Steampunk Challenge

Here is my 'Steampunk' challenge for the online group Art Quilts Around the World.  The piece is 11.5"x16".

Closeup of the bird...her wings are leather and her body is made up of  ultra suede and decorator 38 ga. foil.

She is sitting on a watch band (my BFF gave me lots of watch parts when her father passed away).  I painted the band with some brown and gold acrylic paint, then attached with large beads on each end.

Detail shots of  embellishments

More watch parts...wire coil piece I couched down.  Of course I had to add beads!!

I found lots of metal pieces at Hobby Lobby..and I hand stitched the entire background.  I did machine stitch in the ditch before hand work just to stabilize.



I think I enjoyed working on this particular challenge even more than others I've done in this group!  I was going to do a horse but got thinking about my first bird I beaded.  So this was my inspiration! This is actually a Helen Knott pattern from the American Quilter magazine (March 2011 issue).

I had stamped gears on paper last year...I don't remember why but I stamped on watercolor paper in brown and pink..again, don't ask...I don't remember why..so I cut out the bird pattern and started to look for pieces of metal/leather/etc.   So this is what I wanted to create in a quilt!

From there I started to print gears using a stencil on different fabrics - commercial and hand dyed.  And I wasn't sure if I wanted brown or blue!

So what else to do but combine the brown and blue fabrics! I did add a 1/4" brown border in between each area.

Of course, I had to decide how to bind or face this piece.  I just happen to watch some Quilting Arts programs I had on Tivo and guess what!  Sarah Ann Smith was on with some tips and hints on binding and edging your quilt!  WOW!  You really have to watch this episode. I used her tip on couching thread, although I used a thin leather cord (leftover from a kumihimo bracelet I made!) along the edge.  The cord was in pieces so I didn't get a smooth turn around the corners.  I had to butt the ends together, 'but' I'm still happy with it!  I did send Sarah a pic of my edges on FB.

So that was my journey on making this quilt! Now on to the next idea, Pop Art!  My mind just might explode with ideas!