Quilting on the Edge

New Art Quilt Challenge from My Scrap Box

Lately I've been itching to make an art quilt but I haven't had any specific inspiration. So I decided it was time to resort to another method to get started. I went to my scrap boxes and selected some of my favorite fabrics. Most of these give hints of natural elements or have organic lines. The photo shows the fabrics I have selected. Some lights, darks, mediums, and brights. I decided to set up a few rules for my challenge to make an art quilt. I can only use these fabrics that I have selected and posted here. I do not have to use them all, but I can't grab any others from my stash or scrap boxes. So now I will begin. I'll post pictures along the way as I create this quilt. This is one of my favorite ways of creating, starting with the fabric which will lead to the design.

http://www.christinepredd.com/

Link To : 70 year old Creativity Technique That Is Still Relevant Today

Think you will benefit from this article! Chris 

70 year old Creativity Technique That Is Still Relevant Today

http://www.creativitypost.com/create/70_year_old_creativity_technique_that_is_still_relevant_today

20 weeks of Background Noise Project: View of Project to Date

You might want to see how the background project looks after 20 weeks of 4 inch blocks. It helps to see the whole quilt as I add new blocks so that I can make a cohesive project. My goal is to place the blocks so that the eye continues to move around the whole quilt, while at the same time allowing each block to be visible on its' own. I'm happy I chose the black batik strips to divide the project into a grid. Just imagine, I have 8 more rows to go before the year is over! It's hard to imagine I have 32 more blocks to make but I don't think of it as a big group I think of it as one at a time.

http://www.christinepredd.com/

Background Noise Project.

The 4 inch block for this week began with an old piece of fabric I had dyed and stamped with a dragonfly.
I painted and embellished the dragonfly with variegated and gold thread. I quilted the background in a grid pattern and then colored in random squares with red paint. It is fun finding fabrics I had formerly created and now turning them into a useful block.

http://www.christinepredd.com/

Finding your Passion in Your Work

I think you may enjoy this read about finding your passion, whether in your work or in your other life
pursuits. Some of the statements ring true for me. It's good to think about this subject now and again and see how it relates to you and your life. Here's the link: http://www.soulfulliving.com/passionatework.htm

Chris

http://www.christinepredd.com/

Link to What My Mother Gave Me

A good reading for this weekend.

http://www.npr.org/2013/05/08/182263648/whats-the-most-meaningful-gift-your-mom-gave-you

Happy Mothers Day to all! Chris

http://www.christinepredd.com/

Background Noise Project 5/8/13

This week I decided to make my block about repetitive shapes. I have some canvas fabric on which I painted with acrylic paints the shape of a cross, overlapping that shape in various colors and sizes. I then stitched in various sizes of crosses over the painted piece. Finally I painted within the stitched lines of a large cross to create a more dominant shape.

http://www.christinepredd.com/

Starting a New Quilt

Yesterday I got out my Geese in Flight quilt I made in 2005 that has been sitting in my cedar chest. It's really never been used except for an occasional taking out, looking at it, and then refolding it and putting it back. I have several quilts that I've made stored in my cedar chest. as well as other bed quilts that are used on a regular basis. I decided to leave this one out for a while laying on my bed. That's the quilt you see in the photo, made in red, blues, and pinks.
It is 72 by 55 inches, and I even hand quilted it back in 2005! It's my husband's favorite of all my quilts.
I've been itching to start a new long-term project so I decided it could be time to make another quilt like this one. Today I purchased the fabrics for this quilt which is in the other photo. I'm doing this one in shades of purple, blue, and teal and green with a hint of yellow. I'm thinking that I might add a few orange geese here and there also. I work best when I have some type of plan when I make a quilt, so I decided that I will give myself 6 months to piece this quilt top. The first quilt has 672 pieced geese in flight sections, each of which is 1.5 by 3 inches in the finished quilt.
And I hope to make this quilt larger. Once the quilt top is pieced I will have the winter to quilt it either by hand or machine. Time to wash the fabrics before I start cutting!

http://www.christinepredd.com/

Trees: The Alternative Cathedral, by Patty de Llosa

Trees: The Alternative Cathedral, by Patty de Llosa.

Shared Words, Shared Worlds, by Naomi Shihab Nye

Shared Words, Shared Worlds, by Naomi Shihab Nye.

And shared humanity too!   Hope you enjoy this link.   Chris