Week 45

Here we are at Week 45 and I am still working with fall colors.  In fact, they are the same fabrics as last week, in a different configuration. 

I added some decorative stitching to each of the pieces which are glued onto my stabilizer.  I would also quilt in the ditch if I decide to use this piece in a larger quilt.  And maybe add some decorative free motion stitching within some of the blocks.  We have only seven more weeks of the year, only seven more seven inch pieces to complete!  This year has gone by fast! 

Life Cycle

I have just completed a new work, titled "Live Cycle".  It is the result of a local fiber group challenge, the theme of which was "Time Flies" where we had to use three different techniques in the finished piece, and it had to measure larger than 16 inches and smaller than 36, with any combination within those parameters.  My piece measures 32 x 36.  It consists of three panels, each of which can stand on its own, but together they create the life cycle of a sunflower. 

I used painted and heated Tyvek, with beading,  as the centers of the sunflowers in the first panel.  The second panel has French Knots (for hand embroidery) in the center of the sunflower, with beads on top of the knots, and in the centers of the 3-D white flowers at the bottom I have used Angelina with stitching on top.  The last panel has silver foiling in the sky using Bonash powder, which gives the impression of stars in the sky.  I used raw-edge applique throughout the entire piece and free motion stitching.  There are several 3-D effects in each panel and Broderie Perse (sp?).  Panels one and three measure 11.5 x 32 and the middle panel measures 13 x 32 inches respectively. 

I wanted to make sure the different techniques used did not overpower the piece as a whole, and separating the work into three panels, with only one or two techniques used in each panel helped me overcome that problem. 

I was unsure exactly how to execute some of the techniques within the piece, so I made a sample piece, 12 x 12 to kind of work out the logistics with in the piece.  I donated this work to the Spiva Art Gallery (in Joplin, MO) auction to raise money for the gallery.  It sold, WOOHOO. 

While doing this piece I discovered that it was very difficult to bead the painted Tyvek.  I had attached the front fabric to a heavy stabilizer and trying to push a needle through the stabilizer as well as the Tyvek took a toll on my fingers!  So in the Life Cycle piece I omitted the stabilizer and beaded the Tyvek before I added it to the fabric.  Much easier!  Sometimes making a practice piece helps work out potential problems, and this was one of those times. 

Week 44

We are supposed to be in autumn here in the US, but it certainly doesn't feel like it.  Our temps have been above normal for most of October, and according to the weather service, November isn't going to be much cooler.  Above normal temperatures are forecast for the next several days.  Will fall ever materialize? (Pun intended)   Despite the warm temps, I continue to hold onto autumn by creating fiber art in fall colors, even if the trees are not cooperating! 

So here is Week 44's entry, a strip pieced melange of fall colors, all commercial fabrics, separated by strips of black.  I don't know, maybe I should begin making pieces with Christmas fabrics----do you think we could stir up some cold weather THAT way?  I may have to resort to some drastic measures if this keeps up! 

Week 43

The piece for Week 43 is cut from a larger piece of "fabric" I made using all sorts of different materials.  I used roving, yarns, paper, fabric, metallic mesh, & cellophane, fused it all to my stabilizer both front and back and then sewed it all down in a grid pattern.  I made several of these pieces in different color ways.  This one is primarily orange, with lots of other colors thrown in.

We have only 9 weeks left in the year!  I can't wait to see what kind of weird thing I come up with next week!  This has been a fun, and productive, 43 week experiment so far!

Week 42

We are now at Week 42 and I decided to do some "wonky" stitching with bright fabrics.  I tend to be a bit too organized, even when I'm doing wonky, so this didn't turn out exactly as I had planned, but it is, in fact, done, and that is what matters on a weekly schedule!!

I sometimes find that 7 inches is too small for the design I imagine; this would have been better if the horizontal strips were narrower.  But that is what this experiment is all about; playing with ideas and seeing if they work or not.  And if not, how they might have been improved.  It's a learning process.

Week 41

I dove into my stash of Oriental fabrics for Week 41.  This piece is made with commercial fabric and a small piece of my Sashiko stitching on Dupioni silk, machine stitched to my stabilizer. 

I have several fabrics with Oriental kanji (Japanese writing characters) and I love how they play off of the other fabrics.  This piece is reminiscent of my Messages from the Orient II, which was sold earlier this year. 

Week 40

Week 40---can you believe we have only 12 more weeks in 2016??  I can't.  And I am proud of myself for staying current on my new year's promise to do a 7 inch piece each week of the year.  It has been a fun project, maybe I'll continue it next year.

The piece this week is also inspired by autumn colors, as was last weeks' piece.  Our leaves here haven't begun turning yet, and it may not be a very good color season because of lack of rain, but we'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks.

I simply glued the pieces onto my stabilizer and I'm not really sure how I will quilt this if I end up using it, but I did like the combination of colors.  I'm currently working on a large piece with these colors in it, so using them in my weekly piece was just a continuation on a theme.