The Design is in the Detail

The Utah inspired challenge.

I did this whole post and then lost it...!!!

So here I go again.

I didn't have time to do a challenge block yesterday, so I started this at 7.30 and finished at 8.30.....

So it proves it doesn't have to take too much time out of your day.

I took a piece of white fabric and created a sky. I needed a big white cloud and a bright blue sky.

I used  cerulean blue all purpose pigment ink mixed with a little water.

I used the ink undiluted at first first so I could get a crisp outline to the cloud.

Then I added a little water and finished the piece... I didn't need to paint under the area the where the rocks were going to be.

Next to make the rocks.

I had a great piece of that would do the job. Remember, you need to take into consideration the dimension and perspective of pattern... so this piece of fabric was super.

I added some Texture Magic that Nedra Sorrenson asked me to try. I just placed it at the back of my fabric and stitched on the pattern of the fabric adding a few lines of my own... Once again, take into consideration the size of the piece it would be no good doing large lines... it wouldn't have the right effect.

And then the exciting bit... I ironed it and it scrunched up giving me the most wonderful texture.

I dded fusible web to the back of this piece and cut the rocks freehand... no pattern, just imagination.

Once again, perspective is important so in my minds eye I visualize the top edge of the rocks against the sky.

You may not be able to see, but there are about 8 pieces cut to create the image, the sand in the foreground had to go down in two pieces too.

Ironed down... it will have to remain until I get a chance to quilt it...

This is the way it will stay... postcard, journal like... the image, ragged edges on a white background. A piece of memory.

I've Finished the Chicago Quilt and this is two challenges in one....!!

This is the view that inspired the illustration of Chicago. The first is  of the city from the window of my hotel, the second is the way the fields of flowers in the center of the city create a feeling of lightness. A combination of beautiful architecture and nature.

So this was part of the illustration in my sketch book.

I finished the drawing, and when I returned home, I printed it on fabric.

The previous blog explains how I composed the picture.

So now it's finished....

 

I needed to ad the word "Chicago" I didn't want to have to draw it, I didn't want to print it on fabric, so I used some letters from my scrap booking file on the computer, and printed them on my normal printer on very heavy watercolor paper.

I cut out each one individually and stitched them to the quilt with as small zig zag stitch and Superior "so fine" thread".

 The quilt needed to balance, to words were placed in the right hand and left hand side.

The texture of the paper blends in well with the rest of the quilt. Unless you look very carefully and feel it... you can't tell it's paper... anyway who says you can't have paper on your Quilt.!!!!!

The birds illustrated (featured in a previous post) looked a little strange sitting out there all on their own, so I took the strip cut of the end of the quilt when I straightened it up for binding..... I added that as a small feature under the birds... it is already quilted and I stitched it with a small zig zag several times... it adds a little texture to the quilt, finishes the edge of the birds and because it's directional it adds contrast to the printed background.

One of the difficulties working with fabric like this is that the printing is never even.... as a fashion designer that was the bane of my life.... so I've done the best I can with this, but its still a little scew whiff.

And this is the finished quilt. You may notice that I've added a little shadow under the spliced city pieces.

I quilted the city first with smoke monofilament on the top and a light grey Superior Masterpiece thread on the back. I used a 60/8 sharp needle. Free motion.

In the close up photos you will see a little extra free motion quilting.

The rest of the quilt was quilted with the open toed dual foot on the Janome. I used so fine on the top in a color to blend with the background. It was hard to keep to the lines of printing because they didn't match from column to column.

This is truly a Journal quilt. Memories in fabric.

   

Skirts for Fairies.

I've had a busy day today, with business and babysitting...  well NO, "Tillysitting."

We found red gum blossoms on the ground just outside the Kindergarten gate.

Skirts for Fairies we think.  

There must of been thousands of fairies out having a party last night and they left their skirts on the ground....I had little time to think of the Chicago project, but I've just come out to the shed and begun work on it  again.   I made another print of the drawing and cut it up to add to the left hand side of the quilt.

It was spring when I did this drawing, there were so many flowers and birds right  in the center of the city... and the background fabric features birds so I thought I would add a couple of birds to my quilt too.

I had a scrap book illustration and I scanned it and re-sized it and re-drew it to make my own drawing....

Now I will trace it on to the quilt by putting it on a light box and tracing it through. I'm going to use a .05  black pigment ink pen to achieve the detail.

The hats will be blue in keeping with the blue in the background  fabric and also because there were a lot of blue flowers in the center of the city.

Working through the composition

Following my idea of  Newsprint....I had this Moda fabric that l thought would fit the bill and indeed it does.

So I've cut the print apart and ironed it to the fabric.

Chicago Challenge

I've given up counting what block I'm up to..

I'm just going to do it.....

I'm unable to sew a block while I am traveling, so I've drawn one and this is my challenge in Chicago City.

I think I could take any part of this drawing and create an applique.

But I decided to print it onto fabric.

I think it looks great.

The print is crisp and clear and I printed it on my Pixma printer.

I first cut a piece of fusible web, A4..... in reality, I could use freezer paper and iron it to the back of the fabric.

Now this is a wonderful fabric. I bought it quite cheaply, say around $5 a yard... I was so excited when I saw it, I bought about 20 yards and then I had to get it home... but I've used it for many things..

The drawn Rhino is one of those projects.

You might wonder why I love this fabric so much.... well it's a very tight weave, and when I draw or print on it, it  reacts like paper.... I get a really crisp finish.

What I'm going to do with the print is a mystery... but because it has fusible web on the back, I think I'm going to cut out some of the images and put them into separate areas on another piece of fabric... sort of extend the print.... what about a piece of Newspaper print..... The Chicago times...!!!!