TWO PEONIES , POPPIES and a FOXGLOVE a botanical art quilt
I used applique to attach the flowers, which were thread painted to add body and detail.
Here’s the finished art quilt. I quilted it with MonoPoly clear thread because I wanted the texture but not added competing color.
SOLD
Here’s where we are so far; the backing . batting and top background are sandwiched together. I use a spray adhesive 505 Spray And Fix to sandwich everything together. The parts of the puzzle pieces are in the process of being fused to the quilt sandwich. As you can see there is subtle color variations with the individual parts of the flowers. You will need to finish fusing down your entire composition.
Your next step once you have fused down all the pieces is to zig zag around the edges of each individual piece in the matching thread color.. You want the stitches set shorter and tightly spaced together. Go slowly, stop when you need to turn fabric and so on. Be sure to pull up your bobbin thread to the top when you start out at the beginning of each thread color change.
I used some free motion thread painting to add details and highlights.
I’ll finish it and show you the finished quilt next time. Happy Quilting!
Like most people summer is a busy time and I’m no exception. But for me it is quilt related.
I have had some really interesting custom orders that I’ve been busy with. I especially love making something specifically for someone. It is an opportunity to get to know the person who commissioned the piece I like having that interaction, it makes the work so personal. I’ve honestly met some of the nicest people through custom orders from my Etsy shop. We have a common interest from the git go, these are people who appreciate art, my art in particular! How cool is that?
Anywho.. I feel especially motivated to make something they will really love. They have paid me the greatest compliment, they like my work and want me to make something just for them! That’s so enjoyable.
Back to the busy summer…I sent several of my quilts out for the Second Skin Textile Art Exhibit [see interesting people and events for more info on that event] and looking at my Etsy shop, well it looks empty. I better start jamming out them art quilts!!! I work literally day and night, compulsively so, couldn’t stop if I want to! But I better pick up the pace!
Then in Oct there is a Big and I do mean BIG art show in Vegas-Art In The Park . One hundred thousand people come by the bus load for this event! I’m so hyped I can’t even stand it,. Again I need to take a lot of art there for the show. More art quilts, more art quilts!! I love working, but there is only so much one person can accomplish. Where are my super powers when I need them I ask?
So here’s the start of several new quilts, more to follow. I’m on a botanical kick, loving the thread painting and hanging on to the last of the flowers as fall approaches. Here’s the wee beginnings…
Bonus: a tutorial on raw edge appliqué
Now the sketches are on the top paper of the Lite Steam a Seam fusible web. I can start carefully cutting out, one at a time, e little” puzzle piece” and fuse it to my fabric of choice. Place it on the backing and iron it to tack it down. Then move to the next piece of the “puzzle” and repeat the whole process til I have the entire flower on the quilt backing.
More to follow on this process…Stay tuned! Lesson #2 on the raw edge appliqué next post.
When I got the request for this custom order for 2 jelly fish featured in an art quilt, I would never have thought of doing a wall hanging with this theme. But the more I thought about the request, the more excited I got about the idea.
I did some sketches, after looking at a lot of photos of jelly fish. My biggest obstacle was how do you capture the fluidity? How do you take fabric and try to make it almost translucent looking, and jellys almost look lit from within, how do you do that with fabric?
I was asked to submit some of my art quilts in a textile art exhibt; Second Skin Textile Art Exhibit. It is being held in New Hope, Pa at the New Hope Art Gallery Sept 11 – Oct 9th.
Here’s a copy of the flyer, with my art quilt pictured on the back!
I love throwing big Victorian Tea parties, in full Victorian dress. I’ll share about that later. This tea was on a smaller scale . a goodbye tea party for a friend who moved away. It involved making and the giving of a quilt, of course. It also involves beautiful china, flowers and pretty linen. I confess that I hoard china, yes I am a china hoarders. The burning question is how many sets of china does a person need ? i’m attempting to find the answer to that burning question. Is six concurrent sets a bit much? A few years ago, I began a quest to find a set of pink and gold china. I was on the lookout for pink and gold dishes, every yard sale and thrift store. I was determined, time passed, I kept my eyes open. Nothing. When we went on a trip to England, the trip expanded my search field to an entire country, one which had a proper appreciation of beautiful china. The possibilities were staggering, I was dizzy with excitement, the game was a foot! I was in the world of Royal Daulton and Royal Albert. I searched for vintage stores, thrift shops and yard sales, which are apparently replaced by “boot sales” in Britten, an empty field that has filled with cars selling from the trunk of their car. The dishes you see here were found in a flea market in England and carted back home in a suitcase.Packed with care, crossed fingers. Not one chipped cup. How’s that for packing? I’m sure you’ve noticed how glorious pink and gold are together. I think I may have over dosed on one too many Victoria magazines. A defunct magazine, the stuff of dreams, over flowing with pictures of beautiful cottages, flowers and tea shops. If you know about Victoria magazine, I suspect you may be on the brink of china hoarding. You, in all likelihood, are obsessed with pink roses draping over a white arbor, cottage gardens, quaint cottages, thatched roofs, tea parties …the list trails off into the sunset….Welcome my new fellow romantic, you too may begin a quest of your own. Maybe it will be for one special hard to find romantica rose, or a blue teapot with cornflowers on it made by Royal Albert…
As I promised, I’m updating my progress on the jelly fish art quilt I’m making for a custom order on my etsy site; AsianArtAndQuilts@etsy.com { take a peak}.
Some detail done a lot more to do. This is the fun part.
Today this is what I’ve done, real progress on the thread painting, this is the fun stuff.
Sad blurry little picture, and me claiming to be a somewhat good pphotographer, my ego has no bounds apparently.
Here’s another:
I like the staghorm coral, but siome of the limbs could be bigger, waht do you think? Tell me your thoughts.
The jelly I may have just over done it with the details, do you think?
Less is more, I may be ripping out threads if this doesn’t start growing on me.
I have one more pic, a darling humming bird outside my kitchen window.
Is this an Annis? Any experts out there?
I got a request for a custom quilt from a lovely lady involving jellyfish. She wanted an art quilt with 2 jellyfish featured on it as a wedding gift for a friend who really loves jellyfish.
After coming up with design ideas I settled on a direction to go. Ran it by my customer and she liked it so I was up and running.
The idea I had initially was a graduated color going from light to dark blues as a backdrop. I couldn’t find the right fabric, So did some creative piecing to give a similar effect,
Drew some drawing of jelly fish and played around with the scale and placement. Traced the drawing on the steam a seam fusible web paper. Then cut up the pieces of my “pattern” and fused to my fabric choices
After fusing everything down and stabilizing, I started thread painting and stitching it down. I like to zigzag the raw edges.
More later on the progress.
Over the weekend went to Quilts by the Sea quilt show in Newport Oregon, shared a booth with Teresa of Quilts by Nature. Lovely people who put this annual show on. Lovely show, small but not too small. Enjoyed the interesting visitors to the show. Got the flu on the last day, made tearing down and packing an awful chore sick.
Got my latest new grandson yesterday morning he’s adorable. I had a blast holding him, he made the cutest little sounds, we said he was purring,. Grandchildren are the bestest!!I’m blessed with several wonderful ones.
See Ya,
Barb,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Barbara Harms Fiber Art & More