Quilting on the Edge

Sunshine as Inspiration for Quilts

Isn't this interesting?  This is a climbing piece of equipment at a playground.......I took this photo of the sun coming through the holed floor while visiting there about a year or more ago......I thought the patterns it created were interesting and perhaps with a little cropping could turn into a nice subject for an art quilt.   I often take photos around the house too, in the morning when the sun is reflecting on the walls in unusual ways.  The following photos are of that type of thing. 

 The next one is the sun on the closet door in my studio.

 

 

 

 

One day, in the afternoon I had a bunch of my quilts lying on my sewing machine table, and noticed the sun coming through the blinds onto the quilts.   So I took a picture of that too.  Just for future reference.   Those photos are next.

See what I mean?  These in particular look good for cropping out a section for an art quilt design.   

 

The last photo is a cropped section that could be used as the basis for an art quilt. Kind of like a study in value of the various colors.   Maybe using your camera can be a source of inspiraton for you as well.  

Shadow Quilt Ideas

This is a picture of some kids' blocks I stacked, then I  took a picture of them against a white wall to also show the shadows created.  This was quite some time ago, and I was playing around with my digital camera to add to my file of quilting ideas.  Pretty neat.......I believe this photo has also been altered in photoshop.  This is something I do now and then, usually on a day I don't feel like quilting but still want to be creative.  A photo such as this can also be further altered in photoshop, here's another picture when I believe I used a filter to create a wavy picture from another stack of blocks.

Then, you could keep playing and crop out a section so it doesn't look like stacked blocks anymore at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Imagine what you could do with this photo in terms of color.   I had forgotten all about these photos until today, when I decided to look through my photo file for creative interest.  Just decided to share the idea with fellow creators today.  What can you be taking photos of along the way?   Even photos of things you admire for their beauty, can be used, especially if you crop out an interesting section and see what ideas are sparked.  Enjoy the process!  

Tuesdays' Two Cents: Ode to What I Take for Granted

 My shower was warm, the towel was fresh. I had soap and shampoo.  My hairdryer worked as it should.  My hairbrush was sitting right where I left it.  I could choose clothing appropriate for the weather.  I exercised without difficulty, I took a walk without giving the ability to do so a second thought.  I did it for health, not for necessity.  I enjoyed a warm cup of coffee and cold glass of orange juice.  I ate vanilla yogurt with dried cranberries, it was all right there in the frig and cupboard.  The sun was shining, the palm trees swayed and filled with air with swishing sounds. People smile at me while I walked, and I smiled back.  Nothing hurt me.  My body worked easily and carried me where I wanted to go.   I saw a closet with fabric and threads, needles and paints too.  I could create whatever I wanted.  Or, I could read, or listen to music.  I could hear from friends online, and or read interesting articles there too.  I could contact anyone I wanted to by telephone.   Yes, just another ordinary day, full of routine activities that I seldom notice.  I take them for granted.  I think this falls under "things to be grateful for".  For some reason today it hit me while walking that I usually describe these things as ordinary, and for me I suppose they are.  I can imagine those for whom this would not be ordinary.  Some could not take that walk, or enjoy that shower.  Some without something to eat.  I don't know why these thoughts came to me today, but I guess I was due for a reality check about life.  So, I've taken a step back and posted about it.  As we all know, it's the little things, not the big events of celebrations.  I hope I remember that more. 

New Group: TAFA Textile And Fiber Art List

I've become a member of TAFA......Textile and Fiber Art list.........you can view this site if you're interested by going to the link below.   If you're a textile or fiber artist, you may consider joining it as well!   go to:  http://tafalist.blogspot.com.

Art Quilt Project: Day 3

I didn't feel like working in the studio today, but I did manage to experiment with designs last eve and a little this morning before I got involved in housecleaning and a little painting.......not my favorite things by the way.  Anway, I decided to use some strips from the fabric I recently dyed as a start.  here's the first idea:   I like the orange tone, especially how the lines in the fabric mimic the greens of the background.  I think it needs some white or light to tie in with the flowers, not a lot, but something to keep the eye moving about the piece.   I found some lighter dyed pieces with the same fabric as the orange and cut a few thin strips and started placing them around to see how they would look.   The next picture is with these thin strips added.

 

I think this is better than without the light strips.  I decided that it might be good for the design to engage the edges of the piece,so I cut one of the paper flowers in half and placed them on either side against the edge.  Here's a photo of that addition.  You'll see I do have one fabric flower on there, I tried making one to see how it would go,using orange thread painting in the center.

I like the flowers extending to the edges better then just three suspended in the middle. I would use no binding then to finish this, but instead a facing so no binding would show against the edges.  That's where I am now, and I will leave this up for awhile until I decide if this it what I want to do for sure.  In the meantime, I'll make the flowers as time allows.   thanks for looking, I'll post more as I progress over the next few days. 

 

 

New Art Quilt Project: Day 2

OOOOOH, I'm really excited about this one, so far anyway.  The next photo is with all the stencilling done on the background.

I'm happy with it, but before I proceed any further, I'm going to quilt around these fronds as it would be close to impossible to do when I add other elements to the design.  So I layered this top with warm and natural batting, my favorite for art quilts because it is not too thick, yet will give dimension, and a backing fabric.   I quilted with a medium green thread around all the fronds, the next photo is a closeup of the quilting as it is near impossible to see with a full shot.

This was just to give the individual leaves some definition. also you'll notice I added some middle curved sections to unite the fronds, these I did free hand.  So, now I'm playing around with what to do for the bamboo branches across the top.  My nagging thought is that I will need something bright to be a focal point and attract the viewer to get a closer look.  I went to my photo file and found a picture of a white flower I had taken somewhere, enlarged it, and then copied out three flowers to paper.  Cut them out and just laid them on the background to see if this could be what I wanted.  Here's the photo:  remember these are just out of paper, but I do love the effect so far.  I'm still working on what to do for the bamboo sticks......I know they will have to go on the piece before the flowers are added.  I'm thinking of doing the flowers separately, layering and quilting and all, then appliquing them to the background.  This will give them a trapunto effect since they will be applied to the background which already has batting, so they will have a double batting. These white flowers stand out so well that a name for this piece has presented itself:  Gifts of the Night.   Before I do the flowers, I'm going to figure out the bamboo sticks problem, so I know for sure how all this will fit in with the flowers.  Thanks for looking.  

Tuesday's Two Cents: New Art Quilt Project

Yesterday I decided to dig out of my creative limbo by reviewing some of my photos for inspiration.  This one stood out.  I remember taking this photo outside, in the dark, using my regular digital camera with its' usual flash.  The long branches are of a bamboo plant, and at the base of the plant are small palm plants.  I decided to challenge myself to create this on a dark background with muted palm fronds and something for the branches, not sure yet.  So I selected a black fabric with printed swirls as my background.  First I created a stencil for the palms.I used freezer paper, the kind you buy in the grocery store, because you can iron the shiny side to fabric and it stays in place temporarily.  By the way, these photos are smaller but you can enlarge them by clicking on them if you want a better view.  Next I mixed up some muted green color paint........this was trial and error.  I started with a medium green, added black........too much black.  Then some white and gold, finally ended up with this for my paint. 
This is how the stencilling looked as I started applying the paint lightly with a stencil brush.   I first made one stencil across the middle bottom, then decided I'd make another one near it but added some white to the paint to make it a little lighter.  Here's how it looks so far:

This piece measures 20 inches high and 28 inches wide as of now.  I'm going to need to make another stencil for a downward hanging palm frond, but all in due time.  I'll keep you posted.  I'm liking this so far......anxious to see where it goes.  Thanks for looking. 
  
  

Artist Trading Cards

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had joined an Artist Trading Card group, this first photo includes all the cards I received for the first trade. The theme for the first trade was the color RED, interpreted how ever you choose.  Aren't they great?

I'm the host for the second trade going on now, and the theme is Going Green, again open to interpretation, whether color, the green movements, or spring or renewal or whatever!  The next photo is one of the cards I made for the trade.  Green always means nature or trees, or plants, to me, so I made an abstract interpretation of nature's patterns, then stitched over the top of the fabrics in a branch pattern.  I made six all together,  they all are similar on appearance.  The size is 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches.   

That Elusive Happiness

 I'm sure I don't wake up looking as happy as this gal everyday, or even on most days, but I do strive for getting there soon after I join the world for the day. I bought this doll at a flea market quite a while ago simply because she made me smile, and I have given her a place to sit in my studio.  It's hard not to see her and smile back.  Here's a link to reading about what those who study happiness have discovered that makes us happy.  Maybe a rehash for some, still doesn't hurt to remember and see how we're doing in our own happiness journey.  http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4023    Now, just have to keep on working at it.   Have a happy day!

Chicken Soup and Old Memories

Today I suggested my dh make homemade chicken soup......he's perfected soup making in his retirement, and I'm happy to hand him that chore. It's been colder than expected here in Florida most of the winter, and while we can't lament heavy snows, we have our own ways of feeling disconcerted over the less than comfortable outdoor temps and activities that are on hold until it becomes seasonably warm again.  So, we had a bag of chicken wings in the freezer that needed a recipe, so this is what we decided to use them for.  I suggested he boil them first and when done, strain the liquid, now broth, before using it as the soup base.  I found him doing so in the kitchen, then off handedly commented that my mother used to call it straining out the "smootskis".  I'm making up this spelling to be phonetically correct, so you'll know to say it like boot-skis.  I have no idea what the real spelling is or even if there is a real one, after all, it may have been my mother's made up word.  Guess what?  He says his mother called them that too.  What a laugh!  They're both Polish, so now we are wondering if there is in fact a Polish word that describes these strained out dregs from the boiling chicken. I'm wondering if many others use that same terminology........I had always thought of it as sort of a private word I used, probably members of my family too, and in any context meaning getting rid of the unwanted.  as I might say, "sweep those smootskis off the floor".  You get my drift.  so, anyway, a little moment touching the past, resurrecting new thoughts about it, wondering if anyone else ever uses that word.  Do you?   Just curious.  Soup smells wonderful now and I'm waiting for supper...........