Mini Mandala

It's the end of our process challenge and time to reveal the full quilt.  I have to say that this was a tough one for me to document - I so seldom actually have a full plan before I start, and then to actually stop and think about what I was doing along the way??!!
My early thoughts were captured here and here  I left you wondering how I was going to add colour and whether I was going to use trapunto.
To pick it up at that point, I decided to use two layers of batting and forego the trapunto.  I quilted up my outlines

and decided I would start with thread colour and see where that took me

some stitching - I gave myself some guidelines this time, and used a Frixon pen, which you will see in many of the pictures.  Being a wholecloth quilt, I wanted to stick to tradition and have it fairly symetrical.  The lines helped with that.

I started with the yellow centre, then moved onto the orange petals

Then to the green cross hatching - I used my rulers here

then to the blue - I started doing a feather but didn't like it so actually did some reverse stitching, which is pretty unusual for me, but I'm glad I did.

you can see I also added some pink in the form of the circles in the corners.  Next the background was quilted - I contemplated going with another colour, but then decided that there was such a thing as too much colour, so I dialed it back to white!

Finished the cross hatching, and then did matchstick quilting around the edge.  A quick hit with a hot iron and the green marks are gone

I decided that there was already enough colour, so I didn't get to try my pastels, this time.

I added the binding last night

and I am very happy with the final result! 

Thank you for another interesting challenge Vicki!

(My apologies about the quality of the pictures, seems I just wasn't ready to take any while the sun was actually shining!)

the design phase

Okay, so today was the day I started the design phase for our process challenge.  Having set my parameters as a wholecloth mini quilt, with a mandala and colour, I needed to come up with a plan.

To start, I took a plain piece of paper and marked a 16" square on it, and then quartered it horizontally, vertically and diagonally.

Next, using an idea I got from Lisa Calle - use your rulers to help you with the basic design,  I started with a 2.5" circle template and then grabbed my 6"curved ruler and started laying out some curves, using my registration marks as a guide.  Using the rulers means I know it will work with them when it comes to the quilting, and I'll be able to get nice sharp lines and angles.

A few more lines, a few more circles, and I think I've got my basic design worked out.

I think I can call that mandala inspired!  Now, what to do about colour?  I could go bold - using some dye pastels I picked up while visiting with Gina last summer -

Or see what I can come up with using thread.  The basic design is now transferred to a piece of white pfd (prepared for dye) fabric, just in case I want to add some colour other than thread! and some quilting ideas are penciled in.  All of this is subject to change once it goes under the needle...

Next step will be deciding if I'll include any trapunto - I'm thinking it is a possibility, then sandwiching it up and having some quilting fun with it!  That's my favourite part!

How are you doing with yours?
Janet

the process has started

and for me to get started this early is quite something!

Well, what has actually happened is that I have set some parameters for myself to work within and help focus my thoughts and attention, and I always need to do that or I go off half cocked in way too many directions!

My parameters to work on my process piece:

• Mandala inspired
• wholecloth
• colour through thread/paint/ or ???

I've stumbled across a Pinterest board that has me dreaming of possibilities, and I'm intrigued by the concept. There is a lot of meaning and spiritualism surrounding Mandalas, which I'm looking forward to learning more about. It also has me remembering just how much fun I had with my Spirograph growing up, and I'm looking forward to re-living some of that!

let's see what comes next?

Janet

what have I got myself into?

I have a plan.  It involves this

which lead to this

and a whole lot more like it.

I am making progress, I will have a reveal, but I can't say it will 100% done!

Looking forward to seeing everyone's art on Sunday!

Cheers!
Janet

Colourblock

I had a bit of a time deciding on how to approach this challenge.  In the end, I went the way I was most comfortable with - partly due to wanting to actually have something to show today, and partly because, well, it was comfortable!  I guess I haven't quite broken loose of my comfort zone, and kicked that box aside!

I'm not one for fussy - I prefer clean and simple.  I like graphic.  I like lines.  I like colour.  I like balance, although I don't always achieve it myself.  Piet Mondrian's style suits me.   (to see an interesting presentation of his work, and how it changed over his life as an artist, check this video).

gridwork

I took the idea of a limited colour palette, and played with lines and gridwork.  I introduced some neutrals, in the shape of white, grey and black.
I added additional lines through the use of stitch.

stitch

I like what I ended up with.

Colourblock

finished size 16 x 16

from that first lullaby

that your mother sings, music is part of our lives - it's woven into our fabric. 

We live with nursery rhymes, TV jingles, theme songs, camp fire singalongs - we can't escape!  We turn the radio up when a favourite song comes on, so we can belt it out along with the radio - right?  I know I'm not the only one that does that!

Right through our lives we are surrounded by music.  Anthems at the beginning of sporting events. Graduation ceremonies - all that Pomp and Circumstance.  Weddings - that first waltz, right through to a funeral march.  Even nature - bird songs, whale songs, the lovely musical sound of a waterfall.  It's all around us, and in us.

I started out doing some weaving - 

thought that would work, so I created some fabric paper by gluing some sheet music to a piece of muslin.  I spritzed it with some ink before the glue dried to give it a bit of colour.  Once it was dry, I sliced it up and woven it into a piece of satin.

I had some fabric with music on it so I pieced it  with some random fabric to make my piece bigger.  Next step was to create a stencil using freezer paper, and then using paint sticks, stencil a treble clef on to the fabric

I also quilted a woven area into one section.

I needed something more with the treble clef, so I painted some fusible interfacing, cut out some notes and stuck them on.  Decided they were too black so rubbed them with a little paintstick to tone them down a bit

then finished it all off with some quilting - the words "Music - Woven into the fabric of our lives" and a few extra notes and treble clefs

Do you have music in your soul?

The music of life

sometimes it is smooth and melodious - everything feels good - life is good.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes it is jarring and discordant - it can set your nerves on edge and upset the balance and cause stress. 



The latter appears to be the music of our lives these days.  With that in mind, and to get us all back to a relaxed, creative state, the reveal for the music theme - our 12th theme, will be postponed to January 12, 2014 - the 12th on the 12th.  Seems fitting, doesn't it?

Now we will be able to enjoy the music of the holidays and really get creative with our pieces!

the 12th challenge

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." 
Plato


Use music - lyrics, images, feelings, instruments, notes - whatever strikes your fancy, to set "flight to the imagination" in creating your next challenge piece.  Make it mixed media!

 

Reveal will be November 30, size 16" x 20", horizontal or vertical,

Have fun!

 

Open to Change

Open.

So many different ways to interpret this.  As someone who likes to experiment, and my "creations" don't always match my original plans and expectations, I really have to be open to change!

 

 

In a recent workshop day with Catherine Nicholls, we were experimenting, (or more correctly playing!)  with pen and ink.  This is something that I have absolutely no experience with, but oh what a great day it was!  We had some fun with playing with dots - lots of fun in fact!  (more about that in a future post on my blog)

 

 

and eventually, we reached the point where we were to paint cherry blossoms using Inktense pencils, washes and shading.  The fun with this is that it is so unpredictable as to what you will get.

I am no artist.  It soon became apparent that I was not creating a cherry blossom in any way shape or form!

 

 

decidedly not cherry blossom like

 

Much more tulip like.  I was open to this, and worked with what was presented, adding some shading with pencil crayons and dots.  Some faux trapunto, some dense quilting (whaaaaattt?!) and my end result

 

This is an example of what I like about creating - being open to what is revealing itself as you progress and being open to change to take a project in a completely different direction!

You never know what comes next!

 

Thank you Gina, I really enjoyed this theme!

 

Janet

Finished size 16" x 16"
Wholecloth, painted, pen & inked, traputoed and quilted,
Superior Bottomline thread top and bottom

 

hmmmmm

I'm progressing well with my next challenge piece - what do you think?

No surprise on the dense quilting, perhaps, but I have done something new to me in this one!  Looking forward to seeing everyone's pieces next week!

bits and pieces

that's what my remnants challenge piece is made up of - the left over remains of previous projects. 

 

There were little bits from previous TT challenges - bits of the celebration fabric I printed for that challenge last year - bits of the background sky fabric used in the architecture piece.  In some cases the bits were too bright so the fabric was flipped over and the back was used.

I selected the brighter bits from my bags of scraps, and as we weren't having much of a spring at the time, I created my own - a nice bright yellow sun

and flowers reaching up to it

 

 

I had a lot of fun grabbing bits and piecing them together, creating as I went along.  Then the puzzle - how to piece these separate flowers and sun together into a single piece?  Add a bit here, trim off a bit there, slip this under, layer that over, and it was done!

 



the pieces all fit together.  Oh, but wait, I'm missing a bit of stem on the left.  More trimming, more piecing - now its ready.
some quilting -

add a facing and label and it is done!

 

Here Comes Spring!

Thank you Brigitte, a great challenge!

(a few more progress shots can be seen on my blog)

Remnants

aren't these a pretty, bright, spring-like bunch of remnants I'm working on?

Happy Quilting!