Bloggers Quilt Festival

It's been 5 months since my last post, and we are back again at the Quilters Blog festival - organised by Amy.

This is a fabric postcard (4 by 6 inches/ 10 by 15 cm) something I have worked on over the past few months in small doses. All hand stitched and part of a larger panel of 9 that I sliced up. I love doing hand work - it is forgiving and portable. With a long humid summer and 3 littles to watch - it was my sole piece of work. I love this technique - the way the colours merge, the unpredictability - rather like having littles...

In the Kantha style - no wadding just 3 layers - one of which was Vilene ironed onto the back of the fabric for stability. I 'made' the fabric using water soluble crayons.
Kantha is an Indian/Pakistani style of stitching - it's very graphic - I love the work of Lynne Setterington. These cards went to BLQ members for one of their trades. The in-progress pictures are on the main blog.

Blue postcards - in progress

I usually use a base of good quality Egyptian cotton - that has a beautiful soft hand. It's cotton that is sold for sheeting - and has had a good hot wash.
I coloured circles of mainly blue onto it directly - no pencil outlines as they tend not to fade. I used blue, turquiose and some purple. Using Caran D'Ache - Neocolors.
I then spritzed it with plain water.

And waited - and spritzed some more - and magic happened.

It dries slowly and merges even more...

The whole was then ironed onto a piece of vileen and then stitched and a few sequins were added so that when it was cut most cards would have a group of 3.

Done! - it was around 20 inches by 14 inches.

The finished cards are backed with Watercolour paper and have a border of heavy cotton cord that is zig-zagged on. I send these through the regular postal system 'naked' - without a plastic or paper envelope

Incoming mail - Art Lottery

The 3rd and final card arrived on Saturday - I need to check out the corresponding techniques to the lottery numbers 4, 6. 21. 26, 42 From DAanna

Incoming mail - Art Lottery

This second card came from Lyn, it has 'Start with a base that has shapes on', 'Add a skinny line', 'Add a fat line', 'Piece something' and 'Add curvy lines'

Incoming mail - Art Lottery

This card came from Charmion - her techniques were Ethnic Element; Gathered Fabric; Heavy thread; Button; Attachment.

The paper 'attachment is a Noshi - something I have seen but never knew the name of.... she kindly included some eyelash yarn an ATC and a piece of hand dyed fabric.... nice....

Art Lottery Challenge

The FAT group I belong to had a Art Lottery Challenge, you handed in 5 numbers then got back 5 techniques that you were to use on a postcard. You could make 3 cards, either with the same numbers or different numbers. It was an interesting concept that I enjoyed..... Piece the background fabric, Add a new shape, Add a printed word, Add a doodle then colour it in, Add something organic. So, I pieced the background (the half square triangles were trimmings from a previous project) - add a new shape, that was the 'brown' rectangle, add a printed word - Aşşk - I doodled as required, then coloured the leaves with chalk.. - I was also asked to add something organic, well that was the doodle, a coneflower..... and the card was made with only cotton..... I traded the cards, which will follow!

Incoming mail

T1 is on the verge of 'taking' this one into her custody - from Barbara for the BQL PC 'Flower Power' trade, the stitching catches the center of the sequins, making them 'pop' as 3D objects, neat.... I may borrow that idea.....

Incoming mail

More 'Flower Power' from Claire, and right - Michelle, from the BQL PC group.

Incoming mail

These were for the 'Flower Power' trade, folks got my 'Ortanca' cards.
left from Plum, the right from Lesley - again BQL PC

Incoming mail

These two spotties are now on my 'washing line' from Plum - this was her first set.... and below from Ruth.

Incoming mail

More 'spots and dots' - the landscape from Carole, and the dot-to-dot from Chris - again from the BQLPC group.

Incoming mail

Spots and Dots cards, the lady bird from Michelle, and the landscape from Janet - from the BQL PC group

I sent 'sunspot' cards from way back long ago.... slightly different edging on most of them though...

Ortanca

So this was the finished 19x18 inch piece, ready for fusing - the flowers were all FME'd on to the base, then fused with Wonder-under.

This is 11 by 8.5 inches (A4) and will go to the QGBI for their Little Gem's tombola at the Festival of Quilts in August - since I have no quilt to exhibit this year, at least I have a piece of work there!

6 of these will go the BQL postcard group - the first group I belonged to nearly 5 years ago.... I feel good that these are done now.....

Flower Power

I joined a trade, the first in quite a while, I forgot it was due May 31st.... duh - I fished this out of the box of half done projects. I'm not sure if I've blogged it's beginning - I pained the base with some thinned acrylics, it was a lilac-blue to start with. Then using de-constructed artificial flowers I fme'd it... I should have put vileen on the back (this is probably the reason it got into the box in the first place) I plan to turn it into the Flower Power cards, and perhaps a Little Gem - it's 18 inches square - mostly done - but it's one of those things where more is good..... I plan on using wonder-under or something like to fuse the front to batting/card depending on the final piece.

Incoming mail

I first started trading cards when my twins were born, in 2004. The original UK group I belonged to is still alive and this is one from that group - Flower Power from Carole in Burton. It's an early bird, I need to work on mine, though I know what I am going to do!

Did the earth move for you darling??

Living on the edge of a fault line brings the daily 'worry' of a earthquake (my personal paranoia more like!) we're waiting for the 'big one' in 1999 there was one in Yalova, the city was flattened. I know where to turn off the gas and water - but when there was a massive rumble half an hour ago I wondered how exactly I would get out of the house with 3 sleepy children, I have my torch with fresh batteries in and my bag with id's to hand. I can never tell when it's a REALLY BIG lorry going up the road at the end of the street or THE REAL THING - fortunately it's nearly always a lorry...... panic over.... will check the earthquake log later.....

One a positive note - Robbie sent me this card, which was unexpected - it reminds me of bottle bush trees - I need some random kindness - one of those days, even before the earth shook.....

Happy Spring

This cute spring chick flew all the way from NY to cheer me up! It's been a bright spring day here, but too many other things are happening for me to enjoy it. I just hope it heralds the end of 5+ weeks of daily rain. From my dear old (not in years but I've known her a long time) friend Dess. Super cute and up on my washing line out grabbing distance...

Incoming mail

These two arrived yesterday - South America from Karen (I think he lost a bead eye) and below - a group 54 card from Meri in CT

Incoming mail

These 2 are from Liz in ID for the South and North America trades.

It's been a odd week with nothing creative happening but lots of things happening, I need to make something. Birthday party tomorrow - so perhaps Sunday.

Incoming mail

This week looks like it's going to be all cards, I got 3 today, but have only put up this one, I hope it's large enough to see the 'poem'. From Debmarie, it's nearly a year after the original closing date (which I missed too) it was well worth the wait! C is for Candy - the fabric was stamped then a piece of clear film that has been through the printer with the poem placed over it, then quilted. SO neat. Love it - I may borrow the idea one day. I need to do something creative, my week has been spent sorting things out and doing other stuff...