Posted 9/24/08

This is my weekly journal quilt 38/52 2008, 6″ x 8″. I was a little stumped for ideas, so I decided to grab a ziploc bag of “non-fabric” materials.  I really need to work with a combination of paper and other recycled materials more often, as I really find it challenging and fun! I used some leftover brown paper bags that I printed with red and black paint when I was working on my Collage Mania 2008 pieces. I also used some coffee cup sleeves (the backs) that I printed with black ink. For building this piece, I started with a red and black batik whole cloth background fused to a piece of Peltex interfacing. I then fused black rounded off square shapes that echoed the tiny black shapes on the batik.  Next, I layered the cardboard shapes on top.  Lastly, I added the brown paper bag pieces on top of the cardboard.  I used a bit of glue to hold the non-fabric items down while I stitched them.  I stitched in black and red variegated thread around the shapes.  At this point, I added diagonal black stitching lines to echo the cross movement in the piece.  To finish it, I fused a piece of fabric on the back and then zigzagged the edges.

This piece is for sale for $3o in my Etsy shop.

Posted 9/22/08

This is a 12″ block that I created to be included in a group collaboration quilt.  A textile group I belong to, the Fiber Arts Bee, is creating a group quilt.  Our members dyed fabric and then gave a piece to everyone to create a 12″ block.  I neglected to photograph the fabric before I altered it, but it was quite lovely in greens and hint of purple.  It is the background fabric in my block.  For this block, I worked differently in my quilting and cutting apart technique.  This block will need to be pieced to other blocks and then have batting added, so I couldn’t add the batting and backing and then reconstruct it.  Instead I took the background fabric and painted it in a shade of turquoise with an awesome commercial zebra stamp I found, and then put a very strong fusible interfacing on the back.  I then fused the batik strips down, sewed and zigzagged them. At that point I carefully cut it up and reassembled it. I can’t wait to see the blocks from the other artists and the finished quilt!

Posted 9/19/08

This is my weekly journal quilt 37/52 2008, 6″ x 8″. I made this piece while thinking about Hurricane Ike and watching images of the water, winds, and storm. Thankfully my very special loved one was able to evacuate safely at work in plenty of time preceding the storm. This piece was created using two pieces of one of my favorite black and white prints that I over-dyed in two different colors.  It really took the colors or turquoise and lime green nicely! I started with a black solid piece of fabric for the background. I cut out the spiralling pieces of over-dyed fabric and fused them to the background fabric.  I stitched/quilted the piece to the peltex base with solid black thread. I added a solid back piece and zig-zagged the edges to finish the piece.

Posted 9/15/08

This is my weekly journal quilt 36/52 2008, 6″ x 8″. The background for this piece is a hand dyed and stamped piece I created, and I’ve been looking at for a couple of months.  I stamped the circle/egg shapes while the piece was wet, and I love the soft way the shapes appeared. I was reluctant to put anything on top of it, but I have to be brave sometimes, right? I fused down purple batik strips in circle/egg shapes on top of the background.  I’m exploring a quilt idea with concentric circles, so this is a bit of a beginning for that idea. I quilted the piece to the peltex interfacing, added a plain back, and then zig zagged the edges to finish.

Posted 9/12/08

This is my journal quilt 35/52 2008, 6″ x 8″. I’m still exploring this tree with a purple halo on stripes idea. I was thinking it would be my next large piece, but I may just start something else this weekend and keep percolating this idea. I wasn’t quite sold on my journal quilt 24/52 2008, so I wanted to revisit it. Here is 35/52 (left) side by side with 24/52 (right):

The current piece is darker/subtler in contrast than 24/52, which isn’t totally what I wanted out of it, but I still enjoy it. This piece was created by starting with a painted cloth background which I stamped with lumiere paints. Then, I fused strips of batik onto the background. I zigzag stitched their raw edges down, and then stitched the purple organza halo on top. Next, I fused the solid purple tree down and stitched all around the edges of the silhouette. I quilted the piece in a linear pattern in the center and “ditches” of the batik stripes with orange and green variegated threads. I backed it with a piece of hand dyed fabric and finished the piece with a zigzag stitch around the edges.

Posted 9/8/08

Will you send me your fortune? I’m working on an art project, named Fortunately, for which I need LOTS of your fortunes from fortune cookies. I have a general tendency to collect strange leftover items that may be slated for the refuse pile, so this is not really new for me. For example, I still obsessively collect cardboard coffee cup sleeves (especially the holiday varieties.) They make great art materials. But this time I really need your help, as there is no way I can acquire this amount of fortune on my own.

I’m giddy with anticipation. Feel free to give this information to anyone who would enjoy participating in my piece, especially those who love to support their local takeout establishment! Thank you in advance!

Send your words of faux wisdom or vague prophecy to:

Killer Bee Designs

PO BOX 5301

Round Rock, TX 78683

Deadline 01/31/09

I’ll update this deadline if I need to extend it due to lack of fortune

Posted 9/3/08

This is my weekly journal quilt 34/52 2008, 6″x8″.  I am inherently very attracted to linear patterns, and I wanted to try working with a more curvilinear pattern. So, for this piece, I fused a traditional Celtic design as my journal quilt.  The background is a piece that I painted in a circular pattern with fabric paints in various shades of blue.  The Celtic pattern was created with a solid blue piece of Kona cotton.  I quilted the piece in a wavy pattern with blue/teal variegated thread.  To finish the piece, I zig-zagged the edges.