Wordless Wednesday

Arizona Sunsets

You have seen this quilt top before that I made quite awhile ago, but I finally got it quilted and bound. I was waiting for the dealer to come to my house and straighten out the problems I was having with my Sweet Sixteen. My problems are mostly resolved and when it's working properly it is a dream. I can just quilt away in a zen-like state, enjoying all that extra room between the needle and the machine. But it is still somewhat temperamental and still doesn't like the Rainbow Superior that I like to use. Superior has come out with a new thread that is supposed to be better, but with the same variegated feature I like. I will have to give it a try.

 It measures 44inches square and it's all made from one striated batik fabric. 

I quilted it very simply , just following the striations in the fabric and quilting pebbles in the circles.

For the back I pieced together some ice-dyed fabrics that I thought coordinated with the front.

I'm linking up with Off the Wall Friday.

Wordless Wednesday

Artsy Craftsy

To go along with the skyline pieces that will be hung at The Nest, Jane (our fearless leader) made some wooden structures that she gave us to enhance. The two that I took were about 12 inches high and about 3 1/2 inches on each side. We could do anything we wanted, but we are not to put windows and doors and they are not to look like birdhouses.
For my first one I cut out as many phrases from magazines and catalogs that had anything to do with a house or home. First I painted each side of the cube a different bright color, then I attached the paper with high gloss acrylic medium.

It was fun to do and I could do it while watching Olympics. So I decided to do another one.

This time I went back to buttons, having had a good time with them before, as you can see here and here, and here and here. I painted the whole thing black and then I spiraled around each side with the same color, using good old Eileen's Tacky Glue.

Not exactly art, but a pleasant way to pass the Olympic watching time. It should be an interesting exhibit, knowing how this group comes up with such fabulous ideas. I will post pictures of the exhibit which is in October.

I'm linking up with Off the Wall Friday.

The Back Story

Last week I promised to show you the back of my newspaper quilt. I finished all the quilting this week and did what I call corduroy quilting, in which you do straight line quilting back and forth across the quilt about a quarter of an inch apart. This quilt was a pain in the a** to piece, so why should the quilting be any different. I find this to be very tedious (have you heard me use that word before?). Altho you are using a walking foot, which is easy, you have to pivot at the end of each row and turn the quilt around and go back the other way. Some people do very large quilts this way, but I found it difficult to shove that quilt thru the space between the needle and the machine. Free motion quilting is so much easier for me, but I didn't think it would look good on this quilt.

A close-up of the quilting.

Lat week I told you that I had a false start with this quilt and this is it. I thought it was too jarring with those pieced lines inserted, but I did use it as the centerpiece of the back.

And here is the back with that thwarted attempt smack in the middle with some newspaper banners that I didn't use. I went to JoAnn's with my quilt to find some black and white fabric to use on the back and none of them looked right because the quilt really reads as gray, not black and white. I was thrilled to find this print in various shades of gray. To me it looks like script. Some people don't care what they put on their quilt backs, but I do. I usually use a hand-dyed fabric that coordinates with the front and will even dye a piece specifically for that purpose if necessary.

 A close-up of that very cool fabric. 

The finished quilt with binding attached, good handwork while watching the Olympics. Again, I apologize for the photography which makes this look like it's not squared off. Trust me, it is squared!

I'm linking up with Off the Wall Friday, so hop on over and see what some very talented people are doing. And leave a comment, we all love comments.

Caught In the Act

I have two tomato plants in one big pot on my deck. The plants have gotten huge and are covered with fruit, most of them green right now. They are Sun Golds, a small orangey tomato that is super sweet. I just love them and often eat them right off the vine, savoring their warmth from the sun.

Well, I know I'm not the only one who likes them. I caught this little fellow in the act. I was able to get quite close with my camera before he scampered under the railing painter next to him with just enough room for him to fit. After I left he ran out again to finish his feast.

A small section of the plants. The chipmunk must jump up on the the railing, using a small table nearby to start his jump, then scurry along the railing to eat his purloined goods. That's OK, I have a lot to share and I don't think he eats very much.

Wordless Wednesday