MONET'S GARDEN

We went to France a month ago and I had the great opportunity to go to Giverny to see where Monet created so many of his paintings. The garden was blooming with tulips and weeping willows, when they are still at the yellow- green phase, and of course the water with its shadows and lily pads that were left from last season.

That is what I was trying to capture in the quilt. I made the pond with hexagons using paper piecing trying to do a watercolor effect which still needs work but it was still fun. Then I added the tulips, weeping willows and a few lily pads. My color scheme which was red with a split complementary of yellow-green and blue-green was challenging to stay in this color scheme. I thought blue-green was turquoise but was proven wrong by my friends at the quilt shop with a color wheel they had at the shop. I thought the blue-green would not look like water but in fact it looks so much like the Monet's pond from when we were there. For my flowers, weeping willows and lily pads, I used fusible interfacing to attach them instead of hand applique which is much faster and fun to experiment.
This weeping willow is my favorite and was fun to create. Thanks again for a great challenge.

Color challenge 4

For your 4th challenge you will be using three colors.  Choose one color whose name starts with the first letter of your first name and one color whose name starts with the first letter of your last name.  You may use any hue or shade of your two colors.  The 3rd color is black.  I've always loved how colors pop when next to black. For example, I could use salmon (Susan) , fushcia (Freund) and black. Look in your crayon box or use Google if  you need ideas for colors.  Have fun!

allium fields

The color chosen was yellow/green and it's split compliments

 are

violet and red.

This was started as white pfd fabric then painted with textile paints. Once dry it was stitched to stabilizer, then heavily and completely quilted.  Silk fibers were felted directly to the quilted ground.

Embroidery threads and bias cut silk fabric was stitched then painted high lights were added.

The piece was then piped and stitched to a piece of raw silk which was fused to a stiff stabilizer.

 Mixing the paints to get the colors I wanted was a challenge for me. While I don't feel I got them perfect, I am happy with the process and result.

The lollipop shape of the Allium flower is intriguing and I was happy to learn it's meaning:

unity, humility and patience.

You may find more detail by visiting my blog here.

Rose Cottage Quartet

The grouping is called Rose Cottage Quartet, each piece measuring 19x14 inches.  And meant to hang in no particular order. I loved this challenge because I don't usually work with such contrasting colors, so it felt like a release of freedom to do so.  And I love the vibrancy of these colors together ~ turquoise (green-blue on the color wheel), red and orange.

I've also really been hankering to create quilted houses, which many other quilters have done.  And especially I was inspired by the paintings of my dear artist friend, Joan Gold.  The fact that these pieces are far more whimsical than my usual quilted fare honors the fact that I am letting myself loosen up as an artist.

Embedded in each piece, quilted in contrasting thread color, are the words "Home is where the art is."  The text is most evident in the bottom quilt on the right.  So apropos, since I live in my art studio!

Rose Cottage Quartet is also posted on my blog.

Two for Challenge Three

'Language of Crossing Over' 23"x24.5" acrylic on hand dyed cotton, linen, & commercial batik; Susan Christensen

'Snare' 26"x10.25" acrylic and prismacolor on hand dyed and dye painted cotton; Susan Christensen

The split complementary challenge was - well, challenging!  I chose yellow-green, red and violet for 'Language of Crossing Over' and green, red-orange and red-violet for "Snare". I will be posting details and process photos later today over at my blog, Flying Dog Studio Design Wall.  Come by for a visit anytime!

Fibonacci's Garden

Fibonacci's Garden

Fiberactions:  Split Complimentary

I interviewed several combos and decided to go with one that made me smile, one that would be a pleasure to work with, while still being a challenge.

Golden Yellow is my focus, with red violet, violet, blue violet, blue and cerulean blue as its supporting counterpart.

Fibonacci's Garden detail

I did not have a clue as to where I was going.  I gathered the fabrics and started cutting.  My formula was cut, sew, press, sew, scrutinize and repeat.  It did make me smile.  Per usual, I developed a narrative while cutting and sewing.  The story was one about Fibonacci, the famous Italian mathematician in the early 1200’s.  This little piece references his number sequence and spirals.

Split Complimentary, blue, green, orange

I chose a blue, green, orange split complimentary color scheme. I'm enjoying  exploring color again, it reminds me of one of my favorite classes in college; Color 1 & 2. 

I used several new batiks and some old ones along with some hand dyed fabric. I loved playing with the color flow. 

The orange was a challenge. Not only is it hard to come by, it was a bit extreme. It ended up balancing the image. 

 You can see more photos, including the one that inspired this quilt on my blog kathleenmurphydesigns.blogspot.com

The Truth is Out There

While pulling fabrics for this month's challenge, I found this piece of hand-dyed violet sky.  Being an old "X-Files" junkie, it didn't take a huge stretch of the imagination to create worlds Mulder would love.

After piecing was finished, I realized that there was no logical way that made sense, except with these billions and billions of compulsive little stitches, to quilt the background.  I think I'm going to break down and use the sewing machine on my next one!  The truth?  Very glad we had two months to complete this challenge!

16x20 - Commercial batiks, hand-dyed cottons and cheesecloth, cotton batting and backing, perle cotton threads, glass beads, hand-pieced and hand quilted.

Sunset Sail

Today is the reveal for the  challenge "split complementary". Since it is a travel day for me and I'm posting from the airport, this will be fairly short.

I chose to work with a 5 color split with turquoise as my main color and red, orange-red, orange, yellow-orange, and orange-yellow as my complements. I also added black and white.

Sunset Sail  (15"x16")

I used my own hand dyed cottons for the water and sky, white organza for the sun,  pale turquoise lame for the sails, and solid black cotton for the boat hulls.  I used Quilters Dream wool batting and Superior "Lava"  threads in the sky and water and metallic silver in the sun.

I have to run, as my plane is boarding...but be sure you check the  fabulous pieces from  the other artists. 

Dancing in the Moonlight

Dancing in the Moonlight

20"x23"

Using the split-complimentary theme was a fun way to use my favorite colors.  Carl the caterpillar, Freddy the frog, Tina the turtle, and the 3 fireflies are enjoying a warm summer night amongst the woodland grasses. The fireflies are made of 3 beads for the bodies and clear beads for the wings.  Angelina fibers add a little glow. The green "stones" on the bottom are beads.

Carl was discovered on my sewing room floor as a rolled up piece of scrap fabric. I added a wire to make him more bendable. I had sewn on glass beads for eyes, but they made him look too evil so I removed them.  The purple balls are fuzzy beads. I quilted the piece before adding the leaves and critters.  It was good practice experimenting with different designs, threads, templates, and marking tools. I definitely need more practice!

So long from Freddy the frog!

Split Complimentary Colors

I'm still hooked on the lime, although it looks yellow in my photo. The circles are left over from the last quilt.  I'm also still hooked on the circle idea but wanted a slight change and used the construction fencing to draw squared off circles.

I like the split complementary schemes.