Sunflowers

What a playing/sewing afternoon can do to me !
I was becoming depressed because I hadn’t a minute left for me.
This summer has been full packed of emotions.
Some big decisions were made and I had to find my balance again.
But..
After viewing the pictures from our trip to Avignon, this picture was the ‘that’s it’ moment : I was inspired.
I cut a paper sized woven stabilizer.
I took my fabric scraps basket.
I took a variety of light blues and some greens.
I reduced the size of my scraps, yes, even scraps can be too large.
I layered the fabric ‘randomly’ or almost :

I forgot to tell :
Between the stabilizer and the snippets, I layered two layers of mistyfuse.
I ironed this background :

I looked for more scraps evoking a sunflower.
I freely cut some petals, leaves and stems in a variety of brown, orange and yellow.
Layered those petals on my background :

I still have not used one pin !
I closed the door because a breeze wasn’t an option : Didn’t want to go on snippet hunt.

Under the heart of the sunflower I added some wool roofing.
To protect the surface, I layered a beige polyester chiffon, the first pins were used :

A detail to show you the wool under the flower center :

I added some 'stitch and tear' on the back when I started to thread paint.
Without I wouldn’t have enough stability :

A detail :
I thread painted the background with swirls to remember the mistral when we were in Avignon.

I also used some metallic thread because I wanted the blinking capturing the sunlight.

I simply zigzagged the border as final touch :

Now I feel so well again ! Not depressed any more.

“Housework is something you do that nobody notices unless you haven't done it.

Sam Ewing


Write you soon,
Nathalie

One OFF-week !

My youngest daughter came back from Cannes (France) yesterday. She told she had the most beautiful holidays ever.
In the evening, after telling what she did and viewing the pictures we had to go back doing down to earth activities : the laundry.
We already hang most of the clothes and she only had to hang one short.
She was in such a hurry - because we would eat an ice-cream – when it happened…
She missed the door opening.
And since she’s always walking barefoot in the house.
She jelled and had tears in her eyes.
Her little toe pointed to the wrong side.
We went to the hospital, pictures were taken and the conclusion : a broken little toe.
The doctor taped her toe and she has an absolute interdiction of stepping on her feet for 3 weeks.
From all the bones you can break, this is one of the most stupidest.
When we were at the emergency, we couldn’t stop laughing : You know you can’t do a thing about a broken little toe but you have to be certain it’s broken.
A chance that we have a good national healthcare : I didn’t have to pay anything.
The only thing I will have to pay for, is the use of these ones :

After using them for three weeks, it will be something like 3 dollars.

"That's the secret to life... replace one worry with another..."
Charles M. Schulz

Write you soon,
Nathalie

A long hot summer

When I say hot, I mean : just perfect : 25° C (79°Fahrenheit) with a little sea-wind.
Because of the nice weather, I was more often outside and I didn’t play that much with fabric and colours.
What I did was colouring the collage surface in all the different blues I have adding only a touch of yellow/orange.
I did a wash and now have to wait till the surface has dried in the sun :

While waiting I tried to play further with the flower stitcher.
I first prepared a surface to play with :
Black felt
Foil
Misty fuse
Rainbow organza

I ironed the misty fuse on the felt, added the foil and then fused the organza on top of it.
This became my play surface.

Well, it seems I’m not able to stitch ‘perfect’ circles :

I obtain ovals or spirals, but circles : no way.
What am I doing wrong ?
I’m sewing on a thick felt surface. I changed the feet pressure to the max.
The thread tension is correct.
I try to keep the place around the felt clear, I hold the felt to avoid the dragging.
The only thing it could be is the size of the felt. Could it be too large ?

I just tried on a smaller piece of felt.
Well, I still have the same problem.
I will have to exercise a lot.


"Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes!"
Milton Berle

Write you soon,
Nathalie

Lavender Landscape

I had to put an intermezzo in my blogging because I wanted to finish the lavender landscape. The quilt shop is having a class sample exhibition next week and since I was asked to give a beginners landscape class, I hurried to start and finish a class sample.
I only wish they will like my lavender landscape.
I added two detail pictures to show you the quilting.

The quilting in the landscape was free-hand machine quilted. In the borders I used an embroidery motif and my endless hoop. Embroidering the border took about 5 hours, hooping included.

I had one panic situation : I was embroidering the border when I realized I only had 1 spool from that colour ! Never enough. After some searching I found almost the same colour in a different brand. You’ll never find the place I made the colour change.
The size of this quilt is : 27 x 21 inch.
I still have to name this landscape and sign it.
During the class I will show how to machine appliqué with freezer paper and how to choose/quilt a motif in a landscape. I deliberately left a hill barely quilted to prove that even the ‘bulk’ can play in your favour.

“You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.”
Albert Camus

Write you soon,
Nathalie

10 days

I have 10 days to produce a small landscape quilt !
When you are speaking of pressure.
Patchwork Studio has called me to ask if I wanted to give a beginners landscape quilt workshop. It will be a 2-day class and the quilt will be finished in class.
When I give workshops I always try that what the ladies have paid for, is finished.
I don’t like the idea of letting the ladies go with an unfinished business. It’s a pity for their money and time.
This is what I have done so far :
When we were in Avignon DH and me saw the most beautiful lavender and sunflower landscapes.
I combined the two in one landscape.
I will add some cherry trees in the lavender field since the two are on the same field.

As I said : I have ten days to finish.

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
Albert Einstein (attributed)


Write you soon,
Nathalie

Flower Stitcher

I ordered a flower stitch foot at Shoppersrule and wasn’t expecting the delivery to be quick because they asked me for my preferred shipping mode and I chose the less expensive.
What a big surprise it was when, after only 4 days and with a weekend in between, I received the flower stitcher.
I was surprised by the size, I had no idea how big/small it was.After reading the explanations, I started to play.
It’s not THAT easy to use.
I will have plenty playtime before I master that foot as Valerie Campbell-Harding did.


I finished quilting my collage background. I used an elongated wavy stitch pattern with a leaf accent.
After stitching two rows, I decided to add white tulle on top just because I don’t know if I will slice my work or not.

a detail :

My next task will be adding colour on this background.
Still listening to Fantasia !

“To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

Write you soon,
Nathalie

Cold heart trapped

I finished an exercise from the holey moley club. I never thought a paper napkin would disappear so easily !
The yellow is all that is left from that napkin. I could have distress it a lot more but I didn’t want to.
I began a fabric collage using light coloured scraps :

My intention is to colour the fabric surface and then…
I still don’t know…
Well, I have an idea but I want to leave you with a curiosity feeling.
Let’s say
It will be a ‘pot pourri’ from all different workshop I followed over the years :
A bit of Ellen Lindner (instant art quilt), Terri Stegmiller (mixed media for the fiber artist), Pam Carriker (different workshops), Sue Bleiweiss (surface design), Jane Lafazio (mixed media for paper and cloth), Shelagh Folgate (her challenge).

I will also use the music from Fantasia (W.Disney) as musical inspiration. It’s my intention to make and have fun.

"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise."
Robert Fritz


Write you soon,
Nathalie