Wheat and Lilies

Life …

The men started cutting wheat today.

Ashton found this little critter yesterday on the weather boarding of the house. Later he hopped over to the front door and looked as if he wanted in. Today I saw his tiny fingers curled around the ledge of the dumpster. His beady popped eyes were peering at me over the ledge.

… as a Quilter

Remember the art quilt I started on Memorial Day? I decided to put some kind of a lily on it.

I quilted the background with a serpentine stitch from side to side.

Then using the Carolina Lily block pattern for inspiration I designed a bouquet, sitting in grass, framed with lily petals.

After I had fused the grass down and looked at it a while, I decided I didn’t like the grass. So, I heated it up again and pulled it off.

Then I cut out some more lily parts like the top and sides …

… and added them to the bottom and I liked that much better.

Then I stitched all the silhouette down.

I couldn’t think of a good name so I just call it plain “Lily.”

And then I thought, well, why not get a picture of ‘Lily’ with real lilies!

Here I can visualize the real lilies making the shadows on the quilt.

And Emily was with me for a day. She started this quilt around lunch and finished it up just after supper. I’m anxious to show you her finished project, but I must wait.

See other inspiration at Off the Wall Friday and Amanda's Finish it up Friday.

Genesis and Gethsemane

Life …

The Little Red Caboose always came last.

 

Fun in the gravel while waiting for the meat to grill.

 

 

… as a Quilter

And now I have finished the two art pieces that my niece Coleen B. Barnhart started here.

 

She can magically make beauty with scissors and fabric.

 

After she finished her part, I did the thread painting, quilting, binding, and finishing.

 

Genesis – “Let there be light”

An Explosion of Joy and New Life

 

 

Detail

 

The Back

Insert a small dowel, chop stick, or skewer under the top triangles. Pound a nail in the wall and balance the quilt on the nail.

 

We lovingly refer to Coleen as Claire Bleu since her mother’s name is also Coleen. 

 

 

Gethsemane – “It was midnight in the garden when the Savior knelt to pray.”

A Dark and Stormy Night

 

I used bobbin thread work to create the lightning.

 

A second dowel, chop stick, or skewer may be placed under the bottom triangles to keep the bottom of the quilt from flipping up.

 

These pieces measure 9-1/2” X 9-1/2” and are for sale for $150 each (I wish I could say in my Etsy Store, but I don’t have one.) I guess you will just have to email me.

Linking with Nina Maria's "Off the Wall Friday."

My "Lovely Year of Finishes" goal for June is to finish a small art quilt I started here.

Memorial Day

Life …

I rode with Paul and Ashton to the field to get the pickup truck and fuel trailer.

I brought it back to the farm and pumped fuel from the big tank into the little tank.

I pulled my load back out to the field for Perry. I was glad he could hook up the jumper cables to pump the fuel into his tractor.

Way out in the distance I saw Quinten planting beans.

… as a Quilter

Somehow I think this would look good in a quilt. It is inspiration for me!

Since Emily started a quilt here, I wanted to make something similar. So I pulled out one fabric for both the background and the little squares. It’s more subdued than Emily’s and doesn’t have the zing that I like. I think I’ll go ahead and add a silhouette and quilt it up anyway!

Life... as a Quilter...

Life …

 

Talya has grown up enough now to enjoy the ‘little tikes’ buggy.

 

She would like a turn painting with these young artists on their horizontal easels.

 

Ashton & Georgi found the drawer with the toys and tea set and made their own party of water and Nutter Butter Bites.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

… as a Quilter

 

My sister Emily was here one day and found fabric to make an art quilt inspired by Gloria Loughman’s book “Radiant Landscapes.”

 

I’m anxious to see what she appliques to her background.

Work in Progress Wednesday

I am slowly thread painting, quilting, binding, and trying to finish up these two small art quilts that my niece Claire Bleu started.  We are collaborating (doesn’t that sound professional?) on these pieces.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Georgi is staying with us a few days while Joel and Sheila attend her Grandmother Showalter’s funeral in VA.

 

Gabriel resurrected “The Incredible Machine” on an old computer. He brought back some old memories from when our children played that game over and over again.