Abstract Challenge

2008 was a tough year for getting my art & quilting done.
I have now finished my Abstract Challenge little quilts for 2008! These are 8"x8" little quilts based on a monthly theme.

Below is April 2008 - SECRET
I needed to do a mask for the FAN 2009 retreat. As I was making it, I thought, "What a good item for the SECRET challenge". We use all sorts of personal masks to keep secret what we don't want others to know.
The mask is made with two layers of fabric with TimTex in between the top and the backing. The technique is reverse applique. The TimTex interfacing kept the mask stiff, but allowed it to be shaped. I found sunglasses in the dollar store in lime green and that is what I used to choose the deep purple contrast. The sunglasses also made an excellent method to hold the mask in place when I was wearing it. The butterfly motif came from the fact that I have been called a butterfly because I flit from one thing to another. For instance: I don't do a series. I'm on to the next quilt and it is totally different in subject and technique.May 2008 - Kitchen
I renovated my kitchen in 2008 and chose my colours with 'a walk in the woods' in mind. The walls are two shades of green, the floor is a mid brown birch, the cupboards are dark brown, the counter design is beige and looks like pebbles and the appliances are stainless steel.
The quilt is an abstract, using my colour scheme.August 2008 - Impressionist Art
I love impressionist painting with its indistinct brushstrokes that encourage your eye to flip around the painting. There is a misty and indistinct feeling.
So ... my thoughts went to the process of doing a water colour painting. I chose a blue mottled fabric that went from a little darker on the bottom to lighter on the top. Later, I darkened the very top just a shade. For the trees: I laid a base colour with fabric dye pastels. They work very well with bright colour and are heat set in place later. Over the base colour, I worked several variegated threads - starting with the darker and going to brighter to gain depth. I put the stems in with a fine black pen to keep them indistinct. I needed to add fairly heavy stitching to the sky to balance the heavy stitching in the trees. October 2008 Mythology 2008 - SECRET

My 'Goddess of New Adventures in Quilting' was made from a sample started in a workshop 'Meltdown and Burnout' by Eileen Niel.

We attached lace to the background fabric with Gesso and painted it with acrylic paints. the dress is made from tyvek that was painted, hit with a heat gun and assembled from the bits. The face is from a stamped on cotton and coloured with pencil crayons. A little Angelina was added for sparkle. The difficult part was stitching - the fabric was stiff and shredded the thread.From 2009, I am playing catch up.

March 2009 - Mother and Child

I've always been fascinated with how we instinctively reach for an infant's hand and they instinctively reach for us and hold on. Thus, a bond is made!
My mother and child is a thread sketch of a mother's hand with her baby holding onto a finger. Note to me: next time, do a proper line drawing first! I used a little dilute paint to give shadows. The background fabric is a light overall design of beige-on-beige.October 2009 - Aroma
I took a course in Japanese Sashiko embroidery and Kamon (family crests) at the La Conner Textile Museum from Kazuko Yoshira.

For aroma, I've used one of our samples of a family Kamon for Cherry Blossoms. Think spring with cherry trees in blossom... the fresh breeze and fragrant air. It is made with Japanese fabrics and thread, the technique is hand applique. The diagonal hand quilting represents the rain that is almost always present in spring time. The grid around the blossom was to create contrast in line and cause the central applique to bulge out. Surprised that I do handwork? I love it and use it where appropriate.I still have some 2009 challenges to do. If you want to see past items, use the link on the left to filter for 'art quilts''