Pam Holland Designs and Productions

Texture

Working on drawings today... this will be a quilt sometime....

The buildings of San Miguel.

Then I had to do this for my homework.... the maid kept throwing out my flower... so I sort of had to guess a little bit.

The art is breathtaking here... and I have broken down some of the images into three sections...

First of all I'm always interested in texture....

Texture.... you could draw on fabric with a black pigma pen and then quilt on the lines.

You could use images similar to this as quilting patterns... ever thought of drawing on the back of your fabric and quilting through the back....

I have actually used a heavily patterned fabric on the back of the quilt and quilted in reverse....quilted the back and the bobbin is the quilting side.

Whoops time to go out ...more tomorrow...

How to change photos in Microsoft word

Notes for Students.

Click on the URL below for the PDF information.

How to change photos in Microsoft word

You decide to create a portrait... sometimes it's difficult to work out how to break down the color layers....

Some people use a photo program on your computer to do this...but you can use Microsoft word.... and I've created a PDF set of notes to give you that information.

The portrait of Tilly, above has been posterized.... you can see that it's easier to break down the colors into specific layers...there are just 4 or 5 layers of color... the edges are more clearly defined than the original photo.

The photo below is a watercolor... this is my choice when creating a portrait  quilt.

This is the original photo

Morning everyone.

I'm getting a dab hand at cooking in my small oven... I was able to add some protein to the diet today.....!!!!!

I cooked an egg, added tomato and I feel quite domesticated...

This is a photo of the prisma pencil sharpener I mentioned in the last post... It works well, and doesn't chew the pencils....this one travels with me, I got one for my buddy and I will take one home.

I'm rather fussy about the way my pencils work and as I mentioned I'm taking the ones I purchased yesterday back to Hobby Lobby.

  my working space.

I'm using "Ink tense" (pigment ink pencils) on this piece.

Now some quilters, create the image with quilting first and then almost 'paint' the pencils on.... I prefer to do it differently.

I want it to look like a drawing... I want the colors subtle rather than looking too intense...

In this picture, I colored the image with the pencils and then wet it with a tiny brush to produce the applique.

The photo is behind and the applique in front...it's not bright and garish, but realistic.

I traced my drawing of Minnesota onto the fabric, a tight weave fabric. I didn't wash it prior to use...I need the sizing in the fabric to assist the  smooth flow of the pencil.

On the ink tense site, they wash the fabric prior to using it... can't work that one out, I tried it and it made the fabric harder to use and the ink didn't take as well...

OK, I'm off to check out the quilts stores in the area and then work all afternoon on the book....

Apple tree update.

How boring to be updated on an apple tree....!!!!!

Well in fact NO, I've had an interesting day and this little apple tree has given me a wonderful idea.

It's  a small drawing and the leaves were quite fine. the point end on the Tsukineko pen is much thicker than I would like, so I used a new brand, a fine (pigment pen - so I was told) 

It looked great, I manged to get quite a few colors in the leaves and I was happy with the illustration.

I sandwiched the quilt and I thought, I'll just press it before I quilt it.... and the batting shrank about half an inch.... I've never seen that before... and this is a small quilt !!!!! so I had to pull it undone and re-sandwich it. It was 100% cotton pre shunk batting, so I'm going to contact them on that.

I first quilted with mono filament around the tree image and all the leaves... it looked great. Then I changed to fine cotton thread and began quilting around the border.

Half way through the quilting, as I often do, I decided to press it to re-shape it...the iron wasn't quite hot enough and water spilled from it.... and voila, I had one heck of a mess.... the new pens bled into the fabric...

I looked at it with disbelief... I've been working on this darn tree for days and I should be able to do it in a few hours...!!!!

Now I had to re-do it....

"Oh darn it" so I washed it and the offending ink came out with a concerted scrubbing  effort.

I dried it and  all that was left was the black pigment ink pen I always use and the Tsukineko ink.... that will never wash out.

Dried, I re-colored the image with Tsukineko ink and the black pigma pen.....

BUT, I want a finer look.

So the object of this project is that now I have an idea to present to Japanese Pen manufacturers... and I know it will work..I won't go into any more detail, but trust me.... I'll organize it.

Challenge block from mexico.

The pencil gives a soft glow to the piece. A little of the surface color may wear off with constant handling, but... once quilted this will be packaged for viewing by students... and I have a big sign on the pack saying "Please don't open"

via pamhollanddesigns.typepad.com

To follow this project click on the URL above.

How to quilt this quilt.

The maker of this quilt asked my advice on how to quilt it....

It's taken me a while to get back to it, it was hard to do on the road... but here it is and I thought you may be interested...

This is just a suggestion and probably how I would quilt the project., but sometimes I don't know just how I would finish it until I work on it... hence the suggestions.

1. The vertical lines on the  wall paper or the back ground. I would use a thread the same color as the fabric. that way you achieve texture rather than making a new line to look at.

2. I would leave the lighter fabric blank. More texture.

3. Horizontal lines on the cushion probably in the same color as the fabric or just a bit darker.... don't be too fussy... free motion the lines... straight lines look restrictive. Follow the curve of the cushion.

4. His garment is in contrast to the rest of the quilt and the lines of the shadows would look wonderful quilted, but it's important to match the thread to the fabric, just texture... not distraction. the thread on the orange would match that fabric as well... the intense quilting on the shadows add to the bulk of his garment.

5. I would quilt the lower part of the cushion following the horizontal theme. Peace, Calm is represented by horizontal quilting. I wonder what it would like in gold thread?

6. Finally the part we are all scared of, the face. outline the fabric in thread to match the fabric color or mono filament... thread. But don't add any other quilting... this retains the serenity...

Use a 70/10 microtex sharp needle...  try matching the thread in the bobbin to the thread in the top, so you have an exact picture on the back of the quilt...

I use 50 weight masterpiece.

Free motion. Feed dogs up....

Give it a go.

Texture quilting.

Back on track with the Rhino....  This quilting is what I call "Texture" quilting... the quilting in between the circles on this piece is free motion zig zag. It gives great texture.

You can see it a little better on the back.

Quilting Tip.

Just at the moment I'm in the middle of quilting a very large, and intensively quilted quilt...

I seem to quilt better in the early hours of the morning, but there is one difficulty quilting  at that time.

I find that the quilt moves much more fluidly under the needle when the machine bed is warm. If I'm going to quilt at that time of the day, I need to leave the machine on all night.

I don't have a problem with that, but yesterday I  alarmed the studio when I went out in the afternoon and I was too tired to go through the alarm system just to turn the machine on last night when we got home.

I leave my machine on all day normally, I've always done that and I find that my machine is much more user friendly when it's warm than when it's cold.... there is also a difference in the free motion stitch when the machine is prepared properly.

When you go to a quilting class, ask your teacher what she or he does to their machine when they free motion quilt, you'll be really surprised at some of the answers.

So, rather than begin doing the big quilt this morning I decided to quilt the small No1. Challenge quilt.

Interestingly, the design began at 6" and has shrunk over an 1/8th inch after the quilting.

AgaPAMthus No 1.

Well, I guess it's sort of finished. It's rather boring looking really.

BUT.

1. I am happy with the way the pencil worked on the fabric.
2. It's waxy and resists the water  when you spray it  to get rid of the blue liner pen.
3. I did re-apply a light coating of the pencil on part of the image after the quilt was quilted.
4. Could I spray it with pencil fixative to prevent it from coming off.? Not sure.
5. I like the quilting lines, I dislike the blue pen.
6. I sprayed it really well. The entire quilt was dripping and still some of the blue shows through when it's dry. But I'm persistent and continued adding the water until all the pen goes.
7. I would like to attempt to draw the pattern on the fabric, quilt on the pattern and leave the drawn line there.... now that would be interesting... no going off the lines after a late night that's for sure.
8. I used the same color thread on the top and in the bobbin.... It's Masterpiece by Superior.
9. It was quilted free motion.
10. I'm going to add some free standing Aggy leaves that just sit on top of the quilt I think.
11. Would I use color pencils again....?
12. maybe.
13. I'm not too sure how they will eventually affect the fabric. You may think that statement is a little over the top. But I want my quilts to last. I don't want to put all this work into a quilt only to have it end up at the op shop on the throwout table.

 

 

Almost finished.

I've almost finished the little AgaPamthus No1.

I'll show you the finished article tomorrow..

Did you wonder if I was able to completely get the blue pen out?

Well, I'll share more tomorrow.

I have been photographing all day and just arrived home... and it's almost bed time, so tomorrow will have to do.

But I think this photo of an Agapanthus  bud taken in the rain is magical.