Saturday, May 28, 2022

Let Them Flourish is finished!

If you've been following me on Instagram, you've seen lots of images of the progress of this piece. Lately I've been adding a gazillion French Knots, finishing up the beading and then finally mounting it on a fabric-covered canvas.

Let Them Flourish - Ready for Exhibition

Let Them Flourish (aka Biodiversity)

In the Beginning

This piece started off as a fabric collage of images related to Biodiversity, the theme that was given to us as part of the February 2021 TextileArtist.org's Stitch Club workshop. Kate Tume, our instructor, had us exploring narrative potential with embellishment.

The beginning of Biodiversity (working title)

I attached the fabric pieces to batting using Heat n Bond Lite. From there I started stitching and beading. To say that it was slow going is a huge understatement. Again, not called slow stitching for nothing 😊.

Starting the embroidery and beading

At some point I got tired of its slow progress and wondered off to other projects. I came back to it during my #100dayschallenge on Instagram. I would say that the majority of it got done between March and May 2022. It also helped that I had a deadline approaching - the Conversations exhibition with Fibre 15 (see related links below).

Towards the Finish Line!

I love using my own hand-dyed perle cotton 💙

At one point I got bored and had an aha moment. I realised that I didn't have to embroider the images using the same colours that was on the fabric. Notice the house in the image below, which was printed in blue but covered in orange thread. I love that the blue peeks through. That was quite liberating! 😊

Adding different colours than those on the fabric

The green embroidered background around the moose took forever -
I was seeing swirls in my sleep!

I added a gazillion French knots around the tree. I knew by then that it would drive me crazy, so to keep it interesting, I used different shades of green and went roughly from light to dark.

So many French knots!!!

I was worried about the owl - I wanted to add beads but wasn't sure how much. I found out fairly quickly how much was "too much"! I was going to bead every other line but got mixed up and ended up beading all of the lines. It wasn't really bad but it made the owl the focal point, which is not what I wanted.

Too many beads....

Just the right amount of beads 😊

I used sewing thread to lightly embroider various parts of the owl. 

Finishing up!

Finishing up involved covering a 14" x 11" canvas with fabric and then attaching the piece to the canvas. I used Sulky's Invisible thread since it was clearer than the other kinds I have. I wasn't able to make a knot at the end of the thread, so I left a long tail and then after taking the next stitch, tied a knot at the back.

I just put in a few pins through the canvas to keep the piece from shifting as I was sewing it down. I stitched around the edges but also within the piece to keep it securely in place. It was easiest to stitch behind beads.
Attaching the piece to the canvas


Let Them Flourish

What I learned

  • I learned that this technique is called textile collage. This is probably my favourite technique of all times. I've used it a few times to make some of my favourite pieces. I'll include links to my favourite ones in Related links below.
  • I love being able to add bits and pieces of fabric to tell a story or show a moment in time. 
  • The hardest part is probably leaving reality behind since there is no way to keep the actual perspective real since the elements come in the size that they are on the fabric! I love that whimsical part of it.
  • I'm glad that I figured out that I don't have to use the same colour as the background image to embroider. It adds a different look when using a different colour and having the original fabric colour peek through.
  • I realised that I need to change things up to keep me interested. What's not to love about many shades of green instead of just using one?!
  • I really got to know my threads - there's nothing wrong with embroidering with regular sewing thread if you just want a small accent of colour and texture. 
  • A bonus is that the technique almost always needs the little bling of beads 😊
  • It's always a slow project, even if using FMQ but it's usually well worth making. I'm making myself finish this one before I start another one - it would be too easy to get sidetracked at this point!

Related links

Linking parties

I'll be linking up to many fun linking parties. Remember to visit Muv to link up to Free Motion Mavericks this week! Put your foot down, Off The Wall Friday, Finished or Not Finished Friday, Peacock Party, Beauties Pageant, TGIFF, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap!, Slow Sunday Stitching, 15 Minutes to Stitch 2022, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, May's Favorite Finish Monthly Linkup

Project details


    Let Them Flourish
    Workshop with Kate Tume through TextileArtist.org
    Attached to a 14" x 11" fabric-covered canvas
    Materials: commercial quilting cotton, beads, shells, 
    metallic, embroidery, sewing thread and perle cotton 
    Techniques: collage, embroidery, beading


Posted by at 25 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Music Version 2.0 style on Free Motion Mavericks

I can't believe that it's already been a fortnight since I last posted the Free Motion Mavericks linking party! Welcome to week 382. I hope that you've had time to play with fabric this week 😊 

Music symbols

I mentioned to my daughter today that I was too tired to do any complicated free motion quilting (FMQ) tonight and that I was going to do an easy row of music symbols. It's been well over 40 years since I last took music lessons but I was sure that I would remember everything that I needed (famous last words). Thank goodness for Google. I knew that the base clef didn't look quite right (lol).

Music symbols

Since the FMQ was on black fabric, I was able to use my chalk pencil. It worked very well.

Piano keys


Various music symbols

Stéphane loves music and played the clarinet in his high school's orchestra. He also taught himself to play the piano.

Clarinet - hopefully it sort of looks like it!

I didn't get a chance to prepare the images that I was working on last time but I did borrow his geology dish towel. I'll try to adapt some of these images for the quilt.

Geology dish towel

What I learned
  • I'm happy that I didn't try to FMQ anything too complicated tonight. Simple was good and it all turned out well.
  • I can't believe that I didn't remember how to do the base clef symbol - it has been a long time.
  • I have a little more space on the black strip, so I'll be adding the names of his favourite composers and/or opera...before the next time.
  • I hope to make the time to prepare and do some fancy FMQ next time - but it will depend on how well the preparations go for the Conversations exhibit.

Related links

Linking parties

Music Version 2.0 was featured by Denise at Put your foot down. Thanks!

Free Motion Mavericks

There are two colourful quilts that I would like to share with you this time. Denise from For the love of geese made a lovely TriAngles quilt with Island Batik fabrics. I love the way that she finished it, including those mini triangle blocks on the edge. If you didn't read about it, here's the link.

Denise's TriAngles quilt

Sandra of mmm quilts made a floral Whirling Petals - A Hands2Help Quilt. Her floral fabrics looks wonderful against the dark blue background. 

Floral Whirling Petals by Sandra of mmm quilts

Now it's your turn! Thanks for dropping by 😊


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Posted by at 10 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Friday, May 13, 2022

Conversations - Fibre 15 Exhibition

It's time to announce the upcoming exhibition of the Fibre 15 group. As some of you know, especially if you follow me on Instagram, I've been finishing up pieces for the show.  

Conversations

"What is a conversation? Employing a diversity of fibre media, Fibre15 members explore this theme, challenging assumptions about how and what we exchange."

Conversations poster

It's going to be an amazing show. I know that most of you reading this post won't be able to make it, but if you are in the Ottawa area, I think that it'll be worth the ride to the Stone School Gallery (see details in Related links). The show runs from June 3 - 26 (from Thursday to Sunday) with the vernissage on June 3rd. 

Stone School Gallery in Portage-du-Fort, Québec

My pieces in the show

Here are the four pieces that will be in the show.

Please let me play / Laissez-moi jouer SVP

Please let me play

Description: Expressing my desire to play using a dye clean-up rag. 
Conversation: Do we have to wait until retirement to make time to play? 😊


Journey of many paths / Voyage de plusieurs parcours

Journey of many paths

Description: A journey of learning using slow and meditation stitching.  
Conversation: What makes up your journey and what are the roles of learning and reflection within it?

Let them flourish / Laissez-les s’épanouir

Let them flourish is almost finished!

Description: As human beings we must play well with the other creatures on the planet. 
Conversation: What can we do to ensure that all the creatures on Earth are able to flourish?

Best and Worst of Times / Le meilleur et le pire des temps


Best and Worst of Times concertina book


Description: A textile concertina book illustrating my journey through the pandemic. 
Conversation: How did you and your loved ones survive the pandemic?

Teaching a workshop

I'm thrilled to announce that I will be teaching a "Meditation Stitching" course at the Stone School Gallery on June 20, 2022.

Course poster


Signature and Comments Journal for the show

I volunteered to make the journal cover and provide the journal for the exhibition. 

I'm having lots of fun free motion quilting (FMQ) it. I should be able to write up a post soon.

FMQ the journal cover with conversation related words


Action shot 😀

If you want to see the progress of these pieces, you can check out Instagram, or if you  don't have access to it, my Instagram images are on my blog's right side-bar. Just click on the images to see them.

What I learned

  • It takes an incredible amount of work applying for and getting ready for a group show. I'm very grateful for everyone's help in getting this done 😊
  • I'm almost ready for the show.
  • I've finished fixing my concertina book so that it can stand on its own.
  • I only have a little bit of beading left on the Let them flourish piece. I may have overdone it on the owl and may have to re-do part of it.
  • I prepared my Artist Bio / Statement and after I decide on a photo, it will be sent off.
  • I may, or may not, have all four pieces in the show - it will depend on the amount of space we have. Our group's curating team will be figuring that out.
  • There is also a video being created by one of our members. I'll include the link below when it's available 😊
  • What you do think about art as conversation? I'd love to hear from you.

Related links
Linking parties

The almost finished version of Let Them Flourish was featured Muv at Free Motion Mavericks. Thanks!

Posted by at 8 comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Thursday, May 05, 2022

Free Motion Mavericks and Version 2.0

Welcome to week 380 of the Free Motion Mavericks' linking party. I'm glad to say that I'm feeling much better now and it looks like spring is finally here 😁!

Being a little patriotic on V 2.0

As a Canadian, being overtly patriotic (or anything else) is not generally part of our culture. We are very proud of and thankful to live in Canada, just usually quiet about it (unless we're talking hockey or other sports!) 

Maple leaves on V 2.0 quilt

Since the maple leaf was on the original quilt that my mother made, it had to be here also. I may be Canadian but I couldn't draw a maple leaf that looks good if my life depended on it. So... I tried a new product that was recommended by one of my readers. Thanks! It's called Golden Threads Quilting Paper. The instructions said to layer the paper and stitch through it (without thread) to mark the paper. I just traced the leaf several times instead. It worked really well and was easy to remove.

Golden Threads Quilting Paper

Here is a photo of a row of maple leaves from the back - it's not as obvious because it almost matches the backing fabric.

Maple leaves from the back




More maple leaves








 


Planning 

The next section that I'll tackle is the square (about 18") at the bottom of the quilt. It originally had a dream catcher to honour my son's First Nation heritage. As well as the dream catcher, I will add an image of Turtle Island, the Anishinaabe symbol and a medicine wheel. 

I found a stylized image of a wind-blown white pine and while I was trying to draw it, I realised that the leaves looked like quilted feathers. I practiced drawing it and here is my FMQ practice piece. I'll create a template of the Turtle Island and then will quilt the tree within it. 

Practicing FMQ Turtle Island with a pine tree

What I learned

  • The Golden Threads Quilting Paper was lovely to work with. 
  • Once I traced the maple leaf, it was easy to keep tracing more of them onto the quilting paper. 
  • I'm glad that one more stripe is done and I'm looking forward to quilting on a larger scale in that 18" square! I will be practicing a lot to make sure that I get it right.

Related links


Linking parties
I will be linking up to many fun linking parties. After you've checked out our Free Motion Mavericks, why not go visit some of them? Put Your Foot Down, Peacock Party, Patchwork & Quilts, Off The Wall Friday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Making, Needle & Thread Thursday, 


Free Motion Mavericks

Thanks to DonnaLee and Frédérique for linking up last time. DonnaLee has many interesting blocks on her design wall and Frédérique shared with us photos of her Journée d'Amitié doing Boro stitching.

Journée d'Amitié doing Boro stitching with Frédérique

DonnaLee's design board - I love those neutral blocks!

I hope that you've had some time to play this week. Feel free to link up a project!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Sunday, May 01, 2022

Pink love for April's Table Scrap Challenge

This weekend was the first time in years that I went to an in-town quilting retreat. What a lot of fun 😀 

April's Table Scraps Challenge

April's colour was pink and the theme was "word". 

Pink Love table runner

I spent a good part of three days sewing at a local quilt retreat organised by the Common Thread Quilt Guild (CTQG). I hadn't been in several years, so it was really nice seeing familiar faces. 

I spent a few hours on Friday and Saturday sewing improv piecing strips. Each strip is a different colour and measures roughly 7½" by 40". I worked on the yellow and orange strips and have more than half of the strips done. I'll talk about these in a separate post, hopefully soon 😊.

Today I made my Table Scrap Challenge runner. On retreats we can use the guild's Accuquilt Go! Cutter, so I cut quite a few squares as well as a few shapes that I eventually want to use in projects. 

Using the guild's Accuquilt Go! Cutter

I love making 9 patch type blocks....and I don't care how many "patches" there are 😀. I put some pink and white-on-white 1½" squares together and then used the scraps left from the cutter to improv piece the borders. 

Sewing 1½" squares and adding improv borders

I put the top together and as soon as I got home (to my Jag), I cut the batting and backing fabric and started free motion quilting (FMQ). That's the best part and fun was had by all 😄. I started by stitching-in-the-ditch around the corner white pieces and then used some very pink Glide thread to FMQ.

In the pink borders, I followed the pink "waves" and then quilted loops or wishbones (I call them lj since that's what I think about when I quilt them). In each white corner, I quilted either my word "pink" or a flower. The centre of the piece is quilted in what I call "Flower Meander". It's my variation of Angela Walter's Feather Meander.

Details of the FMQ

Details of my word "Pink"

The back of the runner

Another view of the Pink Love table runner

My Table Scraps challenge quilts are always a squirrel because I only make them if I can find the time and interest to make them - and they are, of course, always at the last minute!

May's One Monthly Goal

I almost forgot to add my OMG for the month! I'm a member of the Fibre 15 group and are having a group show at the Stone School Gallery. I volunteered to make our comments book - so I'll be using some of the painted/dyed fabric to make a quilted journal cover. 


What I learned

  • I am accuracy challenged, and it didn't help that I was making it up as I went along. I really should have paid more attention to piecing the blocks....oh well, they are cute!
  • I love white-oh-white fabric but it's not easy to tell which side is the right one. Thank goodness it doesn't really show unless you look at it too closely!
  • I thought that I was doing a good thing by cutting my batting ¼" wider than my quilt. I was going to make the binding that much bigger. I should have cut my binding strip larger than 2½" wide. I also finished it by machine with so-so results. Next time I want to do this, I'll have to check out a tutorial!
  • Although I don't make quilts often, I really appreciated the use of the Accuquilt Go! Cutter. I'm hoping for before going to my next retreat that I'll have a plan so that I can cut my fabric using it.
  • I was nervous about attending the retreat because I'm very much an introvert and depending on my mood, these events can be too much for me. I'm happy to say that I lasted longer than I thought I would each day. The food was great and the people so friendly. It was nice to be sociable after over two years of isolation 😀.
Related links
On for another week!





Linking parties
This mini was featured on mmm quilts' DrEAMi!

Project details


Pink Love runner
for the April Table Scrap Challenge
11½" x 12"
Materials: commercial quilting cotton 
Techniques: Accuquilt Go! cutter, piecing and improv piecing, FMQ






Posted by at 14 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Fibre Fling 2022 - Free Virtual Show now on

Hi 😊 I have some great news. I'm excited to announce the FREE VIRTUAL FIBRE ART SHOW by the Out of the Box Fibre Artists group of Ottawa, Ontario. This year is the group's 25th anniversary and I've been a member since 2016. 

Free Virtual Art Show

I really hope that you will attend. The organisers have done an incredible job for the last two years to bring about a very professional show. It's very impressive. Last year's show was a huge success but one of the most received comments was that there were not enough pieces for sale. So this year, each artist was allowed to have 2 pieces not for sale but up to 5 that are for sale.

Fibre Fling 2022

Since I want all of you, dear readers, to visit the show, I am including the link to this amazing show everywhere in the post! Please click on the links to check it out!

Here are some more lovely posters of the Out of the Box's Fibre Fling 2022 Virtual textile art show and sale.

We have some very talented artists in our group - check it out!

Fibre Fling Virtual Textile Art Show and Sale

Check out the Free Virtual Art show

There are so many lovely pieces in the show


Fibre Fling Virtual Textile Art Show and Sale

When you visit the show, you will see on the home page several world class textile artists who were originally members of our group. You'll want to check them out!

At the top of the home page, you'll see several links. If you check out the Artists link, you'll find me on the second line (from your home computer). Look for Andrée G. Faubert. You'll see a short bio as well as links to my email, this blog and my Instagram account. 

Recognize my piece from last year's 
Fibre Fling show?
Since I want you to go see the exhibition, I'm not going to include the images of the 5 pieces that are included in the show. However, here are the links to the related blog posts, if you want to learn more about the making of the pieces.

Please let me play

The Light Beyond

Ciboulette Stitches

Yellow flower madness

Bonjour la vie

While you visiting the show, make sure to take in the other artists' work. If you're not into textile art, I suggest that you go to the Categories page to see the items that you're interested in. Here are the different works:

Make sure that you check it out!
  • Apparel and accessories
  • Beading
  • Collage
  • Crochet and lace making
  • Dyeing and surface design
  • Embroidery
  • Felting
  • Greeting cards
  • Home Décor
  • Jewelry
  • Mixed media
  • Quilting 
  • Three-dimensional art
  • Wall art

I really hope that you will take the time for a quick (or long) visit to the show.

BTW, I should be symptom free in the next couple of days. I'm really looking forward to getting out of the house, even if it's just for groceries...who would have thought! 😊

Linking parties

I'll be linking up to many fun linking parties to get the word out. Please don't hesitate to check them out.


Posted by at 11 comments:
Labels: , , ,

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Looking Back on Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to week 378 of our Free Motion Mavericks linking party. My post is very short because it's my family's turn to be down with the dreaded pandemic sickness. I'm just going to pull out a few of my older FMQ images. 

Looking Back

This is the first quilt that I free motion quilted (FMQ). It was wobbly but fun. Do you recognize Angela Walter's Dot-to-Dot? I've included links to the original posts in the image captions.

My first quilt - we all have a few...or many!

This one was still a little wobbly but the
designs are expanding

It's work like this that helped me get better

Into very intense FMQ

Structure is not a bad thing...I suppose 😊

Still pretty intense but after washing
this is one of my favourite blankets

I also like using stencils. It makes for a nice change.
Linking parties
I'll be linking up to many fun linking parties. Why not check them out?

Free Motion Mavericks

Thanks to our faithful FMQ linkers 😊. I'm just not up to choosing any one or writing up all 4, so please forgive me. I'm sure that I'll be fine by next time!

It's now your turn!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Posted by at 7 comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)