The following article appeared in the Fall 2004 issue of The Canadian Quilter newsletter

Adventures with Black Fabric

By Daintry Chitaroni

I have long been drawn to the visual appeal of black as a fabric choice in my wall quilts. Colours appear crisper and more vibrant when placed against a black background. Colours and textures that I would never consider together amaze me with their versatility. Stain glass was my initial use, and where this adventure began. Silhouettes, Pieced backgrounds, Molas, Wrought Iron work and Silk Ribbon embroidery soon followed.

When I first started working with Stain Glass techniques in 1992, the wonderful hand dyed and graded fabrics, landscapes and textures of today didn’t exist in my part of the country. I searched extensively for interesting geometrics and near-solids for my designs, often having to revert to drapery fabrics and woolens- making the wall quilts rather heavy and difficult to quilt by hand. Satins and velvets were slippery and frayed easily, making them difficult to work with. However the 100% cotton market has caught up with me, and is now wonderfully accommodating in this respect. The Shepherds wall quilt uses black leading to define the shapes incorporated into the central design. The border frames the work and mimics the leaded frames that surround stain glass windows. Black leading is made on the bias, and though mine is stitched by hand, many Stain Glass designs are stitched by machine using glues or fusible to secure the leading while stitching with a small zigzag stitch or invisible appliqué. Either method results in a wall hanging that is both dramatic in effect and esthetically pleasing.

Silhouettes have been used traditionally to depict events, people, or things that were important to document throughout history. European influences lent us this technique originally with Paper Cutwork, expanding into stitchery pieces and fabric decoration as proficiency with fabrics and threads evolved. A Silhouette done in black to depict a scene is a simple, yet dramatic means of presenting the artist’s vision. The Skater is an example of this; using only two fabrics- a black and a multi-coloured print background to portray the illusion of a skater using a minimum of defining lines. The Skater was made as a fundraising quilt for the Cobalt Skating Club in Cobalt, Ontario.

Wrought Iron work is also a type of Silhouette. Talented architects and draftsmen designed the original gates and railings. Scrollwork and other decorative patterns were intricately drafted to impress colleagues with complexity and beauty, each designer trying to outdo the other. Many of the original gates are still in use, particularly in Europe, but many remain in New Orleans and other North American areas where European influences were prevalent. My Garden Gate was drafted onto a large piece of black fabric, which was then overlaid onto the background. Needleturn appliqué was used following the drafted lines, cutting away portions to showcase the Watercolour pieced background while retaining the integrity of the forward gate design.

Black backgrounds can be used to depict a night sky as in Santa Cloth, a pattern that I have made three times, designed by Harriet M. Wyant and found in her book Peace on Earth (out of print). A solid length, or a pieced background using a variety of black fabrics of similar value results in a dark sky, forming a good contrast for the country prints used to construct the buildings and Santa’s sleigh. This is actually the opposite of doing a silhouette technique, as the shapes in the design become silhouetted against the black backdrop, and value becomes important – too dark will fade into the black, too light will lose the distinctiveness and look washed out unless carefully balanced in the design.

Feather Appliqué is a technique that I have been pursuing as part of my quilt education, and shows up wonderfully against the black background. The feather designs in It Started out Amish were drafted, cut from the multi-coloured fabric in one solid piece and attached to the background using needleturn appliqué. The bright feather designs stand out strikingly against the backdrop and the antique feather-quilting pattern becomes a contemporary design element. The spines of the feather were then embroidered to add definition and complete the look. Reverse appliqué was used to fill in the negative space on the quilt.

Molas are especially vibrant when the black content is increased. The solid paths through the maze stand out dramatically. The viewer’s first impression is of the complexity of the design. Only after this initial reaction does the intricacy of the work actually sink in. This Pandau’ Mola was the product of a class with Adaire Chown-Shlatter where her admiration for this ancient art was evident at a guild workshop several years ago. Though molas are still produced today in tropical locales, the artistry and intricacy involved in this form of reverse appliqué do not lend well to our speed-quilting environment.

Silk Ribbon Embroidery is another traditional technique that has been resurrected in quilts. Both soft ribbon dyes and brighter solids stand out dramatically against a black background. I first discovered this when my stitchery teacher Leslie McFarlane had embellished a black tam and glove set with soft ribbon roses and pearl beads. The implications hit me, and I began using silk ribbon on my quilts. The Canadian Quilter was my contribution to the Challenge Auction at QC2002 in Edmonton. The silk ribbon was used in place of appliqué, which would have been intricate and unwieldy on such a small piece.

Working with black fabric does however have its challenges. Excellent lighting is a must. The light should reflect down onto your work, and investing in a true-colour lighting system is recommended. An alternative to this is to work outside in natural light during the summer months. Many of my black pieces are taken to camp where the light coming into the screened porch allow for faster, and more accurate appliqué without the bug problems that can interfere on my deck at home.

Threading my needle, and stitching the appliqué became frustrating, as my eyesight has deteriorated over the years. I finally caved and purchased a good pair of magnifying reading glasses at the department store to reduce the strain. Paired with the lighting and a new tabletop needle threader, my vision problems were solved.

A design wall is a must for pulling fabrics together. A balance of colour, value and texture is important to the success of a design worked on black. Stepping back often to “see” the work is a valuable technique. A value finder is also an excellent tool to have on hand. All elements of a design should be in place before any stitching is done, as most of the techniques described do not lend well to undoing if you decide to replace a fabric later.

When selecting fabrics to use with the black, look for interesting textures, but intersperse them with near-solids, batiks or hand dyed marbles. Solids and tone-on-tone prints will look flat in the finished piece unless used sparingly, or use as a last resort. Geometrics should have a hint of black or other dark coloured lines to blend them into the design. I tend to avoid florals and pictorial prints, as they are too distinct for the look that I want. However florals printed on a black background would lend themselves well for broderie perse applications. Multi-coloured prints like the ones used in The Skater and It Started Out Amish may also work well in a Stain Glass piece. However I would be the last person to discourage a quilter from trying any odd combination- the key is to find fabrics that work together, while maintaining the overall desired effect. Fabric manipulation is the true challenge of working with black.