Using alcohol inks

I enjoyed some experimenting with alcohol inks on Yupo paper.  Because the Yupo paper is polypropylene, the ink does not absorb but runs across the surface. A bit of rubbing alcohol adds to the blending and random play of the colors.

 

Now that I have these wonderful treasures of color, what next??

Could I cut shapes out of the paper and attach it to a fiber piece?  Would it be possible to sew through the paper without it ripping or shredding?

On we go.....

.

I cut out silhouettes of birds.

I found some mitered border end scraps from a previous project.  By stitching these together, I had a small background.

(I love it when I can find a use for scraps.)

The birds were stitched in place (successfully).

The Nest (13" x 17")

Rainy Days and More Hexagons

You can blame it on the rain!
Yes, again I opened that bag of fabric and found more precut hexagons. 

With a bit of needed piecing to come up with the required hexagons, I came up with this pink and blue table centerpiece. This time I controlled the chaos of my previous hexagon piece and made a symmetrical design.

Some of my piecing was quite obvious in my hexagons.

But with a little thought, I managed to camouflage the piecing with my quilting lines.

You can hardly see the mismatch of the fabric design.

A bit of pink left from a full size quilt became the backing fabric. For the quilting thread, I am using up the remainder of a spool of variegated thread.

Ah, it feels so good to finish up little ends and pieces.
A relaxing, yet creative use of a dreary day.

Finishing hexagons

I chose to quilt my hexagons with a simple outline stitch. 

I feel this strengthens the shape and perhaps does a little to calm down the chaos.

The finished piece adds a bit of complimentary color to the table beneath my wall quilt. 

(The birds approve!)

For extra fun and to use up additional small bits of fabric, I also pieced the back of the hexagon piece.  This way I can flip it for a totally different look.

This opposite side could make a nice centerpiece 

along with the two squares I had left for matching coasters. 

 (I'm ready for the day when I can finally have a friend over for coffee.)

Meanwhile, still making masks.  

(Isn't it thoughtful that quilters had the foresight

 to keep enough supplies on hand to rise up in emergency situations.)

Another Moment of Color Chaos

Another bigger project has been whirling around in my head but its time has not arrived.  In the meantime, I found another bag of scraps that look too inviting to pass by.

Just what fun little project is hiding on my table??

 

Cheering on spring weather, I find several red and yellow hexagons. I can't go wrong with hexagons (my favorite shape) so lets see what we can come up with.

Smaller pieces of fabric, sewn together, are easily cut into more hexagons.......

Until I have a table full of hexagons.

It is simply a riot of color and confusion.  My perfect type of flower garden.

It is quite a contrast to this vintage diamond block that dates back to the 1930's flower garden  quilts.  (But then again, they probably had different "stay at home" orders.)

I hope you can peace and beauty in the riot of chaos and confusion of your life today.

And then I Was Done.....

After completing my quilt, the fabric pile was reduced to these small 1" wide scraps. Perfect candidates for the wastebasket...... or were they??

Was it possible to use them ALL up?

Sometimes the mind starts working and the machine starts stitching and you end up

with....

I cut two squares and started adding on the strips piecing them together as needed. I ended up with two perfect log cabin blocks with four logs on each side. 

(again God's planning, not mine)

A bit of rickrack on the edge was added to set off the fabrics.

The very last piece became a fused bookmark accented with the left over rickrack.

Ah, now I am done.

Attic Treasure

Last summer my sister and I went through some things in my mom's attic. We came upon a Schumacher fabric sample pack, and, of course, have no idea how this came to live in mom's attic. (Or for that matter, how long it had been there.)

Recently, I took apart the sample pack, washed the fabric squares and cut them to make a lap size quilt.

I stitched the blocks together, admiring all of the fabrics in the pack. There were enough squares for a 5 block x 7 block quilt top, (measuring approximately 37" x 52") with only one fabric square remaining.

Because these are vintage blocks, I wanted a backing fabric that would be a compatible choice.

(I feel that God and I are always working together on these projects because in my stash was the perfect backing choice, a plain, pale blue cotton just the right size and color.)

The remainder of the blue was used for the binding.

(Again, God's hand, as that one remaining square from the fabric pack was needed, supplying just the right amount of binding length to go around the quilt.)

Now, every time I look at this quilt, I will think of my mom.....
and the treasures my sister and I found cleaning the attic.

Nesting in Place

The birds are appliquéd on......

the binding is done and I am finished.  

My thought is that I should call this piece "Nesting in Place" 

as we all are nestled in our homes at the moment.

Here Come the Birds

It is definitely time to add some subject matter to this project, so I sketched two birds to nest in one corner. I will cut the shapes from an interesting batik fabric, add fused details and finally appliqué them onto my quilt.

I find it easy to trace the pattern using my "solar powered, vertical light box".  I can see my drawing through the white fabric and can trace the shapes for the detail of the bird. 

 I can then cut and fuse these small pieces unto my bird.

Since more detail is needed, my last step is to use paint to add additional shading. Now, the birds are ready to trim and appliqué in place. 

(Although in nature, these birds have different coloring, I chose to coordinate them with my quilt. Thus, a new variation of  bird is created. Oh, the power I have!)

Vines on my Mind

I have been busy adding vines to my background. I can see after adding the first leaves that I need more variation. One fabric, once again, cannot do it all.

Now I added more fabrics and am happier with the results.  Color variation elevates our projects by adding more dimension just like the texture of the quilting makes our projects sing.

And, on we go......

That First Stitch

As with most things, the first step is the hardest and in this case, it was the first stitch. After procrastinating about creating the quilt top, I was determined to quilt it now that it was ready.

Well, maybe.....
I spent the day rearranging my threads, dusting and cleaning my machine, planning how I was going to quilt the different sections and finally, there were no more excuses.

I made that first stitch. And then the second one.  Suddenly, I remembered why I love quilting. The fabrics were taking life. Textures, wonderful textures, were appearing on my quilt. Now, I am enthused and zipping along enjoying each new stitch.

There will be no more walking around or stepping over this one, I can't wait to see how it will turn out. Stay tuned........

Slow Progress, Oh so slow.......

After a month of selecting fabrics, 

scattering them on a mat on the floor, 

pondering them, 

ignoring them, 

walking around them 

and around them,

rearranging them, 

and eventually sewing them together, 

my fabrics are finally made into a background for a new project. 

Today, I sandwiched the backing, batting and top together ready for quilting. 

 Now what?

 Will I actually start quilting? 

Or...... will I procrastinate for another month?

The Seeds of Good Deeds

Brighten someone's day today with an encouraging word.

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life.

Proverbs 11:30

What have you been up to?
Just contemplating your quilt or are you actually working on finishing it? Some days you just have to sit down and study it a bit before you begin.

After seasoning some of your quilt tops for years, it may be time to just get them done.  We will see how it goes!