Modern Monday: Math Is an Expletive ~~ complete!

A finish!  This fun little modern number really didn't take long to wrap up.  The bigger problem has been time constraints and foul weather.  The binding is the same Kona turquoise that I used to frame each block.  

Math Is an Expletive

Finally, with a few minutes of pretty weather and freedom, I pinned the quilt on the line outside and we played photo-shoot.

I wanted to include some math-y stuff in the quilting, so I came up with this way of "writing" on the quilt.  Since the letters couldn't connect they way they do in script, I first outlined the letters and symbols.  Then I stitched horizontal lines very, very close to each other right up to the letter outline.  In some places the stitches are touching.  The only problem, I'm not sure that what I included as math is correct!  How would this girl know?

I separated the negative space into large blocks and quilted each block in a different motif trying to alternate between curvy and boxy designs.  I wanted there to be lots of energy and movement, but I also wanted to entertain myself since there is so much negative space.  

Some of the sections are large rectangles; others are small squares.  I visited Leah Day's website to get ideas for new quilting motifs.  I chose three or four that I really liked and drew them out on paper first (not pretty) to remember the basic shape, and then practiced on a small whiteboard that I keep in the studio.  Once I felt that I had a little muscle memory set, I just dug in and tried them on the quilt. 

If I make sound easy, I don't mean to.  I put quite a bit of time into practicing each motif separately, and I used each one in a small area.  This way I could hide the imperfections with all the other things going on around them.  Akin it to one imperfect leaf on a shrub...you don't notice it because you're looking at the whole shrub and seeing all the leaves.  Plus, if you happen to notice the one bad leaf, you chalk it up to nature.

Back of "Math Is an Expletive"

Your turn: what is your way of adding to your repertoire of quilting designs?  How do you practice them?