Frida Poodle-Kahlo

 I got it done last night!! Complete with earrings. Okay, here's how it went...
(Please click on all photos to enlarge, read the wonderful quote, and see details)
First, I layered, seamed, turned the leaf then quilted it. I pieced the two background fabrics together and fit onto the peltex so that the tequila, pottery, margarita glass and toucan would show. I printed out the quote with the "mistral" font, pinked it, and fused it to the fabric. I free form cut out out the poodle bits including the silk eyebrows, nose and eyes. I fused him together on release paper so I could audition the whole on the background before anything was cut. When arranged without leaf on the top + peltex, I quilted with the ever-bratty sulky sliver thread. That stuff will cause me to drink, so I like to do some work before the back is on.

After putting the back fabric in place, 
I positioned the leaf and paper quote on top, and started the real three layer quilting. Unfortunately the leaf was thicker than I thought and bumped up the ear, which really shows in the photo more than real life.

He looks stern, no?

My walking foot caught the paper a bit.

I scrunched up the leaf to add maximum texture as this challenge group is focusing on interpreting the great artists, as well as texture. I often focus on adding texture.
Frida is often pictured wearing long dangling earrings, so I pulled these from my stash of embellishments. I wove them in the 80's but never liked wearing them, but of course could not get rid of them!! Now look, they have a real job again!!
Ditto the scrabble tiles have found usefulness. I just took cross stitches to hold them in place.

Finally I added the skeleton key chain to represent the day of the dead, so often a theme in her work. Since she often did self portraits, I chose to do one of a poodle as her, with the lips, eyebrows, earrings, and her words. The binding was the top pulled around to the back, folded and hand stitched in place. The bottom was stitched closed, and an embroidered rick rack reminiscent  of a shawl appliqued and frayed. I shaded the poodle with prisma color pencil in the curls and under the chin.
For more STAT projects SEE
Next challenge is to interpret Toulouse-Lautrec  (muse help me)  LeeAnna