Finished!

And here is the finished piece! The binding was a bit of a challenge on this small piece but I still like the way it turned out!  Because to me the "bubbled" organza piece looks a bit like green grapes and the beads remind me of the posts that vineyards train the grapevines to....I'm entitling this piece.....

Sour Grapes

So now for the question....will I be doing more intuitive design.  Yep!  I had a blast with this one. Just the freedom to let a scrap inspire me and finding other bits to go along with it.  I think I'm hooked.

Onion Print - step 2

Figured out what I wanted to add to my onion stamped fabric! I used a bit of punchinella as a stencil. The paint is Jaquard Neopaque Violet applied with a stencil brush. Since I wanted it to look like the onions were printed on top of the punchinella, I took care not to overlap the onions.  Not sure if it would look like I wanted it to, I first practiced on the Wrinkled and Rollered piece. Liked what I saw and continued on to the onion piece.

Wrinkled and Rollered - Step 2

The test

Onion Stamping - Step 2

Still want to add another layer...just waiting to see what that might be...........

I Miss the Snow

I know I know....many of you will think I'm crazy (well this might or might not dispell that concept) but I LOVE the cold and the snow!! A bit strange for a Texas girl transplanted to the frozen tundra of Minnesota. But it is true.  This piece was born this summer when we had WEEKS of upper 90s. Thought I would die. Thank heaven for A/C or I just might have. I so LONGED for the cold and snow. I know it is a lot to ask of an art quilt...to bring back vivid enough memories of several feet of snow and temps below freezing to vanquish the oppresive heat...but I had high hopes. And to some extent it does give me hope. At least living in Minnesota (aka the Frozen Tundra) I know winter and cold WILL come eventually. I long for the first nip in the air, the promise that fall brings of the cold, refreshing winter beauty soon to come. So I wait..........


The background is white dupioni silk quilted in a snowflake pattern with silver metallic thread. The snowballs are circles of muslin with layers of scrim, lace, cording, knotted fabric and mulberry cloth hand-stitched onto it. Then the circles were appliqued to the quilt and then painted with White Pearl Lumiere and white acrylic paint. The finishing touch was to stitch some white iridescent beads onto each snowflake. Is it just me or is it getting just a bit chilly in here??????

I Miss The Snow

10" X 20"

I Miss the Snow - detail



Junk Junkie

OK...I teased you with the previous post (Can this be art....AND art quilting??).  Here is the result and yes...it is an art quilt!!

Again for one of the online groups I participate with - the theme for this year is WHO I AM - Like everyone, I'm quite a few "things". But one for sure is a Junk Junkie. I dumpster dive if I see something that catches my eye, pick up free things off the side of the road, LOVE Freecycle, thrift stores....that about says it. My poor long-suffering husband is at last used to piles of what seems to most people as useless stuff. Both he and my 4 year old granddaughter don't throw anything away unless they ask me first if I need it for an art project. I'm not altogether sure why old junk appeals to me and helps define what kind of person I am or at least what interests me. Probably a bit of the same reason I love falling down buildings. It's like I feel a sense of history and presence from another time. I try to imagine to whom it belonged in the past. Was it loved and cared for or just a utilitarian piece. I have a pile of rusted junk on the side of my house that I'm sure my neighbors question but if they could see this piece they just might understand.

I rusted white cotton fabric and then dyed it a bit with some cerulean blue procion dye. The large border/binding is a hand-dyed cotton of very close to the same blue. Both are from my stash. I wove rusted wire, including various rusty bits and pieces as I went along. Rusted some cotton heavy duty thread to attach the weavings to the quilt. The piece is 10" X 20".
 

JUNK  JUNKIE

JUNK  JUNKIE - detail



I have to say this was a very interesting quilt to make. Metal weaving is a bit more of a challenge than I had anticipated but I do have to say...it was worth it!!

Fractured Architecture

THIRD POST TODAY!!

Ha!! Just realized I didn't post my latest endeavors for the Amsterdam Canal Houses project! OK, so our embellishing challenge for the first part of April is pleats and tucks. So, I thought I would use that technique to make one of my houses! I ironed the pleats so that they were kind of like window shutters. Then, when I did the pleats crosswise I added some bits of thread lace. This is to be window boxes (pleats) with flowers (pink and purple thread lace). Quite fun really!

Haven't put in the windows yet or snipped threads even! But here it is!

And here is a detail picture -