Castle Rock - Day 12

The remaining foreground was 'softened' with cheesecloth.
I increased the size of the moss coloured log. Now it needs to be hidden with moss and ferns.
All the large trees were stitched down and a 8 inch (construction size) conifer added to the right and trees/shrubs to the left and right.

Castle Rock - Day 11

Now construction has moved to the lower half and the middle ground I need to jump around. It's easier to finish a section, left, middle, right.
I added colour to all? the trees. Most are only pinned. As some would receive more direct light at different times of the day I tried to show this with colour on the boles of the tree.

The hoop stitched trees were all destined for the right side. At this point it's wasted effort to hoop construct and not know what is going to cover your work.

Tree height and planned exposure suggests the colour.

These two group sit on the right, partially in shade, under one trunk, over two and tight against another.

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Castle Rock - Day 10

Moving forward.

And time to place the remaining trees.

Castle Rock -Day 9

The morning was spent tacking down all the vegetation I made yesterday and today.

Then I played with the Big trees.

Castle Rock - Day 8

I must have caught up on my sleep/energy because I got an early start this morning.

I worked on the third overlay using brighter colours to bring the sunlight into the center of the forest.
I had to shift to a larger hoop and found even though my support tulle was too small I was able to increase the size with satisfactory stability by simply pinning another piece of tulle to the edge.

So here are the steps for this morning's piece.

washed and ready to place

 Before I trim these overlays and stitch them down it's time to finalize the tree trunk structure, colour and position
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The ones in the background are pretty straightforward. Five are locked into the three overlays of brush.

Castle Rock - Day 7

Another half day here, but I managed to complete the two side pieces.
Each is group (2+) of evergreens accompanied by shrubs. Different thread and fabric colours are how I'm changing the light.

The first photos are the raw work with the solvy still on. The backside give a better idea of the contructions overlays.

After it was washed, dried and cut apart, the two sides are pinned into place.

Castle Rock - Day 6

This long Easter weekend was a good time to catch up on things and sleep...and energy.

Wednesday past I drove to Orillia from Guelph and gave two talks to two different guilds, the Orillia Quilters Guilt and the Evening Thread Quilt Guild. I had a great time and they certainly asked a lot of really meaty questions.

I didn't get into my hotel bed until well after 10 pm. Where as I thought I had slept, my energy level put me on the couch as soon as I arrived back home. I basically stayed there until Friday afternoon. The rain just encouraged me to spend Saturday there as well. I fit in a little Easter baking and read a good book.
Finally, today, Sunday I was back.

But after catching up on things around here I was left with only half a day.
But I wanted to try something I'd been thinking about. Getting it out of my head always lets me sleep better.

In order to save time, materials and lower my frustration levels I thought I'd combine constructing deciduous shrubs and evergreens with solvy and netting.

 Materials on the netting then overlaid with solvey for stitching

This piece of netting is actually very large, the width of the landscape and about a long. I will continue to layer the deciduous materials and the conifer stitching overlay, at least for about 6in+ down the piece.

I don't intend to remove the solvey until I go to attach it to the landscape. This does interfere with trying to get useful photos but...

Castle Rock Forest - Day 5

A short day today, but I wanted to finish the colour blocking with an over lay of gauze.

My colour supply is getting low as I did little painting last summer and I had given some away at my last workshop. But what I had worked with a little bit of dipping in the dregs of my coffee.
Truly! Anything for the art. 😉
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I re posted the bare cloth so the difference is clear. Much softer transitions. This is only glued in place and where I want to highlight the colour.....I simply cut it away.

The other thing I wanted to do was to use some of the 'shrubs' I stitched at Crieff. In hindsight, they weren't quite what I was after. So I got out my T shirt pens and then dipped them into coffee as well.
Now they blend into the background a little better.

These are stitched onto the upper left.

Castle Rock Forest - Day 4

After stitching and placing a few more trees, I decided I needed to finish the colour blocking.
Working on an empty canvas with such detail gives me no real clue to size and colour of the foliage.

This photo is just a tad dark, but I like the effect. It tones down the bright orange forest floor. That's a job for cheesecloth. I may have to make some in the right colour.

 It's also a good time to start thinking about tree number and placement.

What a difference!

Castle Rock Forest

I spent two days on this at a SAQA retreat in Crieff. It seems like I have little to show but I know how these things progress......Slowly.

I'm combining 3 images for this new forest scene. One is a ruddy forest image, and two photos. I want more colour in the piece and I want something tangible in the back ground other than fuzzy light..

Castle Rock BC

 

I spent almost a whole day assembling the Mountain that will all but disappear in the background.

Another day, the first of many assembling TREES........ and I'm on my way with this new piece.

Trees Trees Trees ......tomorrow

Polar Bear - Day 3 & 4

I took this guy with me to our SAQA Retreat. One day finished his fur and put him on the ice and a day here ( after sleeping 10 hours straight ) added some interest with ice stitching and some 'glitter' thread on the tips of his fur.

I want this one bound and if I can't find any blues that work I have to finish him with black.
That shouldn't be too harsh seeing his features are black.

Volunteers

Last Sunday I was invited as part of a group from the Royal City Quilters Guild, to participate in this  event honoring Volunteering in Guelph. Represented were organizations I had been unaware of, who quietly do what they can to aid others in need.
Our group supplies quilts to our local hospital as physical comfort for victims of child sexual abuse and for parents who lose their newborns and young children.
While both these events are usually hidden from view, I draw some quiet satisfaction as I'm designing and  quilting, hoping my small effort will provide some comfort and a tangible knowledge that people do care what happens to others.

Polar Bear - Day 2

Not a full day here.
I stitched for a few hours (yes hours) avoiding the hard part, and then finally in the afternoon I tackled the muzzle.

The teeth make all the difference.......and he needs a nose job.

One Last Polar Bear

Here at the end of this long winter, I think I'm, ready to embrace Spring, but there was one last imagine in my folder I wanted to work with.

I heavily cropped it to one animal.

This interesting piece of 'hombre' fabric spoke as the ice wall with a second fabric for the Ice.

This is a standard collage piece .

This is as far as I'm taking it for now, but it's looking pretty good.

I Guess I Fell In Love

Here's a dragon in Blue (to play with the dragon in green.) (pattern listed Mar 17)