Quilts for Christmas!

Here's a peek at five of the six quilts I made this year for my grandchildren.

Quilts for grandkids

The sixth one was being long arm quilted at the time of the photo.

I quilted all the others on my domestic machine.

I will document all of these in the new year.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Terry

Linking to The Needle and Thread Network.

Flying Santa

Quilt Documentation #181

Flying Santa

I bought this little panel several years ago. I thought it would be fun to make as my husband is a pilot.

Hand printed panel

Last year, I added the border and sandwiched the layers and never got any further.

So this year, I quilted it and added a fused binding and a couple of little tabs to hang it from.

binding

It measures 12” x 15”.

Merry Christmas to all!

Terry

ART PROMPT - #17 – Find something unusual to add texture

Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms

This is not so unusual but is a new process for me. I have added texture to fabric before using hand stitching but this time I wanted to see what I could do with only a running stitch to highlight a design.

During our NOFA fall retreat, we played around with staining and scorching fabric, see here, so I'm using this little 8" x 8" piece to play with.

After a little experimenting with different threads and even fine wool, I chose a metallic thread to co-ordinate with the scorched areas on my sample.

in progress

I tried stitching on the cotton only and did not care for the look I was getting.

In the end, I added batting and a back and basically hand quilted the piece.

I really like the texture I got from crisscrossing the stitches.

detail

Here it is blocked and sprayed with lots of water.

blocking

And a close-up of the criss-crossing.

criss-cross detail

I'm not sure how successful this is and also not sure what to do with it.

Placing it in an 8” x 8” frame doesn't do much.

Add caption

Win some, lose some!

I'm leaving the edges unfinished for now, it may get added to another project in due time.

Linking to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.

See you next time,

Terry

NEXT PROMPT -  #18 – Use stencils

HERE'S MY “ART PROMPT” PLAN

One prompt, one project (taking as long as required to finish the project)

It's OK to finish or use a previously started project (UFO) as a starting point.

Make something creative.

Use any Media.

Blog about the project.

Pick another prompt once the project is done.

ART PROMPT - #16 – Cover up something - Part 2

Quilt Documentation # 180

Can't See the Forest for the Trees

Can't See the Forest for the Trees

See Part 1 here.

When I left that post this is where I was at:

Grid covered background

I thought that this could look like a sunset through the trees?????? maybe???

So I decided to add more trees, this time using "felt" that I could cut and/or burn into the shapes I wanted.

trunks pinned in place

I first stitched the trunks in place and then thread painted all the branches.

I cut a paper pattern for placements of the bushy branches and then used the pattern pieces for cutting/burning the black felt.

branches

burning edges using patterns as a guide

As it is very much winter here, I needed to set up where I had a fan, for me, that meant on the kitchen stove. Here's my set-up: A ceramic floor tile on top of a raised cutting board (for height), soldering iron, steel wool for cleaning the point, I also use it to set the iron on, a metal chop stick, and a mask. Wear the mask and turn the fan on!

setup under stove fan

It turned out I had two different kinds of black felt and they burned quite differently.

The one on the left got very shiny and glossy when burned, so probably more polyester content.  Hard to see on photo.

Different felts - different looks

I free motion zig zag stitched over the burned branches to attach them to the background.

I added a sleeve, a plain black binding and a label.

label

Even though I like the looks of the burned felt, I don't especially like the texture, it is rough to touch, not smooth at all.

So, this is what I started with:

What needed to be covered up

And this is what I finished with:

Can't See the Forest for the Trees

Can't See the Forest for the Trees - back

Link to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday and The Needle and Thread Network.

See you next time,

Terry

NEXT PROMPT -

ART PROMPT - #17 – Find something unusual to add texture

HERE'S MY “ART PROMPT” PLAN

One prompt, one project (taking as long as required to finish the project)

It's OK to finish or use a previously started project (UFO) as a starting point.

Make something creative.

Use any Media.

Blog about the project.

Pick another prompt once the project is done.

Working in a Series – Birds – Part 6

Working in a Series – Birds – Part 6

Quilt Documentation 178 – 179

These small quilts are exercises from Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila & Elin Waterston.  

All measure 9" x 12".

(see first post here)

Found Objects

Objects that are not too heavy or too fragile, that are mostly two-dimensional and that are not too big work best in art quilts.

Paper, natural objects, man-made objects can be attached by hand or machine, glued, wired or fused.

Quilt Documentation 178

"Birds - 10"

The found objects in this quilt include:

scrapbooking paper, brown paper stamped with my crow stamp, painted newspaper, map, a small collage of melted plastic shopping bags on textured background, a pair of old earings (backs removed and attached with embroidery thread) and couched wool.

I also couched the same wool around the edges for a binding.

"Birds 10 - Found Objects

"Birds 10 - Found Objects - back

Embellishments

There is no end to what can be used for embellishing, beads, buttons, shisha mirrors, sequins, trims, and charms, just to name a few.

Quilt Documentation 179

"Birds -11"

For this quilt, I placed my batting onto the fabric I wanted to use for the back and wrapped the edges around the batting on the front. I stitched a piece of stabilizer that had been painted or dyed. A piece of trim added a skinny border just inside the raw edges. The dyed cheesecloth was hand stitched and then appliqued with a chickadee printed on cotton. Beads and little rings from an old necklace finished it off.

"Birds 11 - Embellishments

"Birds 11 - Embellishments - back

Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila & Elin Waterston is full of ideas and suggestions, and gives you enough instructions on how to use certain products or techniques to get you going.

I really enjoyed the process of making this series of little quilts and learned a lot.

Learn and have fun by doing, it doesn't have to turn out perfect every time.

Just go for it!

Happy Quilting,

Terry

Working in a Series – Birds – Part 5

Quilt Documentation 175 – 176 - 177

These small quilts are exercises from Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila & Elin Waterston.  

All measure 9" x 12".

(see first post here)

Thread Work

Thread painting, bobbin drawing, couching and free-motion quilting are all means of visual expression that use thread as a medium.

Thread Painting

Quilt Documentation 175

"Birds - 7"

Blue Jay was thread painted on a separate fabric, cut out and then appliqued over my quilted background.

The yellow-green square behind the bird was printed with circles. I free-motioned zig-zagged around the circles.

Some beading on little blue squares add more interest.

"Birds 7 - Thread Painting

"Birds 7 - Thread Painting - back

Bobbin Drawing

Quilt Documentation 176

"Birds - 8"

This bird was thread painted directly on the fabric before sandwiching the layers to do the bobbin drawing of the cage.

The sparkly heavier thread was placed in the bobbin and stitched from the back.

I added a facing and followed the outline of the cage, just for fun.

"Birds 8 - Bobbin Drawing 

"Birds 8 - Bobbin Drawing - back

Free-Motion Quilting

Quilt Documentation 177

"Birds – 9"

Toucan is a simple applique with busy free motion quilting in the background.

I think it balances out.

"Birds 9" - Free motion quilting

"Birds 9" - Free motion quilting - back

More to come.

Link to The Needle and Thread Network.

Happy Quilting,

Terry

Working in a Series – Birds – Part 4

Quilt Documentation 173 - 174

These small quilts are exercises from Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila & Elin Waterston.  

All measure 9" x 12".

(see first post here)

Stamping

Stamps can be:

ready-made - purchased

original - hand made from many different materials

found - from natural objects or all kinds of tools or items just laying in and out of your house.

Quilt Documentation 173

"Birds - 5"

The background is made up of curved and straight piecing.

I cut a little crow stamp from fun foam and changed the orientation a little so even though it is the same stamp, they look a little different. I like how the gold from the fabric came through the ink.

The leaves are from a block stamp that I kept turning in different directions to avoid the “blocky” look. I also stitched over some of the leaves and added a few extra of my own.

Machine quilting and some french knots completed this quilt.

Birds 5 - Stamping

Birds 5 - Stamping - back

Foiling

Metallic foils can be transferred to fabric using liquid glue, fusible web, or bonding powder.

Quilt Documentation 174

"Birds - 6"

I appliqued a couple of rectangles to the background using a machine buttonhole stitch.

I then cut out bird shapes from fusible web and fused them to the pieced background and applied the foil.

There's a feather (from my duster ;) behind some tulle in the corner.

I added a little quilting, some buttons and beads to finish the piece.

The binding is from a piece of variegated organza wrapped around the edges.

Birds 6 - Foiling

Birds 6 - Foiling - back

More to come.

Happy Quilting,

Terry

Working in a Series – Birds – Part 3

Quilt Documentation 171 - 172

These small quilts are exercises from Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila & Elin Waterston.
All measure 9" x 12".
(see first post here)

Innovative Piecing

Several ideas were covered, machine-pieced freehand curves, wonky piecing, insert strips.

Quilt Documentation 171

"Birds - 3"

I chose to make Wonky Log Cabin Blocks using my own photos, printed on fabric of a crane walking along the beachfront, as the centre of the block.

"Birds - 3"  Wonky Log Cabin Blocks

"Birds - 3"  Wonky Log Cabin Blocks - back

Paint Effects

Exercises included either abstract or representational painting.

Quilt Documentation 172

"Birds - 4"

On this quilt, the birds as well as the branches are painted on batik. The tree trunk is a black cotton applique which also had light paint added on the right side. Stitching with black and grey threads added more shading.

The background was quilted with a grey and black variegated rayon thread.

I wish I could remember what I used for the painting, maybe ink as it has a very soft hand.

"Birds - 4"  Paint Effects

"Birds - 4"  Paint Effects - back

More to come.

Happy Quilting,

Terry

Working in a Series – Birds – Part 2

Quilt Documentation 169 - 170

(see previous post here)

Collage with a Focus

These collages contain a central image, other elements emphasize or accentuate the image to create an interesting visual arrangement.

Quilt Documentation 169

"Birds - 1"

This collage uses a printed fabric image, the swirling turquoise fabric representing water.

"Birds - 1" Collage with a Focus

"Birds - 1" Collage with a Focus - back

Quilt Documentation 170

"Birds - 2"

For the second collage, I printed one of my own photos of a goose on a post onto fabric.

I added another “sign post” on the left of the picture and some mother of pearl pieces which have a “watery” look.

I experimented with a fused binding that I cut with a wavy rotary blade and then programmed a leaf stitch on my machine to add to the edges.

"Birds - 2" Collage with a Focus

"Birds - 2" Collage with a Focus -back

More tomorrow.

Happy Quilting,

Terry