Works in Progress Wednesday

What do mustache trimmers and door stoppers have in common?  You will have to go back to yesterday's post and read the comments to find out!  Wow.  I learned a lot from all you great Tips on Tuesdays participants!  Thank you all.

Okay, down to business!  What have I been working on?  Believe it or not, I feel like I"m not accomplishing much, though I've been working working working since last Thursday.  I finished 'Deep Summer" for the Spring Show & Sale at the end of the month.  This piece is based on a photo I took last summer.

I finished the binding on the wonky owl quilt (the one with the tornado quilting).

I actually finished the piece for Kate!!  The art is done, I still have to make a border and put a backing on it.  I had a great time doing this one yesterday!  I used a seamstress' french curve to mark the lines I stitched for the power lines.  Here is a third of it, minus the beads for insulators.  The piece measures about 24 x 36 so far.  It's also based on a photo I took last year.

I have nearly all the embellishing complete on Mandy's wallhanging!!!  I said I wouldn't do this, but here is a look-see...  detail of the tree boughs.

It's full of french knots in a variety of greens, extended out to look like buds & small branches.  There are big glass beads stitched on too.  I spent hours and hours stitching lots and lots to pretty it up like she was dreaming about.

Jesica, if you are reading this, I haven't put a stitch on your quilt.  :(  But it's all waiting in my head.  I'll phone you soon.  : )

And I worked a bit on this one... it is based on a photo I took last year as well.  It's 6x8" and is for the Spring Art Show and Sale as well.  There is some marking where the poles will be stitched.  SO far, so good!  I love it, though I was surprised to have 6 shades of grey, and not the right one for this piece.  !?  I made it work.

Is there more?  Nope... I think that's it.  Pretty good hey?  If anyone is interested in joining a quilted postcard swap group, we would love some 'new life'.  You can click on the PostCardCottage link in the left sidebar for more information.  (I adopted the yahoo group from the former moderator.)

Head on over to Lee's at Freshly Pieced to see what other quilters in blogland are up to!  : )

Have a great day!
~Monika

Works in Progress Wednesday

Good news!  ALL of my framed thread paintings have now sold.  Right now I'm lying low and taking a few days of rest.  Still, in my head, I'm planning.  The month of April will be specifically to complete commissions.  There is Mandy's tree that needs to be finished (right Mandy?).  Gosh she's been waiting so long! This quilt really stumped me several times along the process.

just a corner of it here...

And Jesica's quilt made from her late grandmother's stash will be done too.  I've been slowly putting blocks together and spent hours pressing them.  I sent her photos and we've been discussing the arrangements before they all get stitched together.  That shouldn't take long once the layout is confirmed.  That stage - from blocks to completed top - is always very fast.

Finally, I'll be reworking this piece into a larger quilted wall hanging for a new B.C. resident who left the prairies.  She found me on Etsy and commissioned it from me for her own house-warming gift.  Sweet!  "Telephone Poles Along Highway 7" came from this photo.  I added a larger third pole on the right of my piece (see yesterday's post).

I just love working from my photos!  I'll make new works for the next showing of my work which will be on Sunday, May 29th with a group exhibit.  I have in mind:  trains, fence posts, more ditches full of wildflowers, and the old grain elevators too.  sigh.  I can't wait to start those!  I've already decided they will be more of the same style:  fabric collaged, thread painted & hand embroidered scenes under glass in frames.  Those were so well received, and so incredibly enjoyable to create. Here are some more photos I'm considering stitching out.

aren't they the cutest!!?

I can imagine layers and layers from this one.

this too!

I set them all in high contrast before I stitch them.  It brings out the depth and the understated details that can really make a picture POP.

p.s.  I'll let you in on a little surprise.  !!!  Actually, it's a BIG surprise.  I will be the featured artist in the spring 2012 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread magazine with my latest works.  I am going to work extra hard to make the most lovely creations I can for that issue.  The work in that magazine is truly stunning and incredibly tasteful.  Because they are all sold so fast, I will have to photograph my work through all the stages in high resolution.

Oh!  And the owl quilt which has been claimed for Baby Bell #4.  Yes... that will get done too!

For more works in progress from other sewists, check out Lee's blog at FRESHLY PIECED.
: )
~Monika

Sunday Snapshops #11

Happy Halloween!  (Or if you are from down south, Happy Hollaween : )  Need some spooky pics today?  OMG  Trapped faeries!

They live in my herb garden throughout the summer.  Poor things.  Now they have to wait in the windowsil until spring comes.  But wait! Do you want to see something REALLY scary!?

My goodness, what a mess.  And that's only about a quarter of it.  I have so much organizing to do. I did finish the binding on my owl boxes quilt this morning.  Looks good!  

I originally auditioned chocolate brown fabric which matched a lot of the owls.  It gave a nice earthy feel to it.  I went with a mixed scrap binding in brights instead.  It is a pretty fun quilt.  I thought I should keep it that way.  My favorite sections are the diagonal plaids.

I guess I'll put this on Etsy.  I would love to hear if anyone locally can suggest a good market to sell at.   I gift a few each Christmas to children's shelters.  (I love doing that).

By the way - do you try to photograph your quilts / art / postcards and they always look like they are through a fish-eye lens, all rounded?  Back up as for as you can and then zoom in.  That will keep your work looking perfectly square.  Neat hey?

pretty teeny leaves on the crisp snow

I'm off to check out how the neighbors are coming along with their Halloween decorating.  My kids love to watch the teenagers up the street while they spook-up the front yards : ).  Everyone have fun tonight!  We're handing out potato chips and toothbrushes : )

the spider in my sewing room window

~Monika

ps- one day left to put your name in the runnings for the Angelina Fibres! ; )