Hi everybody! I cannot believe it is March already!!! I am currently working on a small landscape wall art quilt with mountains and evergreen trees that includes the writing of a workbook with pattern, hand cutting or svg cutting files for use with a digital cutter, and a set of videos for my YouTube channel. I am loving this project! A couple of family members came up with the concept and I knew as soon as I saw it that I would love doing it and how to do it. It involves prepared turned-edge applique-piecing by machine, stitched raw edge applique, yarn couching and big thread free motion stitching. It will be a lovely size for wall art in a home or office–somewhere in the neighborhood of 24 x 20 inches. I hope some of my followers will do this project once it is available and really enjoy it.
So far, I am about half way through the construction and filming but I am not sure when it will be published. The workbook and pattern set are also nearly finished and that will be available in my shop on my website.
Way back in May of 2021, I presented the first of my landscape quilting techniques sampler piece and promised more. I was astonished to realize it has been so long since that was published!!! Here’s the link for the first of two videos for this project: Landscape Quilting Deciduous Trees Skillbuilder. Yes, it was early in my adventure in my YouTube channel and that shows, but the techniques are solid and fun, and the promise was real. I believe we (me and my family production crew) have come a long ways in our production of such projects and videos in this time. This project included stitched raw edge applique, broiderie perse, and free-motion quilting with 40 weight and 12 weight decorative threads. The quilting and decorative stitching is found in the second video: http://Landscape Art Quilting Part 2 So this will be the second in my Landscape Skill-building series. I hope to have a few more in the future.
Overall, I am trying to get faster and better in the videoing and the production of patterns and workbooks. It’s a stretch but I enjoy having a creative challenge as I reach my 76th birthday this Friday, March 3rd!!!! I anticipate many years still in this creative endeavor, and am increasingly employing the high tech tools in my studio to help overcome some of my aging factors that make hand sewing, for instance, and other things involved in fabric art more difficult. Age should not be a limiting factor in creative pursuits. Here’s an amazing performance of a 100 year old ballerina that highlights my point:
I have also started making a new deep space show quilt based on a fabulous NASA photo. At least I hope it will come out good enough to be a show quilt. This will be my fourth space show quilt. I am filming some of that as I work through it, but it is not intended for a tutorial, just some fun videos. This type of quilt is almost entirely made at my sit down Bernina Q20 longarm in free motion. The galaxy is made from Angelina Fibers and nylon veiling. I really like this kind of quilting. It’s like playing and dancing to me! Here is my third deep space quilt, which won a couple of ribbons in its show life, although these are difficult to photograph:
I am hopeful I will get some good ideas from my “production crew” on how to best video my new space project. Cameras have a hard time dealing with such reflective sparklies.
And no, that’s not all I am working on, in case you are wondering, but we will chat about these later in the year when I am closer to getting them up and running for you to see.
Sew happy everyone!! Young, old, and in between, have fun in your studios!