Quilt Story

I've been working on those UFOs in my sewing room.  This one dates back at least 10 years.  Not my normal style...30s reproduction prints.

Below you will see the method I used to create the wedges and assemble them.  I'm working on quilting it now.

It's so nice to wake to the sun shining into the window!  It's a blessing from the Son shining into our lives.

My week has been full of stitching and evaluating.  I'm also preparing for an adventure next week.  Here's a peek at the stitching I've been doing.  This is "Hydrangea".

So there are areas of trapunto under areas of stitching.

I think it's going to work out...maybe not to be "great" but interesting anyway.

So enjoy your day.

It's time for me to pack!

I've been trying something new with my small art quilts.  Here's the project of the last few days, step by step.

The scene is a shot from our travels - headed back toward California from Colorado in early May.

The first steps of painting

I love when the colors begin to bring life to the picture.

Now the painting and the quilting are complete...I try to use quilting freemotion designs that will enhance the painting.

Square it up ...I cut it about 1/2" less than the measurement of the canvas.  Then the experiment...I painted the edges of the canvas in a similar fashion as the quilt.

then I put the binding on the quilt as usual.

When it was complete I attached the finished quilt to the painted canvas so that it could be hung like a picture on the wall.

So what do you think? worth the effort or not?

I am about done with the painting.  I might tweek a couple of details, but essentially this is it until the quilting happens.

I hope you've enjoyed viewing the process.

I've been struggling a bit with this project but I'm moving on to see how it will finish up.

Here are a couple of snapshots of the progress as it's going...

I worked a bit on the hands....then I'll add some more hair

Next step will be the eyes

So finally I'm ready to share a couple of more photos.  At first the faces don't look like much, because I'm just adding shading.

Then I begin to add some details and they will slowly start to take shape

I'm also trying to decide on the next project. Any ideas?

As the painting sessions go on, I fill in more areas.  This time we have more shirts.  Tomorrow I'll tackle adding another face or two...

Well, I've been moving along, section by section on that quilt.  So busy painting I haven't taken time to blog.  That's good, right?  At least I'm accomplishing something.

Remember that these are first steps, there will a lot of details added after the initial  painting--patience is required to get the look I want.

So I'll show you a few of the starting steps

After the tracing, I want a full sized outline.

Usually I do the faces first, but I decided to fill in the backgrounds first on this and see how that works out for me.  Got to keep trying new methods to refine the process....

Then I begin on the clothes ....

I also got a start on her face and arm - many details on that to come.

Then another shirt.

More soon....

I'm ready to start another new project...this will be a painted one. 

Elizabeth and her little ones.

Tracing the image (with pencil)--makes them look a little strange, but that's what's required.