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Showing posts with label Cow Pony Quilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cow Pony Quilt. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
Cow Pony..... Slideshow
Cow Pony Quilt........Peace & Joy
This Rust Tex Challenge Quilt has been officially entered 2 days before the deadline.
Below are the two entry photos that were submitted:
Cow Pony Quilt
42 x 36 inches
I chose a striped green batik for the binding.
Cow Pony....Detail Image
I chose the threadwork as my detail image.
I would like to share an email conversation I had this morning with my friend Martha. Every quilt has a story...
LuAnn,
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your progress on Dancer. I so appreciate seeing another quilter at work --- seeing the kinds of thread, needle, freezer paper (border), etc, and design progress that you use. You never go to the next step until you like the current one. So important, because it's harder to fix later down the line if you don't like what you did. I liked the tree immensely, then the leaves ... those last two finished it for me. Then of course, you machine-quilted the horse (I was happy to read that it takes a while for you too, 5 hours). Are we sick people to spend so much time at the sewing machine? I wonder if you feel any differently now after you have machine-quilted Dancer? Was it therapeutic after all? No need to answer that, just writing to show my appreciation. Thanks, Martha
Hi Martha,
Thanks for your thoughtful words and appreciation for the Cow Pony Quilt.
It is sweet of you to send me this email.
I am fortunate that this quilt was intended for the Rust Tex Challenge. If not, I would have packed it all away in the cupboard and never completed it. It was difficult to work on at first, I was still so tender and teary eyed.
What helped the very most was an email from you.....you suggested that I not dwell on that one day in Dancer's life when he died. That I should rather think of all the other wonderful days we had with him. That struck a cord with me.
The very next time I was on a crying jag over Dancer I asked myself to stop crying, to stop dwelling on the last day of his death.
I spoke out loud to Dancer and told him that I loved him, but I could no longer grieve in this way. I promised him that I would never forget him and would now celebrate his life and what he meant to our family. I wanted to be at peace with his death.
After that, I was able to go out into the Thread Shed and get to work on his rust quilt. I wanted it to be perfect, so I was so cautious as I worked on it. Unfortunately, my cautiousness was creating a well made, but rather boring textile. When seen from across the room at a distance......the quilt did not make the viewer want to come across the room for a closer look. That really bothered me. A quilt needs to grab your attention from across a room and make you want to walk closer for a better look.
One day I just couldn't take it any longer........that is the day I put the tree on it. That made my heart sing.
I sat yesterday quietly hand sewing the binding down. It was a perfect time to reflect. I was content sitting there with the quilt in my lap, thinking about all the great memories Dancer gave us. I never thought it would, but this quilt makes me smile when I view it. It has turned into something joyful and I am at peace.
Again Martha, thank you for your kind words and for thinking of me.
Warm Hugs,
LuAnn
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Cow Pony Rust Quilt.....Done
This is how things looked at 10:00 last night...
Click Images to Enlarge:
Cow Pony Quilt
All of the applique and machine quilting is done.
About 5 hours to get the leaves on and complete the quilting.
Today I will hand sew the binding.
Then we will go outdoors for a photo session.
(I hope my camera cooperates)
Detail image of threadwork on Dancer
I kept the leaves close by.....they were a great inspiration when it came time to quilt the veins in the fabric leaves. Isn't mother nature wonderful!
Tomorrow I will spend the day doing a clean sweep in the Thread Shed.
Many fabrics were auditioned and are now in need of sorting before they are put back into the cupboards.
After a project it helps me to clear my head by cleaning up and organizing the Thread Shed. Once everything is put away and order is restored, I love to stand back and appreciate this lovely environment I am so fortunate to have and work in.
I do have to tell you though....it doesn't last long!
I can't wait to get back in there and start on something new...
If you are new to this post, you can see all the previous posts about the Rust Quilt by clicking HERE
May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Cow Pony Rust Quilt.....Leaves
After two days away, it is good to be back to work on the Cow Pony Quilt.
The clock is ticking for me.....the deadline is nipping at my heels!
Last fall I pressed leaves that fell from our trees in the yard.
They were perfect to pin directly to the quilt...
The tree comes alive with the addition of leaves.
Real Leaves pinned to the quilt
Unfortunately, I am still having issues with my digital camera.
It just will not accurately photograph the threadwork on the phototransfer of Dancer.
The thread work is much darker and richer than these photos portray.
I will have to try different lighting conditions in hopes of getting a better image.
Auditioning leaf fabrics
The real leaves made great patterns to trace.
Lite Steam A Seam 2
This is so lite, and after it is fused to the fabric & cut into leaves, I can press them onto the quilt top and they stay put until they are heat set. You can move them around until you get the exact placement you want. They won't fall off the design wall.
Cow Pony Quilt with Fabric Leaves
You just can't beat mother nature...
I like the look of the real leaves in the first photo of this post.
These fabric leaves are the best I can do.
It is only 5pm here on the west coast....
I plan to applique leaves and continue quilting into the night.
May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Cow Pony Rust Quilt....Finding the Joy
This quilt is an entry for the Rust Tex Challenge
Entry Deadline: January 10, 2010
One of the reasons why I am passionate about quilting is that it fills my life with joy.
That excitement I felt as a child going to Disneyland for the very first time, is revisited each time I create a quilted textile........sheer joy......and it makes my heart sing.
Unfortunately, with this quilt I have not experienced joy.
It has been an uphill battle for me the last 6 weeks.
I have played it safe, not taken any creative chances, just hoping to make the deadline and get this quilt entered into the challenge.
No joy...
I have actually, mentally, gone on to other quilts I wish to work on.
I have been dreaming and planning to do some landscape quilts.
I think that is why I made the decision today to put a tree on this quilt.
Here are a few tree fabrics I auditioned
Two of my favorite Tree Fabrics
I love the texture
Freezer Paper
I sketched out a tree on the freezer paper
I cut out the tree and pinned it onto the quilt
I ironed the freezer paper tree to the top side of the tree fabric
Misty Fuse
I decided to fuse the tree onto the top of the quilt with Misty Fuse
Misty Fuse applied to the back side of the tree fabric
I flipped the fabric over, misty fuse is on the bottom side
I cut out the shape of the tree following the freezer paper image.
I took a deep breath and ironed the tree onto the top of the quilt.
There is no turning back now.....this is permanent.
This is what I call....taking a creative chance
My heart is pumping faster as I peel off the freezer paper tree.
Will I like the fabric tree I have just fused onto the quilt?
I stood back and smiled.......oh my......JOY
Yes, I have found joy again.
What a rush!
Now I am thinking a few autumn leaves in the branches and a couple that have fallen to the ground...
I am teaching a class on Monday, going into town on Tuesday, so I won't get a chance to touch this again until Wednesday.......see you then.
May Your Quilts Fill You with Joy,
LuAnn
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cow Pony Rust Quilt....Border Treatment
Click Images to Enlarge:
Removing The Miracle Chalk Grid Lines
All the cross hatching grid work has been stitched.
A quick pressing with the iron removes the chalk lines
No More Chalk
The stitching does not distract or compete with the rusted motifs.
That is just what I was aiming for...
I just now noticed that I stitched thru 2 of the feathers...fooey.
I guess I have some un-stitching to do.
Freezer Paper Templates
2 layers of freezer paper ironed together makes a sturdy template.
I drew a wavy line along the edge to create a scallop border design.
Auditioning Freezer Paper Template.
The quilt needs a curve along the edge.
I placed the freezer paper (shiny side up) on top of the border fabric.
Then I ironed the snipped edge of the fabric down to the shiny side of the freezer paper.
The fabric sticks to the paper and forms a smooth scalloped edge.
A fast way to create a curve with a turned edge.
I flipped it over and you can see the finished side of the curvy border.
Then peel off the freezer paper.
Curvy Border Basted in Place
I like Roxanne's Baste it Glue for this process.
Just use very tiny pin dots of glue.
Final border basted in place.
The next step is to applique the border down.
Then decide just how wide the border needs to be?
I am thinking a bit narrower than this...
Today I am taking down the tree and making stew & biscuits.
I am hoping to get out to the Thread Shed tomorrow for more stitching.
May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Cow Pony Rust Quilt....Machine Quilting
A good thread stash is JUST as important as a good fabric stash!
Repeat that out loud 3 more times...
Click Images to Enlarge:
Thread Stitch Outs 1 of 2
I put together 2 sample sandwiches from leftover rust fabric, batting and backing fabric. When auditioning threads, I know exactly what they will look like on the actual quilt.....no guessing games.
The two brown variegated threads on the left did not appeal to me at all. Even tho very subtle color change, it was enough to be distracting.
I like the orange Mettler polysheen in the center.
I like the 24K Gold thread too.
The far right is gold metallic and it did not stitch well into the rust fabric.
Thread Stitch Outs 2 of 2
The first stitch outs were so flat looking, so I decided to double up on the batting in this sample sandwich.......much better. The stitching is so much more defined and puffy.
The brown Mettler in the center was too dark. I was afraid it would distract from the rusting motifs.
Again, I was pleased with the 25K Gold and the Orange threads.
The 24K Gold Rayon was so yummy quilted into the double layer of batting.
It won the audition!
Finally.....I can begin putting the frosting on the cake...
At this point, I am still uncertain about a final border treatment.
I am leaving an extra 5 or 6 inches of batting and backing fabric just in case I want to add one more border to this quilt top later on.
Big, well defined 24K Gold Feathers
The feathers are big and beautiful, but do not fight for attention with the rusting motifs. They are working harmoniously with the rest of the quilt design.
Just what I was hoping for...
I guess all those hours of auditioning and stitching out thread samples worked.
Cross Hatching all chalked out in the background.
I love Miracle Chalk. It stays on until you iron it off.
5pm......time to quit......not that I want to.
I have dinner company coming shortly and I need to get in the kitchen and rattle those pots and pans!
The grid work will have to wait for tomorrow...
May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn
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