It was supposed to be a combo of a red and white checker board and some appliqued chickens in bright colors (similar to the chickens below)…. on the bottom half diagonally. Didn't like it when I got it sewn. Then I put it away. When I looked at it again, I decided to take the chickens off, and had enough of the red and white 25 patch squares and the white for the plain squares to make a decent size center. I knew that I didn't want more red…. for the border, but something a bit more fun than a simple print. I found this print when I wasn't even looking for it!!! I have the backing and it is just waiting for its opportunity to be sandwiched and quilted.Another finish was the ‘Side of a Barn’ that I started in South Africa at the
IQCA convention/show that I attended in July of 2012, just before packing out to come home. The class was a Susan Brubaker Knapp class (see Blue Moon River for more information). I didn't take much in the way of notes, thinking the handouts would have enough information…. the don’t, -so to finish it I had to fake it. I also couldn't find the thread that I had started using for the shading on the barn… and I got to the point I just wanted it done. I do like my rock wall though… lots and lots of threads and stitches … to achieve the rocks!!! I think I would have like a class more on the developing a photograph for fabric interpretation rather than using someone else's photograph.
I did start one new project, and like the rock wall lots of thread and stitches… I wanted to do a monogram, well just an initial from an old Alphabet Embroidery clip I have been seeing on the Internet. So I planned it out…. first I enlarged it, then traced it on to the back of a stabilizer. Since I was using a black fabric, I couldn't just trace it to the front…. I didn't want any chalk on the front to dull the black. So I stitched the design from the back through the stabilizer and the front, using a fine thread ( Sew Fine) in a red. Then I backed it with wool batting and backing. In hindsight I think I would have backed with just the batting for the thread sketching/painting. To put the color on the front I did free motion thread work using a Superior Rainbow- red, purple, orange and gold. I added a bit of a red sparkly thread here and there for some punch, although it doesn't photograph at all! For the back ground I did a simple stipple using a #50 black cotton thread. Originally I was going to do a piped binding, but couldn't find the right color of red or orange…. so I opted for beads. Overall size is about 18 x 30 inches.
The Hexies, were from a care package I received in South Africa. 1 1/4 inch hexagons cut from Japanese fabrics. I had 3 packages of the fabric…. so I picked up some precut paper pieces and did a little English Paper Piecing for a hand project. I have all the hexies sewn together (I just didn't take a picture)…. and I am trying to decide if I want to use the leftover parts to fill in the sides or not. It really isn’t large enough to do anything with…. but I will applique it to a background and maybe turn it into a table topper. I recently saw a different layout, so I may take this apart and rework the flowers…
And lastly another reworked UFO. It was a top…(small) but I just didn't like it. So I took it apart and let the chickens hang out on the wall…. for what seems like a really long time, about 4 months…. and then… I discovered a friend in Chicagoland is having a really rough time… and when I got home I saw the chickens and how bright and fun they looked. They are made from hand dyed fabrics (most are from my friend Karen. see her blog here) and are beaded. So I finished them individually with some really bright and cheerful prints, and proceeded to make several little quiltlets… suitable for a wall or other small space… to bring a smile to someone I know- that really needs a lift. I think I have homes for 3 more, (2 well wishing and 1 birthday), which will leave one- leftover- but if I know life… it will have a home soon.More Later-
Beth
