Fabric Art Diary - Part 3

In between my normal day 'duties' and working on Christmas projects, I still found some time to work on my art diary.   I won't get much done on these this next week as I need to work on a 'quillow' for Christmas as well as another major project.  But it's good to have some hand work to grab if I have some free time at night!  Here's my progress so far.

The background green in this picture is pretty true.   The next picture doesn't really do the 'page' and justice.  Colors are really vivid and the shading is darker.

In this picture I did some additional shading using Neocolor metallic crayons.

This is before and after I finished quilting and adding shading with dots!

This is a solar fast print I did a few years ago.   I'm adding hand stitching rather than machine free motion quilting.

I am working on this at night if I'm not wrapped up in a movie, show or football! 

I  finished quilting this leaves in this one  and the next picture but need to add some additional stitching, beads, shading or something! 

Love the colors in this piece and the large leaf on the orange/yellow background. 


Having fun with these but have a long way to go.  Once the quilting, embellishments and shading are added, then I need to trim and bind each  page.  I'm thinking of binding in a dark navy but not sure.  I am extremely fond of black/white fabric so I may live on the edge if I can find perhaps a navy and white wild fabric!  Who knows!

Another Fabric Art Diary - Part 2

In my last post, I showed some rubbings I did with freezer paper stencils and oil pastels.  This process is all based on the DesignMattersTV video Linda Kemshall recently posted.  Since I only did about six rubbings, I knew I wouldn't have many pages!  Three!  Then I remembered I've been saving, in a large zip lock bag, with some squares that I made in the past, which have leaves on them. 

So, I'm going to include these in my little art diary!  The next 3 were made using Solar Fast sun printing paint(s).  You can see a blog post I did on using the Solar Fast product here.

These next two prints are similar in color but I can use contrasting threads or bright threads to make them look different.  I hope!

You can see how I used one of these prints in a 12"x12" exchange I did in 2016 here.   This print is quite pale but, again, thread work can make a difference.  She says hoping!  HA

These next leaf prints I made by applying fabric ink to the back of actual leafs to print. These have to be over 10 years old!  They're from another class I taught years ago! 

I feel better now that I have many more squares to work with and I can either include or not include in my little art diary!  Now to do some quilting on all these squares!  I look forward to seeing Linda Kemshall's process for finishing the book!

Another Fabric Art Diary - part 1

The latest video from Linda/DesignMattersTV, is making a small fabric art diary.  Back in 2009, I started a large art diary (18"x18") using different techniques.

 You can see the front cover and another page I made here (if you're interested in some of the 'pages you can see them here, and here  ').  Linda Kemshall is making a smaller version, which I think is around 8" or 9" squares. Her current video is her Part 1 too!

So, to play along, I picked up some leaves (by hand not rake!  HA) and printed onto freezer paper to cut out my stencil leaf.    Then I dug out my oil pastel crayons!

I used a gold pastel crayon that is really old!  I think I scrapped off that 'skin' down to about 1/4" of the crayon.  To be honest, I haven't used my oil pastels lately.  I use to teach a class on rubbings/stencils with pastels so that kept them in good shape.  "Use it or lose it" certainly applies with pastels!  They dry up if not used.

And this is my finished rubbing...I'll be sandwiching and free motion quilting the square to sew the veins.

The green in the pic above is closer to what the green really looks like.  This is a hand dyed piece.

I like to use both positive and negative stencils...and making them out of freezer paper allows you to iron anywhere!   You just have to be careful when cutting our your stencil.


For this one, I used a Gelatos Crayon...pink actually.

I like that pink color on the turquoise background.  Hard to see here but there are a few areas that have pink dye on them.  This was a hand dyed piece I did but I sure don't know where the pink came from!

This is another hand dyed piece I did that has lots of purple on it.  So I used a purple oil pastel crayon to blend around the stencil

It really looks quite nice in person.







I used a blue oil pastel for this stencil.  Love that contrast in this one. 

So, here are my squares that I stenciled.

 Now I need to sandwich and do some free motion quilting on them.  Linda will doing showing her part 2 at some point...although, I'm sure her part 2 will be a finished book!  My part 2 will be showing some other leaf prints I made a few years ago that I want to include in my book!  Most likely I'll have a part 3, part 4 and could even have a part 5....I won't work as quick as Linda and Laura Kemshall!

Hex Project

I've been able to work on another project in between my 'due date projects'!  Not sure what I'll be doing with these hex's but you have to start somewhere!  This was my initial thought...mimic the fabric/shading.  This is the fabric that I'm cutting up to make 5/8" hex pieces with.

Then back in September I laid out some of the hex pieces...OK, nothing earth shattering but I love hex's so much I just want to sew them together!  Patience...just keep making them!

So while sewing the paper template to the fabric, I got thinking about the color....only because I get bored easily working in one colorway.  Also, it needed something...so...why not add some orange!  Yep...I like that idea!   So I went in my stash and cut some strips to cut into hex shapes.  So that's what I did this weekend.  I love the bright orange with the turquoise.

While I was trying to find different shades of orange, I came across these Solar Fast pieces I dyed a year or two (who really knows when!) ago.

So now my thought is to use these squares (although they aren't really square!) and have the hex pieces around them!   So that's the plan!

This might be a good project for Florida since it won't take up a lot of room...and I can purchase any additional fabric if need be (field trip, Susan?).  This year I'll be working on Amber's T-shirt quilt for her senior graduation so I need something small or a project that I can do hand work while sitting out on the lanai this winter.  But we'll see!!!  Until then, I'll keep making hex's in between my other projects. 

Weekly Post!

Yep...it appears I'm now down to weekly posts!  So hard to write about what I'm working on when I can't show what I'm working on! 

So for Throw Back Thursday...this is all I have...our traveling exhibit for the Aussome Study Group has now come to an end.  The quilts have been traveling for several, several years!  Best I can tell we started our first exhibit in 2008-2009.  We've had two separate exhibits but it's a lot of work for the lady's...I'm usually in Florida when they have to take the quilts to the venues.  All I have to do is make the quilt(s)!  HA  These are just a few of the pieces I got back. I'll post more since I can't post what I'm working on!!

Anyway, my horses are now home and hung in our bedroom! 

And these are my Georgia O'Keeffe/Tiffany, reverse applique quilts.  All of the quilts for the exhibit are 20"x24".  I really need to go back and see how many I've made for each exhibit.  I actually forgot some of the pieces I had returned but no surprise there, right!  HA

Where have I been? Don't know!!

Geezzz  It's been over a week since I posted last, which is highly unusual for me!  But life does get in the way and other priorities happen.  HA

The deck is done!!!  Woo hoo!   Only problem, we are invaded with Box Elder bugs!!!  They are covering the north, east and south sides of the house!  UGH!!!!! 

I tried to sit out yesterday and when I removed the seat cover on the chair, there were a slew of those bugs! 

I don't like to use insecticides so Dawn detergent and water do kill them but holy heck!  It's a major job keeping up with them.

Of course it's fall in Michigan so what comes with that is.....more work...

3 bags already!  I'm holding off  for now  since the wind has died down so leaves are hanging on the tree!  Won't last long....


Weather has been beautiful and down right hot!  We've had several days of breaking records due to temps over 80 degrees.  Too hot for me...needing to have air on....I prefer windows open. 


I have been doing some sewing...working first on the Pop Art challenge for the online art quilt group, Art Quilts Around the World.  Can't show much....but I'm making good headway, as this quilt is due November 30th. 

This is my busy time of year with holidays, BD's, Christmas gifts, projects, preparing to pack for Florida, etc.  I hope to have this piece finished by the end of October.  That will free me up to work on other projects and get ready for heading south. 

In addition to Pop Art, I did a quick project.  I saw this fabric posted on our Bichon Rocks facebook page and  I found online at JoAnn's and I ordered 2 yards!

I ended up making a zipper box bag for the wife of the man who found Gigi for us! 

Sandy will be heading to the hospital in the near future and, after she received the bag, told me she can really use it!  I'm so glad...Sandy is a sweet lady and she and Glen do so much for rescue dogs. 

So, I'll leave you with this picture that was also posted on FaceBook!  My son laughed so hard when I told him about it and again when I sent him this!  Do you think he was laughing at me?  HA