flower series #5 my favorite

 

 This is Number 5 in the Flower series... all of them based on my painting, all of them 12" square

You learn so much by doing a series... imagining new ways to interpret a theme. I was looking through google images at pink flowers, and saw a close up of one... 

 

I noted the stamens... and remembered taking a close up of my own flowers this spring and how each blossom was made of a lot of tiny blossoms. 

I forgot to take photos in the frenzy that followed, but the process was to take a hand dyed fabric with fusible on the back, cut about 30 little free form yellow blossoms. Then to take three others in shades of blue to purple and cut 30 or so little blossoms. 

 Cut large petals from four pink fabrics (no fusible) and start piecing the green scraps to look like leaves and greenery.

I built it all onto the 12" peltex, tucking some under, overlapping others, layering and composing...

stitching and quilting and forming shape with threads and lines. I suppose my work is about color, but also texture. When I start with cutting shapes with scissors freehand, I have a general idea of the finished work to come. Then build it. Add a line of quilting... then another... then a leaf, oh that looks nice!

Oh it needs some shadows... get out the dark purple thread for that...

How pretty the little bit of fraying looks to me...

Now for the four edges detail shots...

 The green bits are pieced not appliqued... rounded seams create the idea of leaves to me. A big mix of scraps makes me happy 

It's important to know when to stop with the quilting line too.... leaving open areas to contrast

When I did the green areas, I had no idea where they'd go in the piece... I stitched curves... they were in probably 5 or 6 sections... then as I began to build it, I seamed two of those together, and so on til I had green around the perimeter. Then overlapped the petals to applique over them.

See how I carefully pieced the binding to continue the lines to the outside? A lot of people prefer facing so as not to have a binding edge but I like a tiny frame usually.

 

This is #5 and #6 is finished now... and very different. # 7 is designed but in process of making a pattern... it's quite different from any technique I've done yet.

 #8 was started yesterday on the painting table outside.

 

Yes, this one is my favorite so far... There is such life to it. The colors are happy. The exaggerated stamens and variety of prints makes for a united whole piece of art. 

It's great when it all comes together isn't it?

 

 

 

 Linking to

http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.com/

off the wall Fridays 
http://frombolttobeauty.blogspot.com/
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays 
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