Happy Villages Karen Eckmeier

Decided to try out Karen Eckmeier’s fabric collage technique, so cut 5 cm strips from 7 colours, in reds, browns and purples. I cut these into 5 cm squares and then, into a series of “steps”. 2 , 3, 4, and 5 step shapes.
Changed the technique from Karen, I laid out fusible Vilene with the “glue” face side up. I then arranged the “steps” onto this, starting with a dark value colour, and then contrasting it with a light value. Shapes were turned and placed quite randomly, nice not to think too much, just enjoying the process.
Once happy, I just ironed the pieces straight onto the Vilene. No glue to worry about.
Cut out some “onion” shapes for roofs, and some triangle shapes for roofs.
I thought some arches and awnings would look quite good too. Also cut some arch shapes and square shapes for windows. Tried placing the shapes onto dark / light combinations, and moved the windows around until I was happy with the placement.
A wipe of a glue stik onto the backs of the small pieces held them in place, while I pinned fine black tulle over the top. Sewed around all the shapes, and then cut the tulle away from the sky fabric.
It is a happy village, reminds me of the northern African communities.

Angelina Dragonflies

Had a go with Angelina fibres today. Love the names Raspberry Fizz, and white. Lightly pressed the fibres between baking paper and voila! They stick together. Tried adding bands of peacock to the raspberry fizz, Love it and love the translucence of the fibres when they catch the light – perfect for rivers, lakes and sunsets. You only need a light hand on the iron (synthetic setting).

“Bird of paradise” fabric has the colours I need, so stabilised it with double sided Vilene. Made a dragon fly stencil with freezer paper and ironed it onto my fabric. Cut the dragonfly out with an X-to knife.

I wanted to try 2 different wing colours under the Angelina fibres, so sewed red and green fabrics together for a background fabric. To help the Angelina fibres stay where I wanted them in the fabric sandwich, I lightly glued them with a gluestick.

After ironing the fabric sandwich together, I outlined the dragonflies with a brown/orange variegated thread. Dragonflies hold my spirit and my dreams. They combine fragility and strength together. I guess they are my favourite animal.

Autumn Sun

So I have been away for 4 weeks, and haven't done much work on my challenges, I have been inspired though, by nature.The colours of Autumn have been swirled around me by the wind, so I want to try and converge autumn colours together in the form of a sun.

Using Green and brown fabrics, I split them into 2 blocks of green and brown, then cut them into strips, 2.5cm, 3cm, 3.5cm, 4 cm, 5cm. I moved second strip over and down, trying to remember the procedure described to me by an artist friend a few nights ago. This, she assured me would fragment the fabric and change the whole look of the background. The strips didn’t look right for me, so I cut them again horizontally and moved them over. Much happier look, not quite what I expected, but this is what it is all about, what if…

Decided to make it into a circle, but forgot to allow seam allowance in the background fabric, so had to cut it all down a size, and then free motion quilted, using copper variegated thread in a circular motion.

I zig-zagged the large “sun rays” and the centre of the circle reminds me of Kokopelli (from New Mexico). To emphasise this, I couched “bubble” cotton into the circle and spiral shapes to give definition. Palestrina stitch with a 3 strand embroidery thread. This takes a bit to get used to. I tried spacing close and far apart for different effects.
The Sun need more “oommf” so beaded every second stitch and then randomly used bugled beads to expand the sun rays.
A small gold sun completed the quilt.