Spectrums of Color

A version of this project has been in my head for years (mostly done in paper) but I finally took some time yesterday to play around with how it might work with fabric. The inspiration comes from a couple of different places...which I'll share at some point soon.

It's a little rough...this is just a  small prototype but I'm pretty excited about the possibilities. My upcoming show will feature color spectrums and this project concept fits in perfectly.

The best part about it are the side views.

When you look at it from one angle you see the cool colors.....

...and when you look at if from the other angle you see the warm colors.  

Isn't that fun!

I was just winging it...not really sure if it would work. This photo is several steps in....but I'll try and review what I did.

I fused strips of fabric the same width onto muslin alternating warm and cool colors.  Next I top stitched between the strips adding another piece of muslin underneath so there would be a space or a casing between each seam to insert strips of cardboard. I went about this in a very awkward kind of way....but I discovered lots of ways to improve my technique. That's why I did a prototype on a small scale...I'm a hands on learner.

It's doesn't look like much yet....but folding it changes everything.

Because there are cardboard strips between the seams I was able to easily fold it up like a fan.  I wondered whether the binding on the ends would inhibit the folding...but it didn't....Yay! 

I pinned it onto a bulletin board....and this is how it looks from the front. I still need to figure out how to mount it and how I will finish the side edges....so I'll mull that over. Maybe the sides just need to fold under the piece....rather than out like this. On this practice one I didn't want to lose the green and the pink strips of color. On my actual piece I'll have to do some planning to have that extra piece to fold under.

My goal will be to make one that looks better from the front.  And I think I'll seam the strips rather than fuse so I have nice clean lines at the creases.

I'll put it aside for now and come up with a plan.....but I think it will involve these batiks and certainly be larger....hopefully a focal point for the show.