3 Day Dog Quilts - Dog 2 fabric

Fabric Dog Stage

Here are some pictures of the process of adding the fabric to my canvas sketch.  I free hand cut all the fabric, added each piece and then choose and cut another piece.  I think the blue and purple under the black thread painted layer will help add dimension.


To hold everything together until covered with thread painting I use a bit of elmers washable school glue and freemotion zig zag stitch with invisible thread.

New Baby Quilt

This quilt is still a work in progress, but I am very please with how it is turning out.  It is my own design.  The front is made mostly of flannel and the back os made of fleece.  All of the pieces will be appliqued with machine satin stitching.

My Pattern

with satin stitch

Wedding Wallhanging

I finished my son's wedding quilt Sunday with a wedding message and quilt info label on the back. Yeah! just in time to drop it off at my parent's house before the drive to Florida.

This little quilt was a lot of work for me.  First I was trying to use each one's favorite color, red and teal.  Found some red scraps with teal batik.  I used this as a starter fabric after many other tries and pulled colors from it.

The other problem was just me.  One of the side effects of my medicine is dropping off to sleep while doing ordinary things such as talking.  This effect can take up to a year to start.  I've been on it a year with great results until now.  It's very dangerous dropping off to sleep while using a sewing machine not mention all the frog chorus afterward. (Rip it, Rip it)




I started with piecing the quilt and then used raw edge and needle turn applique.  The lettering under the house was done with the feeddogs dropped and a zigzag stitch.



The Distelfink bird was the good luck and happiness bird of the early Pennsylvania German settlers. Overall, the design symbolized "good luck and happiness" for all. I used my own stylized version as this is where my heritage starts.

Next I used Shiva paint sticks for the first time.  I put leaves the tree and stones for the walk.  I cut a stencil out of paper and laid it on the quilt to protect the rest of the fabric.  I could see these being a very fun and useful addition to my art.  The leaves didn't show up quite as much as I would have liked. Great fortune!I amidst the small scraps people gave me at quilt guild were two 2 by 3 inch floral scraps with leaves I hadn't noticed. Just a perfect size.





Finished with lots and lots of quilting, a bit of hand stitching, beads and buttons. and finally  mitered binding and tabs.  Hope the like it!

February's Scrap Challenge

February's scrap challenge color was red.  First I choose a photo of one of my roses.  I decides to select a portion of it and make a kaleidoscope.

 I started with looking through my large and small scraps for lights and darks.

Next I sorted thread for various red shades.  It is unfortunate that as soon as white is added to fed you get pink or if yellow a peachy shade.  I decided to only use the reds.

Here is my pizza slice wedge based on the flower contours from a small section. I started with red satin, but scored it.  I found a darker cotton and utilized what I could of the satin scrape for the applique pieces.

Below is my finished piece.  After lots of applique and then quilting I finished the piece off by going around the edges twice with yarn and a zigzag stitch.

You may be able to see some of the free hand quilting  by clicking on the close up.
Unfortunately, i was not happy with my results.  I think when i have time I will do a realistic read rose.

2010 Guild Challenge

Monday evening my quill guild revealed their challenge quilts. The two red and green fabrics were from the challenge.  The beige was from my Black-eyed Susan dye experiment. I posted a few leaves in an earlier blog.  The leaves were free motion thread painted on a fabric with stabilizer.  The quilting was also done in free motion stitching without marking. 

Here is a picture before quilting and after as well as a few close-ups.
 

Sketchbook Poject Day V

Nothing fancy on this page just random Haiku.

Luna moth

My latest work has been to thread paint a luna moth.  for the book journal back ground I used some of my walnut dyed fabric with some additional brown ink.  Then I lay a piece of fusible on it stitched it in all directions.  Next I held an iron over it and it shrink up wit gathers.  I used thread painting and re-purposed denim for the rest.

I also made a Christmas journal and several color pencil holders.

reverse side

Around the Block Quilt

I have finally finished the top for Paul's college graduation quilt. Here are some pictures of it.