Pup art

I was inspired by the work of Helene Knott - go here to see some of her patterns - soooo cute!

I wanted to try a cartoonish looking dog and not having the drawing talent of Helene I found a public domain copyright free to use drawing online and went from there.

The attitude of this little guy reminds me of my crazy little dog Zu so made my pup with her coloring.

 

Looking at her now, I think the area under the ears needs to be darker. I'll just shade that area a bit.

And maybe a dog tag attached to her collar?

 

Won't she look cool sitting atop a bookshelf?

Ready to pounce in case a squirrel or rabbit decides to invade my home

;-)

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Lotus bud

 

12"x20"

pattern/tutorial found in my Craftsy shop here or on Etsy here

The lotus has been a symbol of purity since before the time of the Buddha, and it blooms profusely in Buddhist art and literature. Its roots are in muddy water, but the lotus flower rises above the mud to bloom, clean and fragrant.

Had this background in my stash for years and finally found the right place for it.

 

This one I didn't quilt inside the bud except the bottom petals for a different look. Used sew batik's nuance line of gradient batiks in pink. Gives you all the values needed in one fabric.

 

This goes together pretty quick, using both freezer paper and fusible web.

 

We are in peak fall foliage here in Vermont and this is my backyard tree. Beautiful but I hate to see them all fall off leaving bare branches. Oh, well - such is the change of the seasons marking time.

Go outside today for a walk and enjoy the fall for winter will be here before you know it!

Next week I will be posting on Tuesday which is my day for the art on fabric blog hop - see the button on the right sidebar. I'm doing something Georgia O'keeffe like and am looking forward to seeing what the other bloggers are doing. Check it out on Tuesday!

 

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Go Set a Watchman art quilt

My banned books week art quilt is not on the list from last years banned or challenged books but I am positive it will be. I had just finished reading Go Set a Watchman when I heard about the challenge coming up and since the book left me thinking with stirred up emotions I wanted to pay tribute to it.

 

The language used in this book can be offensive but you must realize Harper Lee wrote this in 1957. People used such words all the time and racism was commonplace in 1957, especially in the south. Harper Lee through the voice of a grown up " scout" from the much beloved To Kill a Mockingbird is pointing out the evils of such goings on. I enjoy reading books that give me a feel of a different place and time and at that place and time in our history the "n word" and others like were used in everyday conversations so I can accept the use of such terms in a book such as this. I did not however feel comfortable putting the "n word" in my quilt.

This quote stuck with me when I read it - she was listening to her aunt go on about the poor, poor n_____s.

How they couldn't help themselves because they have smaller brain pans or some such nonsense.

This is Jean Louise's response

"You are fascinated with yourself. You will say anything that occurs to you, but what I can’t understand are the things that do occur to you. I should like to take your head apart, put a fact in it, and watch it go its way through the runnels of your brain until it comes out of your mouth."

 

And this is my response

 

It is beyond me how some have admiration, fairness, respect, love justice and honor in their brains

 

And then turn around and spew out such vile and hateful language.

I recommend reading Go Set a Watchman. But do to go into it comparing it to To Kill a Mockingbird. It isn't as involved or as good but will leave you with an insight on what the south was like in 1957 and will leave you feeling compassion towards your fellow man (and woman) and maybe a little sorry for the bigots of the past and sorry to say present. I listened to it with the audiobook version and the reader is Reese Witherspoon who does an excellent job.

 

If you were to make a quilt about a book, banned or otherwise (and I certainly hope you join us in the banned book challenge) what book would it be?

 

 

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Stream / lake Champlain

All UFO's needed to be finished this week so I valued bring as many items to the fair to sell.

 

More paint was added to the stream and then quilted with white thread in the white parts of the water. It's about 11" square so I mounted on a painted 12" canvas.

Doesn't the sound of water soothe your soul? It does mine.

 

This has been in the drawer for over a year. It's very small and only had the lake but I added a cairn and once mounted on black canvas it really pops and shows off the beautiful colors. And added one of my favorite quotes by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Speaking of lake Champlain I am leaving today for a camping / family reunion on the lake at Ausable Point. My favorite place to go on the lake over on the New York side near Plattsburg and the weather is supposed to be sunny, high 70's low 80's. Can't get much better than that !

Have a wonderful week :-)

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Stream painting - web streamlining

Nothing finished this week

 

To busy enjoying this

 

And this

I do have something in progress though. I tried to add white paint to make the stream look like it is running fast and foaming over the rocks. Looks good here when the paint it's wet.

 

But once dry - it fades a lot so I suppose I should add more. Should I quilt the water? If so do I use white or blue thread? Before or after I add more paint?

 

The other thing I'm stewing about is this I made a few weeks ago. I feel it needs something more but can't figure out what.

 

I am jazzing up the branches by couching on some mossy looking yarn but what after that?

What would you do?

 

I think I'll sleep on it

:-)

 

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American Kestrel

This quilt was inspired by a piece on the local news. They showed an American Kestrel - the smallest falcon and oh so cute. It's head can stay focused on something while it's body can turn and move. It sort of reminded me of a bobble head.

Here is my version of the American Kestrel falcon.

 

I found while making it that it really helped to make my design on paper but then make a overlay on tracing paper so I could get all the little pieces in the right place. This guys eyes are a main feature and putting an eye to much to the left or right will totally make it look off.

The sound it makes is sort of a Klee - Klee sound.

Next I am going to work on a hummingbird. They are around a lot right now here in Vermont with all the flowers in full bloom and it is a gift to see one.

What's your favorite bird?

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Lake Champlain finish / sneak peek

 

First a finish - Lake Champlain

I purchased a couple fat quarters of this gorgous sky/water fabric at the quilt show.

Perfect for this sort of thing.

Above is my pattern drawn out on tracing paper for placement of all the little pieces.

Yesterday I quilted it and here is the back. Next week I will do the reveal after I bind it.

I really am loving this one :-)

I found this box at a thrift shop yesterday for 2 bucks. I'm not sure what it is but knew I just had to have it. I know the rubber brayer is for block printing and I think the tools with wooded handles are for carving the blocks. But does anyone know what the tool with the orange handle is for? The end looks like an ink dip pen but it's bigger than any dip pens I've seen. Stamp making is all new to me so if there are any surface design makers out there that can give me a clue on what to do with this box of goodies I would appreciate :-)

And I really scored at the thrift shop with this 3 stooges mug - how could I not buy this?

Leanna I thought of you when I saw this, you being the queen of kitsch and all.

Have a wonderful week!

Nuk,nuk,nuk

:-)

 

 

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More Cairns Art

I can't seem to get enough of making these cairns or rock stacks.

Here are a couple that I finished this week.

I've always loved this quote

 

I used the serenity rocks method for this one.

Added an interesting stick from the beach at ausable point and some shells.

 

And one using the fusible method with a pieced beach. Gotta love that footprint fabric!

The lighthouse is a button.

The weather here in Vermont has been extraordinary at least on my days off . I feel very blessed.

I hope your summer is just as nice and if you are in the part of the world where it is the dead of winter - your time will come ;-)

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Spider web

This is what I'm working on this week - still a WIP

 

I started with a cool looking dark sort of old dark barn wall sort of batik and made some lighter "boards"

Decided to fuse some dark brownish shade parts on the "boards"

 

Drew a spider web with white chalk marker then with a thick white thread FMQ the web. The back at this point just has interfacing. The web was done without the boards and then they are added and quilted down.

Batting and backing, then quilted some more :-)

 

I want to add some "stuff" so first I found a roll of sheer in a nice eerie green. I cut it in uneven random strips.

 

Then lit a candle and ran the edges through the flame so it melted and curled. Burnt a couple holes too.

That's where I stand as of today - stay tuned for

"The rest of the story"

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