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Drafting the "Hat" Polykite

6/9/2023

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I'm not the type to jump on a bandwagon... usually.  But if that bandwagon is driven by a hobbyist mathematician and loaded with nerdy quilters from Reddit, I could make an exception.  I am pretty interested in tessellations, after all!  So today I'll introduce the "hat" einstein tile, and try to figure out how to most efficiently piece it for quilting. 

Fair warning, for those whose interest in einstein tiles is deep and mathematical... mine is not.  I'm not a fan of math; I'm a fan of the aesthetics of math!  Just as most as most of us can distinguish between fluency and awkwardness when we hear unknown languages, so most people differentiate between elegant and awkward design, without being able to explain the mathematical concepts.  For example, given several different rectangles to choose from, most people instinctively like the Golden Rectangle best, even without measuring it.  And most people are repelled by ugliness in design, without being able to tell you which mathematical law was broken! 

It is in this inchoate, instinctual way that I appreciate math.  I see something beautiful and get excited, but I don't truly understand.  I can't teach it because I don't "speak" that language.  Today's post will be laden with links to people who understand this much better than I do.  My goal is just to draw it myself, leaving the proofs to someone else! 

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"Cracked Ice" Surface Design - Part 2

11/30/2022

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Picture
冰裂紋窗 Cracked Ice Window, by lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
I continue my investigation into the Chinese surface design called cracked ice.  Last time I introduced it and tried to answer the question: What principles or method underlie its design?  Today, I ask the same question, but in copy-pasted Chinese. 

I do not speak or read any Chinese dialect... this is me swimming in dark waters.  But since I can't find the information in English, I have to do my best with Google Translate and luck. 
As for pictures, if I'm not using my own work, I seek photos under free public licenses.  In today's post, however, I use one photo without permission (because I have no idea how to get permission).  But then I mangle it beyond recognition in the pursuit of design, so I'm not sure where copyright law falls on that one!  Nevertheless, I still do my best to credit the originator and link back. 

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"Cracked Ice" Surface Design - Part 1

11/28/2022

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In mundanity, complexity.  A sheet of ice, cracking as it thaws, inspires artists, woodworkers, scientists, and me!  Today's post is a deep dive into a surface design pattern called "Cracked Ice", which is common in traditional Chinese art. 

COPYRIGHT & PERMISSIONS

This post uses some photos that are available under free public licenses.  I put the attribution and copyright details under each borrowed picture; clicking on a borrowed picture will open its source page in a new window. 

A few of the pictures are my own, and I label them as well.  As a blanket rule, the pictures, writing, and other content of this blog are my property unless otherwise noted.  Feel free to link to, pin, or share these pages online, as long as you credit me (Karen Roy), preferably with a link back.  Please ask my permission before redistributing or reproducing my work in any other way.  ​
Picture
Cracked Ice, by Timo Noko from Helsinki, Finland, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Picture
冰裂窗 Cracked Ice Window, by lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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Tiles and Tesselations

11/26/2022

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Now that I quilt, I see quilt patterns everywhere. Like in the pebble-mosaic walkways of the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon!  Incidentally, that garden is beautiful, but in the interest of isolating patterns for blogging, I took some very boring pictures of it when I visited on November 15th, this year. 

A Pretty Picture

Picture

A Boring Picture

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Noshi Motifs in Kimono

10/3/2022

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Picture
Today's post is a bit of a dive into the sea of Japanese history and symbology, in search of the story behind this motif on a kimono. 
This pattern is called "noshi".  But what is it? What are those yellow strips?  Why are they tied together? 

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Jacobean Jacket - Making Godets

4/20/2020

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I am still working on my embroidered jacket from the Dawn Anderson pattern (Jacobean Jacket - 501).  There are five godets in it, and the instructions for making them seemed a little tricky to me, so I went my own way. 

In this post, I'll explain what a godet is and puzzle over where the word comes from, then show you how I inserted them.  Because my jacket is yellow but the godets are white with black embroidery, the photos are clear and easy to follow! 
Picture

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What is Gabardine?

1/9/2020

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If your pattern calls for "gabardine" fabric, what is it, exactly, that you need?  When we talk about fabrics, we usually describe them by fiber, fabrication (weave, knit, felt?), and finish.  We don't always use these in a predictable order, though.  For example:

sueded silk charmeuse (FINISH/FIBER/WEAVE)
wool flannel (FIBER/FINISH)
cotton twill (FIBER/WEAVE)
cotton/spandex jersey (FIBER/FIBER/KNIT)
polyester crinkle chiffon (FIBER/FINISH/WEAVE)

The term "gabardine" is a little slippery, though, since it can encompass both fiber and fabrication. 

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What is Ikat?

8/22/2019

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Picture
A Japanese weaver weaving a warp-dyed ikat, using indigo-dyed cotton. Jyo81 (ja: User) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]
When I was in Japan many years ago, I visited an artisan village, where traditional Japanese crafts were preserved and demonstrated.  I was stunned by the beauty and intricacy of the Yuuki tsumugi 結城紬, a meticulously yarn-dyed silk from that region.  I tried on a multi-colored silk kimono that made me feel like a mermaid, so beautiful was it, in greens and blues and pinks.  It cost more than my parents' house!  My host-father said he thought the dyeing process was needlessly complicated, but I appreciated it very much!
Today, I want to talk about ikat fabric, because I find it fascinating.  Ikat (say "EEE-kat") is a yarn-dyed fabric where the yarns are selectively resist dyed before weaving, and the pattern emerges once woven.  Some pictures in this post are from Wikimedia Commons (click to see their sourcepages).  The ones that don't go to Wikimedia Commons are my own pictures. 

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What is Raw Silk?

9/10/2018

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When people go to a fabric store and ask for "raw silk", or tell you their wedding dress was made of "raw silk"... what do they mean?  What is raw silk? 

There is plenty of confusion about the topic, with common use of the term being very different from technical use in sericulture.  I'll start with the technical definition, because it's most precise, then move on to the more popular conceptions and give you better terms for them, so you can find what you want at fabric stores or online!

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Shine vs. Sheen - why polyester doesn't look like silk

9/6/2018

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The difference between the sheen of silk and the shininess of polyester is like the difference between white gold and chrome: one softly smiles at you, the other wolf-whistles to get your attention. 

When I see a polyester charmeuse, I'm often tempted to use the wrong side to cut down on shininess, but even the shiniest silks, like silk satins or charmeuses, still have a gentler look than polyester versions of the same.  How come? 
Picture
Raw silk in the Suzhou No.1 Silk Mill in Suzhou (Jiangsu), China. Picture by Armin Kübelbeck [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons. Cropped by me; click picture to see it whole in context.

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    Karen Roy

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