To Eat It or Not

Normally celery finds it way to our dinner table, but when I noticed an idea on Quilting Arts I couldn't resist bringing the celery into my studio. Even though I'm always up for a snack, this wasn't the plan.

The plan was to cut the bottom of the celery off and use it as a stamp. With a little paint on the end, my celery became roses. This was so much fun, I tried it on several pieces of fabric. I especially liked it on this piece of pink striped fabric.

I finished one piece up, adding machine quilting to bring out details and make it look even more rose-like. 

Red Roses - Quilt Tile

8" x 8"

Sharon V. Rotz

Although I can't resist the beautiful commercially printed fabric available to us as quilters, it is exciting to create your very own designs.

Zen-quilting

Zen-Quilting Tile

8" x 8"

Sharon V. Rotz

I have heard of zen-doodles and Zentangles, but as free-motion quilters we can certainly be the artists who create beautiful Zen-Quilting. I found this a relaxing activity and a fun way to practice (or design) lines and shapes that I can use in the future on larger quilting projects.

Being so much a color fanatic, I keep thinking of various ways that I could add color to my quilt tile. Am I done? Should I hold back? Or, should I splash color all over?  I am trying hard to keep my hands tied behind my back and just stop. I keep telling myself, this tile is done and bound, get past it.

Do you create in black and white? Or are you, like me, ready to throw each piece into a multi-color dye pot?

Scrap Play

Spilling Over- Color and Pattern

8" x 8"

Sharon V. Rotz

Gathering my scraps, I decided it was time of a bit of play. First, strings of fabric were randomly stitched together. This, of course, is liberating fun -- no seam allowance concern, no matching, no pattern arrangement -- anything goes. Pressed and trimmed when necessary to keep things flat.

After I had an 8" square, it was time for embellishing. I added shiny candy wrappers after taking a moment to relax and enjoy the candy. Only then did I decide to divide my project into three sections with the addition of a narrow strip of navy. No plan, just playing.

A strip of narrow ribbon, curling off the spool, was draped across the fabric. It was definitely more interesting left curled, instead of when it was straighten. So curled it went on.

What next? Digging in my thread box, orange embroidery thread popped up. Perfect for some of my favorite candlewicking knots. (Candlewicking knots are similar to french knots but looped in figure eight fashion around the needle and pulled through. They give a heavier look then a single french knot.)

For the binding, again I had fun using three fabrics adding different colors to finish the piece. A fast, easy project. A perfect distraction for the day.

Using Serged Cord

I used a bit of the serged cord that I made on this small 8" x 8" quilt tile. Combine it with a little dye and some fusing and this is what you come up with.

The serging was done with multi-colored metallic thread in the upper looper and purple in the bottom looper. I used two strands of red yarn which gives it a red cast.

I have been finishing my small samples into pieces that I refer to as "Quilt Tiles". I've found that I appreciate them more and they are not lost in the confusion of stray bits that have no home and are always lost when I am searching for them. (Several quilt tiles hung together can make an eye-catching display.)