Snack mats for practice

  . A little bit of practice on the leaves with curled element this week....and extra curls added in.    The little "tweets" are a thread sketching technique where you basically just are creating an outline drawing.  Then you get to have fun  and highlight and color with Prismacolor pencils.
  On the second one I used the fold over backing for the  binding---ugh.  I don't like it, and won't be doing that again.  But these are just snack mats for fun.  Lesson learned!





I also worked a bit on some updated samples for the Crazy Quilting program I am doing for guild next month.  I wanted to focus on and show  a couple techniques  for different embellishments.  So I dug into the stack of journal quilt samples from last year and came up with a few that will be great.  I'm so glad I did that journal challenge.....it was a great experience. To try a technique,  and accept the results, both good and bad, and learn from it.   And end up with a "library" of journals to use as inspiration for later.  I do believe it will miss it this year.
Happy stitching.

Free Motion Feathers?

  After spending 8 hours in the ER with Russ' Dad yesterday, I was so tired.   What is it about sitting and waiting that wears you out?    Thankfully, there is nothing seriously wrong, just an abrupt decline.

  So this morning I needed a machine fix!  Nothing that a little feather practice wouldn't cure.  I used a piece of tan cotton for this practice....and just went for it. 
  I learned a few things along the way.  1.  It is hard to follow or backtrack over sewn lines.   2.  I sew better and have more control working from the bottom to the top.  3.  Coming down from the top to the bottom of the feather is a disaster for me....don't do it.  4.  I need to practice ending the feather at the top and reduce the size more evenly, I think.  5. Breathe and relax....this is practice.  I was going to fill in all the space around the feathers with outline echo and s-curves.  I did a little at the bottom and hate it.  I won't do that again.  So then I just did a decorative stitch to finish the edges. 

  Still so boring.........how about some color with prismacolor pencils?   I just scribbled with  yellow gold, and red over the background area, and yellow over the large feathers.  Then the smaller ones got the aloe vera gel dabbed on them and a little red and blue.  Oh well, now they look like grapes.  But I was willing to experiment and try something new.  And crazy enough to post it!
  Insight:  Somethings I am just not meant to do.  Practice the feathers and leave the painting to others.   
Happy stitching,

Journal quilt..thread sketching

New technique!  Terri has a tutorial on her

thread sketching technique that I have been wanting to try.  So here's my first attempt at a thread sketched journal quilt.  

  I used a sketch from my sketchbook of a simple bird outline--few details.  Scraps were strip pieced together for the background.  I followed her directions for the thread sketching and used a brown thread to stitch the outline and letters.

   I should have taken a "before coloring"  photo.   The pieced background was done with a light purple, and one yellow-gold  fabric.....all the other fabrics were white!    I used Prismacolor pencils (purple, blue, and yellow)  to color, and blend it all together.   I love the effect of the colored pencils.  Before coloring, it was so boring.   Now it is too cute and I plan on hanging it up in the sewing room.   

  My thread sketching needs a good bit of practice---especially on the letters, but I know I will be trying this one again.

I want to pass along what Wanda discovered
 and shared about the problem with Blogger comments.
I changed the settings here for comments to the pop up box last week when she emailed me.    It sure seems to work.  Thanks, Wanda. 
Happy stitching,