Whales tails quilted

I quilted my whales tails yesterday.

The lighting for this photo isn't the greatest but you can get the idea. I think the sky thread color is a bit to dark but I can live with it.

Now to add some embellishments (wide grin).

The only thing I can't decide - the shading on the tails, I did with fabric pastel crayons and it was light, so last night I watered down some fabric paint and added it but it was to watered cause it just blended in. I'm afraid to try thread because if I hate it, I can't take it out. Should I just leave it or try the paint again, just not as watered down. Is there enough shading?

 

If you are on twitter there is a Labor Day week end sew in going on all week end. - hash tag

#LDSI - just a bunch of quilters on twitter (twilters) posting pics on what they are working on, progress reports, questions posed, questions answered, cheered and laughs. If you are sewing this week end and are a tweeter - join us - if not, well you should!

I am @quiltscapes - see ya there!

 

Whales Tails! - WIP

I live in Vermont. We have no ocean but we do have whales.

 If you are driving on the interstate by south burlington where I live you can see these and 

I think they are pretty cool so of course I need to make a quilt.

I've gotten this far, need to add some grasses and I think the bottom needs another layer and of course the quilting. I shaded the left one with a pastel fabric crayon but I think it needs alittle more so will be bold and try to thread paint the shadow. Not liking the feel of the crayon on the fabric (note to self for future)

Stay tuned for more updates on the tails

:-)

Auditioning fishing line

This quilt has been a pain in the ass learning experience.

 

First I had my tree issues.

I finally put tule over cut up yarn and quilted away. Then I felt it was missing something so added a fishing pole. Ehhhh, it's ok but not great.

 

So yesterday I spent the morning painstakingly couching down this hard to deal with thick gold thread with even harder to deal with monofilament thread, adding beads to the pole.

 

It doesn't show up!

 

I need to calm down - almost done.

"There's no place like done, there's no place like done."

So I ripped out that gold thread this morning and looked in my yarn bin.

 

These are the 3 I pulled.

The green is sparkly but blends in to much?

 

So it's between the white stubbly or the light brown string like stuff.

Which do you like?

 

rocket ship underpants

You know, Hobbs, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help.

"Bill Waterson"

CPP rocket ship

I like to keep something on my desk at work to doodle when I am on the phone, or need to think and this has been there for a week or more. I have been sort of hiding it though so people don't think I'm some sort of pervert drawing little boys underpants. Something about that quote though and the word underpants just makes me smile. I need to make a quilt of this if I can just find some rocket ship fabric. I guess I will have to go searching - oh no!

A photo a every few days

I spied this dead leaf the other day on my walk - it looks like its made of copper and some artist spent hours and hours creating that lace like middle part.

Well Mother Nature is truly the best artist.

Cool, huh?

Sun printing

Sun printing is always fun. You never know what your going to get and may never use what you make who doesn't like playing with paint and leaves?

In case you don't know how - this is what you do

 

Pin the corners of your washed fabric to a piece of styrofoam or you could tape it to cardboard - something flat that you can carry outside. Spray it down with water.

 

Blob out your fabric paints (I use setacolor but any will do) add a little water if you like or don't.

 

Paint it onto the fabric. I would not use black again but I had a lot of it to use up and was going for a night sky thing. Hindsight, should have used dark blue. - oh well :-)

 

I even tried adding yellow to jazz it up but the black just overwhelmed it.

 

But anyway, you go out a grab some leaves or flowers and lay them on the fabric.

On this there is bee balm, queens Ann lace and ragweed

You set it out in the sun to dry.

 

Take off the foliage and surprise!

I like how the bee balm flowers came out although I still don't like the black.

 

So I tried green

 

Hmmmmmmm ?

What would you do with it?

 

A photo a day 8-14

This fieldstone wall caught my eye today.

Quilting design? Background for a pictorial quilt?

Can't you just see a kitty sitting on the top?

Wish I could make these quilts as fast as I think them up, (sigh)

 

pets on quilts

There is a blog party every August at lily pad quilting that has people show pictures of their quilts of pets and or pets on quilts. I'm not going to post my Abbey, Summer or Sophie on a quilt because they are of course cuter and more beautiful than any other pet out there and it just wouldn't be fair, so I am showing you

MAX

Max is not my dog but taken from a public domain pnoto that I found. For some reason I needed to make a dog with a ball in his mouth and Max seemed to be up for the challenge. 

He's done with the David Taylor method of turned under applique, blending colors using as many different fabrics as you can manage - a very time consuming but pleasurable task. I think I could have done better with the colors and blending but this method is not easy to do and I'm happy with it. I did learn from my mistakes on it so that's always a good thing and really the whole point in this journey .

He's quilted very heavily - another David Taylor - ish style. I like the hair, although in hindsight, a lab which is what I think Max is wouldn't have a "mane" like my collie but I'm going with - Max is a lab collie mix :-)

I've only made a couple of these David Taylor style quilts. They are not easy but give you spectacular results. I took a class with him and it was awesome, I learned so much but I think he is nuts :-)

go here to see David Taylors work if you are interested and if you ever get the chance to take a class and you are into pictorial quilts - DO IT!

Go to the blog party here to check out all the cuteness going on over there!

A photo a day 8-12

Another satisfied customer at the hotel where I work - princess penny

If I had my way we would allow only dogs and well behaved adult parents of the dog or cat who made the reservation. A treat buffet would be served in the evenings before retiring on dog bone shaped Sherpa fleece lined beds. A doggy day care would be provided for those humans who wish to go out for the evening or day trips. Of course the pool would be stocked with balls to chase and dive for.

 

One can only dream ;-)

 

A photo a day 8-10

Happy National Lazy Day!

Just doin' my part ;-)

Up on the wall Friday

I've been working on this scene inspired by my cousin in her kayak and the trees just don't work

 

Though maybe some thread play would help - nah :-(

 

Ok, so let's try covering the whole mess up with yarn and throw some tulle over it.

 

 

Much better!

 

I still have lots more to do on this quilt but now at least I will finish it. I was about to bag it but something about that last ditch effort makes me take risks so that's a good thing. I had never liked the way tulle works before but now, well I may see me using it more.

 

Today is a lovely rainy day off so I'm taking a break from the trees and making some tea wallets to sell at the fair. Great way to use up some of those novelty fabrics I always seem compelled to buy but then don't use. They're scrappy too so you only need a 5" x7" chunk of each fabric. I'm using some thin foam that had in the closet and it seems to make them have more body. Also just using elastic for the button clasp but I keep forgetting to add it or I'm putting it on wrong. I've done two, made my mistakes so hopefully the rest will come off without a hitch. The lemon fabric is pretty cute though.

 

A photo a day 8-6 and 7 / kayak quilt

 

 

 

 

 

I was lazy and didn't take a walk yesterday so no photos, here are two from this morning though

That's Abbey leading the way

My kayak quilt, I'm not liking how its turning out, adding thread to the tree foliage does nothing

So next I'm going to try a last ditch effort by cutting up some yarn, putting a sheer over it and quilting over that. If nothing else I'll learn more about how sheers work.

 

Stay tuned

wip wed - 8-7

I've had this quilt in my brain ever since I saw a photo of my cousin Ellen lounging on her kayak on a river with her feet sticking out. I'm having trouble with the trees though and hoping that some threadwork will help them. This is definately "in progress" and may or maynot make it to the finish line :-)

I did finish another pattern for easy fusible raw edge applique for sale on Craftsy though - yay!

It's only 4 bucks for the digital download and can be whipped up quickly for a last minute gift that will wow your friends if you use a spectacular sky and moon batik. I may make a few of these to sell at the fair.

go to my pattern shop here to check it out

A photo a day - 8/6

Queens Anne lace - my favorite wildflower

A photo a day - 8/5

Put on your overalls, grab a pitchfork - Hi! ho!

A photo a day - 8/4

Rock of ages - or ages of rock?

Clara Bow

another creative prompt response - bow

Jaye suggested Clara Bow, who I had never heard of so I listened to the History Chicks podcast about her and I highly reccommend it - excellent, and very interesting

my drawing is ok, but mostly due to the fact that clara was downright gorgous with one of those perfect faces which makes it fun to try to draw - sorry clara! I just had to try :-)

I just wanted to show the difference eyes make in a drawing

the only thing I did in the upper one is darken the inside area of the eyes, leaving alittle bit of a highlight and that really makes a huge difference in the expression. and why I cannot get this photo to upload right side up is beyond me - I hope you can still get the idea.

listen to the history chicks podcast - you will enjoy it

it will stream right from the link above if you don 't do itunes

A photo a day 8/3

 

The texture and color of this log is really cool!

On my redrocks park walk today

 

A photo a day - 8/2

Basket O' Kitty

 

A photo a day - 8/1

I'm going to post a photo day thru the month of August.

It may have an explanation, it may not.

I got the idea from a blogger that is doing this and inviting others to do the same.

Click on the A 2013 button to the right to go to her blog, there are over 500 other people doing this.

Why not?

I can do this :-)

 

A bee pollinating my squash plant in the garden