Scrap Abstracts

 Scrap Abstract #1

These card-making "sketch" layouts have been running across my feed on Pinterest in the last week.  Although card making is not my thing / medium, it occurred to me that these layouts were transferable to my world of fabric and stitch.  I didn't actually use the layouts as given, but it did get my mind thinking in terms of layering the elements.

 

Scrap Abstract #2

I was looking at my pile of scraps -- too big to throw out -- not really big enough to sew with ...  and I remembered a creativity warm-up that I learned about during The Creative Jumpstart Project a few years ago with Dina Wakely.   She recommends doing some "creative calisthenics" for 10 minutes to warm-up in your creative space, before you start your "real" projects.  Playing with color and shapes, and seeing what comes of it ...  That's what this reminds me of.

Scrap Abstract #3

I didn't want to invest a lot of time or effort in stitching these down, so I thought the easiest option wold be to glue-stick them into a sketchbook.  I suppose I could have turned them into fabric postcards, but again, I didn't want to take the time -- maybe someday I will take it to the next level.

So for now, I am enjoying playing with the colors and shapes to make these little abstracts.  Also reminds me of the waste-not-want not notebook/cards I started to use up paints, inks and wet media. 

Silhouette - Let's Do 52 - Week 8

Cormorant at Sunset

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Diamond-in-a Square 4-patch Posey Test Block

I worked up these 4-patch posey blocks about 10 years ago.  They've been sitting in a box with some of the finishing fabric ever since.  I think I was not happy with the traditional straight-on grid layout with sashing.  The blocks seemed kind of small, and I didn't want them to feel crowded in that grid.

The other day, I had an epiphany to enlarge and frame those old posey blocks with the diamond-in-a-square treatment.   I was finding tutorials about it, but the younger generation of quilters calls it "the economy block" -- I guess because you make the most of your fabric with very little waste.    Perhaps that was a response / backlash to a much more wasteful way to accomplish the same objective by sewing squares onto all 4 corners, then trimming off half that fabric to make the corner triangles -- I can see how that would seem wasteful.  I will admit that I used that method years ago on a storm-at-sea quilt, and it was a huge help to keep everything straight and true.

 Detail - 4-Patch Posey Diamond-within-a-Square

There are many tutorials out there for making the diamond-in-a square or economy block, like this one.  But only a few that help you make the size YOU want to make.    This Economy Quilt Block Tutorial Any Size tutorial from Melanie McNeil at Catbird Quilt Studio was the most helpful for me.  There is a formula for figuring our how big to cut your framing squares depending on the size of the original center.  But the numbers are so precise- down to 1/8th inch.  That doesn't leave a lot of room for the fudge factor.  Melanie's numbers are generous -- which I appreciate, making it easy to trim the finished blocks down to size, squaring them up in the process.  And her table made it easy for me to figure out what size I needed to cut my framing squares.   In my test block, I got perfect points, with a generous seam allowance.  That made me very happy!

For my own notes :
     Center Squares are about 4-3/4 inches
     Cut Black squares 4-1/4 inches
     Cut Pink Squares5-1/2 inches

Then I was trying to do the math to figure out how much fabric I'd need if I set these blocks on point, with an alternate block and setting triangles ...  which added up to 6 yards of fabric!  Hmmmh ...  That's a lot of fabric.  Just how big is this quilt going to be?

There were some very helpful web pages out there for figuring setting triangles, including some calculators like this one from Generations Quilt Patterns.  And after all that, I determined, I'd wind up with a monster-size quilt that would be bigger than a King.  No need to set these on point, and I don't need the extra space setting triangles would add. So, I can nix that idea.

2-Ply Yarn - Wool and Silk

2-ply Wool and Silk Yarn

The Olympics leaves lots of down time in-between the action, so it's good to have something to do during commercials while you're waiting for those exquisite moments of grace or the agony of defeat--hence, spinning.

Here's that fiber before dizzing and spinning.  Nice stuff!

Progress on Holly's King-Size Quilt Top

I finished this stage of my mom's king-size quilt.   I really like the way it turned out!

The blocks were trimmed to 10 inches.

Sashing was cut to to 10 x 2-1/2 inches with cornerstone blocks cut 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 in.

 Deatail - Blue / Purple block.  I didn't notice the fish in the batik until I took the photo.  Neat!

 Gray Block with sashing.

This the same kind of block I used in my sister's quilt and in Aidin's Quilt.  Easy Peasy!

It is officially called Sonia's Windows, if you're looking for the pattern.   

The blocks work up fast -- 4 at a time out of strip sets!

Purple block with sashing.  The green is the "river that runs through" each and every block, representing the trees my Dad tends so faithfully.

The next step is to take it up to my mom's house, lay it on the bed, and figure out what we need for borders to bring it up to size. 

Glad I won[t have to quilt this puppy!  It's BIG!

Something Large - Let's Do 52 - Week 7

Elephant Portrait

"Something Large"

Photo Processing :

1) Jai Johnson Texture as background - Sunrise Over the Marsh

2) My own photo of a taxidermied elephant (sorry--I wish it had been alive in a natural habitat) at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.  Weird to see an elephant indorrs with the balcony in the background.

       I cut it out carefully (digitally) and made a clipping mask, then laid it on the JJ background

3) Merge visible layers

4) Topaz Impression - Rembrandt Portrait Filter

           Who knew this treatment / filter also worked for animals?

I am really happy with the way this turned out!

Here's my original elephant photo for contrast.
And to think this was a photo I considered deleting : What the heck do you do with an elephant indoors at such a goofy angle?

I have to say I DO love elephants, and other large animals like whales and Newfie dogs.  Someday I want to go to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee to see them up close. 

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Dancing with the Dawn - Morning - Let's Do 52 - Week 6

"Dancing with the Dawn" or Morning
I hesitate to call it "Fire Walk with Me" due to the horror connotations Twin Peaks brings to the phrase.   But she does look like she's dancing with a big flame.

Photo Processing :
Layer 1 - 2LO Fairy Tales 8 Texture as background
Layer 2 - Cut out Dancer and Blend
Flatten Image
Layer 3 - Rad Lab Clarify - to add light --I would still like to see a little more light on her face ...  May still tinker with this one!
Layer 4 - Topaz Impression - Color Sketch 40% - to smooth and blend

More light in this version.  On the verge of dreams and waking ...

Here is my original photo of a belly dancer at the 2018 Door County Ren. Faire.

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!