New Art Quilt Top

                                                         Just finished a new art quilt top. 

I had a lot of fun making this one. I did not have a plan and just 'winged it' as I went along. I loved working with the complementary color scheme and using improv cutting techniques.

Fun With Improv Quilting Techniques

                                             Here's a photo of what's on my design wall now. I've been having great fun using modern improv techniques to slice and dice commercial fabrics as well as my own printed and painted fabrics to design this latest quilt. Have tried  a wonky log cabin block, a checkerboard and one of my very favorite techniques, the skinny inserted line technique.

Adding More Pattern to Painted Fabrics

                       I decided to add more pattern to the painted fabrics I made last week. These fabrics are to use in the modern improv quilt that I have started, so I carefully mixed colors that will complement the ones already in the quilt. 

I used a stencil for the one above. It's actually a piece of plastic

 used for catching leaves in your roof gutter.

On the one above I used a stamp.

On the one above I used a roller stamp with squiggly lines.

On the one above, I placed a rubber silicone hot pad under the fabric

and rolled ink on top using a spongy roller.

Painted and Printed Fabric Fun

 Had a great time in my studio barn this weekend creating more fabrics to use in my latest art quilt. I needed some more  turquoise and orange fabrics. So I decided to create some.

                                                 

                                              Here is my work station where I was mixing just the right colors.

                                        

                                                 Here are all the pieces with paint applied and drying.

This piece was painted and then scrunched up.

This piece was done use Arashi Shibori technique.

This  piece was accordion folded.

The one  above and below were painted and then scrunched up

and some rock salt was added.

The one above was done using arashi shibori technique

with a twist.

 

On the Design Wall Now

 It's been awhile since I last posted on my blog. After finishing the crocheted fabric purse, I just wasn't feeling very motivated and in a funk due to all the negative stuff going on in our country. And, why bother making quilts that I can't show anywhere. Why bother dying more fabric, when I am running out of room storing the fabric I've already created? 

But then the urge to create struck again and here's what's up on my design wall now. 

Finished Crocheted Fabric Strips Purse

 Yesterday I finished my crocheted fabric strips purse. This is the second one I've made. It has been a good COVID project because I could just grab my bag of supplies and tools and sit outside with different folks to enjoy catching up with them in a socially distanced manner. Due to the repetitive quality of crocheting or knitting a  large rectangle, it is a relaxing activity. 

It's fully lined with a inner pocket.  The step is done in macrame with cotton cord. I hadn't done any any macrame in twenty some years, but it came right back to me and was enjoyable to do. Below is a picture of the back side of the purse.

                                                    

Crocheted Purse from Leftover Quilt Fabrics

As with many quilters, I end up with mass quantities of leftover fabrics that are too small to fold up and store, but too nice to throw away.  I use them for making greeting cards and for crocheting purses, etc. For the purse I'm making now, I ripped strips from fabrics I've had forever, that don't interest me all that much any more. After crocheting them together, I needed to block the 'new fabric' because it was a bit 'wonky'. So here is my soon to be new purse stretched out on installation styrofoam drying and being stretch to a uniform size.  It's been one of those nice projects to keep handy in a bag and grab when I'm going out to sit and visit in the park with my friends social distancing during the pandemic.

Now I need to find some strong black upholstery trim to make the handle. Have been looking online but to no avail so far. We used to have two fabric/craft stores in San Luis Obispo that would have carried some but both are closed now. Might need to dye up some cotton canvas to use instead.