my creative week a quilt finish, a few paintings and a sewing machine story

For this week's creativity round-up I have a finished quilt, a few paintings and a sewing machine story

The quilt above was pieced from scraps sent to me after the colorful fabriholic finished her kaleidoscope quilt. I have made good use of them, and their colors are perfect for this time of year. Now I let these scraps sit waiting for this time of year, because I like to work in colors of a season.

The finished quilt is small, lots of careful improv stitching, and is perfect on my bedside table. It looks like a topaz geode would in my mind.
 

When you start with odd angles, some strip units, and little bits, it's fun to put them into a composition. 

like doing a fall puzzle! 

I do a lot of improv geese units, got to use that striped border scrap I've had a while black, metallic gold, blue... Ginny Beyer I think. 

I used to go to Ginny Beyer's shop often back in MD. I would dig into her scrap barrel and squeeze so much into a bag.

also, I thought some might be interested in couching pretty threads for accent. On this 14" X 18" quilt I couched a sparkly fall colored thread....

green strip added for rainbow scrap challenge color of the month

Usually I use a couching foot, with a hole to keep the thread in place, but didn't want to shift the quilt layers so I used my walking foot and kept the thread in place while I zig-zagged over it around the binding... it adds so much in my eyes! couching is just like thread applique. Stitch over with another thread to apply it to the surface of a piece, by hand or machine

this one is bound and ready to finish with a fun halloween backing, but I think I might stitch some orange thread and beads around the binding over the black. I'll show you when that's done.

I was again torn between painting and quilt making this week. I also cleaned up my painting supplies and organized them! Celebrate with me on seeing my desk top again! Of course I may not remember where things are now that they are put away, heh heh

this was a lesson by Toni Burt in architectural details, and sketchbooking memories from travel.

It is far from perfect but I really want to learn perspective, to improve my drawing skills, what details to include from a busy photo... I used watercolor, staedtler pen and ink, gel and posca pens. 

speaking of photos... my friend Angie at (https://tentoesinthewater.blogspot.com/) sent me a pic of two flora pictures from her recent hike. She's a great photographer, and I wanted to capture the depth in her images. The one on the left was my first attempt (again on an index card)

the one on the right was done to see if I could improve.... can't say as I'm proud of either one but I'm sending them to her to thank her for years of pretty photo inspiration

one morning Karen Abend did a lesson in journal paintings... capture the feel, with bold lines...

my self portrait, although I don't have blue hair. I would like it, I do have a round/square face as I age

I sketch and draw in the mornings while I have my coffee...

this was a lesson with Effie Wilde on the Life Book taster sessions... I love sketching with stabilo crayon, then using a water brush to pull the shadows out. I called the one on the left cheeky, and like her best although the one with color on the right looks familiar. when you paint over the stabilo it automatically blends color with black. Hard to control... 

this week's face off!

Sewing machine help

 I sew a lot... pretty much daily as it's my happy place and takes me away from stress... so when my machine started sounding noisy I stopped everything and looked inside. It was still willing to sew but my machine doesn't like any dust at all.

 

I clean it before any bobbin change, brush, oil around the bobbin case and along the shaft of the needle holder/uptake metal.Then go over it with a Q-tip which picks up stray oil and left over dust...

sometimes I peer in at the part that goes round to take the two threads together, and slowly turn the hand wheel looking at it... today I saw the tip of a tiny thread stuck between the discs. I got out the hemostat grabbed it, and slowly turned the flywheel while gently pulling.

slowly out came a long thread that had stuck itself in that inner disc when it was all out, the machine was happy again! Look how long it was! I had to go hunting for it too, easily missed.... clean your machines!
 

I put out a lot of halloween quilts made over the years... this one is hanging in the family room...

I plan to share them throughout October

I love the mix of big blocks, and little fillers that carry the eye around the quilt. I look at it as I watch tv and love it. 

Happy arting this week!

linking with

 friday face off 

 

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

https://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/ 

patchwork Sunday                    

oh Scrap Sundays

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays 

http://www.inquiringquilter.com/ Wednesday wait loss

Midweek makers wednesdays  

http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/ 

off the wall Fridays   

peacock party

tgiffriday

finished or not