Creatin' in the Sticks: Thread Painting

Showing posts with label Thread Painting. Show all posts

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Framed - Island Batik Ambassador October Challenge

The October Challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors is

Thread Painting with Aurifl

and

today I am excited to share

Framed.

As Island Batik Ambassadors,

we received Aurifil 50 weight cotton thread in our second ambassador box

to use in this month's challenge.

My decision on what to use was made easy because the threads I received matched

the fabrics from the Island Batik Spring 2020 collection,

William's Garden, designed by Kathy Engle.

These fabrics should be in your favorite local quilt shop now

and the 50 weight Aurifil threads are (left to right)

#2021, #2545, #2692, #1148, and #2890.

The blocks are Hawaiian applique designs from Electric Quilt 7

that I printed and cut out with HeatnBond EZ Print Lite. (no tracing!)

Next, I framed the blocks with Island Batik Foundations Solid in White

and "painted" thread "frames" with black (#2692) Aurifl thread.

Once the frames were finished, I stitched them together and added a pieced border.

The top was spray basted and pinned with Hobbs Premium Heirloom Wool batting in the middle

and Island Batik Foundation Neutral - Yolk for the backing.

I chose wool batting to show off the stitching of the frames a bit more

and

the quilting went super smooth with a

Schmetz Microtex Chrome Professional Grade 80/12 needle.

I stitched the frames one more time and free motion quilted all the blocks with my Aurifil threads

on my domestic Janome MC 6600 sewing machine.

This direct sunlight picture really shows the quilting.

Framed is a 24" x 24" wall hanging and takes me back to vacation time

and visiting quilt shops in Hawaii.

This month's Ambassador challenge was a lot of fun.

I always enjoy creatin' with thread and Aurifil makes it easy with all the colors and weights.

Check out the

2020 Island Batik AmbassadorsHERE.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Artsy Fartsy - Patience, The Art

The July Challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors is

Artsy Fartsy.

Today is my day to show

Patience - The Art

As Island Batik Ambassadors,

we are to get fancy with the Aurifil Artsy Fartsy Challenge!

Fabric is our canvas and Aurifil thread our paint!

The challenge is to

create a one of a kind art quilt or project with 3 different weights of Aurifil thread.

Well that sounded easy enough... NOT.

It's not that using different thread weights is hard, it's coming up with an artsy idea.

I went through magazines, books, and web pages

and still, I had no ideas.

I was even thinking about doing one of my favorite past projects again

only in a new size. But even that was a struggle. I was losing my patience.

Then it hit me, why not take some time, take the camera out in the yard

and see if anything (maybe flowers) inspired me.

I took a lot of pictures and really enjoyed the afternoon in my own back yard.

Mostly the pictures were of flowers and bugs, but as

I sat on the dock at our pond, I noticed there were eyes everywhere watching me.

OK, maybe they weren't interested in me at all.

The frogs just sit and wait so "patiently".

These were the eyes that inspired my

Island Batik

Artsy Fartsy Challenge Quilt.

What a great model, right?

Just sitting all day with his head out of the water waiting for something to come by.

So patient.

I sketched him out and used HeatnBond Lite Fusible Adhesive to applique the frog.

I used green, brown, and creme Island Batik fabrics I had from the Ambassador box for the frog's body and eyes.

Next, I chose the most perfect Island Batik fabrics for the background,

Forrest and Eucalyptus in the Batik Foundations Basics.

I used my new skill from the June ambassador challenge to add a soft improvised pieced curve to the top and bottom to make it look like the shore of the pond.

I sandwiched Hobbs Heirloom Natural Cotton Batting between the top and backing fabric

with SprayNBond Basting Adhesive.

Now, it was time to play with Aurifil thread.

I painted the frog with Aurifil 50 wt thread in 2 shades of green (#2882 and #2890),

brown (#4012), cream (#2310), yellow (#2134), and black (#2692).

Once the frog had all its make-up on, I quilted the "water" with

Aurifil 12 wt (#8730) in wavy lines. I used 50 wt thread in the bobbin with the 12 wt on top

and I really like the heavier thread for quilting.

When I was out visiting the pond, there were flying bugs of all colors and sizes enjoying the pond, so I took that idea and added flying bugs to the corners of the quilt with Aurifil 28 wt thread in a red/orange color (#2395). I used the machine to stitch the bugs and used a 50 wt thread in the bobbin. I like to print my design on StitchnSew EZ Print Quilt Block Sheets and stitch right on the design. Then I just tear away the quilt block sheets.

The 28 wt thread is perfect for embroidery and is strong and shiny.

Patience - The Art

finished at 16" x 17 1/2"

I started this challenge with dread and I ended it with so many more ideas for thread.

I have more inspiration in my own backyard.

I need to spend a little more time there

and

learn to be more patient like a frog.

You can find the full list of Island Batik ambassadors posting for the

Aurifil Artsy Fartsy Challenge

by clicking HERE.

I had a blast adding make-up to my frog with thread and can't wait to try it again.

Thank you Aurifil Thread!

Ok, one more picture - I'm in love...

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Are You Ready For Some Football? - Project Quilting Season 8, Project 3

Are you ready for some football?

I've been working on one all week for Project Quilting.

Kim at Persimon Dreams hosts Project Quilting.

She announces a challenge and you have one week to create something quilty.

Prizes can be won and it's a great way to meet new blogging friends.

This is the third challenge of 6 for Season 8.

Challenge 3: Tune in to Texture

Inspiration for this challenge was everywhere, but I finally zeroed in on one. This week has been all about getting ready for the big game here in the USA and football, for me, is always fun. (Even when I could care less who wins.)

The Rules:

1. Your project must be inspired by a pattern or texture you find "in the wild" this week

2. Incomplete or unfinished does not qualify. Every challenge piece must be a FINISHED project seen through from INCEPTION to COMPLETION during the challenge timeline (January 29 through February 5, 2017). Each piece must stand alone as DONE to count toward prizes.

3. Please remember that these projects need to be created during the week of the challenge (started on or after January 29, finished by February 5).

4. Your project does not need to be a traditional quilt, but must meet at least one of these requirements:

Include patchwork.
Include appliqué.
Have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine.

5. Link up a blog post, flickr image, instagram post, or public facebook post by Sunday, February 5th, 2017, at noon CDT.

I started with a dark brown fabric, a white fabric, lots of shades of my favorite Aurifil 50 wt thread and a picture of a football in which I had cropped down for lots of detailed texture. My goal was to transform the cottons to look like the leather of a football and try a little photo realism.

The laces and stripe were cut as fusible appliques with HeatNBond Lite and then the marking of the shadows and lines.

One layer of STITCH n SEW™ Hi Loft sew-in fleece underneath for lots of volume, then the texture of the pig skin began.

Here's the process of all that free motion quilting that made the texture of the football. Ignore my overdue manicure and TV in the background, this is my first video. ANOTHER FIRST!!

A little thread painting (new to me) and a little Deco Foil (I could put this stuff on everything) for the black accent.

More thread painting and more thread painting then the borders were stitched on, sandwiched the quilt with more fleece in the middle to add dimension to the football, and quilted the project with a mixture of free motion, lines, and yes, more thread painting.

A mitered faux piping was added. (Another new to me thing). The intention was to make the quilt look like a matted picture.

It was so fun to build texture and I experienced so much by trying new things on this challenge!

My mission was accomplished. My first photo realism try is a success. I would change a few things, but isn't that how we learn and grow?

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Project Quilting Season 8, Challenge 3 - Tuned In to Texture

Made by Carla in Dodge City, Kansas

http://www.createinthesticks.blogspot.com/

Size: 15" x 15"

Fusible Applique, Foiling, Thread Painting, Mitered Faux Piping,
Freemotion quilting - pebbling (about a million) by me

Finished and posted a day before it's due, oh yeah.

Bring on the Super Bowl.

You can see all the other challenge projects and vote for your favorites starting at noon central on

January 8th

by clicking

HERE

This one is #44.

In the process of making this quilt, I watched Ink Masters - Season 6 on Hulu. Yes, the whole season plus Season 5 too. Ironically, episode 13 had a flash challenge where super fans of football teams received photo realism tattoos of footballs. After watching that, I have so much more to learn about art and shading. Let's keep growing.

Now you know more about me and what I like to watch. lol

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