Carnival Reveal!

 This is my finished art quilt based on the theme 'CARNIVAL', 11.5" x 16.5".  I'm part of an online blog challenge from Art Quilts Around the World, which has a different theme every 3 months.  Our first theme was 'self portrait' and you can see 'me' here....nothing great!  I really did enjoy working on this theme.  So much fun!

I just happened to have brought with me some small fabric pieces and I loved the colors in this hand dyed piece I did many years ago!


So, it was my inspiration for colors to use for Carnival.

Of course, the piece needed 'something' so I added circles using one of Mary Beth Shaw's stencils I love!  Yes, I bring all my stencils to Florida each year!  And my oil pastels, which I used with my stencil!

I sandwiched the piece and used variegated thread to free motion quilt the entire background.  I had in my mind to add a beaded mask so......

I found a mask on one of the coloring pages on the web and printed out onto a sheet of Wash-Away Applique paper.  I layered it onto a piece of batting and started to bead, bead, bead!

This was my finished mask, which I then sewed onto the background and added some ribbons/threads I had with me!  Before, I attached to the background, I did scan the mask into my printer and printed onto organza sheets which I then stitched onto the background then carefully cut away the excess organza..of course I had to add some beads on them too!  So this is what has kept me busy for the past 2 months.  I did have my piece finished by March 18th, ahead of our March 31st target date.  I have other projects to get moving on so not sure I'll be able to meet the next challenge which is due June 30th...who knows!! 

Who's out of thread?

So, I'm working away yesterday on my background piece for Carnival and clonk!  I thought my machine broke but all  that happened was I ran out of thread!  Geezzzz

You can see this small area left to quilt and in the next picture another small area that I needs to be finished!

Panic time!  I haven't purchased threads in quite a long time, other than my 12 wt. Aurifil & 28 wt Lana.

The thread I was looking for is Signature 30 wt in the Tropical Trilobol Poly.  I'm actually not that big on variegated thread but when I do use it I like the 30 wt and just certain colors. 

So early this a.m. I took off for JoAnn's hoping they would have my thread in stock and the same color!  Well, lucky me!  They did have the thread in the Tropical Brights and on sale for $1.97!!  It normally sells for $6.50-$6.95 on the web.  Not sure what JoAnn's sold it for (like I said, it's been years since I purchased it) but I know it was always close to that price. 

So $15 later look what I bought! 

I do use the Tropical color thread for fiber card edging and FMQ...I also like the Eggplant (combo of purple/green) so I purchased one of those.  I got looking at the Pastel colorway and did buy two of those.  I think it would be a nice background thread if going for a delicate look.  And had to get four of my Tropical Brights!  I won't run out now!

I'm not sure if JoAnn's is discontinuing the line or if these are part of Signature's old colors and they'll be getting a new line in.  Either way, these should do me for several years! So off to finish the background quilting! 
It's another beautiful day in the mid-high 70's...birds are singing so I don't even need the radio on.  I'm going to have to do a video just so you can hear the birds!  They just never stop!  Guess they are as happy as we are here in Florida! 

pickin' and grinnin'!

The "pickin' and grinnin" I'll get to in a bit...it's been a busy few days...as usual...but that's Florida for you!  

This is a piece of background fabric I brought with me that I'm going to use for my Carnival piece.  

It's actually brighter than it looks here, as usual! 

And this is the piece after I stenciled some circles on it.  Again, brighter in person!  Honest!   And the piece will be turned so just tilt your head to the left and you'll see what it will look like!  

I'm hoping to get it sandwiched today to start some quilting...but I have to finish some cleaning and then take the little one to the dog park so I can come back and give her a bath, dry/brush her then get ready to go  out with friends for dinner tonight.  Hmmmmmm maybe I won't get my piece ready for quilting afterall until Monday.  Tomorrow Carol and I are going to the Master Garden show, another of our annual events to attend.

Carol has been working on snap bags for her grandkids Easter treats!  She finished one the other day (I'll have to get a picture of it later) and started on two others this past week.

Carol was using my Bernina Circular attachment to make designs on the front.  Of course, we were dumbfounded trying to come up with the math to get the circles where we wanted to!  Oh, old age...what can I say! 
For one of her grandsons, Carol thought a character from CARS would be cute...so I had the brilliant (NOT!) idea of printing out a coloring page of the CAR then have Carol just straight stitch the outline.  So, my 2nd brilliant (NOT, again!) idea was to use the Wash-away Applique sheets.  I use these for my beading and have in other stitching....but what I didn't think about was the so called 'straight stitch' Carol was using was the triple straight stitch....my 3rd brilliant idea (NOT again!) was the heavier the threads the more the design would stand out!  I didn't think about the "heavier the threads" the tighter the applique sheet would be stitched to the background!

So Carol stitched her heart out and the design looked really good!  BUT...trying to wash away the applique sheet was another story.  That triple stitch using 12wt thread holds really good!!  Here's a picture of the CAR after soaking and rubbing!

Carol had to head home so I ironed the piece dry and here's where the pickin' and grinnin came to play!

I did get most of the pieces out after pickin' and grinnin for an hour!   I had a margarita while working on it and sitting out on the lanai was quite pleasant (my grinnin part).  There are just a few pieces we need to 'pick' out.  I think it's really cute.  Carol is going to get some fusible numbers (#93) otherwise her grandson will most likely let her grandma know it's not complete!  

So guess I better get my butt in gear and movin!  It's a beautiful day again...sunny, slight breeze....life is good!  Even if you are pickin' and grinnin!