A Sneak Peek at a Challenge Quilt...

In case you thought I had given up totally on my sewing machine, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at a piece I'm working on for our Group of Eight quarterly challenge. 

I'm using fabric that I had marbled about two years ago. You can see the posts about that here and here.

All going well, I'll have it done for our meeting Wednesday when we have our challenge reveal, and of course I'll post the finished images here too.

Wish me luck. There are still many hours of quilting left to be done!

A Sneak Peek at a Work in Progress...

Here's what I'm currently working on...


































So far I've painted the background and added some handwritten text and a few stamps.  I'm off to the sewing machine to add some more texture with stitch before I start working on the foreground.  I'll keep you posted as it progresses.  As always, I'm glad you stopped by for a visit!

WIP

 Here are a couple of close ups of this work in progress.  I had no idea how much embroidery floss you go through making French knots!  I've been separating the floss into 3 strands to get a nice big knot, and I've already gone through an entire skein of floss!  I'm not even half way through making all of the French knots I want on this piece, but  fortunately the variegated green is one I dyed myself, so I can make more.  

I'm off to get my hands green...I know I should wear gloves, but I just find them so awkward and hot!  Good thing I don't have to be anywhere in the next couple of days!

Rusty WIP

Here's a look at the basic layout of the rust piece I'm working on.  I love the rust dyed fabric, but it is really hard on machine needles!  I've got some plans for the larger black areas, although this photo doesn't show the rust in them.  The close up below gives you a better indication of the wonderful colour and texture that is showing on the black.  It almost looks like old leather.  Really cool!

Forced Break...

I've been working on a monochromatic piece for our next GOE challenge and I'm at the machine quilting stage.  I went down to the kitchen to get a coffee, which I had planned to sip on while quilting, but when I returned to the studio I saw that Arbour, our cat, had other ideas. Obviously I couldn't quilt with her there, and I hated to disturb the spoiled brat... so I enjoyed a bit of a coffee break, checked my email, and just relaxed for a while before getting back to my quilting.  I did have to move her though because if left alone she would have likely slept there all day.

Arbour seems to have 'new bed' radar.  Any time there is anything new, whether it's in my studio or else where in the house (i.e., a freshly washed towel that hasn't been put away yet, or a new shirt my husband bought and left on the newel post to remind him to take it upstairs, etc.), if she perceives it to be comfortable  it becomes her new favourite sleeping place until it is moved or something newer shows up to replace it!

My husband Bill has been recently pointing out just how close the words pets and pest are...  (see my final comment in this previous post LOL)