Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Blowing Snow

This is the first challenge piece I have finished in a looonnnggg time.... I have a number of started pieces hanging around, but finally got one done only a few days late!
"Blowing Snow" 7.5"x10"
Whether it has been rain or snow, lately there has always been wind.... I thought of trying out something with the rain since it seems like it wants to rain forever around here, but I got myself a die cutting machine a couple weeks ago and one of the dies that came with the kit I purchased was a snowflake. I have had a great time trying to see what I can do with a limited number of dies and I have even finished another little piece, too (not appropriate for this challenge). A couple weeks ago, we had the most perfect snowfall... the temperature was perfect to allow perfectly formed flakes to gently fall into a little layer where I could see the individual flakes. I even was able take a couple photos that caught their beauty with a macro lens. The photos along with the die cutting helped this piece to form. The snowflakes cut by the machine were pretty simple, so I cut out more from their centers... not very neatly, but it also gave me some more tiny flakes to use. I had the piece of salt patterned fabric in deep blue that I always think of falling snow when I see it, so it became the background. The flakes are stitched over with an iridescent white thread, along with free motion swirls and swooshes in the background. I also added to the movement with more swooshes and swirls in a variegated thread in shades of blues. The edges are bound with a wool blend yarn with a really fuzzy, hairy texture that I feel makes it look as if the snow is blowing right off the piece.

This is definitely no masterpiece, but considering I ended up doing next to no quilted pieces last year larger than a postcard, this has helped me with my struggle to crawl out of my deep hole of creative darkness... I pray that I will be able to keep on creating.... I really do need lots of art therapy :)

4 comments:

Tobi said...

A fun little piece! I like the way the quilting swirls echo the white curlicues, and the woolly edge is a nice touch.

fastfriday said...

Glad to see you reemerging to the land of creativity. Fun piece. The yarn edge is brilliant.

Pat Havey

Sue Andrus said...

Thanks to both of you! It seems good to finally have a piece done! Now to see if I can finish up a few of those pieces that are still lurking in various areas of the studio :)

Jan said...

Looks just like a snow storm I was in New Year's Eve. Rain, snow, wind, rain, snow, wind. It couldn't decide the season. Your quilting really enhances this piece.