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Friday 15 July 2011

LadySlippers... getting to know you.

LadySlippers are one of the most important symbols amidst the wildflowers that Jesica wants on her quilt border.  Here's what they look like.

this is copyright free, from wikipedia (not my photo)

She picked these for her grandmother when she was a child.  Finding a good way to represent these has been challenging for me.  I've done several unsuccessful attempts.  It's true what they way about knowing your subject.  I've been looking at these flowers a lot lately, and finally, I can say it's coming together!  I started by sketching them from several stock photos on the net.


After many failed attempts at embroidering those, I tried a continuous line drawing like I would do if I were to free motion stitch this.  One line... I repeated it several times until it felt easy.



And then out came the machine & thread to draw them all over again.  IT WORKED.  I love it!  Eureeka!

FINALLY - free motion lady slippers!

So my next move is to draw out a sample border section with an assortment of flowers that I will later transfer in segments onto the quilt top's border.  Commissions are always easier when your materials & ideas cooperate.  ; )

see you Sunday!
~Monika

9 comments:

Rebel said...

Wow! That's impressive. The border is going to be so beautiful!

Ellie said...

You are so clever. I'm very impressed and it will look lovely.

Flo @ Butterfly Quilting said...

That will be beautiful.
I have a few pictures of lady slipper that bloomed in my yard this year. Do you want them? You are free to use them in your design if you like.

Lynette said...

They look good! :)

Becky said...

Beautiful, but the biologist in me just has to point out that these flowers should not be picked :-(. They're better left to enjoy (and reproduce) in the wild, or to sew onto a quilt!! We knew of a spot where they grew when I lived in Michigan. They are such beautiful flowers!!

elle said...

Wonderful S K E T C H !!!

Cheryl (Grandma Coco) said...

I love how you took the flower from photo to sketch to your own continuous line stitching design. Very elegant!

Margaret said...

Lovely! And of course I know you'll do the final version in yellow and green, eh? I had these wonderful flowers in my garden in Calgary for almost 20 years...They are perennial and spread slowly. You can not pick them or dig them up now, but a root was given me by a friend back in the early '90s...I love 'em!

Christie describeHappy said...

You really nailed it!! And thanks for the tip on how to practice for free motion! Your work is just stunning!!

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