the latest challenge... Flamingo Pink, Palm tree green...

Behold, my latest challenge quilt. For those who don't quilt...
I belong to an online art quilting group where I met and became friends with a talented woman named Carol (https://quiltedfabricart.blogspot.com/

She issued a challenge to us to open any book or magazine to page 20 and use that as inspiration to make a quilt.

You see the page in Home and Garden that I turned to, color! Yea! Perfect!
I was kind of literal in color and shape... but when I saw the colors I thought of Florida and beloved flamingos and palm trees.

I also am drawn to the Art Deco period of design so it all came together in 5 days.

The finished piece is about 14" X 20", made with cottons, silks, metallic silver threads, and beads of metal or glass.



Now for process photos and close ups

 First gather silks and a peach cotton background fabric... from the stash I keep

Some of my hand dyes are on the left, and I cut some circles of it but ended up not using them, this time...

I folded the dupioni silk in four, put my drunkard path templates on the folded edge to make circles

Different size circles...

Gotta have lots of parts so you can play with them on the design wall

There is no roadmap when you start... you just pick a size, cut some background, start moving components around til it makes you happy.


By the way, I do this for a fair amount of time, stepping back, moving a piece over a little, stepping back for the distance view, back to the wall.

Sometimes it feels like I need another opinion, but I don't really, I need to do the work. Make my own mind up. I often like several versions, and eventually will just choose one to do.

The leftover hand painted fabric circles will have to go on another project...

It's funny that this fabric looks so unique and fun when cut into a circle off the yardage.

both sides are pretty... when the time comes to use this, it will be hard to pick which side to use!

I put a touch of lapel stick on the back of each circle, put the piece on batting and went around each circle with silver thread and a buttonhole stitch. Then the real quilting started after I put the back on the top/batting and had to design an art deco style. I couldn't resist pulling out some beads and an embroidery book at this stage, but decided no hand embroidery this time. Beads go on last, but I cannot resist looking ahead. Plus the beads will interact with the quilting stitch lines and all must go together.

I work in an additive way. Stitch one circle then look at the whole piece before designing the next quilted area.

I knew in the beginning I wanted to quilt in a flamingo and palm tree. I cut some tracing paper to use for scale and design.

I don't quilt thru it, just draw it on paper first to get the concept.

Then I move the paper and run my finger along the pink circle in a flamingo shape. This gives me the general idea of how large I'll quilt it for real.

I put on the free motion foot, lower the feed dogs, and draw with the needle. I used pink YLI metallic thread to match the silk.

Same with the palm tree, with turquoise metallic thread. Draw with the needle, move fabric back and forth letting the lines show up til I have a tree.





After it's all quilted, and each circle is different, each area quilted inspired by art deco designs,
I must consider how I'll finish off the edge this time. I auditioned several fabrics, and chose a peach batik.

 I knew I wanted a skinny binding, and knew I was insane to want to keep two circles off the edge. They would need to have binding in the circle color, then the main color for the rest of the quilt would have to be joined by hand. Fiddly work that.

Beads went on last

by hand, repeating circles, defining a line, sparkling

I like the circles extending beyond the border... like the lines of quilting, like the pearly beads and the triangle beads, and the silks shimmering on the surface.

It needs a title now... "Flamingo Pink Paint" or "Circles one" or what can you come up with?

I like a challenge... especially this page 20 challenge prompt. I made something pretty out of tiny pieces of fabric, expressed myself in fiber, and used my supplies. I am grateful to be part of a group of talented artists, whose work you can see at
 this link: https://artquiltchallengegroup.wordpress.com/

Linking to:
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
oh Scrap Sundays 
Pink Saturday!
sewcanshe Saturdays

off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays  
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Midweek makers wednesdays
https://stitchallthethings.com/