Spring is in the Air

We are experiencing the early signs of Spring with the buds on the trees thickening a little more each day.  Today is overcast with light snow, so Spring isn't quite ready to arrive.  This 12" x 12" piece was made by dyeing white fabric with bleeding tissue paper in blues, greens and purple.

Wild Blue Yonder

Some friends and I dyed white fabric in an Indigo dye vat a couple of years ago, and I never did anything with the fabric.  The Blue theme this month is perfect for this.  It is a quilt on a quilt, as I brought the lighter square forward to add dimension.
Size is 14 x 22 inches.  I still need to add the outer binding.  Comments welcome.

Sisters

I have been wanting to try a portrait quilt, so took this opportunity.  The cubist part is in the coloring and blocks of fabric.  This was fun, thanks Sylvia.

Running in Circles

Running in Circles or Spinning my Wheels is what I feel like I've been doing all summer trying to keep up with the yard work and weeds.

I tried a new technique (to me) by taping a thumbtack onto my sewing machine next to the needle.  Then when I put the quilt sandwich down the tack holds it in place, causing the stitches to form a perfect circle.  By moving the tack closer to the needle, or further away, the size of the circle changes.

Size is 12 inches square on a hand-dyed background.

Bison on the Plains

Charles Russell has many paintings depicting bison/buffalo on the western plains.In most cases they are running or stampeding with lots of action.

I tried to think abstractly, and failed yet again (my mind just doesn't work that way).  I copied several abstract pictures from the net and took only those to my studio for ideas.  I went through my scraps of hand-dyed fabrics, finding the three here.  The grass one is colored with crayons by rubbing, which I thought would work for abstract.  But then I found the scrap with the three bison and thread-painted them to give them some color.  And of course it became too realistic to be abstract.  In Russell fashion, I added clouds of dust by using wool roving and hand needle-felting it in place.  A tiny scrap of gold became the lightening that caused the stampede.
Thank you for this fun Fast Friday project.

O is for found Objects, or Oh, look what I found!

All the discussion about FFFC has kick-started me to finish this piece, which measures 13" x 10".  Found Objects, including washers, a ring, and oval earrings, were encased under a damask napkin by hand stitching around them.  This was bordered by hand-dyed cotton fabric.

Thank you all for the great discussion.  I think it gave us all that needed push to get things done.

7 Cranes

I have always heard that 7 is a lucky number.  I choose cranes to represent this number because in legend the crane symbolizes joy and happiness. Greek and Roman myths equate the dance of cranes as a love of joy and a celebration of life. The crane was also considered to be a bird of Apollo, the sun god, who heralded in Spring and light. Now with the days growing longer, who better to celebrate with than the cranes.  Size 9 x 11 inches.

A border was added to give this more color. The compass is to guide the cranes on their journey and to add a focal point.  The inner border includes the words "Are we there yet" to tell the story of their long journey north and south.  Comments welcome.

Golden Spiral

Golden Spiral or Fibonacci
This piece represents flying and falling in a storm such as Hurricane Sandy.  I was going for abstract, but I am a pictorial quilter by nature, and the NYC skyline found its way into the piece.

I began with a square and followed the Fibonacci directions to make it a rectangle, then made another square and rectangle in the upper right corner with red & orange thread.  The fabric was shibori painted in two directions, then dyed. The subdued colors represent the darkness of a storm. Free-motion quilting was practiced with variegated thread around all the horizontal storm lines which represent the wind. The vertical lines were enhanced with novelty threads and represent the rain pounding down.  The Golden Spiral is a wind gust, or could be a tornado brewing.  Hand-painted and dyed fabric  novelty threads, and netting. Finished size: 21" x 13".  Thank you Silvia for this fun learning experience.

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.

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.

Swinging

"Swinging" is from a childhood memory of a tree-house my brothers built in the back yard. We were having our home re-roofed, and the roofers put tar-paper on the tree-house roof and porch. The little girl is sitting on the tree-house porch, patiently waiting for her turn on the swing.

The background fabric is hand dyed, and then woven to represent how blurred the sky and ground get when you have been spinning on the hanging tire. The tree is commercial batik, and the tree house and children are from commercial fabrics. The leaves are more hand dyes. Size 16" x 21".

SNOWY NIGHT - WINTER DELIGHT

For Snowy Night I choose a black piece of fabric, and used bleach to draw trees. The trees were then stitched using various threads, and quilted. Snowflake beads were added last. Size 17" x 21".

Thanks, Tobi, for this fun challenge, and thank you all for commenting. I have missed the last few challenges due to having company and then a shoulder injury. I am getting back to normal now, and hope to catch up on some past challenges.

LindaMac in WY

#59 Solitude: The Watcher

Challenge 59 - Solitude
"The Watcher" is a young brave seeking solitude in an aspen grove.  Perhaps he is on a Vision Quest, or perhaps just observing life around him.  He wants to see and not be seen.

Commercial fabrics were used for the trees and background.  The young brave was painted on Lutrador.

This is not yet quilted.  Quilting will follow the outlines of the trees. Size 14" x 14".  Comments welcome.

Celtic - Standing Stones

Standing Stones is 23" x 18".  This piece started out as a tie-dyed piece of fabric to which I added some acrylic paint.  Commercial fabrics were used for the stones and foreground.  While many people will think of Stonehenge, there are also standing stones in Ireland. The stones in Ireland are generally not in as good a shape as they have fallen over and some are partially buried.  This is how they may have looked once upon a time.

SW art deco

In researching art deco style, I found a picture of three lanky models that I liked, and decided to change them into Navaho ladies so I could keep to the  southwest/ western theme that I enjoy.  This piece is 12 " x 12", with commercial fabrics.  In trying to keep it simple, I decorated with satin stitch using variegated thread. The main fabric colors represent adobe and the red rock of the southwest.  The costumes are geometric in keeping with the art deco style.
Comments welcome.

Dance and movement

dance like no-one is watching

This piece is  15" x 12".  The background is hand painted, shibori style.  Is the room spinning or is the girl spinning? Or both?
The dancer was traced onto Lutrador and colored with markers, then fused onto the background.  Musical notes add to the rhythm.  A simple piece, and fun to make.
Your comments are welcome.

Challenge 54, Seahorse

I choose a seahorse for this challenge because I am working on an under-the-sea project, and I can incorporate this applique piece into it. The size is 12 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches. It will be quilted at the time the finished piece is quilted.

The background and seaweed are hand dyed fabrics. The seahorse is from batiks colored with markers.  A sheer nylon film is over the top, to give an underwater look. The fins are made with Angelina fibers and catch the light.
Thank you Jancie for this fun challenge.  My first attempt at curvilinear perspective.

Ch. 53, Mesa Verde

I choose Mesa Verde as my theme for this month's challenge on depth.  For those who have visited Mesa Verde, you will know that the dwellings are built into the side of steep canyon walls.  This view is from across the canyon, showing the land in the foreground, and the land above the cliff dwellings on the other side of the canyon.

This is an applique, size 17 1/2" x 18 1/2".  Materials used are commercial fabrics, dye sticks for shading, and a fabric marker to outline the dwellings.  It is not yet quilted, as I haven't decided if it will stand alone, or be joined to more scenes of the area. I still have several ideas I'd like to try.

Thank you, in advance, for your comments.

Challenge 51 -One-shape

For this challenge I dyed the background fabric with bleeding tissue paper scraps.  Next a triangle pattern was marked for my teepees, and purple cording was couched on.  This cording is from a tie-dyed bundle previously used in an indigo dye batch..  The teepees are cut from used  "Color Catcher" sheets. I cut the foreground teepee larger for depth. 
Since my mind doesn't work with abstract well, this is likely as close to abstract as I will come.  I enjoy the abstracts done by others, but just can't seen to do it myself.  LindaMac

Challenge 50, Haiku - Wyoming winds

Wyoming winds blow
whether clear skies, rain or snow
Snow birds wave good-bye

I wasn't able to work on this last week, so did it this week (still within a one-week time-frame).  It is 18" x 22", commerical fabrics, the foreground fabric is overdyed; embroidery; hand needle-felting, and applique.

Great challenge Kathy.  Thank you.