NOT RESPONSIBLE by Gladys Love

In a life filled with responsibility for elder parents needs, I found "Whimsical" a difficult theme to work with.  At one time in my life I made art dolls and thought I could easily do something to that effect, but my energy is at a premium these days and I couldn't get started.  

Then I saw something on the Internet, done by Susan Lenz. This reminded me of a class I took with Eileen Neill, entitled "Meltdown and Burnout".  Very fitting for right now, as it was when I took the class too come to think of it.  

Anyway, I read the article and thought "now THAT looks like something I could have a lot of fun doing."  I don't have to be responsible for lining anything up or making anything fit....total fun and frolic with no reason attached.  Pretty whimsical for me lately!  

So here's what I came up with, including the reverse, complete with a little bobbin snaggle! 

I have to say I truly enjoyed the process and will be doing it again.  It is laid out on some fabric that is 100% unknown content but I knew it melted so that was what I wanted.  I didn't think the color mattered, but in the end it added to it.  I used a 13 x 13 square and I laid out the first series of squares in varying fabrics....quilting cottons, cotton lace, velvets, satins, whatever I could find.  Then I put a little pinch of fusible webbing on top of each square and put smaller squares, cut freehand, on top of the first layer.  Then I did that again for the third layer.  The squares shifted a bit but I felt that just added to the composition.  

Next I added some bits of fusible wherever I thought they would be good and laid some bits and scraps of foil over that. The entire work was pressed and everything stuck together.  I pulled the foil off and was happy with what was left.  I covered the project with nylon tulle and free-motion quilted in each square, being sure to make lines from each square to the other to hold it all together.  

Two hints....your stitching thread has to be COTTON!  Metallic thread needs to be added at the end when all your melting is done!  

And secondly, the work shrinks, even if the majority of the fabric is cotton and you wouldn't expect it to....so if you want to try one and make it twelve by twelve, start with something over sized.  I suspect it would be easier to cut off a row of squares rather than try to add two to gain the size requirements!  

I LOVE TURTLES by Margaret Kelly

The 12 x 12 group topic this time was "Whimsical" ......."I love turtles". Of course I had to eat the chocolates first :)

I then heat shrunk the wrappers and attached to black background fabric for the body of the turtle. That cost me a few needles, let me tell you! Head and legs are also of black fabric with copper painted on for contrast to the dark background.  I drew faintly on the background where I wanted to place the turtle, then attached the heat shrunk cellophane (floral wrap) to show bubbles in the water.  Also the background is actually 4 small pieces of my hand dyed gradation fabric sewn together.  After the "bubbles" were sewn down, I added the quilting lines.  And finally I added the turtle, binding etc. 

Now...... where did I put that other box of chocolates.....

Enjoying a Walk on a Frosty Day
I thought it quite humorous that this theme was given and there has not been one frosty day like the one I took photos on last year. We have has snow but not one where ice crystals ooze out of the damp foliage over several days to create these wonderful ice sculptures on the edge of the leaves and branches. I had my grand dog visiting then so we were enjoying the walks on the trails behind my home. It was a run of several days where we had good minus temperatures and I remembered to take my camera after the first day and got many shots.

I am doing a lot of silk fusion these days as a group of friends are going to have a show in July.         I started this in October and have been working on days we have set aside to work on the show. Most of what I am going to do will be used for both. The background was created from a background fabric I dyed with ice cubes and the background silk fusion piece was stitched to it. I really enjoyed playing with the lines of the grasses and twigs.

Once my Christmas company left and the house returned to a normal rhythm, I cut the leaf parts from other silk fusion pieces and then placed them on a tear away stabilizer in a hoop and free motion stitched the edges using a zig-zag setting. After removing the stabilizer from the leaf backs I appliqued them on with the leaf stitching details and today I finished of with a few beads to catch the light and add detail then mounted it around a 12"x 12" frame for hanging.

I really enjoyed doing this challenge of frosty blackberry leaves and it will give me good memories of walking with Moka and to remind one to enjoy even the beauty in old leaves long since finished on the vine.

The Next Challenge

Time for a new challenge.    

What fun to be able to pick one.

The next challenge topic is 

"Whimsical"

Something happy or fun.

Something to make you smile. 

Funky.    Fanciful.

Have fun with this one.

Create something wild and wonderful.

March 31^st  2013   is the due date.

Frost?

Happy New Year! 

The Frost challenge began smoothly.  I took hand-dyed fabric (ice blue) and layered hand-dyed organza (sage colored) on top.  I painted white snowflakes over the surface.  I then cut the piece into 3" x 3" squares (3.5" x 3.5" with seam allowances).  I sewed them together haphazardly and couched a thin silver braid around the snowflake edges.  I then sewed a inner and outer borders around the snowflakes using a silver rayon thread.  This is what the final background looks like...

I love the look of the background, but it needed something more and here is where my snag came.  I have hit many dead-end trials and ideas.  One of my trials was to add a cardinal bird sitting on a branch; here is my cardinal....

I really like the cardinal, but felt its style did not match the style of the snowflake background.  So, the cardinal "flew the coup".

I finished the piece by adding a butterfly, and here it is.....

Enjoy!  Kathy

First Frost

This was a challenge that was fun.  So many ideas and so little time with the holidays mixed in there too.  Like many of you, my first thought was a snowflake.  But I couldn't figure out which technique.  Then I got a great idea but it was too late to complete it.  

So, during dinner one evening, I asked my husband and parents what they thought of first when they heard the word "frost".  My Dad said "My geraniums."  I said, with not just a little confusion, "Your geraniums?"  He nodded, said yes and proceeded to explain that after the first frost they are dead!  I thought of a 12 x 12 with a dead geranium and decided against it. :)  

My mother's response was "I think of all the little birds we used to see on the power lines in Edmonton.  When it got cold they would all sit together to keep warm."  Now that imagery I could work with.  And here it is.  

The technique I used is the one learned from Lorraine Roy and that is the background and the birds.  The piece is mounted on satin, which is a royal pain in the butt to use, but it worked and it looks cold. Here is a detail photo of the birds.  

And, I too would like to wish love, happiness and health to everyone in the new year!  

A Touch of Frost

This has been a challenging topic.  My first thoughts included snowflakes in various techniques.  Too complicated.

I remembered a photo I took awhile ago of leaves edged in frost. 

The leaves are made of silk fusion. They are edged in a  non-fire ceramic glaze snow found in my cupboard from years past.   The background is a hand dyed  Judy Robertson fabric.  It was a perfect colour for the leaves. A fun project.

Diane   Boyko.