Sketching

The Sketchbook Challenge(link at right) has Opposites as the word this month. Yesterday I was sketching and came up with a couple.

Geometrics always appeal to me, and this one could turn into an interesting quilt block.

Hard arch and wall; soft grass and dirt. I like doors, walls, arches.

Quilt

Months ago or longer 3 of us got together and made prints using disperse dyes. I've been working on some of the leaf prints I made using real leaves.

I have 4 small pieces ready to have the binding hand stitched down. This is one of them. I have a bigger piece that needs to be machine embroidered then quilted. When I'm done with it, they will be joined in some way( not planned yet). At least now I have some more hand work to do.

Thanks for the well wishes about my back.

Class

I'm taking an Electric Quilt class from http://www.quiltuniversity.com/ on how to use Paintsticks. I've waited for it to be offered, and now I've done something to my back and can't work for very long at a spell-very frustrating for someone who doesn't know how to be still.

Here is a notebook page on blending two colors in various ways.

This page shows using the sticks directly. I like the blending better.

This shows the few fabric samples I managed to do. The yellow in the lower corner is stretch velour-very hard to work on even backed with freezer paper and no detail possible. I'll do a bit more today. The doctor said it's muscles which I knew, but now I have a relaxant prescription, so at least I can sleep. This too will pass.

Quilt

This latest journal quilt is an experiment to try the layering method Beryl Taylor uses. You layer 5 fabrics, sew a design, and cut through to various layers. Then I quilted it, added some glitter glue, and edged it with a yarn most of which was cut off by the new scanner. I've either got to work smaller or photograph the pieces.

I don't care for this one, but that is the value of journal size quilts-seeing what works without a big investment of time and materials.

Quilt

I finally made a hanging from a piece I did in a workshop when we lived in California. I think it was from Judy Mathieson. The star is paper pieced but not the flip and sew method. Each shape was backed with freezer paper and cut with a seam allowance. It was pieced on the machine. The background is hand painted. It really is square, but my photography leaves much to be desired.

Quilt

Another sample from the past. Jill Nordfors Clark came to the Columbia Fiberarts Guild when I first joined. She had just written her first Needlelace book-one I treasure having. We were all doing stitching at the time and this sample is holes edged with Raised Stem and Buttonhole Stitch.I backed it with the bright pink poly satin. It is worked on brushed denim-a scrap from a jeans outfit I made. The dark blue stitching is Spiderwebs. The circular quilting seemed to be the right way to quilt it. Then I edged it by zigzagging a feathery yarn around the outside doing two rows.

Metal

I decided to play with those colorful metal squares and rubbing plates. It was hard to figure out where to run the tool to make the impression, so it is not as clear as I would like. I guess like everything, it takes practice.

Here the same plate was used but with the metal reverse side up.

I like the bubbles best, even if they are not as clear. I thought to use them on a hanging for the Fiberaction challenge, but decided I need to plan with them more first.

Thanks to everyone who comments.