Works in Progress!

I'm not sure why, but I've had SO much time to sew lately.  My kids are just getting older I guess.  My youngest is almost 5.  They three of them are all busy playing together, and ... well, they are just busy.  I finished the two Serendipity quilts' bindings.  I finished the commission that's I've been calling, 'Mother's Homestead'.  I've been asked to frame it and matt it with an oval matting like this.  I will go out to get that frame as soon as I get my van back from the shop!

I am waiting for some fabric to arrive from Sandie in Alberta (the accu-quilt die-cutter lady).  Some of the samples she sent me had two teeny scraps that will be PERFECT for Mandy's tree, so I'm not touching that project until that arrives.  It's really going to be perfect.  Sorry Mandy to make you wait longer - and thank you Sandie for helping me out!!

I made this progress on Jesica's quilt from her grandmother's scraps.

You might think it looks the same as before, but if you look closer, you'll see that each square has now been sewn to another.  I'll keep going until I have larger blocks of graduated color.  Then I'll arrange them on the design wall before putting together the top.  My dear 4 yr old sat and helped.  She clipped each connecting thread from the chained squares and put all of them into nice little piles.

Then I sat and stared at all my landscape colors spilled out onto the cutting table.  Can you hear them?  Listen closely...

I hear, "lake.  water & sky.  laaaaake".  I really am NOT a fan of batiks except when someone else makes a quilt out of them.  I gave it a shot and now I've nearly finished a scene that is a view from my mother's cabin.  I have more embellishments to add.  You can click on it to view it larger.  There's some pretty teeny detail in it.

And I need to decide how to finish it / mount it / hang it / frame it?  I struggle with this. I like my small work under glass because of the teeny french knots and glass beads.  People always want to touch it.  Putting them into little shadow boxes is like looking into a treasure box!  : )  This lake piece is 8x10 inches.  I suppose it should be a wall hanging.  Otherwise, I'm very happy with it.  It is exactly the scene you get when you're out there.  At night, you can see the light blink.  Funny to think of a lighthouse in the middle of Saskatchewan isn't it!?  lol.  

That one was made with quilt batting.  That's another thing I don't do when I make my small art.  I use a canvas-like material.  It makes an excellent stabilizer for all the thread painting that would warp a quilt quite badly.  So, here I start with another!  I've been waiting to do this!!  : )  Here's the inspiration.

Actually, this one has inspired several of my pieces.  But I have not done the canola as of yet.  I usually do the pale yellow oat fields.  Here's my canvas with guide lines so it will be level, cut with 1 cm of excess all around. 

Then I pick my fabrics, embellishments, and thread.  The large pieces are fused first.  And I start stitching!

If you have ever been around North Battleford, SK, you'll recognize that blue line in the distance.  As a girl growing up on an acreage, I would always look out to those 'blue hills' and wonder how far away they really were.   (It's a small rocky range where people go to ski at Table Mountain.)  In fact, my son will be going there on a school trip next month.  Me?  I have NEVER tried downhill skiing.  Not on your life!  : )

tree line added by couching decorative yarns

I am so happy with this sky!  It's many layers of many things.  You'd be surprised!  : )  And the little section at the bottom is a replacement for the green blob on the yellow batik.  No matter, it will be covered with another layer still.

As for that canola (drumroll please) I will make a bazillion french knots beginning with the thinnest rayon thread possible.  You thought the 3" dresden plate made me a sucker for punishment?  Think again!

The rayon is for the back couple of rows.  I'll make the french knots slightly larger as the rows come forward and closer.  This is exciting!  It will be 5"x7" in an 8x10 frame and for sale soon.  I think my mom will get the Cochin Lighthouse for her home at the lake.

So whew!  I'm happy.  I'm busy.  Things are progressing.

~Monika