More and more pears

This week the goal was to play with piecing. I started chapter four in the Art Quilt Workbook by piecing strips into a background fabric. My strips were cut 1-inch wide and it was interesting to see how they came together. I used one of my photographs and tried covering it with an orange colored net.
It is the first time that I have used the blue batik in this series so I decided to use it again in the next quilt.

This time I cut curves and pieced them together for the background. I used a pear that was printed onto paper which is why I got the nice white outline. I also wanted to try using a bark that I had purchased for an online class and never used. It is the green fibrous looking stuff. I fused it and the pear to the background using misty fuse. I love using a wavy rotary cutter around the edges instead of binding them - more artsy and very easy.

Pears #3

Pears #3 began with the photograph which I wanted to be the center of attention. Usually I put my focal point in the middle or the lower sections of my piece so I challenged myself to make the piece work with the focal point higher up. I am happy with the outcome. I think the reddish batik helped balance the pears.


In the meantime I have a fig tree in my front yard that I have been guarding anxiously. The deer already ate my ripe figs once and there is a gorgeous one just waiting for one more day to be perfect. I should be doing figs! Maybe that will be my next series. I love the look of fig leaves.

Tote bags and pears

We got a new pattern at Quiltz so I had fun making tote bags this week. I am going to teach a class this fall - they are quick, easy and make great gifts! They each took about an hour to create.

I created my second pear quilt using a photo that I took in the kitchen. I had so much fun playing with my pears and photographing them. You may see more photos of them in the future. I really like being restricted to one color palette. I think the pieces will all look beautiful together when they are completed.

In the meantime, I did finish my second Black and White quilt but I can't show photos for a while. I also started a large collage type quilt using painted fabric from Bali. You will just have to wait a while longer for that one too!

Branching out

I began "Branching out" after a walk up my favorite mountain. I had to fend off Rascal who thought that my wonderful sticks were for him. When I placed them on thick teal paper from Thailand, I loved the contrast but the color was a little too bright so I covered the paper with navy blue tulle. Quiltz is carrying gorgeous "Silk and Ivory" thread for needlepoint and I just had to play with a little of it.

I laid everything out on the brown fabric, took a photo and then took it all off so that I could do the quilting. Then I sewed the pieces on top. The red skeleton leaves came from Thailand too. I really like the yarn that travels underneath the leaves and needlework.

Pears

I have been extremely productive this week. I made this leaf for my friend Sherry who wanted a fabric piece to protect her hand painted wooden chimes from Bali. The leaf is similar to that painted on the chimes and the colors match. Best of all, I used Bali Batik fabrics for the project.


I am beginning an online workshop using Jane Davila's book. I have decided to use pears as my theme and stick to the colors that I found on some scrap booking papers. They were at a yard sale and the pears came with them so I decided that it was meant to be. This is my first in the series. I used some hand painted fabric, silk, scrap book papers and sheer ribbon. It was so much fun to just play with a manageable size. It is 9 x 12.
What I didn't tell you is that I finished a large black and white quilt for a contest and a challenge quilt that will hang at Middleford Yarn Store in November. I can't show you those photos until closer to that time...unless you want to see them in person....