Finn's Pattern

There is nothing worst than having something, especially a textbook, fall smack on the top of your foot.  To top it off, it had to be my right foot, yeah that foot.  The foot you drive with and most importantly, the foot I "sew" with, ugh!  Luckily, I am not ready to quilt.

I retraced Finn and the highlights.  Had my daughter take a look at the pattern, and she said it looked like her dog.

 Taking a double look at the pattern and the picture, I went back and retraced some of the lines.  Then I numbered the pieces to match the material.

Now He Looks Like Finn

 

 

 

 

This looks much better.  I tried to capture too many highlights in the last attempt.

 

He's Not a Zebra

Well, I printed my pattern and Finn looks like a zebra.  In comparing the pattern to the original picture, it is definitely what I do not want.  Back to the drawing board.

Finn Dog Sketched in Blue

It didn't take me as long as I expected to retrace Finn.  It is nice when I can get in the zone and loose the outside world.  I was able to concentrate solely on the task at hand, got the eye-hand coordination going and got it done.  Now, I need to decide on a size and print him out.  

Finn Dog

Over my spring break, I drove to Oklahoma to visit my Aunt and Uncle.  Every thinks we are crazy to make that 3,000 mile drive.  We kept posting  pictures of the beautiful scenery on our drive along 81 and then 40 west.  We also made a side tour to Cade's Cove in the Smokey Mountains and Red Rock Canyon in Winton, Oklahoma; you can't do that on a plane.  Our slogan with each post was: This is why we drive.

My next project is a portrait of my daughter's dog Finn.

Using Photoshop,  I removed the background.  Then, I decided to outline the  major highlights in white.  I converted the picture to grayscale and printed it.  I used too small of a white line, and when it was printed, it didn't show up clearly; lesson learned.  Now, I am in the process of retracing it on a layer in blue, so I can save it as an outline.  Afterwards, I will trace the outline to make my pattern.  This should take me a couple of days since I will have only the nights to work on it.

Quilting Equals Reduced Size

I am still amazed at the rate infants grow.  It has been two weeks since I last saw my granddaughter and WOW how has she grown.

The pillows started with the same dimensions.  The green one was not quilted and the blue one was quilted.

I am always amazed, even though it does make sense, the blue one reduced in size after being quilted.


I stuffed the pillows, overstuffed the pillows.  I am not sure I like the look.  In addition, I haven't made pillows in a long time and I need to research how not to make what I call the pointed ears.  I do recall there is a trick, but I just can't remember it.

I think I need to take the green pillow apart and stuff it again.

 

 

Quilted and Pillow Ready

 

I just returned from Florida visiting my Uncle.  Family comes first in my life, especially the generation before mine, because I know the clock is ticking away.  I treasure the time and the memories spent with them.

 

I decided to cut away the white area of the wings and place the reverse side of the border material behind them.  I like the feel and look of cutwork on the butterfly wings. I fee motioned stitched around the edge of each individual,  black design.  Also, I  used a stippling stitch on the border.  Now, I just need to find time to run to the store to buy piping and stuffing.  With the rectangular shape, I will have to stuff it. 

Ink Spots

My Aunt Jodi is a Southwest artist.  I have always aspired to reach the level of artistry she has achieved.  Even with her failing eyesight she is still creating works of art.  I decided to take a piece she calls Ink Spots  and turn it into a quilted pillow.

I have decided to print it onto material.  I plan to cut out the white pieces of the butterflies and place colored material behind.  What color or colors?  I'm not real sure, but thinking about it, I know she likes turquoise. 

Done

I am finally finished.  My next project will be  copy of one of my aunt's pieces of art duplicated onto a pillow to give to her.  I need to learn how to take pictures that are not distorted.

Sky is Done

The best thing about no school tomorrow is that I was able to stay up and finish stitching the sky.  Now, I feel as though there is a break in the movement on the pool.   My eye stops at the boat and I feel as if it is off balanced.  I think I need to  put a small red object to the right of the boat very close to the border to get that feeling of movement and balance.  Tomorrow I will begin work on the border.  My inclination is to do a stippling stitch.  Just incase you don't know what the stippling stitch is, check tout his link: Seam Sew Wright Quilt Studio .

The Sky

  I love the internet especially when I use it as a place for inspiration.  In Google, I searched in images free motion quilting.  After much deliberation, I have decided to do the Echo Shell pattern for the sky.  I felt that I needed to separate the stitching of the sky from the body and the pool bottom and to me it fits the bill.  Here is a tutorial for the Echo Shell design.

I do believe I like the way it is looking.

The Pool is Stitched

My sewing machine is finally back in its place after a much needed tune up.  Last week I broke three needles within an hour, so I decided it was best to take it to the shop.  I get my machine serviced at great quilting store, Tomorrow's Treasures .  I had a difficult time deciding how to stitch the bottom of the pool.  I finally decided to just to very simple uneven rows to stitching to reflect  the fact there was water in the pool.  Now, to ponder the sky.

 

Thread Painting the Shadows

I have begun to thread paint the shadows of the pool and then I will do the shadow of the baby.  As you can see the definition of the arm has become clearer on the right side where the shadow is complete.

Working on the Pool

 

The baby is finished and I have moved on to the pool.  I decided to use a circular motion, circles, for the side of the pool.

 

Stitching the Body

I decided to heavily stitch the body since there was so much negative area.  I thought leaving it unstitched would look unfinished.  Again it has different characteristics when you look at it up close and from a distance. 

 

 

 

Stitching the Hat

 

I took the plunge and began stitching the hat.  I like the variation  of the material, so my stitching and thread color choices followed suit,

 

 

Basting

There is no greater incentive to scrub my kitchen floor than when it is time to baste a quilt.

 

 

I thought the baby ducks fabric was perfect as the backing for the quilt.

Yes!

When I heard the mention of snow lat weekend, I rushed to the quilt store to buy material for the border.  Whenever there is snow in the forecast, I make sure I have the essentials in the house-fabric needed for my projects.

I will choose a backing and batting from my stash.  Tomorrow, I will sandwich it and begin quilting.

Just the Left Hand Left to Do

I have to admit that doing figures is still a challenge for me, but one  I plan to overcome.  My main nemesis is choosing the fabric for the flesh tones.  I don't know why I allow this to stump me.  I wasted more time and material trying to get everything to my liking.  I think I finally accomplished a pretty good portrayal of the baby pictured.  I just need to finish the left hand.   Then I will add the border.  After that I will sandwich the quilt, and sew.

Still Working on Baby

Here is what I have accomplished so far.  I outlined/filled in the shadows with Intense pencils to help guide my stitching.  I have the left hand and arm to do.

Working on the Baby

I feel as if I am moving in the right direction, finally.

Back on Track

While I was home on my winter break I had a vision and I went with it.  Then the break was over, went back to work, and left my vision behind.  I was struggling last week and had to walk away from the wall-hanging. Pinned it to my design board, and just stared at it when I had the time, knowing it was not going in the direction I wanted it.  Finally yesterday, I connected with the piece again and I feel I am back to my original vision; back on track.

The yellow in the pool was too bright and too intense.  This meant the body color on the baby had to be even more so.  So, I took the pool bottom apart and decided to piece the bottom with less intense colors and give it a  "feel" to complement the hat. I didn't want a definite pattern to the bottom, so I purposefully broke the pattern.  I think mission accomplished; need to finish piecing the pool bottom (need to add more rows).  The olive green shading will come off.  I will use Inktense pencils and thread painting for the shading on the pool sides and bottom.

I am auditioning new and less intense body colors.

 

When Thinking Interferes with Seeing

I remember my Aunt Jodi telling me not to let thinking interfere with seeing.  The last couple of days I seem to have forgotten that advice when it came to the skin tone of the baby.   I was thinking of the light pinks of a baby's skin, whereas in the picture that was not what I was seeing. nI wasted several pieces of material until it suddenly dawned on me tonight........see, don't think.  

The material is the color I would think of a baby's skin in the sun, but looking at the picture, I wasn't seeing what was there.  Also, the green for the pool was all wrong and the shadow from the pool was off.

After "seeing and not thinking"; I changed the pool color, the shadow and the skin color.  I think the shadow cast by the baby is too dark, but I am not sure.  I will finish the baby first then decide.

Pool Choices

I am considering shades for the pool.  I am not sure I like the lime green that matches the color in the photo.  I think it would take prominence or fight the hat for prominence in the piece.  I don't want it to become the focal point.  The top left and right blend in too much with the sky.  I think I like the bottom right.  I will continue to look and consider different shades.

 

  You may notice, I do not use a lot of plain material.  When I first began making art quilts, I used plain, non patterned fabrics.  As my craft has evolved, I have found using fabrics with textures and light, small patterns along adds character and pizzazz to a piece.  I do use plain fabric where it is warranted.  

 

My plan for now is to select a shade of yellow for the pool floor after the baby is pieced.

 

 

You will also notice, the wall hanging takes on different "looks" when you view it up close and from a distance.  I like the look from a distance.

Hat

I think the hat has a running chance of being the focal point of this wall hanging even though we know what is really the reason for this wallhanging.

The hat is pieced, but not finished, that will come with the stitching.

Background

I have fussy cut the major parts of the hat from the material.  I will add the details to the hat after I choose the background, sky, material.

This material to me is too light.  I think it would work better it I want the background to have a far away look; such as the sky meeting the horizon at the beach.

This material is too busy.

too busy

This photo doesn't do it justice, but the hat pops off the background.  I like the textured look of the material.  The light blue pattern on the material is that of connecting hearts.  I does set the hat off.  If you look at the post titled Fabric Choices, you will get a better feel for the material.

Fabric Choices

Choices, choices, choices! Pattern, solid, batik, plain, bright.....fabric choices!  I consider all until I find what "speaks" to me.  Even then, I will have something all pieced together, only to rip it apart because it doesn't quite strike me.  

I am considering these for the sky.  I am leaning towards the the top two on the left.  No sure, until the hat palette is selected.

I used The Art Quilter's Value Scale by Leni Wiener to help with choosing my fabric in the different palettes presented below.   

I like the shades of red and patterns in this set.

I am tending to lean toward  this set.  I like the bright red colors and the patterns.

I think this collection is more aligned with the colors in the original picture.  But and the big but, I am not excited about this set.

The border for the hat- the picture has the shades a little off.