Monkey Puzzle Tree

Very late...but here's my work for Challenge #47 a quarter section of the tip end of a Monkey Puzzle Tree branch. This little monster is 20" x 20" and when the challenge came up, I thought that hand stitching this would be a breeze because it was so small...WHAT was I thinking! Actually, I don't often use a lot of hand stitching as embellishment so I had no idea how long it would take me.

I hand appliqued a vintage linen like cloth to a batik ground. I back stitched around all the leaves in purple perle cotton, doing a threaded back stitch around the core of the leaves in the center. I used a variagated perle cotton to stitch the long lines on the leaves in a running stitch (plodding stitch might have been more like it as long as it took me), then I shaded the leaves with a long-short stitch combo in variagated darker green DMC embroidery cotton.
You can see the real deal of the Monkey Puzzle Tree here. The Monkey Puzzle Tree (Auraucaria auraucana) is native Chile and Argentina, but is grown as an ornamental in more temperate areas of the US. This one is in Olympia, WA.

Here you can see my stitching a bit more. I did machine trapunto to give the leaves a bit more loft. The background was echo quilted around the leaves in a variegated red/navy/purple thread 1/4" apart.

I like the increased texture from the hand stitching, but I must admit, I wish it were faster! As usual, comments and critiques are always appreciated.

Challenge 47 - Cherry Blossoms 1 and 2

I've posted my two Cherry Blossom quilts.

I've been working on deconstructed backgrounds. Basically I take lots of scraps sew them together - but them up - rearrange them resew then then repeat a few more times. This is a first to use monochromatic - then putting an imagine on top of it. The piece was a little too big so I sliced it in half - I had to make two quilts.

Cherry Blossom 1 - 8 x 14 - used my couched wool yarn for an abstracted tree. The cherry blossoms are sequins with beads. I also did some free motion quilting which is a little difficult since the seams are rather bulky. I embellished with sequins before quilting - next time I'd quilt first.

Cherry Blossom 2 - 12 x 18 - this I took the remaining piece diced three time - then famed each piece. The tree form I did in the quilting. The tree branches are quilted in gray thread, then echoed with turquoise. My initial thought was to have a single cheery blossom in the middle square - but it worked much better to be off the tip of the branch in the lower right hand corner. The cherry blossom is out of wool felt, embroidery thread and beads.

Lisa
In Rainy Seattle

Oak Hills

I really enjoyed this challenge and I am glad I finally got my piece posted. I found these trees on a camping trip last Spring. I loved the way the sun light filtered through them looking up through their leaves. I did some hand stitching on the barbed wire and used some netting to help cast the shadows. The piece is 11" by 13". Donna of Sea Ranch

green s-leaves

I finally got into this sight so am posting my challenge piece for July. The tiny sleeves were a new challenge to me. It's all about scale isn't it. The tree is all done with yarn and torn pieces of silk to represent bark. It was a fun project! It measures 18x20" and is finished with a facing.

Chestnut Tree

Here is a textile artist's view of a chestnut tree! Well, I am always amazed by the bark, and have been wanting to depict it in fabric.

Here is a photo of the original tree. It was dark under the leaves and branches, but very light outside, so hard to photograph, but the colour of the piece I did is more like the colour of the tree...or at least the colour this textile artist has in her head of the tree!

The colour I wouldn't normally choose was the scarlet red that was part of the original fabric. I hadn't liked the result and overdyed in brown, but some portions were still a pale scarlet. You can see a photo of the back showing the original colour here.
The technique was using watercolour pencils to add the mossy green colour to the bark which gave it more depth.(The original fabric had no green at all.) I would do this again to take hand-dyed fabric just one step further.

Techniques I used that I have used before were corded channels and twin-needle cording with added machine stitch patterning and hand sewn herringbone stitch with brown raw silk thread.

I also chose to keep the not-quite-square shape to the sides which helps to keep the piece looking more organic overall.
this piece is around the same size as journal quilts.

Stormy Sky

Update August 27,2010... Here is the final version of my "Stormy Sky" piece. Thanks to all who gave comments before the quilting in the sky was finished! I went with the monofilament, but did have to do a bit of playing with things to get the needle holes to hide. I bound the edges with a black suede yarn, and it finished at 10"x10" square. To find our how I solved the "hole" problem, see the post on my Andrus Gardens Blog. I even finished another small piece yesterday, too!!


I am finally able to try to post this to the blog...
This is my first almost finished piece in a long time.... I was originally going to use the Black Walnut trees in my back yard as inspiration, with their crooked, graceful branches, but we ended up having a really stormy evening and a wonderful "show" in the sky. I took tons of photos, and decided I liked the way the trees in my garden made the silhouettes against the sky. At the moment, this is appx 10" square, with the branch and leaf details quilted in black thread on the appliqued silhouettes that I cut using a photo as a pattern. The really neat clouds (Mamatus, or Mamocumulous) were in such bright colors (oranges, etc. that I don't normally use), and there was even a bit of blue sky, too. The cloud part of the sky is done as a photo transfer from a transparency. Something I have played with a little, but not on such a big scale as this one (the new for me technique). It turned out better than I imagined, and I tried to "ruin" the sharp lower edge of the transfer so it would blend into the fabric.
The transfer was done over one of my hand dyed fabrics that had pale blue and golden yellow blotches on it. The fabric with the transfer added is above. I had hoped to use just that fabric for the background, but decided that the yellow was too vivid, and it needed the other dyed fabric piece with the blues, pinks, and more white, that I added some yellow to so it would blend better into the fabric the clouds were transferred to. Here is a link to a blog post I did showing the process I used for my transfer.
A detail shot showing the stitching done in black thread. I tried to bring the stitching into the sky like the smaller branches and leaves of the trees. I used a variegated thread in baby colors in the sky so far, but am not sure how to approach the cloud area. I am thinking of either using monofilament, or maybe a brassy copper metallic I have. None of my variegateds are the right colors... I don't think....

Another detail shot of a tree and bushes, showing the clouds really well. I think I want the clouds to stand out more than any stitching I do, but am looking for ideas. I may end up making a smaller piece to just play on.... or maybe just print the actual inspiration photo onto fabric and play with threads???
Here is the Photo I used for the transfer and pattern for the trees. The transfer made the clouds "backwards", but that's "artistic license" right?

Still a work in Progress, but the farthest I have gotten in a long time :)

Challenge #47 - "A Walk In The Woods"

I was so fortunate to have taken a class last weekend at Long Beach IQF with Noriko Endo. She is amazing! The technique is confetti, layer upon layer of thinly sliced (mostly) solid fabrics, laid out to form a tree-filled landscape. She uses two layers of soft black tulle to hold everything down and to add depth. After the 2nd layer you are supposedly finished, but I placed the two large trees in the foreground without tulle. This makes the viewer fell more connected to the piece. Thread painting finishes off the quilt and adds a bit more realism. I welcome all comments.

Ch47 Evening Walk Solitude

As usual I am late. I am posting my piece, it is not stitched yet. Will post again when I get the stitching done. I really haven't used any new techniques, well I painted the background fabric so I guess that is sort of new for me. I am in bad need of some 'solitude' so after doing the trees it reminded me of such a quiet peaceful scene that I put the gal in, she looks very much like my niece. Odd how that happens when drawing faces. Enjoy.
The trees are more fantasy than anything. Thanks for the challenge Tobi. Now onto the stitching.

I have finished the stitching and the binding. Changed the birds out, there are three ravens can you see them.
Did a bit of hand stitching and am pleased to have this challenge completed, it's been awhile :) The color is more true in this photo too. Thanks for having a look.

Tree

I was a little late getting started on this one and a little late finishing. It was really fun to do as I tried a technique I have been wanting to try for a long time. The image was created by using dyes on cotton prepared with soy wax resist. I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier it was to work with the soy instead of paraffin and very happy with the lack of odor from melting the wax. It was also much easier to remove. On the other hand, I found the dyes seeped under in a few places. I may have to apply two coats to make sure I have total coverage in the future.

The piece is about the negative effects some of our human actions have on trees. The holes signify loss of trees and the writing around the outside says such things as "over population", "climate change", etc. It measures 15" x 15".

Girl on a Swing

28" x 18 ½""

10/1/2010 -- Third prize winner at an Art Show!

9/10/2010 --

I finally put the finishing touches on this piece, and it has just been delivered to its first art show today! She now has a face, eyes and a mouth made of beads. The final shape is only slightly irregular, and now I wish I had either kept it straight or made it more irregular so it wouldn't look just a bit off from straight.

---------------
There is finishing work to be done, but this is far enough along that I decided to post it. The top portion will be a hanging sleeve, to go along with the swing.

The girl is actually a 3-dimensional doll made with a wire mesh framework, on a swing with chains attached to the tree branch. She still needs hands, and, maybe, a face. The tree is thread-painted, actually using the drawing technique I mentioned in the challenge, which I've never done in thread, using a twin needle (another first for me) on top of brown fabric. The leaves are organza in three shades, held on with beads. The fringe used (and used up!) seven hanks of embroidery thread.

Aside from the advance time I have to think about a challenge that I host, I try not to jump into making it until it is officially posted. I'd appreciate any comments -- and does it need a face?

Un Named at present

Wow! What a challenge this was Tobi!! And so much fun, too.... I really went out of my 'zone' on this one, got right out there on that limb! Almost everything in this has some new twist or take to what I would normally do. The quilting, for starters, I did the tree first and used a quilting design I have never tried before and have to say I like it. Then the background is something I have never done before... added some color and stylized the leaf design in the fabric. The woodpecker looks a little odd.. like a mole or some little animal as opposed to a bird... oh well...  and my bunny is paper.
I have a different edge shape than I have ever done... notches out of each side, one upper, one lower.... I will face it, then it is finished.

So, now I am looking forward to the critiquing process... its strengths? its weaknesses? Colors?

Or overall... is it OK? And I appreciate a 'good going', too.... means you like it...

 Size: size: 17 x 32

Joshua Tree Sunset

Joshua Tree Sunset.It measures 19"X22 1/2".

I used 6 different sheers,3 different satins, and asparkle tulle to create the sky. Black suede cloth for the silhouette.

New to me was doing the silhouette in one continuous appliqué. As for leastfavorite color...I must cop out, as I just LOVE color and can't think of a single one that I don't.

Thanks Tobi for a fun challenge.Comments are welcome and very appreciated :-)

Cherie

Reflection

The tree is from a picture in Flickr without the leaves. (used with permission) I just liked the shape of the tree. The tree was thread painted and then appliqued on.

The tree reflection was colored in with a crayon.

The bushes and reflection were machine appliqued with invisible thread.

The quilting was also done with invisible thread.

The color that I didn't like was used as the border and binding.

I also added the picture of the tree that I used as a guide.

Tree of Imagination

I created this tree for another challenge but think it fits perfectly for this one.

It is a tree Alice might have seen as she journeyed through the rabbit hole.

I dyed and quilted the background, then created the tree in sections fusing and stitching the fabric onto Timtex (to make the pieces self supporting). I then used expanda paint, heated and distorted, and painted for texture. the tree limbs extend off the top and sides of the quilt. The tree measures 50"x24".

The leaves are shapes from many different trees, created by fusing 2 different fabrics (front and back) to both sides of aluminium then cut out and attached by stitching stems to the tree using a single bead on the front through to a bead on the back of the quilt for stability. Many of the leaves have synonyms for imagination written on them (fantasy, insight, creativity,ingenuity, idea etc.).

This little haiku is written on one leaf:

Brilliant Autumn Skies

Fractured Multicolored Leaves

The Mind's Butterflies

I love making trees and have made many different techniques and intend to create a new one for this challenge, although it will most likely be late. I am working under a deadline for another challenge and can't be late on it.This quilt measures 48"x22"

Comments very welcome and appreciated :-)

Cherie

Ch 47 - Trees

I had to do this one fast, so my tree is kind of thin. I will likely add more branches later. My kids and grandkids will be here this weekend and are staying for the week, so this 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" block is all I can get done before the onslaught. It is not yet quilted.

We live in windy Wyoming, so our trees are often leaning as shown.

silk tree

I made this a while ago from silk fusion dried over the very fissured bark of a pine log. Woollen yarns fixed by embellisher machine and by hand, silk sari yarn hand couched, hand stitched and beaded. I am not one for handwork, but this was fun to do, and is one of my favourites. I've always meant to do another one, so maybe this will spur me on. About 14 inches by 4.

Barking Up the (Wrong) Tree

This is my entry for Tobi's challenge. I made it a while back using real tree bark, tyvex (painted and heated) yarn and real moss stuff(?). All the embellishments are hand stitched to a heavy feed sack (lost the name) and then to a corduroy background and then sewn to another background and mounted onto foam core. I did use my embellisher machine to place the yarns down. My husband drilled tiny holes in the bark so I could sew it down.

Amazing for me to hand stitch anything. I really like this challenge and may do another because I LOVE trees also.

Thanks, Tobi, for a great challenge.

Sea Ranch Carol

Challenge 47 - Out on a Limb

Out on a Limb

FFFC #47 for July 2010 (due July 31^st)

Host: Tobi Hoffman

Back when I was in third or fourth grade, my parents enrolled me in a Saturday art course at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. The one thing I remember most from that class was a method for drawing a tree: draw a line from the root, up the trunk, along branches until you end up at a twig, and continue doing this until you have filled up the entire tree with twigs. The trunk and branches grow a bit every time you draw those lines to put in another twig. I may not be able to draw a face recognizable as its subject, but I can still draw a tree! While this method is not as applicable to quilt art unless you are doing thread-painting, it introduces the theme of today’s challenge - the theme is trees, whether a seedling, or a seed, a twig, branch, a single tree, a grouping, or a forest – but look at it from a new angle.

Technique: Go out on a limb to try a technique that is new to you to create your tree. Take a point of view that is different from your usual one, bird’s eye, caterpillar’s eye, a pilot’s view, or a worm’s. Try a new way to embellish your piece, or incorporate some element you have never tried before. Use your least favorite color, and make it look good. Pull out crayons, beads, yarn, Angelina fiber, all of the above or none, but don’t forget one thing – have fun!

Links:

http://pcoxdesign.blogspot.com/ 2/7/10, 3/6/10 posts, Patty VanHuis- Cox

http://www.davidtaylorquilts.com/gallery.html

http://www.wellingtonarts.ca/wcm/documents/wcm/Threadwork2010CAT.pdf

(A whole show of tree art!)

From past FFFC’s:

http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/2007/07/monets-lesterel-mountains.html Betty Donahue

http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/2007/11/moonlit-swamp.html Delta (Rhonda Blasingame)

http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/2008/09/mossy-delight.html Lisa Albanese

http://www.tobicollage.com/collages-nature/last-leaf.htm Tobi Hoffman (improved from blog)

http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/2008/12/freedom.html Lisa Albanese

http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/2009/04/untitled-challenge-31.html Susan Brittingham

The tree as artist: http://www.timknowles.co.uk/Work/TreeDrawings/tabid/265/Default.aspx

Not quilted, but interesting, by Nina Kuriloff: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ninaartist/4646743842/in/photostream/

The baobab trees from “The Little Prince”: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kv7oz3O3sV1qzd8ie.gif

An interesting blog on trees in art by Maureen Shaughnessy: http://ravengrrl.blogspot.com/2007/09/trees-in-art.html