APPLIQUE PAINTBOX-I LOVE APPLIQUE: Mexican Tile

IN WHICH WE BEGIN TO EMERGE FROM OUR CHRYSALIS.

No posts for one month. I have been hibernating and as all of you who have experienced a total withdrawal from anything creative, it can be hard.

Mexican Tile

This time things were a bit different however. Instead of the usual depression and anxiety (will it ever come back????!!), I became curious as to what was going to happen. I guess I have been thru this grueling experience often enough to know inspiration does return. So I peacefully sat with kitten in the recliner and played computer games (I like adventure puzzle games like the Longest Journey or Grim Fandango) and just generally chilled to wait it out.

What seems to have emerged is a new emphasis on free motion quilting and then to paint the quilted design. I know I will never give up applique as this is my real love. Just mixing it up a bit. The block above is my first attempt at fabric painting which I finished yesterday. I used Jacquard textile paint on Kona cotton which was prepared for dyeing (really just washed to remove some finisher). The batting was 2 layers: cream warm and natural and black hobbs 2/80 with black backing. Double batting makes a nice loft and the black absorbs any bleed thru. Here are photos of the back and the front before it was painted.

You can see the little wobbles in the quilting but this were greatly minimized during the painting process. I looked at Mexican tiles while thinking about this and worked on designs until I realized a continuous line pattern.

I have drawn out another piece to paint-in fact it was the original drawing I made to begin fabric painting-but I decided to start on something simpler for my first project hence the colorful Mexican tile. I am glad I did this because I learned some pitfalls and techniques. I had not taken a class or anything but watched a couple you-tube videos.

Here is my next piece which is based on Near Eastern design especially that of the Cairo Tentmakers. (Google this).

I am not quite finished with the design yet and am thinking of using jewel tones to paint it. Pretty exciting!

Darn Quiltmania! I was so relieved I did not want to make this year's mystery quilt-I have enough projects in my mental list. What did they do? In the January issue they feature the most lovely pattern by Yoko Saito called Imaginary Garden which looks like she has tossed flowers onto the background. It is just my style. Maybe I can paint a version.

I have begun the process of quilting Chuck, Susan, and Me. One of the problems with beginning this was the backing fabric was too yellow. I overdyed it a bit to subdue it and it is usable now.

What do you think? I was trying to make the backing agree with the yellow in the border fabric. The original is on the left and the overdyed is on the right.

And finally, I have resumed work on the dreaded triangles for Sweet surrender. I have had no choice but to take this to my sewing machine. I form the fabric around the paper pieces and then carefully sew on the edges of the paper. The results are not quite a pretty as when I did it by hand but there's exceptionally pretty and there is completed. It was one or the other. And completed won out! I sewed the 6 edge triangles-all that remains is 6 big triangles.