Perpetual Motion

I had originally thought I would piece this project, but it turned out to be way more complicated than I could handle...so I fused it.  I used lots of different fabrics...velvet, metallics, satins.  I couched black cording between all the pieces.  I really love working in grayscale

Thanks for a fun challenge...

Cherie 

Reawakening

This was a really fun piece to do.  I simply freehand cut all the fabrics, pinned them onto the background layered onto batting and started stitching.  The snow is a sparkle organdy in two colors layered over a blue hand dyed fabric.  All the fabrics are hand dyed except for the organdy.   The larger tree trunks are strips of fabric, but all the rest of the trees, branches and the grasses are all thread painted.  The crocus and leaves were each cut from a single piece of fabric, then enhanced with stitching and Inktense pencils.  

I think this represents the theme and the light and shadow aspect of this challenge.

Here is a close up of the thread painting...so much fun to do!

It's been quite awhile since I have participated and this challenge gave me the 'bump start' I needed to get back in the groove...Thank you Cheryl!

As always, your input is appreciated...Cherie

Galactic Billiards

The first thing I did was make stratas in two colorways using 1 1/4" strips of hand dyed and batiks.  I then used my Olfa circle rotary and cut circles in different sizes.  I appliqued these onto a backing of velvet encrusted with glitter using satin stitch.    Next, I layered a deep purple-glitter tulle over all, stitched around the circles, then quilted the background in circles.

I actually had no idea where I was going with this when I started...just chose the colors and went for it.  My husband thinks it looks like billiards...thus "Galactic Billiards".

I have always loved working with circles, and have made many quilts based on circle themes.  I really had fun with this one!

It measures 18"x24"

Comments and critiques welcome and appreciated...Cherie

TRIFID NEBULA

My interpretation of infinity is outer space.  My inspiration was a photo by R. Jay GaBany. (permission granted)

"Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula, also known as M20.  The energetic processes of star formation create not only the colors but the chaos.  The red-glowing gas results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen gas.  The dark dust filaments that lace it were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars and in the debris from supernovae explosions.  Which bright young stars light up the blue reflection nebula is still being investigated.  The light we see today left perhaps 3000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown.  Light takes about 50 years to cross M20."

The quilt is several different layers of organzas, some of them jewel encrusted.  The nebula is constructed with hand dyed silk roving.  All is covered with tulle and then cut-out appliques of the jeweled organza in a different color are added and the stitching around them is the quilting.  Last I added more Swarovski crystals.

This is the 3rd quilt in a series of Nebulae I am working on.
The piece measures 19"x32"

Thanks Lisa for a wonderful challenge.
All comments and or critiques are welcome and appreciated.
Cherie

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

WORTHINGTON GLACIER

Here is my piece for this challenge, and a quote from my Alaska Journal:
July 29 2000
"As we drove down the road we passed a huge hanging glacier; then just the
other side of the pass...Worthington Glacier! We were able to walk right up
to it and could have actually climbed on it, if it were safe. There were
great gaping ice caves beneath it...you could see deep into the heart of the
glacier. The color inside was a deep lovely blue. The glacier was "ice
blue", excepting the leading edge, or 'face', which was black with rocks,
dirt and debris picked up on its slow, steady flow downhill."

The sky is hand  dyed cotton, with deconstructed poly batting overlay for extra clouds.  The mountain and glacier is several different sheers and two different colors of cellophane, one teal and the other aurora borealis, behind different sheers.  The 'dirt and rocks' are lace overlay.  The top edges of the ice is painted with a white shimmer fabric paint.  I used a soft mauve tulle over all allow quilting.

It is finished with facing and measures 19 1/2"x 22"

I am happy to have my 'Muse' back, and Loved this challenge Lisa!

I would love your comments and critiques...
Cherie

A Ziggurat of Zigzags

Ziggurat: A rectangular tiered building/temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians.

I had a lot of fun using my "artistic license" making up groups of objects, like a rounder of rings; a cyclone of circles; a triad of triangles etc.  Can you tell I'm into 'shapes'?

The ziggurat is all velvets and brocades, and the shrine on the top is the Palomar Observatory dome.  The sky is a sparkle satin with overlays of jeweled organzas.  The mountains are hand dyed silk and the grass is taffeta.  I built the tree trunk on timtex, painted with puff paints, then expanded with a heat gun.  The leaves/branches are a netted lace fabric.
I tried some new to me quilting designs...they took forever! LOL
It measures 29"x31"

This was a really fun challenge Ann, thanks for the 'nudge' out of the box.

Comments and suggestions appreciated
Cherie

Impressionistic

This piece "impressionistic", sort of a blend of Monet, Gauguin, and VanGogh?  It is a collage type 'painting using nothing but paper-towel mop-up  pieces from my dye sessions.  The pieces are as tiny as less than 1/8th inch and up, all torn and glued onto a muslin backing that was fused to fleece batting.  After all the pieces were in place, I finished with a Matte Medium. 

I am posting two views of my (unfinished) piece. My Art Critic (read hubby) wants me to leave it with ragged edges showing.  My question to you is ...would it look better, more finished, trimmed ?

Also, any suggestions for quilting?  There is so much tiny detail in the piece, I worry that quilting could interfere...advice?  This technique quilts easily, but I'd hate to ruin it.

It measures 18"x28"

Your opinions and advice would be most gratefully received

Cherie

SEA OF HOLES

I finally finished my "Beatles" Quilt , a month late :-(...Oh well, better late than never, yes?

The Beatles 'song' I chose has no lyrics.  It is from Yellow submarine..."Sea of Holes".

I used cotton for the base, silver lame for the main shapes (foreground), and many different sheers for all the shading.  The bright colors are all from one piece of  my hand dyed fabric.  Free motion quilted.  Metal decorative rivets applied.

It measures 22"x15 1/2"

LOVE the Beatles!!!  good challenge...

Comments and suggestions gratefully received,

Cherie

BREATHE FREE

Breathe Free
17 1/2"x17"
I have been thinking about Independence Day coming up and was inspired to portray Lady Liberty.
The background is white satin with four layers of organza and chiffon in gradually deepening colors of concentric circles.  The 'Zentangle' is entirely free motion thread drawing (no patterns or lines) with black thread.
The statue is black suede cloth, cut in one piece and appliqued with a very narrow zigzag.
The quote is stamped on a strip of white organza then fused onto the quilt.
I love this challenge Meena.  I have been fascinated with Zentangle for a few years, and this is the 3rd stitched piece I have done using this technique.
Your comments and suggestions are as always appreciated...
Cherie

Lady Arbor

I have been fascinated with the principles of Gestalt, and in this piece tried to use as many as I could. The sky is woven using many different fabrics for texture and contrast, the repeating shapes represent Proximity. The birds swooping from top, across the quilt and out the side show Continuation. The repeating shapes of the birds- Similarity; the bird flying in the opposite direction-Anomaly; The tree/lady- Closure.

The tree is appliqué cut in one piece using a suede cloth, and the leaves are 'beaded’ netting. The birds are appliqués made from a copper tissue lame fused to a copper suede cloth.

Your comments gratefully received...

Cherie

Maine Sunset

This is from a photo I took in Maine in late November. The sky was a translucent gold and gray. The actual quilt is gold metallic fabric, but will not translate in my picture...darn! The fabrics are all sheers, metallics, and lace netting with gold threads...no cotton in the whole piece. The trees are thread painted over antique gold metallic mesh.This was a wonderful challenge...finally got me out of my funk.

Thank you Susan for a thought provoking challenge!

Your comments are welcome!

Cherie

CALIFORNIA WIND

This is a photo I took through my RV window as we drove by. It was just starting to sprinkle and it looked sort of surreal. I am fascinated by these wind turbines. I think they're graceful and beautiful, and so useful too!

It measures 17"x2o"

This was a fun challenge...thanks Tobi!

Comments are appreciated

Cherie

Three Studies

Here are three that I like. I haven't had time to convert to fabric yet...too many irons in the fire right now...LOL

This is fun and a valuable lesson in positive/negative, light/dark interaction. Thanks Wendy!

Cherie

HARVEST

I have chosen The Red Vineyard by Van Gogh for my color palette. It is a very
loose abstract interpretation of a harvest. I really love the colors in this
painting. Funny though, the colors in the picture I printed to use are much
closer to the colors in my piece than they appear on the computer.

This was a lot of fun...thanks for another great challenge Delores

Cherie

Comments are appreciated

"Brewing"

For this challenge I chose a photo I took in Florida just before a storm arrived. I have always intended to interpret this one so loved the chance to do so for this piece.

I painted the background sky with watercolor pencils on white silk charmeuse. The water is two layers of sheers: the ground is black suede cloth and the trees are cut from a printed fabric and fused and stitched on. I painted the tree trunks. The grasses are thread painting.

It measures 19 1/2"x13 1/2".

This was a super challenge Carole...Thanks!

All comments welcomed and appreciated.

Cherie

SOLITARY BEACON

This is a lighthouse I took a photo of in Newfoundland. It is actually red and white, diagonally striped (like a giant barber pole). I used a black suede cloth and a fabric that looks like shiny leather for the stripes. The 'light' is a holographic fabric. The background is a piece I Mandala folded and dyed in a bucket with other fabrics Parfait style. The light 'rays' are stitched with holo-gold thread. All pieces are satin stitched in black.

This piece measures 29 1/2"x39 1/2"

Fun challenge Ann !

Cherie

Your comments are appreciated as always

FIVE FOLD TREE OF LIFE

I got so drawn in to the whole Celtic idea that I combined a few different symbols for my Five Fold Tree of Life. The Five Fold Symbol has many interpretations. " Druids hinted of an all-encompassing illumination when the five aspects of nature were balanced within human understanding"....the one I chose to present is Seasons: the Four being Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, and the Fifth element is Transitioning (the center circle). I used a Tree of life 'transitioning' from season to season, the roots of the trees represented by the Celtic knot twined in the center.

I drew the full size pattern on parchment paper then layered my batting, white silk dupioni and pinned the pattern on top. I stitched all the trees with black thread, and the Celtic Knot with gold holo thread, and the circles with silver holo. It took me 8 hours, a pair of tweezers, and LOTS of patience to get all the paper out LOL.

I painted the trees using Dyna Flo and Inktense Pencils. The flowers and leaves are all made from various painted mixed media...Lutradur, paper fabric etc. Every flower and leaf was fussy cut and stitched on the trees one at a time. The knot is painted in gold metallic. Quilted with white silk thread.

25" x 25"

Thanks Pam for a great challenge!

Cherie

As always, your comments and suggestions are appreciated

RIVER DECO

It is all fused applique using silks, velvets, brocade and metallic lame's on black velvet. They are all satin stitched down using metallic threads. I couched the antique gold metallic around the outside of the whole design.

It measures 22"x23".

I LOVE Art Deco!! Thank you Carol for this fun challenge :-)

All comments / suggestions are gratefully accepted. I 'listen' to what you all have to say, and often use your advice.

Cherie

SANDS OF TIME

My inspiration for this piece was a Goldsworthy piece with rocks cut in half and arranged in a spiral on the ground.
I discharged the background fabric in mandala style. The shells are stitched in a spiral using beads. The quilting is also a spiral. This design puts me in mind of a fossil in red earth...thus sands of time.

This Andy Goldsworthy challenge was difficult for me to 'wrap my arms around'. Once I conceived my direction, I really loved working on this piece.

Thanks Lisa for a real challenge :-)

Any comments are appreciated

Cherie