New Work - Summer

Time to stop messing around.
I didn't realize how tired I had been until I tried to start creating again. It certainly can't be forced and it's something I have to enjoy while I'm working.

Starting is always the hardest part. Today was the day.
SO here it is another gem from the Internet.

Even before I finished the two yellow Autumn Birch pieces in November, I had this one posted as my screen saver. I've since cropped it a bit to rid it of the heavy, solid edges.

This makes it a lighter version. Only about half those trees are going to make it into the final.

I spent a long while thinking about the dark centre. It's contains some small evergreens. It is very important to maintain the depth in this scene. Did I want to retain them? How was I going to do them? Though I'm not completely sure, I committed to the dark region in my background base.

This is always an opportunity to move some of those slow moving fabrics from your stash. Colour is the only consideration. This is starting out as a metre square. That may change.
After tidying up all those bits an pieces from the past couple of weeks, getting the baby quilt ready for the mail and actually laying this out, I spent another hour cutting confetti. This will use a lot.

These are my initial fabrics choices. All are either batik or my hand dyed yardage. Colours are solid but for the large batik and all are the same front and back. I don't have to pay too much attention on how they're placed.

A small section of each was cut at a time. I have to make sure that I have enough of the colours I've chosen so I don't run out before I finish this.

So I have a nice progression of colours here. The mixed batik will serve as a "front line "transition from the background fabric.
And believe it or not.......getting this far has taken me most of the day.

I need to think some more about the evergreens. Tomorrow is soon enough to start laying colour.
( Actually I have to shovel snow.  Think Spring ......only 10 weeks! )

Spent the Day Playing

Just a simple silhouette exercise with clouds and mountains. 18x12?

Winter Brook - Final

I went ahead and finished this..... Maybe.
There is always that point in raw edge applique, whether its fused or stitched, when you ask yourself if simple and plain is more effective than thread painted or stitched.

I went ahead and stitched the trees branches in place. They were only glued and under netting so they needed to be anchored. I could have outlined it and made the stitching invisible but I went ahead and echo stitched the edge of each piece.

I also stitched around all the water. These pieces were fused but I'm always leery of leaving them unprotected from little fingers (and big fingers), that just want to see how it was attached. The stitching also give some definition to the different sections.

Now I'm wrestling with 3 questions.
- How much tulle, if any, do I cut away.
- Would adding thread stitching to the water make that region too distracting.
And third......
- A member of our guild is giving a beading tutorial this month...I could use beads for snowflakes?

So I went ahead and bound the piece. Any additional work can be added later.
So is it finished?
For all practically purposes,.... yes!

February 8 - Finished this week with the addition of beading, both on the darker water and with 10 snowflakes. I tried just the glass beads alone and the were two small. Each of these flakes takes 48 beads and finishes at about "dime" size.

Quilt for Cohen - Finished

I finished this using my domestic rather than the LA. I thought the ruler work in the triangles would be more accurate. The rest was quilted with a double stitched loose meander, just enough to hold it but stay supple for a baby quilt.

Quilt For Cohen - Flimsy

This went together quickly. It needs a little squaring (beyond what I did in Photoshop)
The block colours pick up the background and though initially dull? still retain enough whimsy for a child.
I suppose I could have changed the order to place the brighter ones in the centre, but I'm happy with this, and I really don't think my Great nephew will notice!
32x48 inches