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Thursday 29 October 2015

Landscape Quilt Top Completed and Recent Quilted Greeting Cards

I have been working feverishly to complete the Landscape Quilt Top and managed to do that this week. Today I attached quilt batting and a backing fabric to it and now can begin quilting. Due to the fact that I hope to enter this quilt into a show, I cannot show you the whole thing. I can, however, give you glimpses of it in detail shots. Because it is a landscape, it is better seen from a distance instead of close up which is a shame. Eventually I will post it here but for now please be satisfied with some details of the quilting process.

So because I cannot post a photo of the landscape quilt, I'm also blogging about some recent greeting cards I completed for friends and family members. I have been given old magazines from my hairdresser and also some from my sister-in-law. I go through these magazines and cut out words and phrases, interesting photos and colour combinations for use in my cards. I've also started cutting out photos of some of the models in these magazines and used them in my cards.

I'll position a photo on top of the card base and "sketch" the model with my sewing machine using free-motion stitching right overtop of the photo. Once the sewing is done, I'll remove the paper photo which leaves me with the outline that I sewed. I really like the effect it gives.

For most of these cards I used my own hand dyed or painted fabric.







On the card above I left the sunglasses and eyes to give it more interest. To make sure they didn't eventually fall off I coated that section with acrylic matt medium which dries clear.


Thursday 22 October 2015

Enjoying Fall

We are, once again, into our most colourful time of year. I often liken it to creation giving its last "hurrah" before the barren, black and white and grey of winter. Last week I took a walk to the Humber River near our home and did some sketching of the colourful trees I found there. I also have some of those cute gourds sitting on my front step and did a sketch of them. My neighbourhood sketchbook is slowly filling with interesting artwork.




 My dad is living in Holland and when I was there I was asked if I could send some Bible texts that he enjoyed that could be read to him. This week I did a small watercolour painting of the Humber River and printed Psalm 23 beside it and will send it to Holland for him.


I've also done a little more work on my landscape quilt. It is a little difficult to see but I worked on some of the water reflections. It will be easier to see when I sew all the pieces together but I think it is coming along nicely.


Thursday 15 October 2015

Landscape Quilt and a Sore Back

This past weekend was Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada and my husband and I always go on a short golf vacation. The weather was wonderful and the golf was great. We had a wonderful time together. There was one small annoyance, however, and that was that I was dealing with a sore back. In order to golf and sleep and even sit, I was slathering on the A535 cream, taking Advil and using a heat pad. By yesterday, it was much better and I am no longer taking the Advil although every once in a while I still use the A535. I had no idea what caused it and I do not often get pain like that.

Well, today, as I sat down at my sewing machine to take up again my Landscape Quilt work, I realized where the back pain came from. I have been so set on getting this quilt done that I put in as much time as I can. I have a chair on wheels that I thought was good for my back but it turns out that as I roll from my sewing machine to my ironing area as I work, I am not sitting properly and the rolling back and forth and tension in my back causes a strain in the muscles. I don't know what I am going to do about this problem because the quilt needs to get done and not only that, I love this activity. Today I worked on it for about an hour and then moved on to another activity. So far the back doesn't feel too bad.

I was able to finish the rock section of the quilt and now will have to begin the water. Remember, I haven't yet planned the water pattern or the fabric colours for it. So I think I may have to work a little more intuitively on this section. I'm a little afraid to do this, not knowing how it will turn out. But, more often than not, experimentation leads to all kinds of wonderful things. I'm banking on that!


Thursday 8 October 2015

God's Blessings to our Families

Last week I missed posting due to the fact that I was not able to spend time in my studio. I apologize to my faithful blog followers.

Now that I have some breathing room before the next deadline for my quilt, I have taken some time to work on a baby portrait that was long overdue. Babies are such a wonderful blessing from the Lord and we have quite a few of them on the way in our family.

Below are two of the most recent portraits.


Mia


Brooke



Now I have to start the next one of a baby who is already 1 month old. I'm going to get some baking started and while its in the oven, I'll begin the portrait.