Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Rhapsody in Blue




I loved thinking about this theme.  My quilt was inspired by Gershwin's piece, Rhapsody in Blue which always makes me think of a vast city at night.  Gershwin improvised some of the first performance of the piece so it seemed right to make an improvised quilt while aiming for the illusion of a cityscape of tall buildings lit up in the dark.  I used shot cottons, all of which have a blue warp thread, and some gold silk.  As the piece progressed it seemed to need a frame too.  I originally wanted to include a swirl of flying geese in diminishing sizes to represent the glissando on the clarinet at the start of the piece but I was too cowardly and now I wish I hadn't been, though I'm not sure how I would have fitted it in!

You can see more on my blog here.

3 comments:

  1. The first film my husband and I saw together back in 1980 was "Manhattan"! So I can totally relate to this Rhapsody in Blue.....

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  2. This is beautiful, Catherine, and really equals the mood of that song. I like the shift in colors in the border, that subtly picks up the central squares with their shiny accents of hinted-at instruments. Bravo!
    Elizabeth

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  3. HI Catherine, your Rhapsody In Blue quilt is stunning! What a great idea to create quilts in honor of famous pieces of music ! We love the clarinet and the symbolism of the lights of the city at night. Beautifully done. :-) Best wishes, from Marina and Daryl

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