Flying to Indiana and Dog/Violet Challenge

Life ...

Paul and I had a quick flying trip to Indiana for his cousin Raymond's funeral. Joel was our pilot.

We stayed with cousin Benny & Miriam. She had this beautiful quilt for us to sleep under. I wished I would have asked her the story behind it.

Joel's girls continue to make good use of the steps and books.

 Ashton checking the pertinent things before getting started with field work.

Somehow he is growing up way too fast!

... as a Quilter

I've been working on a piece for our Southern Fiber Artist challenge for violet/dog. There are many decisions. Big vs. little.

Light vs. dark.

Quilting.

Big and light took the honors and then I added stitching to enhance the moon.

Willow X

Willow X -- 21.5"x20.5"

Back

Detail

I toned down the polyester thread in the background with pink highlight markers.

Before applying the highlight markers.

Thread is showing too light.

Too much light thread.

Trying to choose the correct thread!

Under the needle.

Willow IX

I finished this piece for another Southern Fiber Artist friend.

Willow IX -- 8"x10"

This time I used silk for the tree.

Stitching the background.

The back.

Linking to Off the Wall Friday.

Opera House for SAQA Benefit Auction

My donation for the annual SAQA Benefit Auction is complete.

Opera House - 12"X12"

The Sydney Opera House is considered to be one of the most distinctive buildings of the 20th century. It's unique roof structure is "a series of gleaming white sail-shaped shells."

Detail

I started by finding a copyright free image in Unsplash

and used a photo app to edit the picture ...

... and printed it onto fabric that I had ironed to freezer paper and then sent through my home inkjet printer

I quilted my piece on my domestic Bernina  using a walking foot to +/-1/8" lines apart.


Then I free motion stitched over the image to give it more definition.


Next I stitched between each of those lines making the quilting even closer together. Notice the difference between the top and bottom of this picture.


Signature on the back.

Linking to Off the Wall Friday.

Lonely ... Snow Angel

Lonely -- 8"X10"

...but wait. I see a snow angel.

The original picture of my sister Coleen looking at a snow angel that she made.

I tweaked it with a photo app and printed it on fabric. Then I layered it with batting and the backing and quilted lines +/- 1/8” apart.

To enhance the figure, I stitched between those 1/8” lines.

This is the back, a reject from my first printing. Notice the “ghost “ figure on the right which is the extra stitching of the figure on the front.

Detail

Cypress, Willows, and Dandelion

I'm part of the group Southern Fiber Artists. Within that group there are ten of us Sharing Fiber Art. We each make an 8"x10" piece of art for each person in the Shared Fiber Art group. So, I've been making and receiving pieces of fiber art.  Here are some of my finished works that I need to pass out to fellow artists.

Cypress

Willow VII

Willow VIII

Dandelion

Quilt Presentation in Our Home

This past weekend I fixed up displays of my quilts in our home and then had a "trunk show" with many guests. It was a fun time sharing my work a couple different times to those that came to listen.

Peacock Quilt -- Not Even Solomon

When my sister Sheila saw my peacock Palatial Plumage she fell in love with it and wondered if I could make one for her. She helped me with so much of my domestic work that I decided to make her one. She helped choose the fabric for the background and has a guest room where she wants to display it. In the mean time, I hope it can do some traveling.

Not Even Solomon
22" X 34"

Fiber: Commercial cotton fabrics with an assortment of Superior Threads.

Techniques: Fused applique and heavily machine quilted.

Embellished with glass crystals.

Detail