Yellow lab quilt

I’ve been working on him for awhile and I think he’s done. I’d like to say he is my dog but honestly I just licked his beautiful face at random from a public domain photo sharing site. Let me show you some photos of the journey.

 From drawn pattern to fabric. Mostly freezer paper appliqué.

Quilted on a nice lush green background which is something we are lacking here in the northeast right now.

Shaded with fabric pastels. After this you can see from the finished photo that I ended up making the eyes blacker. These eyes looked more human than dog and also darkened up the edge of the ears so you can see them. All in all I think it came out pretty good! 

Woof!👍

I may try another in black but might try all fusible to see if there is much difference. Do you prefer fusible or turned under applique?

I give a hoot

I made a fabric quilted owl for a friend for Christmas and it was a challenge but thanks to some paint and “stewing” on the design wall I it came out ok.

Bottom left is starting to pick fabrics - so far so good. But then look at the next stage top left. It looks like two feet stomping on the poor owls face!

I trudged on and why I didn’t get rid of that dark blue is beyond me. At that point nothing was sewn or fused down. Adding the eyes helped draw your eye away from that in your face go awful blue. By this time I had glued the pieces together. I still could have taken out that blue legs but no, I left it.

Finally I came to my senses and tried to cover it up by brushing white fabric paint on it.

Here it is finished. If hadn’t seen the blue eyesore already I don’t think it would bother. The quilting also helped. 

Sometimes I think part of the fun is getting yourself into a corner and then figuring out how to get out. 

That’s why I don’t do commissions because if the project just isn’t working I can just say “ well I don’t give a hoot”

And try this and that- if it’s ruined so be it. Usually I find a solution. Paint, pastels and inktense pencils are usually involved. 

Have you backed yourself into a corner lately? How did you get out? Or are you still in the corner waiting for help to arrive to your brain?

Beach idea book / flexible curve

Have you ever used a flexible curve?

I found mine in the back of a bin the other day. I forgot I even had it, which is why when I spotted a second one in another bin while cleaning yesterday I knew it was time to organize. I must have bought another one not being able to find the first. (You never do that, do you?) so I set about using it to see if I remembered how.

What ever it’s made out of it lets you bend it to a shape or curve and it stays there. It’s really good for piecing gentle rolling landscape curves. 

See the photo above- you lay it out to the curve you like then draw a line on the bottom with chalk or your marking device of choice.

Then you take your next fabric move the flexible curve to the top of your fabric and draw a line there like you did before. As long as you don’t change the curve you will have the same exact curve that you can now put right sides together and sew with a quarter inch seam. Remember these are gentle curves. You don’t want to be sewing any roller coaster curves.

Here it is - all  pieced with the flexible curve. A nice beachy landscape.

Good size for an idea journal cover.

And I had this in my stash for the inside flaps - perfect!

Do you have any long forgotten favorite tools that need to be brought to the surface?

Birding journal

Like most of the country, we are in blizzard conditions today. Minus 30 wind chills.  Not fit for man nor beast. 

I find making a warm quilted project quite therapeutic. 

I was listening to Oprah ‘s super soul podcast the other day (which I highly recommend btw) and a woman said something that stuck with me.

“Simplicity and order creates Serenity “

I think this piece illustrates that. I’ve been trying to de clutter my house and life for the past couple years and it does bring me a sense of serenity not having so much stuff laying around. It keeps creeping back in because I am a pack rat by nature but am realizing that simple is better. 

Now if I can just incorporate that in my quilting life. I doubt that is gonna happen 😏

Have a good week - bundle up and stay warm,