"Where Is Cornelia?"

Hi, I am continuing to work on my "Where Is Cornelia?" wall hanging.

After using colored pencils in the background of my "Where Is Cornelia?" quilt, I found matching metallic thread and added some stitching on the edge of the flowers. 

They are already fused onto the background so the stitching is only ornamental. (See all the things you can do to avoid actually finishing a project!)

My next search was for interesting, complimentary fabric that I could use for a binding. I came up with this after rejecting several other choices. The curving lines seem to add to the center design without competing with it. So, on I go.

But.....

Wait!

The fact that the fabric was cut along some of the swirls inspired me to start thinking in a new direction. What if I added some of the swirls to the edge of the design? 

(Yes, I know, another way to prolong finishing it!)

Maybe next week????

If you are interested in making your own version of 

my pattern "Where Is Cornelia?"

it is available for purchase on my website.

Linked to Off the Wall Friday

Tuesday's Tile - Peeling Back the Layers

 

Quilter's Tile - Layers

8" x 8"

©2012 - Sharon V. Rotz

How many things can be done to a piece of fabric?  Like the layers of our lives, this fabric has been  changed as each layer has been added on. (Here paint is scraped across the fabric leaving unequal areas of paint.)

Over a commercially printed fabric, marks were made with fabric markers, designs were stamped, and paint was applied.  Each layer makes either subtle or major changes.

At the sewing machine, free-motion quilting adds another dimension. Over this, additional strips were added by fusing or stitching.

Metallic pieces were fused on. Words were added with fabric markers.

Just as we change each day by the situations in our lives, this fabric also has been changed. 

Maybe for the better, maybe not.

Layers and layers, added on.

Autumn Leaves

Capturing the Sun

Sharon V. Rotz

Immersed in color, leaves cry out to be interpreted in fabric.

Start with a line drawing.

Add color in the form of gorgeous hand-dyed silks and cottons.

Cut and fuse. Add machine quilting details.

Captured!

Tuesday's Tile - Celebration Anticipation

Quilter's Tile - Fireworks

8" x 8"

©2012 - Sharon V. Rotz

In a few short days, we will be celebrating July 4th, Independence Day. I always look forward to the fireworks so I thought I would use this as a theme for this week's quilter's tile. With red, white and blue in mind, I chose this unlikely combination of fabrics. These small tiles are a place to try things to see if they will turn out good or bad.

I cut and fused bursts of red fireworks.

Standing by the iron and before I quilted, I am putting on a fused binding.  One side is cut straight and the second side is cut with a wavy blade in my rotary cutter.

The wavy edge is finger pressed to the front of the quilt.

The binding is folded over to the back.

A steam press fuses the binding in place.

Happy Independence Day to All!

Tuesday's Tile - A Summer Project?

For this week's project, I started with pink stones fused unto a varied pink background. I think I had my little grand-daughter in mind as her favorite color is "PEEnk".

After fusing came the question, where do I go now? Do we always have a plan in mind before we start? I think not.

Since I had been thinking of utilizing my machine stitches more, that option came to mind. But I just couldn't see how it would be a good choice to try fighting with turning corners with stitches that would be so much easier done in a straight line.

Using hand stitches seemed a much better option. I love hand work as it is relaxing and portable. I reached into my box of embroidery threads and came out with more pink (pink floss this time) and my favorite stitch manual.

Stitching through the fused stones is not a problem, since I used Steam-A-Seam Lite as the fusible. I backed my fabric with a layer of batting and it provided enough body that I don't have to use an embroidery hoop.

As you can see, I am on my way.  This is the feather stitch.

A closed feather stitch.

The chevron stitch.

A button hole stitch.

 You could say done backward, usually the closed line is on the exterior of the fabric.

And the open chain stitch.

I can see a relaxing summer project here as I begin to create a sampler of stitches. You see, it is just too much fun to hurry.  

I hope you will come back and see my progress.

Tuesday's Tile - Super Moon

Quilter's Tile - Super Moon

8" x 8"

©2012 - Sharon V. Rotz

This past Saturday the world viewed the moon at it most magnificent. It was the moment that the moon was the closest to the earth and it looked bigger and brighter than normal. In honor of the super moon, we have this week's Tuesday's Tile.

Of course, because it was so close you could plainly see the man in the moon. 

As my story goes....To keep his robust shape, he nibbles and nibbles away until there is nothing but a narrow slice of moon left.

(But fear not, because the Wisconsin cows are producing the milk and the Wisconsin cheese-makers are making the cheddar and soon there will be a new moon.)

This tile is a combination of fusing and free-motion machine quilting. 

I drew out a reasonable face on paper, so I thought I would just "wing it" and quilt the face without marking on the quilt. I did quilt one side of the face without trouble but then my brain shut down. Apparently, I can duplicate a shape but reversing it (drawing the mirror image) at the machine is a problem. How well does your mind think in reverse?

I added a few chalk lines and completed the man in the moon. Of course, he was quite proud of himself, so a few beads brought out his shine.

A new thing for my to-do list:  Practice drawing mirror images.

Tuesday's Tile - Mixed Up and Confused?

Quilter's Tile - Mixed Up and Confused

8" x 8"

©2012 Sharon V. Rotz

In the box? Out of the Box? Why is there a box at all?

I couldn't resist playing with a bit of an optical illusion when I spotted the identical fabric in two different colorways. I added fusible to the backs of two identical prints, one pink and one orange, and cut out the beautiful bloom. Laying one over the other, I cut out two rectangles and interchanged the colors and fused. Because the fabrics are so close to the same value, the color change almost disappears. What does that say for value being more important than color? These fabrics were two strikingly different colors.

Of course, this experiment led to two Quilter's Tiles instead of just one. 

Just like twins, they were parts of one another and wanted to be together. Since I didn't have coordinating beads at hand, I made some from rolled fabric tubes and joined the two Quilter's Tiles.

Tuesday's Tile - Falling Leaves

Quilter's Tile - Falling Leaves

8" x 8"

©2012 Sharon V. Rotz

Of the three samples of fabric that I previously stamped, this one seemed to be the stumbling block for me. One of these samples was stamped in regimented rows, a second sample was free-form stamped and this last one was somewhat even, somewhat random. Of the three, this was the one that I liked the best. Then why did it cause me to stumble?

Maybe because I didn't want to "mess it up". Often when we buy a piece of fabric that we just love, we are afraid to use it. We don't want to waste it by making the wrong choice, or we don't want to use it up  and there won't be anymore. So we hold it tightly in our hands and fear cutting into it. 

Well, right or wrong, I jumped in and chose to use my sample. I applied fusible to the back of a sheer blue and cut a tree. This I fused this in place and added a few fused leaves. I was happy with the fact that you could see through the sheer, creating the look of complexity with layers. The quilting added another layer of interest.

For the wider binding, I chose two fabrics to give a feeling of earth and sky. 

I still have my fabric but it is not longer grasped tightly. It is enriched and displayed proudly.

Tuesday's Tile - Red Leaf

Quilter's Tile - Red Leaf

8" x 8"

©2011 Sharon V. Rotz

In the midst of Christmas activities, a friend and I got together for some quilting playtime.

After watching Frieda Anderson and Laura Wasilowski  with Nancy Zieman on Wisconsin Public Television, Pat and I set out to have our own fusing adventure.  (By the way, I'm so thrilled to call these three talented quilters my friends. Frieda, Laura, and Nancy are all so enthusiastic about sharing, don't miss it if you have the opportunity to learn from them.)

  

Back to my quilting. Using pre-fused fabrics, I arranged and fused these pieces directly to the batting. Then I did a bit more fusing to add details. So quick and easy with great results. Another fun day.