Spring!

So I needed something to perk up the log cabin blocks in the previous post.

I drew an iris on a piece of freezer paper and used it for a pattern.  I cut out a piece of stabilizer (it's at the top of the photo).  The I pinned a piece of fabric to the freezer paper and colored in the iris with my Tsukineko inks.

I cut out the fabric iris and fused the stabilizer to the back.  Then I used fabric glue to turn the edges over the stabilizer.

Clearly I didn't measure so well, because there is a lot of white sticking out around the edges.

So I got the inks back out and colored in the edges.

I pinned it to my log cabin background -- see the previous post for more about that.

I did a lot of stitching on the iris to give it texture before I layered it with the batting and backing.

Here is a shot of the backside before trimming and binding.

"Spring"

13" by 17"

Linking up with Nina Marie Sayer today at Off the Wall Fridays and Marrtje Quilting in Amsterdam.

Monochromatic 2 Challenge - Construction

In the previous post I showed the finished piece.  Following is the sequence of construction.

I drew the outline, some of the spots, and the eye on this commercial batik with a washaway marker.

The inks I used are lined up and you can see a tiny sample of each color on the side of the fabric next to the bottles of inks.

Using temporary adhesive spray I attached a piece of wool batting to the wrong side and stitched around the outline with a medium orange thread.

After the initial stitching, I inked in the eye, spots, and shadow.

I arranged all the threads I might want to use in order of value.

This is a closer view of the inked portion before I added more thread. 

I used straight stitching on the eye with four different threads.  I used a couple of different weights because I wanted a lot of color and texture variation.  I used a free motion zig zag stitch to give the rest of the gecko the appearance of scales, using brown thread on the spots and orange for the rest. The blue ink was rinsed away after this.

The back before I cut away the excess batting.

Then it was layered with another piece of wool batt and DecorBond, then quilted.

This is my model in repose in another shot. She is actually more gold/yellow and black.  I used my artistic license to make her orange and brown for the challenge.

Monochromatic 2 Challenge

"Gecko"

16.5" by 11.75"

This is my work for the "Monochromatic 2" challenge at Art Quilts Around the World. There is terrific texture that doesn't show up in this photo because it is cloudy today.  I will replace the photo when the sun comes out.

A detail of the eye.

And the back side.

Tulips & Rose

"Tulips & Rose"

37.5" by 45.5"

"since the thing perhaps is

to eat flowers and not to be afraid"

- e e cummings, Complete Poems, 1904 - 1962

Tulips & Rose will be in the fiber art exhibit at Olbrich Gardens this winter.

The show runs from November 3, 2013 through January 26, 2014 at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin.

The opening reception will be held on Wednesday, October 30, 5 - 7 p.m.  Here is a link to the Olbrich Gardens website.

I used raw-edge appliqué.  The tulip colors and Rosie's freckles were added with Tsukineko inks.  The rest was done with Aurifil 50 wt thread.  

And for Beth and Lynne, the backside.

Evolution of a Horse

In the last post, I discussed how I got the horse on the fabric.  I was playing around sketching with a brush and some watercolors and came up with this image.  I decided to use it for my Asia-themed quilt for Art Quilts Around the World.  

I transferred the horse to fabric with a blue washout pen, pieced the quilt together, then layered it with wool batt, Decor-bond, and Kona black cotton on the back.  I ironed the whole thing to make it flat.  I quilted the parts around the horse fabric with 50 wt Aurifil with a lot of stitching in the ditch.

I machine-sketched with the heavy 28 wt cotton Aurifil thread (the one with the grey plastic in the photo above) and a 90/14 quilting needle.  I used the washout marker so I wouldn't have to follow the lines exactly.

Then I got out my Tsukineko inks and those silly little pointy applicators and inked in my horse.  I hit it with the iron again to set the inks.

After the ink was set, I used matching black/brown variegated 50 wt Aurifil to do the mane and tail.  Then I quilted the background around densely with a pale color of 50 wt Aurifil -- yes, there's a thread theme going on here...

After I finished all the thread work and bound it, I rinsed it in the sink to get rid of the blue washout pen.

For a closer look, click on the photos.

The Lucky Horse

"Ma Fu -- The Lucky Horse"

11.5" by 16.5"

The reveal for the "Out of Asia" challenge at Art Quilts Around the World was Friday and this is my finished piece.

Here is the back side showing the quilting -- sorry about all the dog hair and thread bits -- I need to run the roller thingy over it.

I will post more in the next few days about how and what I did.

Gone to the Dogz

I need some dogs for something I'm working on.  I took a photo of Rosie and inked it onto some cotton fabric with fabric Sharpies and Tsukineko inks -- sorry -- I didn't take a picture.  I layered the inked image with wool batting and used Decor-Bond on the back to make it stable, then I stitched all over it with my machine.  I did iron the sandwich to make it flat before I stitched -- and I had to hit it again with the iron to flatten it after the stitching.

I drew up some Jack Russell Terriers to keep Rosie company and did the same layering thing with batt and stabilizer.  I found some great variegated greys among my stash of Aurifil threads -- those would be the two grey ones on the right side of the photo.  These are all 50w spools.

Then I covered the little terriers with thread.

I am linking up with Nina-Marie at Off the Wall Fridays.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival Spring 2012

It's time for Amy's Spring Bloggers' Quilt Festival!

"Parrotpalooza"

12.5" by 14"

Acrylic inks on cotton.  Wool batt with cotton threadwork.

I chose this quilt because it still makes me smile.  I made it about a year ago;  it was an experiment.  I had some new acrylic inks and I wanted to see if I could use them to paint fine lines with a tiny brush.

I think it worked!  I left the birds mostly unquilted.  The background was a wash of a couple of different colors of the inks -- they are very rich in pigment and when mixed with water, they have a tendency to spread.  But when used straight out of the jar, they are wonderful for fine detail.  

 This is the finished painting on cotton before I layered it and stitched it.

This is the central bird -- this was taken from a photo I took at the Milwaukee County zoo a couple of years ago when they had an exhibition of birds -- mostly parrots-- from Australia.

I snapped lots of photos and pulled this beauty from those.

This is another ink on fabric drawing from that day at the zoo.  This is my daughter.  I did this with Tsukineko inks -- they're quite different.

Appliqué and Quilting Update Thursday

I've gotten over myself and started stitching Poseidon.   I did a satin stitch around his trident before I layered it. And after I did a little bit of stitching, I realized he needed a bit more muscle definition.  So I got out my Tsukineko inks.

This is the backside -- I've finished the sky and done Poseidon's preliminary stitching.  Click on the picture to examine the stitching.  To see other appliqué projects, click here to go to Angie's blog.  

This is Scout.  He's a loaner -- his family went out of town (to see the eldest girl graduate from college!) and so he's staying with us.  He has settled right in as a studio dog.  

On Friday, Appliqué Update Thursday

I have returned to the Poseidon piece.  In the moving piles of stuff around that passed for creative endeavor this winter, I lost his trident!  He can't be Poseidon/Neptune without it!

But I found it.  Under a stack of fabrics vaguely related to this project.  I am still playing with the seahorses.  That bit of fabric where a horse tail would be is a fin.  That I'm not finished with.

I got out the Tsukineko inks and gave Poseidon/Neptune some features -- hair, eyes, and (ahem) some muscles.  I also did a little bit of inking on the seahorses and the turtle.

 And I have finished this needle-turn appliqué block for my new bag.  I used variegated perlé cotton thread for the running stitches in the center of the flower.  I had to do the set-in circle more than once.  The first time, I cut the circle from the butterfly background too large.  So the hole was too large.  Then I cut it out correctly; but when I went to square up the block after the machine stitching, I cut the block too small.  So I picked out the stitching and made another butterfly background piece.  The third time was a charm!  Not too big or too little, but just right.

To see other appliqué projects, click here to go to Angie's blog.  

Fauna for the Faerie Forest

 I needed some birds and bunnies to keep the faerie company.  So I got out my trusty Tsukineko inks and used them to color in some pencil sketches of birds and bunnies.  I had ironed the fabric to some freezer paper to stabilize it while I used the pencil.

With the colors inked in, if I missed a stitch, I didn't have to worry about white fabric showing through.



The first set of cardinals that I drew were too large for this project.







Using a small needle, I covered the little drawings with thread.   Hand embroidery seemed like the best way to go with these.  They're quite tiny.


I cut them out, leaving a small seam allowance -- somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 inch.

 I used appliqué glue to make the seam allowance stick to the back.

Then I stitched them onto my quilt.  I'll have some more photos next time.