Inuksuk meets Snowlady

Inuksuk meets snowlady, and love blooms. The quilt is about 10" by 12 1/2."
I needed a hat for snowlady, and DH suggested Aretha's Hat, so I had to use it, after browsing the websites that show Aretha's hat on everybody and their dog.

Anticipation

I couldn't get to this for the actual challenge time due to upsets in life, but I have had the picture in my head since then.

This is a dragon egg about to hatch open. Bits of the shell have fallen to the sand. Drawn to the spot by the magic swirling through the air, The Finder waits in awe and wonder to see the newest dragon emerge from the shell.

The "egg fabric" is a wonderful blue/black white cracked patterned fabric I have. I love it so much I made a skirt from it! I cut open some of the white spaces and laid a bright hand-dyed yellow orange silk behind it. this is the zinger and also what causes the mood of anticipation. I coloured most of the other white spaces with a sharpie of the same colour. The swirly blue sky fabric shows the magic in the air. a little square of mottled brown fabric from a swatch was just enough for the sand. I tried to do a border, even putting one edge under the side of the egg on the left, but it was too blunt. So, I satin stitched with colours that blended with the sky and sand.

JUBILATION

I have finally finished and posted challenge #28, even BEFORE 29 is issued...LOL I will have to continue working with stitches in my finger due to infection. My advice is "DON'T SEW THROUGH YOUR FINGER"!

This quilt has been a challenge since the get-go. I drew my cartoon as soon as it was issued, chose and prepared the fabrics with stabilizer, and then had to make a trip to Utah. I was only one week behind when I got home, so I was furiously working on getting posted when I sewed clean through my pinkie halfway between base of nail and first joint. (well, maybe not so clean, as the needle shattered as I yanked my hand , ripping the flesh to the bone and leaving 3 sections of needle lodged in my finger...YOWZER!)

I really have loved this challenge though :-)

The floating diamonds (my series is 'shapes') feel like a happy, lazy day flying kites or something..."jubilation".

My zinger was to be the yellow running through one set of diamonds, but I honestly think the red seems more like a zinger. What do you think? Your comments and suggestions appreciated, as usual...

The quilt measures 27"x36"

Cherie

Zinger Quilt

I finally finished tonight after being snowed in from a fierce blizzard. I'd intended to actually finish a quilt and on time until my sewing machine went in for an extended tune-up and ended up staying because I couldn't get back to retrieve it due to weather conditions.
Birds have always been a favorite of mine but I've only used them in one previous quilt. The Black-capped Chickadee is my all time favorite so I chose to put him as the focal point on a cold winter day. I chose to use Bittersweet as the 'zinger' color. The branch the Chickadee is perched upon is a bit large and I tried to tone it down a bit with some fabric paint. I also used pen lines to delineate some of the feather lines on his tail and wings.

Jan Johnson

Succulent III

It was a difficult challenge for me. I like how the quilt came out, but I don’t think it fits the theme of the challenge well. How do you show emotions with succulents?

My first idea of flower stalks reaching upwards to depict joy was abandoned, since the only flowers blooming on my succulents right now seem to be the sorts that bend downwards. And the stalks all seem to be at awkward angles. I was having trouble getting a composition I liked. So I settled for leaves reaching upwards. Is it joyful? Maybe.

The original intent was to edge the larger leaves with bright red the way it is in my garden. It was to be my “zinger” color to fit the theme of the challenge. But now I think I should leave well enough alone. I don’t think it needs the red, and I’m afraid to overwork it now that it seems done.

The original photo was backlit with strong light along the edges of the back leaves. I may go back and soften some of the white edges and make the white blend into the green more.

Pine Grosbeaks

Still not finished but much further along. For some reason the photo that looked crisp on my computer now looks slightly out of focus here. Sorry about that! Pine Grosbeaks now measures 24" x 30" and I think I am ready to quilt it. As someone who has been a hand quilter most of my life, I am still totally intimidated when it comes time to sit at the machine and take those first quilting stitches. Any suggestions for quilting patterns would be gratefully considered. More than any other quilt I have done with this group, this one has been influenced by the comments and critiques of those who wrote. Thank you!

I really didn't think I would participate in the challenge this month. The main problem was that my husband and I were headed into Yellowstone over the holidays and would be gone for most of the week in which the challenge was to be done. But when I returned and found out the theme was "zingers", I knew I had to make a quilt portraying some of the pine grosbeaks we had seen on the trees while cross country skiing near Old Faithful. They are the perfect example of nature's zingers as they create bright spots of color on the otherwise monochromatic green of the pine trees. I am showing the center part of the quilt here. It currently measures 17" x 22" but I think I will add a zinger red piping and a wonky log cabin border in greens so it will get quite a bit bigger before I quilt it. The emotion evoked for me is one of peacefulness since it brings back a specific memory of a place and time.

"(Too Much) JUBILATION"

Well, this has proven to be a challenge quilt for sure! When the challenge was posted, my PC had been dead all week, so I got the instructions from my Sis, Pat Havey. I designed and sketched and picked fabrics...fused to interfacing for stabilizer...then on Sat.the 27th My DH brother was struck by a car and killed in SLC. So off to Utah for the next 10 days.

I was going great, quilting the diamonds when I had a stupid accident. I sewed clean through my pinkie finger (figure that one out!) shattering the needle and ripping the side of my finger wide open to the bone. Off to emergency to find in xray I had 3 pieces of the needle still in my finger, lodged against the bone. Two doctors scraping and hunting and 4 hours later, needle was removed and finger stitched. I was anxious to get home to see if I had ruined my quilt, but not one drop of blood got on it! (thank heaven, as the background is white dupioni silk).

The bad news is I knocked the shaft on my machine completely out of alignment and must take it for repair.Therefore...I am posting "(Too Much?) Jubilation"...as is, unfinished, and will re-post when I can. It measures 28"x37". My series is shapes, this time 'diamonds'.

I would love ideas for quilting the background as I haven't gotten that far and am not sure what to do . Comments and critiques gratefully accepted as usual:-)

Cherie

Augie and Max's new home: Family Connections

My Theme is Connections. This is called Family Connections: Sugie and Max's home.

I spent three weeks with Aguie (4) and Max (3) in their new home in Sunapee, New Hampshire. This is their new house. It was cold and snowy, hence the back and white pictorial with the zingers of colors suggesting the possibility of spring, summer and fall. You can see the boys peering out the windows.

Comments are really welcome.

Hope (5" x 8.5")

Better late than never. Still experimenting with machine quilting. New for me this time........fusible web! I enjoyed this process and will try more with the web. I still feel uneasy leaving the edges unsecured so I did some zig-zagging. I liked that process, too. I have a yen to do more word art pieces so I think that will be my series theme. All this is so out of my comfort zone....but in the end, it was fun.

"Trepidation" (20" x 38")

Challenge #28 yielded unexpected results. My first effort was to make a quilt depicting choppy water. Well, the curved piecing started looking more like mountains. So I decided mountains and layers of earth complete with fault lines would be the ticket. The fabric strips and embroidery stitches in orange are offered as the zinger. I'm interested in improving this piece, so I look forward to your suggestions.

People Series, challenge 28

Just adding a new photo. Punched up the color a bit with some ink pens I got Monday. I also touched up the book a bit. Added the title. What else would a Raven be reading but Poe. I also photographed it with no flash.

Quoth the Raven by Ann E. Ruthsdottir

I had a hard time understanding the color concepts for this challenge. Finally I just decided to do it; then learn from the comments. I got some inks for Christmas, so I was anxious to try them out.

My first idea was to do a portrait of my daughter, maybe 24x30. Luckily, someone on QA suggested doing Raven post cards. Much better to paint smaller, especially since I haven't a clue how to use these inks. I really wanted to paint with them. However they ran and bleed so I'm glad I decided to work small.

I ended up using some colored pencils to add darker colors. Although this is NOT strictly a 'people', I think this Raven has enough human characteristics to quality. I think the background is the zinger that lets the Raven capture the stage. Of course the orange form fitting leggings also might qualify. I realize the colors are NOT that of a real Raven, I just thought they were FUN. I view this as a cartoon, so it should look like fun. It is totally different from anything I have ever done before. That really excited me. I have a hard time drawing small [or actually working small at all], so I drew typing paper size then shrunk it down with a scanner I got from Freecycle. It was all fun except the binding. That took hours and is still lumpy.

Time to Celebrate

This is not only a celebration of the New Year but my mother’s 80th birthday on December 28. I am flying to Reno next week for her party. We are fortunate to celebrate as she has had some major health issues the past couple of years but is determined they not slow her down.

This piece is 11” X 17” and made from hand dyed fabrics. Mom’s favorite colors are pink, purple and orange. One of the fabrics was dye painted, discharged and then the yellow dots painted to add the zing. The second fabric was a variegated red/orange blend. After slicing and arranging, the variegated fabric didn’t seem to add to the composition so I fused some circles from the scraps and added additional purple strips. I also quilted in some circles to add color and texture. I don’t have much experience with free motion quilting so this was good practice.

My series is shapes/time.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to comment on my quilts as well as others as it’s always good to see through someone else’s eyes.

Happy New Year,

Pam Harris

Hunter Moon over Lasqueti Island

MOON SERIES #4
Ok, I know you are saying 'Lasqueti Island?" It is an Island across from our house when we lived in Parksville on Vancouver Island, B.C. back in the early 90's. What we used to see from our house over on and toward that Island was always so intriguing. Kept my binoculars on the front foyer hall table next to the telescope for star-watching.
So, this is it! My December Moon. I loved doing this one [I think I love doing them all.....] albeit a scramble for how-to.... but I am coming along with the 'hand' side of the work.
For this one I used chiffon.....if you never have... try it! Wow it is so easy to manipulate. And this had the colors I needed. For the sky above the Island mountain range, I used dryer lint. I had washed a blue sweater and I think half my sweater ended up in the lint catcher, so.... having paid for the whole sweater, I decided to use what I couldn't wear! Again, I used the needle felting machine to hold those
fibers down and provide some texture to the chiffon. Then I just got out my embroidery threads. I used my last Saturdays Michael's 50% off coupon and got 105 skeins for 7 or so dollars!
[My husband says I am Ebenezer Scrooge!haha].
I used Shiva Sticks to color the moon... using a grid underneath the fabric, used turquoise stick and some gold on other fabric for the highlights. On the water, to depict the break on the waves in a rising tide I used crystal chiffon.... it just shreds so beautifully under those barbed needles. [Wouldn't be hard to do by hand for accents].
I hope you like it, I hope I met the challenge and I hope I am inspiring some of you to try some of these 'odd-ball' techniques!
Since this was Tobi's challenge, I honored her in the shape of my piece.
Keeping that lint on was a challenge in itself and the chiffon pulled in a little more than I thought it would,so in order to keep to my Journal Size for this series, I just finished it the way it was covered. that, too was fun....

Comments are always welcome.......and appreciated.
Carole

Celebration ' Tapas y Vino"

"Celebration" is postcard size - 4"x6". The emotions are happy, joyous, celebratory - all those New Year's Eve emotions. Portraying a liquid-filled object has always presented a challenge for me, and today was no different. I couldn't get the level of the wine to appear the way I wanted, so I changed the eye level of the viewer instead. The zinger should be fairly obvious - the pimientos in the olives.

Rhoda Ch#28 Blissful Betty

Blissful Betty is in heaven, licking the cupcakes delectable icing from her finger. Amongst the chaos and pandemonium she is blissfully happy, enjoying her scrumptious treat.
This was a lot of fun to make, and I have two emotions going on. At first Betty was going to be frustrated by knitting, then I decided I just needed to add some happiness to the chaos I had created. Red is my zinger along with some gold.
Lot's of bling on the flower, ear rings and her ring.
I look forward to your comments.
Thank you Tobi for a great challenge.

Zingers.... untitled, probably unfinished....

I've been in such a creative slump this fall. I've watched with interest as y'all have taken these challenges and run with them, while all I can do is sit in my studio and fondle fabric... without it speaking to me.

But I decided just to run with the ideas of zingers and start chunking stuff together..... the kernel of my idea was hope and renewal with the new year, new administration, and the gratitude that things are turning around in many aspects of our lives. So black/grey/lights with zingers of yellow were the basis for the project.

First attempt as our record snowfall was ending and the sun was peaking out.
It somehow doesn't feel finished but I'm at a loss for what to add to it.....

Second attempt was yesterday with the top background foundation pieced to the back ground. The ends of the pieces formed an interesting pattern which was then echoed in the yellow (left overs from a border).....

Again, I'm not thrilled with it, but its done. As I looked at it, It almost looks like a ship sailing into darkness which is certainly not the image I wanted to project.

Critiques, of course, are welcome.....

And I'll be continuing with my personal challenge of only using things out of my stash for the FFCs..... and now off to the gym to start working off some of the holiday calories!

Challenge 28, Gala

My challenge piece is called "Gala", as it is made of satins and brocades that one would wear to a ball, and is decorated with bling (old buttons & beads). To me it represents happy times. The zing is a white bridal satin, covered by red or black floral netting. Size is 14 x 14 inches.
Your comments are welcomed. (I see the heart shaped button is a little off center, and will reattach that). While it doesn't show up well in this photo the light pink hexagon is a folded fabric design, as she is the bell of the ball.
This is a departure from my garden series, as I couldn't resist using these great scraps of beautiful fabrics - most were leftovers from Shakespearean costumes.
LindaMac in Wyo

Challenge 28

Still working in the series "trees", I looked out my door one day to see a Cardinal sitting in the Rose of Sharon branches. I was struck by the fact it was the only noticeable color in sight and it looked both lonely and content. When "zinger" came up, I immediately thought of this song bird.
Detail:


No name for this piece, yet, suggestions welcome. Size is 13" square, fusible, inks, yarn edged. No sleeve, I'll mount this on a hidden canvas to hang on the wall after I paint a canvas to blend.

Judy Whitehead

Connections

23" x 14"

Left: revised, red metallic Lumiere paint added over the gold, plus some pewter Lumiere dabbed here and there for more variation, and fringe a bit trimmed.

Right: original
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This actually seems to fit in a series with the piece I produced for the other challenge that I hosted, but not at all intentionally! When I started, my three sons plus one fiance and one girlfriend were visiting, and I wanted to capture the idea of family connectedness and love.

I began with a piece of material with a pattern of white-on-white circles, then overlaid it with a piece of black gauze. I cut some thin wavy strips from the gauze and overlaid them, then tucked in the three ribbon florets and began sewing the strips down with various fancy stitches, and added a narrow maroon ribbon. I then cut the shield shape out of foam core and hand-sewed the edges, leaving the gauze to hang down, and put just a bit of gold leaf around to pull the edges in, and a bit of hand-stitching with a few little beads.

At this point, though, neither I nor any of the enlarged household really thought this was all that great. It took youngest son's suggestion of an overlay to lead me to pull out a piece of orange mesh, the sort that may have come from a bag of oranges, and put that on top, cutting out just enough to let the ribbon florets through to the top, which may not be as obvious unless you see it close up.

This actually took quite a different direction than I had anticipated!

ren's #28

Sunrise

12 inches wide x 16 inches high

This isn't finished yet; it needs a backing and a binding. I'm thinking of pillowcasing it so that the edges are just as they are here.
The emotion I was trying to get at is serenity. I wanted something calming for the start of the new year. And although the zinger is not really bright, I think it zings enough. Comments welcome, of course.