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.

Hold Yer Horses, Spring's A-Comin'

 

I needed a horse for my Out of Asia challenge so I did some sketching with watercolor paints and a brush.

It's funny, but I think I like the first one best.

I sketched it onto fabric with a blue washout pen.  I'm going to quilt/sketch with the threads in the photo -- the spool with the grey plastic is 28 wt cotton Aurifil.  I wanted to use thick black thread, but I don't have any.  I found this in my stash -- I probably I bought it to use for tree trunks, but I think it will be fine for a horse.  I don't know if it's apparent from the picture, but it's a variegated black and brown.

And spring is finally here -- these little tulips are always the first thing to bloom in my garden each year.

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.

A Different Kind of Design Wall

My design wall is mostly unchanged from the last time so I thought I'd share some photos from the small road trip we took yesterday.

These cattle are Scottish Highland cattle -- living here in Wisconsin.  The ones in this pen are yearlings -- they were calved last year.  The one with the horns is a sweet girl.

They reside at the Fountain Prairie Farm up in Fall River, Wisconsin.  I forgot to take pics of their people,  John and Dorothy Priske.  The Priskes run a Bed and Breakfast (here is a link) and kindly allowed me to photograph their wonderful cattle.  They also said that I could come back!  They're expecting some calves soon, so I hope I can capture them on film.

I have to say -- aside from my fascination with these beasts, I had an ulterior motive for wanting to photograph them.  I'm planning my next quilt.

This friendly horse lives on a farm much closer to home, we stopped there after we left Fountain Prairie.

So which one is best?  Who should be the "Wild Thing?"

To see more traditional design walls, click here to go to Judy's blog.