Wednesday, February 27, 2013

ROBIN CARUSOE'S TREE HOUSE


I had so much fun with this one!  The background is hand painted and treated with salt.  The leaves are either  hand dyes, or two layer sheers fused together and cut with a stencil tool.  The flowers are three different polyester sheers fused together and then freehand cut out using the stencil tool.  (I love this technique!)  They are attached in the centers only, using french knots.
The trees and tree house are decorator fabrics and thread work.  The Robin is printed from a photo and then enhanced with colored pencils and stitching.
The quilt measures 12"x12"

Great challenge, Susan!  I loved it!
Comments and critiques greatly appreciated...Cherie


8 comments:

  1. And I love it, too,along with all the different techniques you used. Looks so realistic.

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  2. Wonderful use of paint; very creative. Very sweet. I love the door.

    How do you cut out freehand using a stencil tool. I'm drawing a complete blank on this.

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  3. Hi Ann,
    The stencil tool I refer to is like a soldering iron with a very fine, curved point. When you work with polyester fibers, you can simply 'draw' with the point and it cuts and seals the edges (NO fraying!). Using multiple layers is fun...all edges are sealed as one.
    Cherie

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  4. This is utterly charming! The bird looks very at home here. The use of low contrast here is perfect, it seems like a natural habitat and that the birdhouse has been there for years. Nicely done! I appreciate your tips on the techniques you used.

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  5. Lovely use of appropriate techniques, and fabrics. I do wonder if the bird should be facing into rather than out of the frame. Very cute door, and I can imagine the bird being very happy in his house.

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  6. Fun use of fabrics and technique! The colors read very naturally. That robin has a happy little cottage, indeed!

    Robert Hartley

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  7. I really like the background fabric and horizontal plain that is suggested in the top 1/3 of the piece that suggests thicker/denser brush from the lighter area in the foreground. The use of the decorator fabrics for the tree house work exceptionally well, and I like them a lot!

    What I don't see very easily is the robin. Critters have natural camouflage, but he/she is a bit hard to see overall. My eye goes straight to the house and flowers on the left side of the piece. Nice piece, Cherie!

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  8. The birdhouse looks like a weathered one that has seen a number of years up there, though perspective-wise, the eye seems to be at the same level as the house. I also think the robin needs more contrast, with a brighter red for the breast. I like the feeling of dimension with the flowers; if your leaves were also just sewn partway along the center vein, that could enhance the piece also. But the overall muted low contrast makes for a restful picture.

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