Prairie

I had been wanting to try machine embroidery and the prairie dogs seemed as good a chance as any. I got a copyright free picture, traced it onto stabilizer and hit the pedal, literally. Again, as with any new technique, it had its problems but since I could just go over with more thread, my mistakes were covered. It was a lot of fun and helped me get out of my perfection mode.

Kathy

Where the Buffalo Roam

Buffaloes were one of the first things that came to mind when I heard the word "prairie."  I think of the hundreds of thousands of American Bison that used to roam across America's prairie's and how we over hunted them and are just now working to raise the numbers of buffalo across the country.

My quilt is a reversed appliqued buffalo silhouette on a free form pieced prairie.

Gulf Oil Spill

Do you remember those Matinees that we all attended as children on a nice Saturday afternoon? The headlines were boldly placed on the movie screen as they declared the state of our world in a bigger than life manner. This is what I thought of when I heard the word Matinee. The Gulf Oil Spill is bigger than life news, and the pictures of the Pelicans sitting in the vast oil spill is enough to tug at your heart strings. To watch the story unfold every night on the 6 P.M. news made my soul cry. I just could picture those words flashing across the movie screen declaring the state of our world on that fateful day, April 20, 2010. When, are we as a people going to learn that the world is vulnerable and we are stewards of it? It is up to us to care for that which the Lord gave us.

I did a photo transfer and then machine quilted it in grey threads. Using Setacolor paints I highlighted the eye of the Pelican and some on the wings. I hope the solomeness of the picture will speak to our hearts.

In the Likeness of Green

I took a class from Libby Liehman this spring, and discovered the circle atttachment for the Bernina machine. I decided that I would use it to make my "Green" quilt. After piecing the background in different green fabrics, I used multiple green threads to make different size circles.

Prairie Grass

The images of the prairie with the grasses swaying in the wind is what I wanted to capture in this little quilt. I selected a piece of my hand dyed fabric, and placed grasses from my yard in a pleasing manner, and used dried corn silk at the base. I put some bird feathers to replicate a pea hen in hiding. Over the top of this I used tulle, and machine quilted the entire quilt. I thought the grasses would fall apart when quilted, but so far it hasn't. I used sissel twine for the edge treatment. I achieved what I was trying to do, and am happy with the results. This entire quilt reminds me of my trip last summer to the Badlands and South Dakota.

It took me awhile, but my "matinee" quilt is finished. I had the idea nearly right from the start. My junior HS friend & I would go to the matinees at the local theater quite often. One week we saw "Le Mans" starring Steve McQueen & was hooked on auto racing. Specifically, IndyCar racing with a little bit of F1 thrown in. I've had 7 yards of this IndyCar fabric for a long time, not knowing what I would use it for (it's hard to find anything but stock cars). Ah Steve, gone too soon.

Colorado Prairie

Colorado Prairie. I dyed the piece of fabric at the dye party in July. My free motion quilting still needs a lot more practice, but I am trying.

A Bad Movie

This is my matinee quilt gone bad. I had planned to hand stitch "film" on it, but my hands have been hurting a lot lately. Soooo...like a dope, I used the sewing machine - my nemesis! - and I will just deal with it later. So, for now, this is it! The End!

Matinee

My first thought of the word Matinee was the marquee outside the theaters of my childhood.

There were several theaters with the name of the theater in large letters that would light up at night.

I pondered how fancy to get with the building as well as the scaffolding that held up the sign and which angle. I concluded that simpler is usually better and 

I decided I wanted the sign to look like I was standing on the street looking up just before participating in one of my favorite activities with my Mom and Sister.

well it has taken me way too long to get these three done - Winter has been done for a bit.. my word BTW- Green is a leaf all done in Photoshop.. took a picture of ferns used a cookie cutter shape of a fern and there you go.. and the Chaos finished it today - it has a name.. There is no Black and White in Chaos..

Matinee

Matinee had me scratching my head. Do I go literal? So I took my inspiration from "One Blue Tulip" after I realized that my private matinee had been the nest building, egg laying and hatching of robins in my backyard evergreen tree. Every morning, every afternoon, I checked on them. I was anxious when it snowed in SLC so late in May but they all hatched and went their merry way. The quilt was from a class I took at Quilt Fest a couple years ago by Jeanna Kimball. I love the English method of applique and hope to use it more. What is this bird, who knows. But I got to practice free motion quilting, some embroidery with the machine and was very glad to have something for this word.

Joni Blue

My first thought upon hearing the word "blue" was Joni Mitchell's album cover for "Blue." I wasn't sure I could do it but came pretty close to what I envisioned.

Ken's Green

My husband loves to golf, so this is my "green." Added a sand trap for him, too!

Trash Heap

I saved the threads and fabric scraps out of my sewing room wastebasket for this one. It was fun to do and, once again, I learned how to use something new - Solvy!

Green is Done!

I've included a pic of the label, so you can see where I'm coming from with this idea. The song kept running through my head when I was thinking of this word. Yay for tree & rose fabric!!

Matinee

My husband has always wanted me to make a pineapple quilt.

I can’t decide what color family he would like – we don’t agree on color. But I like black and white anything. I hate it when people feel the need to ‘put a touch of red’ in a black and white quilt – to liven it up. Ick. Anyway, I remembered seeing an old Fons & Porter show about a simple, no-paper-piecing method of making pineapple blocks. I thought this would be a good opportunity to experiment with this method because I think a single pineapple block looks like a big old movie reel or those old test patterns from the ‘50s and ‘60s on TV screens in the middle of the night. Again, I have tons of black and white fabric; the Fons & Porters method was fun, but I messed up measurements at some point, because it didn’t end up being symmetrical. No matter; it’s just a test. It’s fine for this purpose. I found the little Guatemalan dolls from an old broken pin, and figured they would make an appropriate embellishment. But they needed a red curtain for their stage.

Ta dah!

A Matinee with a Manatee

I have to admit, this one was a little tricky. I looked up the definition hoping to find a new angle, but there was none.

This is hand dyed fabric appliqued, then machine quilted. I forgot how much I suck at applique, but like I promised--it was real sewing this time :) I used gel medium to transfer a picture of a manatee.

Is Praire supposed to be any easier??? Maybe I'd better go back and do some of the words I thought were hard to do...they've now become not so hard!

My sister, Su, joined the same time but I happen to have her quilt. She can blog about what she was up to on her own.

So, I recently joined this group and was told "green" was the next word. I immediately thought of "green peace" and decided to make a quilt around that idea. I don't do much with fusible for applique and struggled with getting it right. My participation is about trying new techniques and working them out. So...

I know it's a little more than 12x12 but I had to add the roots!

I used fabric wrapped cord for the stems and felt for the leaves.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Printed cow images on inkjet printer; freehanded large cow shapes for fusible applique; embellished a bit with beads....

Subliminal Green Messaging

I had many "brilliant ideas" for Green but just couldn't seem to make any of them come together.  I finally decided to use this piece of snow resist dyed fabric and attempt to use thread to make it "come alive." 

I'm not excited about the results and I couldn't get a photo I liked either. Neither seems bright enough for me.  I think the quilt is a little brighter in person.  I do like the words I quilted into the tree and grass, although they can't necessarily be seen at first sight I hope that perhaps they provide a little subliminal message to keep the world a beautiful place.

Actually I'm not sure you can read them in these photos either! Oh well.

One Blue Tulip

The tulip applique was given to me by my friend Robyn several years ago. After just returning from Asilomar and taking a wonderful class with Libby Lehman, I decided to take this one applique block and give it a home, using the circles that I learned in the class. Thanks Robyn and Libby for making this quilt a reality.

Mother Earth Is Tired

This may not be considered a "quilt", so I apologize. I promise! Next month I'll do a three layer, stitched quilt.
This is my green quilt. I made the paper/fiber, dyed it in greens and made a face with it. You can't really see, but the bottom layer has seeds imbedded in it. You'll see bits of newsprint and other "trash", as well as bird feathers for the eyebrows.

California Blues

This is so Californian. I took a class from Sandi Cummings (Californian) at Asilomar, in California, while I was living in California. With my friend Diane (Californian). The freeform cutting and sticks were techniques from that class. I bought the fabrics while in California this year at three different California quilt shops. I really enjoy freeform cutting.

Green- Beverly H.

I actually finished two for this one.  I wasn't completely happy with the first, had more fabric I could use, so I had fun making a second- which is what you see here.  

I wanted to use a fabric I'd dyed, discharged, and screen printed with an image of the wind farm that is very close to my home.  I added other fabrics that I also dyed and printed.  The edge is done with Terry Grant's method which she detailed in Quilting Arts a couple of years ago.

I haven't quilted with my Bernina in a long time, but this programmed stitch seemed perfect.  I stretched it some from the default settings.

If you want to see the first iteration of Green, you can see it on my blog.

Chaos

Finally! It's finished! This really represents my creative life....decisions, decisions, decisions! I used a small panel for the crazy lady, enlarged it, cut her arms off and switched them from being on her hips to holding fabric up. She started out as a nurse, so I cut off her cap, used "Texture Magic" on a piece of gray fabric which became her brain, and thread tangles (from the dryer) for her hair. The words were printed on fabric as well, and the little bits and pieces are simply fused on. Once I decided on trying the Texture Magic, everything else just kind of fell into place. Oh, she also has beads for earrings and her jumper is colored with marker and colored pencil. This was a fun piece to make. Hope you all enjoy it.

Pass the tissues

Achoo! 12 x 12

As you can probably tell, this is my entry for the COLD challenge although it would also work well for BLUE. When I thought of cold, cold weather and having a cold both came to mind so I pulled out penguins, snowflakes and other chilly fabrics and started sewing. I used pieces from a silk handkerchief owned by my great grandmother Isabelle Rogers to make the tissues.

I'm so glad to finally have a piece to post. I am hand quilting it with snowflakes and cold words like BRRRR. Enjoy.

BYU Blue

If you look carefully, you'll see the name of the quilt in there.
I saw this done and just had to experiment on my own. Everything used is polyester: felt, crushed velvet, and wonder under, except for the cotton thread. That way I am able to burn away everything but the thread holding it together.
I've recently started working on my basic degree through the BYU BGS program in Creative Writing.

Blue- Beverly Hart

 

I looked for phrases or expressions that had the word 'blue' in them.  I came across blue laws, and it just kind of took on a life of it's own from there.  Call it the time of year, frame of mind, whatever- but this is where I ended up!

Deep Blue Sea

When I think of blue I think of the ocean and I take a deep wistful sigh. While I was in Hawaii a few years ago I went snorkeling. I loved looking all the amazing fish and coral. However my heart still skips a beat when I think about almost swimming head first into a turtle. She was so beautiful and after we got over the shock of almost running into each other she seemed as curious about me as I was about her. It was a miraculous moment for me.


I created the turtle using a photograph that I printed onto tissue paper. After the tissue paper was sprayed with three layers of finishing spray, I crumpled it several times and then fused it to fabric. This along with the coral was then machine appliqued to the background. The crumpled tissue paper adds a very nice texture to the turtle.

Peace Coming

Still catching up...

This is Peace. I have always wanted to do one of those off white, lacy, Victorian sort of, weddingish type of pieces. They are always so pretty to look at. I tried to add a hot gun effect, melting away some areas...and that didn't really go well. I'll have to try that out on some other piece. I really enjoyed doing this one.

No Name Yet

I wanted to do something with graffiti. I bought paint pens, had an idea in my head about how to make bricks. I am working on some trading cards. Trying to clean up the bits and pieces in my pre-fused baggie and Bam! I completely changed directions. This is an example of my studio. Total chaos. Bits here, bits there, sock yarn, fuzzy bits, threads hanging everywhere. Each layer of the piece has two straight sides. None of them are lined up. I put some netting on there, couldn't even cut that to fit over the top. Oh well, story of my life. Now to get back to the trading cards.......

Sylvia

Well, I finally got COLD done! I thought I would try out Superior's Texture Magic & it was fun! I just used white fabric, white thread, and the backing, which I folded over to the front for the binding, is white flannel. I've included a close-up--I just scribbled with my stitching. Now, on to CHAOS!!

Comfort Spelled Out

Sorry, but I'm still trying to catch up. This is my comfort challenge and after seeing what brought about this word, I wish I had taken a more profound view, but this is what I came up with.

I love working this small, because it forces me to work smaller, getting all of my ideas in the allowed space and sometimes my brain says I can't fit it all in, but I did! I also am a lousy artist, but I just finished reading a book (called Remembering Isaac) about keeping a sketch journal, and drawing and writing your thoughts and ideas, and it inspired me to just go for it: mixing up the drawings (no matter how bad or silly) with words and ideas.

Just as a side note: Comfort comes as a result of seeing the success of doing something you didn't think you could do.

Chaos- Is Our Nation Unraveling?

When the word chaos appeared, I knew exactly what I wanted to create. Using my son's help, we generated a picture of the Capitol and words using Microsoft Publisher. After printing the picture and text onto fabric, I then used some of my painted fusible for laying over the top of the picture.
Big stitch hand quilting was randomly added in the blank spaces. I wanted to add thread work, to make it appear that the unraveling of our Nation is happening in front of our very eyes.

I love our Country and feel that in the preceding year chaos had overtaken our government. When this will all end I have no idea. I crave what is lost, and pray that those principals our Nation was founded upon will not perish.