Fibermania

Nearing the Finish Line

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Brooke and I talk daily on email and before she arrived she mentioned wanting to make something representational and was kinda stuck. I promised to help. My first questions included, 'Did you draw a full size cartoon?' 'Did you stylize the imagery?' No to both.
She made a couple of sketches a few days after she arrived and we chose to work on this one of the terrepin. I liked the patterning right away and it was simple enough to do the necessary work.
Step one: Make the full size drawing. We used two sheets of Wonder-Under release paper, free and no fusible on it. This must be pinned together, as tape won't stick.

Then a second layer of Wonder-Under release paper is used to make the pattern pieces. Of course we could have used tracing paper, but the W-U was handy. Each piece of the pattern would be used to cut the shapes from different fabrics. We recorded each step, but in the interest of getting right to the finished top, here it is!

20 x 27"

I especially like that she broke up the background and make the water yellow-orange, not blue. The waves and the bubbles are especially nice in a very light value of turquoise. The turtle is recognizeable and not too fussy-realistic. That's what stylizing means. His toes are soooo wonderful.

Great air bubbles

Glory and I were also busy making some Hidden Wells quilt blocks. When we went to the quilt shop she bought some fat quarters of her own and I decided that we could jump into quilting with strips that form blocks. She cut and sewed them and I quilted the top and she finished the pillow herself. Pretty fabu, no?

The Pink and Purple Promising Patience through Perserverance (with Pigs on it) Pillow

Notice the fancy-schmancy poncho that the artist is wearing. Rumdum find!

And what was I doing while the girls were busy being creative?
I designed this banner for Brooke's blog

and finally finished the laundry.