Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Button-snatchers

I caught these Spotted Owl  button-snatchers with my night-vision goggles.  They are lining their nests with our buttons.  Don't they look guilty?  Is this an environmental concern?  The owls are pastel tones.  The piece is 12" x 14", commercial fabrics.  Thank you for your comments.  I hope you all have fun with this challenge.

Button Plant

I know who the button thief is in my house -- it's my female cairn terrier.  She chews the buttons off the laundry.  She's crafty and clever, so I keep checking Etsy thinking maybe she's putting together a line of button-embellished designer bones!  Otherwise, I'm not sure just where the buttons go.  Here are ones she didn't get.  I tried to stay in a limited palate tonally, both with the fabric and buttons.  I'm not sure there's enough contrast to make the leaves pop.  Thoughts?  Suggestions?


Button, button, who's got the button?
Robert Hartley

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Over 50,000,000 Missing Americans and Counting…


 
 

The Statue of Liberty represents Freedom and our right to choose.
We protect eagle eggs and destroy humans. 
The buttons are the zeros in the 50,000,000.

Castle in the Mist

I worked from a piece I had trialled in an abstracting exercise. Although it looks a little bit like a castle, it was in fact some chemical crystals in a close-up photo. I fused the sheers with Misty Fuse - worked really well. Sometimes when I look at the darker squares near the bottom, I think they are distracting, but I really wasn't aiming for reality, just a suggestion. The quilting over that area in grey-lavender rayon has helped to unify the blocks.

When I saw the button challenge, I imagined I would do a funky piece. But obviously the funky gene is recessive!

Julia in NZ

Monday, October 29, 2012

Buttonmania Strikes Again..


My hand is up, the buttons are all at my house
Small quilt, approx 15 inches tall, with hand-embroidered/quilted stitch holding the layers and the buttons on.  All the woven fabrics (thanks Jude) were grabbed from the scrap box as tones, not choices.. The size was set by the oddment of batting I found under the table.  The background fabric is Oakshott Fabrics Ischia and the binding is another Oakshott colour I can't name. All the buttons came from one of the 7 tins-worth I bought the other day, incidental to purchasing a sewing machine table for my little workroom at home.
Sewn in front of the fire to the accompaniment of a programme about wolves and buffaloes.
Finished on Saturday morning, but it's taken a day or two to get online to post here. Hooray!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Porpita Porpita -- Blue Button Jellyfish



photo of Blue Button Jellyfish from Google Images

This started out to be something very different. However, when I finished the background in different shades of blue-green, it looked like water, so, after some research, I decided to make a Blue Button Jellyfish. I used several types of silk, which I love to work with. 

I added several types of embellishments, including yarn with holographic dangles. Then, of course, I added the buttons, tiny ones which I have been saving for just the right occasion.

I would welcome any comments or suggestions.

Marilyn Foulke
Louisville, KY 


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Challenge #74: Mission Possible


Host: Linda MacDonald

Due Date: Nov. 3, 2012 (although late postings are permitted and welcome)

MISSION POSSIBLE

This month we are joining the MISSION POSSIBLE Team.

To get in the mood , click here and play the music theme, while you read this message :

Good day FFFC member.

It has come to our attention that there is an evil Button-Snatcher on the loose. Men and women are
showing up for work with no buttons left on their clothes. There are no known pictures of the
button-snatching ring or its leaders. Our target is outside the reach of conventional law
enforcement, so it is up to the FFFC members to find out who or what is snatching our buttons, and
what they are doing with them.

Your mission, fellow quilter, should you decide to accept it, is to obtain evidence of the Button-
Snatchers and/or find out what they are doing with our buttons. As always, should you or any of
our FFFC Force be caught or de-buttoned, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your
actions.

The MISSION POSSIBLE scene is set. Who or What are the Button-Snatchers?
What are they doing with our buttons?

For this month’s challenge you will use at least five (5) buttons in your design. Any size or color
will do, and they do not have to be alike.

Our Design Element is Tones.
Design Elements http://designelementsandprinciples.com/tone1.htm. If this link is too long, here is the

Here is an ad for thread, grouped by tones. I am not selling thread and don’t have any connection to the
advertiser, I just like the color groupings. http://tinyurl.com/9hcgj3p

(Is this the creature stealing our buttons?)

Missing buttons
Where do our missing buttons go? Are they being recycled? Do our buttons become food for
some alien nation? http://tinyurl.com/8e752po

Are they decorating winter trees?

A Google search will bring up many images of “buttons on quilts” and “buttons in art”

A few examples: Jamie Fingal’s blog http://tinyurl.com/9g34fu8

The amazing art of Jane Perkins

This page will not self-destruct in ten seconds. Good luck, Quilter, and have fun with this!

Monday, October 08, 2012

Leaping Looper Fish

A planet covered with water must have lots of fish.  This is a Leaping Looper Fish.  Its side and top fins are loops of silk tubing.  The stone monolith is also a 3 dimensional loop.  What fun to imagine a new world of water!
Peggi

Sunday, October 07, 2012

Cygnus Loopy Bird

Hi everyone! This is my first posting for the Fast Friday Fabric Challenges! I loved the theme and was inspired by Marilyn Foulke's Louis the Loopy bird from Louisville piece.

Loopiland is a large planet and has more than one species of fowl on it. I was able to capture a 'picture' of this bird-like creature called a Cygnus Loop-y Bird:

The Cygnus Loop-y Bird has a loopy crest and tail that are remarkably like tee-shirt strips! It's long beak can suck out food from deep underground. They are a flightless bird but can walk very fast until their five legs trip them up.

The 'picture' of this odd bird measures 4x6 inches in size and will be shipped off to Houston for further inspection. I hear it will be then donated to a worthy cause there, to raise money for "Friends for Life" a pet rescue organization.

Thank you for allowing me into the group! This was a lot of fun and I love how I will be able to help out a pet here on earth too!

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Melvin, the Spotted, Ridgebacked, Fuzzy Headed Pigasus!

As our space ship begins it's descent to planet Loopiland, I glanced out the window to see this wondrous creature waiting to welcome us! It seems that because Loopiland is mainly water, many of the mammals who live there have evolved to fly as a means of getting around.



The ridges on his back are made from felt, his hair is red and purple yarn which was fuzzed using a cat brush, his tail is a pipe cleaner and his wings are part of a pair of fairy wings I got in the costume section at Dollar Tree. I had a lot of fun creating Melvin. There was a companion piece to go with him planned but I ran out of stuffing..lol

Loopiland Arch

Planet Loopiland's sea reflects its sky.  A monolith arch is also reflected in this stormy early morning scene.  One of the planet's two moons is setting as the sun rises.  Loopsters lurk below the surface.  I was going to add one poking up his head, but liked the scenic as it is.  This piece is 12" x 15" .  The arch is made from 3 layers and is my loop.  It is sewn to the background along  the bottom but just tacked on the top, so it had a 3D effect.
Comments welcome.

Friday, October 05, 2012

Deb


I am not sure if I followed the loop procedure correctly.  This  is created as  to represent a picture in a  picture album. To do this I uploaded 2 pics, one with album open and 1 with it closed. I used a photo  and transferred it to fabric  the back ground is upholstery fabric sample, this was free motion embroidery.  I wanted this to look a bit 3 D. The cover is made to look like a door ( door is cotton fabric, loops ribbon with felted balls to hook on.)  Around her neck Deb wears a necklace made out of an old garnet  ear ring.

I had fun with this challenge just doing my own thing. When an idea pops into my head I reach in pull it out and hope for the best. Comments will be appreciated.  I look forward to seeing what everyone has created.

http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/

SusanPI2/SusanWard

Imagination What A Wonderful Thinghttp://berylsjourneywithbreastcancer.blogspot.com/

Lupus in Loopiland

14" x 16½"

When I mentioned the theme of this challenge to my husband, he suggested that a wolf, as a "loupine" be part of the picture, hence the grey fellow here.  I took the stone loops from Cay's story very literally, making them 3-dimensional infinity signs; the loops themselves  are not tacked down.

Because the blue/purple loops did not show up well on the watery background, I ironed on some thin fusible interfacing to add contrast.

The wolf was cut out of dark grey fusible interfacing and some eyelash yarn fused to it, with the eye added using fabric paint.  I also tried outlining him, and his tail, with black fabric paint, but it needs more.

Critiques are welcome.  A fun challenge, Cay!

Thursday, October 04, 2012

Yoga Recycled






Recycled items including zippers, pop can tabs, plastic keychain loop, loopy beads, ribbons, lock washers, bracelet

Monday, October 01, 2012

Wide Eyed Loopy-Finned Stickleback

I'm one of the new members this year and have been waiting excitedly for this first challenge.
I imagined our exploration of aquatic planet Loopiland in search of life. We identified and catalogued the indigenous flora and fauna...and I found the Wide Eyed Loopy-Finned Stickleback!


The challenge loops make up the side and lower fins, and since this piece is sculptural, there are fins on both sides for a total of ten loops! I'm considering adding something more to the tail to balance the numerous and exuberant back spines...thoughts?

I enjoyed making this bit of whimsy, and I hope it brings a smile to you, too!

Robert Hartley