t think that reworking and overthinking will necessarily make for a better result. And what’s “perfect” anyway? After it’s quilted and done, will I see something I’d like to change or add to? Maybe. But I’ve put my best into it, and that’s all I can ask of myself.
7.) Have you reached the final steps of quilting and binding?
Well, first I’ve got to cross off those points on my punch list, then I’ll pull out the many, many pins as I finish gluing. But after that, yeah, I think it’ll be ready for quilting.
You’ve come a long way since 2020 on this piece and it’s so beautiful.
Your critique of the piece and Sam’s suggestions are so helpful when I struggle to finish a piece.
Can’t wait to see how you’ll quilt it.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this detailed adventure into how you do what you do. The likeness of Sam is amazing. It seems counterintuitive, but the more whimsy you add, the more it looks like him. You make me want to keep on, working to improve my skill, while having fun at the same time!
Hi Susan. I really love how Sam has progressed over the past few months. The sheers have really added a finesse. It’s almost like the fabrics have taken a back seat to the values. One thing I have struggled with is gluing a sheer fabric to another sheer fabric. I ended up with a hot mess when I tried it. The sheers wouldn’t stick to each other. Could you address how you manage this? Thanks!