Humphrey

 

Meet Humphrey, the model for my next art quilt. Isn't he the most handsome goat you have ever seen?

I'll show you what I've done so far.

 

Started out pulling every fabric I thought might work and threw in a pile. Humphrey is there overseeing the whole process. He wanted to make sure I didn't make him pink and lavender as he is a very macho,

 

I traced his main features to make a line drawing then blew it up 200%

When picking out fabrics I am laying each one where it would go so I know they play well with its neighbor.

 

 

Parchment paper goes over the drawing and Humphrey is being fused together.

 

Some aren't the right size, why I don't know since I traced from the drawing. No problem, that's the beauty of fusible. I just slap a scrap of the same color under to fit.

 

Those big ears are made separately

 

Basic Humphrey is put together,time to find a background. This one is to light. White blends in.

 

This is better and since Humphrey lives in Hawaii I think this works.

Humphrey's mom is on an online quilt group that I'm in and we are both doing one of her goats.

This is as far as I've gotten so far but will share more next week.

Maybe he will have eyes and a nose by then.

:-)

 

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Hermit thrush

I didn't think I had anything to show this week but then remembered this little guy.

 

He is the second one ( remember the purple background?)

The words hermit thrush are quilted in with a gold colored thread.

I really like how the quilting came out. I used a variegated green and yellowish thread that is thicker than what I usually use so it stood out. The fabric I used on the bird didn't really work so I tried painting over it and the results are sort of muddled. Not thrilled about that but it turned out ok so I finished it. I like these little ones hanging from a branch.

Isn't that where birds hang out?

BTW - I'm sitting here this morning smelling my favorite crock pot recipe that I've had going all night. Since quilters like easy and quick I will share it with you. I like it because it's just dump and go, also it's so easy I can remember how to do it.

Here is the original recipe:

White Chicken Chili

1 lb dry white beans (or 4 cans if you don’t have time to crock it)

6c chicken broth (or water and bullion)

1 tbsps cumin

2 or 3 large chicken breasts (cooked if not crocking)

3 med onions, chopped

garlic – lots of it!

(crock it on low most of the day)

add

2 cans green chili peppers

1/2 lb shredded pepper jack cheese

lots of cilantro and sour creme to garnish

 

I like to put it together the night before and let it go all night on low and I use more broth because I like it more like a think soup. Great for a cold day.

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White Raven

 

According to the legend of the Raven from my last post here. It all started with a white Raven.

I already had the pattern made for the black one so reversed it so they can look at each other.

I decided to make up the pattern and a tutorial to sell so have been taking pictures along the way.

Here are a few

 

The bird is all fusible but by cutting out the insides it feels and quilts better. The first time I labeled all the pieces in the middle then cut them all out so I couldn't see them. Now I mark close to the edge.

 

I lay the placement guide (the drawing full size) down, then parchment paper over that and can build the bird on the parchment and can see thru it to know where to put each piece. It comes together pretty easy actually.

 

Lots of quilting - here's the back

 

The words moon, sun,stars,fire and water are quilted in the sky.

I have the pattern done so now will make one more using the final draft of the pattern to make sure it's right.

Stay tuned. - hopefully I will have another Raven to show you made by a published pattern!

Stay warm this week end - around here it's supposed to be 40 below with the wind chill this week end.

We are finally getting our winter

:-/

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Raven finished

Long ago, near the beginning of the world, Gray Eagle was the guardian of the Sun, Moon and Stars, of fresh water, and of fire. Gray Eagle hated people so much that he kept these things hidden. People lived in darkness, without fire and without fresh water.

Gray Eagle had a beautiful daughter, and Raven fell in love with her. In the beginning, Raven was a snow-white bird, and as a such, he pleased Gray Eagle's daughter. She invited him to her father's longhouse.

When Raven saw the Sun, Moon and stars, and fresh water hanging on the sides of Eagle's lodge, he knew what he should do. He watched for his chance to seize them when no one was looking. He stole all of them, and a brand of fire also, and flew out of the longhouse through the smoke hole. As soon as Raven got outside he hung the Sun up in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. When the Sun set, he fastened the Moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places. By this new light he kept on flying, carrying with him the fresh water and the brand of fire he had stolen.

He flew back over the land. When he had reached the right place, he dropped all the water he had stolen. It fell to the ground and there became the source of all the fresh-water streams and lakes in the world. Then Raven flew on, holding the brand of fire in his bill. The smoke from the fire blew back over his white feathers and made them black. When his bill began to burn, he had to drop the firebrand. It struck rocks and hid itself within them. That is why, if you strike two stones together, sparks of fire will drop out.

Raven's feathers never became white again after they were blackened by the smoke from the firebrand. That is why Raven is now a black bird.

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