My Orange Hat

Well, I started this yesterday, and it's layered but not quilted.

I use these challenges as a way to try new techniques, and in this quilt I tried improvisational strip piecing and also used a flange in the knife edge finish. I was so glad to have "The Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting" by Linda Seward on hand - it helped get me past the first time terrors.

Since I'm hosting the challenge and mentioned free-form, I figured I'd have to try it. My goal was to get the feeling of paper doll chains, and I'm pleased with the result. My piecing improved from start to finish, so I'm also pleased about that.

I'm less pleased with the placement of the four-patch section on the lower left. I wanted a touch of orange other than the hat, but it would be better if it extended to the edge, or had white space above it and below the blue bodies, or both.

That's it for today - for some reason I feel very motivated to clean the studio & storeroom, so that's an opportunity that's not to be missed! Thanks for looking!

Matisse's Rex Begonia

I was fortunate to see a lot of the cut-out works of Matisse in Washington DC with my Mom in about 1977. They had been on my mind again, so in early May I tracked this book down at the public library (ISBN 9783791334738).

Drawing with Scissors book cover

I was thinking that begonias, which I love, could be a good candidate for cutout treatment. I grow other varieties of begonias (there are hundreds), because I always kill Rex Begonias. So I made a quilt!

Rex begonia, from Rhode Island Begonia

I chose the 'Royal' association for purple, and then I used the Pantone app, which is fun, to come up with a split complementary color scheme. It's one I've never consciously worked with, and I'm glad I tried it!
The initial layout was representational - pot at bottom, leaves coming out, and it looked awful. So I pulled the book out and came up with this layout, and the title.
Thanks for looking and for your critiques. - Lisa

La Danse

First, here's the photo that inspired me. I'm not sure it's the best example of negative space, but I was inspired. The source is: http://narrativetangotoursblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/foto-rutas-top-5-tips-for-taking-great-tango-photography/#comment-12 or http://tinyurl.com/mjj6d27 . I left a request for permission, but didn't hear anything either way . . . thanks to them for not quashing my creativity. I found too late that I needed to lighten up the picture very much to get the detail I wanted. But I'm still happy with the result.

And here's my interpretation of the photo. I think I will change his foot, again; then I have to decide how to quilt it. There won't be a border, and her skirt will go off the edge. And looking at the picture, I expect I'll cut the other three sides close. It's hand appliqued, though not super-fine. The hat is wool with ink, sleeves are black Radiance, his leg is discharged (unsuccessfully) cotton sateen, her arms are hand-dyed and inked, and her skirt is velvet/een. Oh, her hair is a cotton quilt fabric that I was thrilled to find in my stash. Size is presently 24" x 25".

Thanks for looking, and comments are most welcome! - Lisa of DippyDyes

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri

Hi all - thanks for letting me join the group. I've created my first challenge piece; it's nowhere as amazing as the other recent posts, but I tried new things and learned from it. First, I decided to interpret 'Old West' a little differently. After all, at one point the Ohio territories were the old west. The artist I picked is George Caleb Bingham and the painting, from 1845, is found here. It's worth looking at a variety of versions, because the coloring is subtle, and there's a wide range of colors and values on-line.
This is the fastest quilt I've made - about 2 days / 6 hours. New to me were the machine I stitched the layers together on, a 1955 Singer 401. It's also the first time I've worked with Misty Fuse, and first time trying large free-motion circles. I'm not happy with the fabric I chose for the grey clouds on the right - the value is too dark. I am very happy with the reflections in the water, and with the circles I stitched after I decided I had to mark the top and then sew. So I'm glad I finally committed to making a quilt! - Lisa in Pennsylvania, aka DippyDyes