Pam Holland Designs and Productions

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.

LQuilt and Quilting Arts.

A new Venture. LQuilt and Quilting arts Magazine have joined forces...

Take a look.

Gabriella Goodness and her Angelic friends.

The pattern is up, just go to the URL below.

She also has a big problem with the blackbirds who have a wonderful time tap dancing on the bark chips with their spindly yellow legs   -  so if you can't beat them join them  - she makes cute little bird houses to place in strategic places in the garden purely for the accommodation of the blackbirds !!!

via pamhollanddesigns.typepad.com

AgaPamthus No 2.

The temperature has dropped a little and I'm just about to illustrate the AaPAMthus.

We're in our first official heatwave for November

I decided to use different fabric for the background. I used a moda print on print fabric  and over dyed it.

Now I've just competed drawing the buds on the fabric.

But I'm going to add a lot to it...I'm going to illustrate what's under the ground, the surface and the sky....

I'm not sure just what I will add, but stay tuned...

 

There's nothing remarkable about this technique, but I dry brushed the ink on the top of the part to be dyed and then wet the rest so the ink flowed down.

 

The green was dyed graduating up and the purple, graduating down... the colors of the Aggy

 

The beginning of the illustration

Quilting pattern

This is the preparation for the quilting. I folded a piece of paper in half and  lightly sketched the existing image on the paper...

I'll finish it... then draw it in pen and trace the image onto my quilt with a wash out pen.

It looks busy, but it will be the same color as the background so I will be more sculptured than quilted.

Now the pattern transferred to the original quilt with a water soluble pen.

I always panic that it won't wash out.. !!!

I reversed the pattern on the light box for the left hand side.

Fanciful Aggy No 2.

The picture is complete... now I'm going to prepare it for quilting.

The background quilting will be a totally different pattern.

 

These are the pencils used... prisma.

The design is my own and I know the leaves are not the right shape for an aggy, but... I like them.

Fanciful Aggy No1.

I've traced the image onto the fabric in pencil.

You can rub out the lines you don't need, just as if you are working on paper.

At this stage

I've just started coloring with pencil.

 

I'll added a little  definition with a black pigma pen.

Unlike an illustration, this is going to be quilted so we need the extra dimension with the black pen.

Talking Threads

I just had an email from Lizzie with notification of this fabulous production.... It begins tomorrow, Wednesday.

Guys this is the way quilting is being shared now.... Not over the table, but over the internet... we're so lucky.

AND

before you say, "Oh, but we are missing out on the face to face side of quilting..."

I'm going to say hogwash.. you can still join a group.... these things offered are add ons... just for us.

BUT

If you're a young Mum at home, or you work full time... sometimes you can't afford the time to join a group, the internet is a wonderful way to begin.

When I began to quilt and the Internet was new.... I would pour over the Quilting chat pages... I belonged to Squilters and the Quiltersbee It was the highlight of my day to read the messages.

I devoured the technique pages and the emails from interesting people in far away pages. That's why I love writing a blog each day. It puts me in touch with all you wonderful folk.

I was known as Pam in the Shed... I still get people asking me if I was that strange lady from down under.

But look what we have now. Wonderful, wonderful tutorials, great ideas and techniques being displayed.

We have so many resources now.

Free online magazines, Quiltposium

L Quilt with classes online,

Ricky and Alex and the Quilt Show.

and stay tuned for my online book!!!!

So take a look at this new production

Talking Threads

I've had a lovely day today.... I quilted all day. I've probably got another 24 hours of quilting to do on the texture piece before it is finished.

I listened to the most interesting things on TV. But sometimes I feel the need to engage in conversation with some of those silly people. So I did a little forceful conversation to no one but the TV as well today.

Keith dropped something the other day... it landed with a crash and a swear word slipped out....  Tilly, feigning horror, said "Oh Papa, you can't use that square word"

The next video

It's been a hectic couple of days, but as promised... here's the quilting video.