Happy December everyone, where busy hands are warm hands. It has been a crazy 6 months, and I have lagged on blogging, but first I was sick and then sick again, then vacation, next a set of twins came into the world and then it was Thanksgiving, and birthdays. So far 2015 is the best holiday season in a decade or more. I am busy now with sewing a few gifts, but if you know me at all, you know I have 5 projects and 5 books going on so here are a few less traditional, more art informed pieces Ive been doing:
My response to the Paris attacks:
I used a hand dyed piece of sugar sacking, 15"x15", drew the Eiffel Tower with a permanent fabric marker and added the poppies with raw edge applique. I also wrote #Paris with the marker. Then black free motion for the Tower and the word and the centers of the poppies, and red for the poppies. There is no background quilting yet, but I bound it anyway with a red and black zigzag.
And this is a combo of two different pieces of fabric: a lovely piece of aqua blue, gold and olive fabric hand made in Africa, and my own hand dyed strips. I used an unusual procedure to do my hand dyeing: I wove together all eight strips, worked the weave down to 3 strips like a woven triangle, then applied dyes as though it were autumn Indian corn. It came out a wonderful jumble of colors. Ive been fusing and slicing and dicing and it is almost ready to be all fastened down to the batting:
This is my first look from above, so I will have to climb onto my step stool and make the changes that I believe are necessary. The design will be complete when I use a brown marker to create a shadowy floating effect to increase value and perspective, after fusing, basteing and spraying the whole thing to the batting. I will free motion quilt it, without a backing, because my old Bernina has a small space for bulk on the inner side, and I'd read that quilting without the backing lessened the bulk. That offers different options for binding, facing or finishing the edges too.
This is my world today...I hope yours is happily productive. The sun is out and we're going for a walk later, down the Rails to Trails, converted coal train beds that now are home to walkers, joggers and official races. It goes through the western Poconos, near the Lehigh Valley and is all woods. My husband had a stomach sleeve operation and has lost 70 lbs and is walking up to 3 miles a day (I said he, I usually go 2 miles). So, we go. It's been very good.
I'll be hooking up with Nina Marie and off The Wall Friday:
http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/#
Love, Sue
My response to the Paris attacks:
I used a hand dyed piece of sugar sacking, 15"x15", drew the Eiffel Tower with a permanent fabric marker and added the poppies with raw edge applique. I also wrote #Paris with the marker. Then black free motion for the Tower and the word and the centers of the poppies, and red for the poppies. There is no background quilting yet, but I bound it anyway with a red and black zigzag.
And this is a combo of two different pieces of fabric: a lovely piece of aqua blue, gold and olive fabric hand made in Africa, and my own hand dyed strips. I used an unusual procedure to do my hand dyeing: I wove together all eight strips, worked the weave down to 3 strips like a woven triangle, then applied dyes as though it were autumn Indian corn. It came out a wonderful jumble of colors. Ive been fusing and slicing and dicing and it is almost ready to be all fastened down to the batting:
This is my first look from above, so I will have to climb onto my step stool and make the changes that I believe are necessary. The design will be complete when I use a brown marker to create a shadowy floating effect to increase value and perspective, after fusing, basteing and spraying the whole thing to the batting. I will free motion quilt it, without a backing, because my old Bernina has a small space for bulk on the inner side, and I'd read that quilting without the backing lessened the bulk. That offers different options for binding, facing or finishing the edges too.
This is my world today...I hope yours is happily productive. The sun is out and we're going for a walk later, down the Rails to Trails, converted coal train beds that now are home to walkers, joggers and official races. It goes through the western Poconos, near the Lehigh Valley and is all woods. My husband had a stomach sleeve operation and has lost 70 lbs and is walking up to 3 miles a day (I said he, I usually go 2 miles). So, we go. It's been very good.
I'll be hooking up with Nina Marie and off The Wall Friday:
http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/#
Love, Sue
Sue, I enjoyed reading and can certainly identify with trying to find time to keep a blog updated. But we deal with life's events as we can. I have a Rails to Trails near me that runs from Hattiesburg, MS (my town) about 75 miles to Prentiss--beautiful piney woods all the way. Congratulations on your husband's successful weight loss and walking program and to you for participating. I admire the determination this requires. I'm not quite up to these distances, but I get to the Wellness Center several times a week for some treadmill. Love your dyeing adventures!
ReplyDeleteMartha Ginn
www.marthaginn.blogspot.com