Texture on February 1st

Greetings Fellow Endeavourers!

Having been a member of this group since its inception but, due to a series of bizarre life events, having never actually finished a quilt to post, I am thrilled to have something to show you this time around.

I have always wanted to try my hand at a Cathedral Windows quilt and this seemed a good time to give it a whirl. It's made of nine blocks and measures 14 in / 35.5 cm square. The learning curve was surprisingly steep. I groused to myself that I would finish this sucker and never do another. But, I found little tricks and fixes as I went along, and things came out better as I kept sewing.

The blocks are machine zig-zagged together which is something I would not do again as it makes the intersections at the corners quite thick. The curves of the windows are hand stitched, which is something I like to do -very zen. The buttons add texture and interest and, most importantly, camouflage above referenced crappy intersections.

The background is white muslin, the windows are a fabric by Alex Anderson from a line called "Flutter," and the buttons are from an old shirt of my husband's. And, I see it is snowing softly as I look out my kitchen window.

I wish you all many blessings as we enter February!
Smiles, Maureen

Texture

Ain't nobody here but us chickens

Actually it's a cock because they have the nost flamboyant plumage. I love the quills that overlay the feathers creating extra texture in the plumage

I have chickens so I should have chosen one of them!

I used some felting to do the comb amd wattle but I kept catching it in the presser foot. I added it before quilting thinking it would be easier to attach to a single layer of fabric but I think I should have on last

The quills were made from thin strips of dyed t-shirting which was then pulled to make thin curly strips

I echo quilted around him

The lower part is shibori, indigo dyed fabric which looks like feathers. different coloured threads - mostly variegated - were used to echo and accentuate the outlines

This is quite small so I may revisit this topic on a larger scale as I like the subject matter and the greater use of texture than I would normally do

PS ignore the Brit in Brisbane! I can't sign out and post as www.thecraftyyak.com which is the blog I use now!

Texture: Bubbles and drips

This is the first reveal of 2019 for the Endeavourers.  Our theme this quarter was 'Texture', and this was a lovely one!  I so enjoyed thinking about the possibilities, and getting stuck into playing with fabric.

When I make a quilt for The Endeavourers I usually start by looking up the dictionary definition of our theme.  It kickstarts the thought processes and it's interesting sometimes comparing the entries in different dictionaries.

In this case, some dictionaries focussed on what you might think of as the obvious definition which describes texture as the tactile characteristics of something, which are experienced through touch.  Others added the idea that texture can be experienced visually too.  And others added another idea - that texture is the quality you get when you combine different elements, for example in literature or music, or even in life - you could say the way in which the elements, or strands, are 'woven together', which is a nice fabric metaphor!

Anyway, I started off by thinking about the tactile qualities of different fabrics and how the texture would work in a piece inspired by the visual texture of bubbles and drips in condensation on my window.  I find these patterns very beautiful and had been thinking for a while about how I could experiment with trying to capture some of their quality.

I sewed this strange piece using velvet and cotton,  and then added more texture with bubble quilting.   It looks quite organic and didn't seem to want to be square.

I made the larger white bubbles using a trapunto technique and the black ones using velvet behind 'portholes'.  The contrast in all the textures means that running your fingertips over it is strangely satisfying!

Having made this piece quite early I was still having so much fun thinking about the theme and was so interested in its possibilities that I made lots of experimental pieces which have started to form another quilt.   I was starting to hope that I might have been able to post it here instead but a disaster in quilting means the entire thing is waiting until I can face unpicking it.   I will finish it!  As always I am grateful for the opportunity this group gives to really think and explore.

            

Texture Quilt - Today We Will Live in Colour!

My quilt, today, is really a hotch potch of fabrics, threads and techniques with different textures and I enjoyed using - and in some cases using up - a wide variety of materials that have languished for a long time in my sewing room. It has persuaded me that all the random bits and pieces I wonder why I keep really will 'come in useful one day'. When the 'Texture' theme was announced, I really wasn't very enthused by it but now I'm a complete convert! I'm very grateful to be in this group. All of you are an encouragement and an inspiration to me to experiment and to learn new things and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what everyone has made for this challenge. There is a little rhyme and some more info about the making of this quilt on my blog, Rainbow Hare :)

Texture to Treasure

February Reveal for The Endeavourers.  

"We are a group of [12 international] quilters who take part in a quarterly challenge to make a smallish art quilt of any (reasonable) size according to a theme chosen at the beginning of the quarter.

We work in any style suggested by the theme, but once in a while, we will also throw a particular technique into the mix as an incentive to be adventurous."

You can read more about the group HERE. You can also see all the quilts from the members of the group HERE.

The theme for this quarter reveal is TEXTURE. 

This is what I found to use when the theme was first announced. 

As I progressed with this art quilt, I found other fabrics and materials to use. I changed the composition, too. 

My final piece, Treasuring Grandma's Memory, is completed (although I want to add a necklace hanging out of the jewelry box and add some type of leaves to the flowers). This is a photo of my mother-in-law. My husband is delighted with this tribute to her. 

Here are a few close-ups to let you see the types of texture I brought in to this art quilt. 

I tried to give the vase a smooth texture with the satin-like fabric. The idea of etching was done with stitches after I placed batting behind the satin. I trimmed the piece and appliqued it to the background fabric.

I made the jewelry box from a technique I watched Heather Thomas demonstrate on a preview video for National Quilter's Circle HERE. (No affliliation) Below are photos of how I did this.

Damp cloth poked through grate of cooling rack from kitchen to air dry, 

iron and attach stabilizer, 

ready to cut.

I found some synthetic suede-type fabric that had a backing on it. It looked great for a photo frame. 

I printed the photo on an EQ Cotton Lawn Inkjet printer sheet and I stabilized it with iron-on stabilizer. I cut an opening in the suede where the photo would show through from behind it. 

After appliqueing it to the background, I noticed that the stabilizer showed through on the edge just a bit. 

I used a brown Fabric marker to color the white. All fixed:

And finally, I used the batik background fabric to create a stucco appearance on the wall. The thought the colors created a patina and roughness of an old wall. 

Textile Challenge...Flotsam/Jetsam, Endeavorers

Flotsam/Jetsam, texture challenge small quilt, close up.

The backing floral had a beach grass/weedy look to me, just right.

About 18 x 18".

Flotsam/Jetsam, Texture Challenge Quilt finish.

The texture challenge was a good stretch for me. I wanted to keep this project light and uncluttered.

I started with a canvas made of squares of Kona cotton solid, smooth, and Robert Kaufman's Essex linen blend, rougher. And that got hand quilted, a start on texture.

Running stitches, French knots and cross stitches were added. Then I added shredded laces and fabric scraps rolled and couched down for a look of some odds and ends you might find washed up on the beach. And maybe the cross stitches are little star fish? 

So that's my take on texture stuff you might find on a beach.

 I look forward to seeing what everyone else has come up with and to more challenges,

Thank you.

It Started with a Caterpillar

I was on my daily walk, pondering our "Texture" theme.  "Let's see," I thought, "let me start with the basics.  There's the texture of cloth itself...I could do something with the cotton flower, cotton boll, and finished cotton cloth...No!  I have those cocoons!  I can do silk!"

With that thought, the whole idea popped into my head so quickly that I am a little afraid I must have seen something like it in a book.

Quite often on my walks I find these cocoons fallen out of oak trees.  Close up, the intricacy and luster of their strands is amazing, and I have written more about them here.

Cocoon

Close-up of strands.

One time I was lucky enough to find one unhatched, and kept it in the house until it broke out so I could discover what species it was.

Polyphemus moth.

I was also thinking about stitching the design of his antennae into the corners of the quilt.

I have some big pieces of vintage tussah silk that I bought years ago at an antique shop.    Tussah is defined as "a strong, coarse light brown silk produced by various undomesticated Asiatic silkworms," in Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles. I love its sandy texture and strength.  For this quilt, I dyed some of it with Jacquard silk paints and Dyna-flow paints, but left some its natural color.

Then I mixed in Thai silk and Burma silk which I get every year from a fair trade booth at the International Quilt Festival.

Silk from Spirit of the Artisan.  Thai silk on the top, Burma silk on the bottom.

Both of these are changeable silks -- with warp one color, and weft another. Depending on the angle of the light, different colors appear. The Thai silk is very fine and regular in appearance, with a black warp and solid color weft -- both warp and weft are about equal in size.  The Burma silk also has warp is very fine, but the weft is much heavier than the warp, and has big slubs in it.   Some of the color combinations are gold warp with sea green weft, and royal blue warp with lavender weft.

Originally I planned to stitch some of the cocoons onto the quilt, to do a lot of stitching with silk thread, and maybe even to add some embellishments made from old silk scarves.  But as I worked, I just loved the contrast between the types of silk so much, subtle though they are, that I didn't want to add anything.  I just wanted it to invite viewers to touch it and feel the difference between the nubby tussah silk and the slubby lustrous silk.

Tussah and Taffeta (maybe not strictly silk taffeta, but it makes a good title).

The lighter blue is dyed tussah, the dark plum is Thai silk, and the shiny rose is Burma silk.

So even though our local cocoons and moths were my inspiration, they did not make it into this quilt!

The cocoon inspiration on the quilt corner.

I had many other ideas for this theme, and I hope I get around to making some of them.  And I know after I read the other posts, I will have even more ideas!

Texture

Oh this challenge was interesting... there are so many possibilities to create texture with textiles. When I read the announcement for this quarter theme I just didn't know where to begin. I wanted to do so much… but as I began narrowing down my ideas one kept coming back to me. The texture created by the different stitch techniques on quilted cloth. So that's what I did on this mini: I created sort of a sampler of organic improv stiches to create the texture: I machine quilted some wavy lines and then hand-quilted the rest with different stitches. Then added some French knots and raw applique flying geese for a more three dimensional look.
As you can see this quilt is very neutral. I love minimalist quilts, but also I purposely avoided color threads on this quilt. Instead I settled for using different thread weights on the same color as the background fabric so the stiches wouldn't pop to much. Rather let the texture left by the imprint of the stitches on the cloth be the main focus.
I've been enjoying these challenges and the community we have formed on this group. I'm really looking forward to the next one.
More photos on my blog

XO
Martha

Texture Challenge

This is my second Endeavourers challenge. I really look forward each time to pushing myself out of my comfort zone with improv quilting. The wallhanging size works very well for me.I decided to emphasize texture by avoiding color contrast and prints which would compete for attention.

Then for inspiration I went first to Pinterest. There were many examples of shadowboxes, book covers, prayer flags and wallhangings embellished with a vast variety of fabric collages. Many contain other elements such as paper, postage stamps, photos, medals and embroidery.

I have many pieces of old lace, crochet, and other fabric with texture. After searching through all the nooks and crannies, I collected quite a few samples that would be useful. Most of them are off white so that’s the color that I worked with.

The fabric I chose for the front and the back was a reproduction of old handwriting. I fused both front and back to the batting then did straight line quilting in a grid. Then I pressed a very very long strip of machine crocheted open work. This was stitched down to make a nice frame for the piece.

At that point I decided to add pink accents to give a little color and liveliness. This was my first rough placement of the pieces.

Once I had the edge pieces stitched down, I picked out a fragile hankie with some holes in it. I gathered it at the center, tied it with a piece of pink lace and stitched it down to the top border. The rest of the pieces were laid out in a gentle curve.

I decided to fill in the remainder of the circle with buttons chosen from my old Mason jar. Most of them are mother of pearl and a few pink ones. I like the way the pearly ones add a little glimmer.

Here is my texture challenge.

Thanks, Janine, for coordinating the challenge. I can’t wait to the other entries.

Texture Challenge Progress! And New Member, Yes!

This is the 'canvas', hand quilted diagonally.

Stitches and embellishments have been added and still more to come.

Here's my intro;

Hi, I'm Janie and art, color, sewing and fabric have always drawn me in. I enjoy learning and teaching different techniques. I think a good teacher learns more than her students. 

Crazyvictoriana.blogspot.com is where I blog and share color/quilt ideas and process.

Why did I name my blog Crazyvictoriana? That's easy, I was very much enjoying crazy quilting at the time and the Victorian era was so rich in textiles and amazing handwork, the two just go together as far as I'm concerned.

I live with family on the West Coast, the Pacific Ocean is a big inspiration for me.

I'm looking forward to participating in some of the Endeavorers' challenges, thank you for

letting me be part of it.

And this is my progress on the texture challenge. For me embroidery is a good way to show texture, so that's what's happening here. Now my stitch hand is really unhappy and I need to slow down. I used Robert Kaufman 'Essex' for linen texture and some smooth Kona cotton solids in snow and ice peach in the squares of the 'canvas'.

I'm looking forward to seeing your projects.

New Member

We have a new member, who is joining us for our 1 February reveal!  Please welcome Janie, who blogs at https://crazyvictoriana.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Fellow Endeavourers :)


I thought I'd just drop in to see how everyone is getting on with the Texture Challenge for February 1st as there are only three weeks to go and we are going to have to be stricter, this year, about the deadline.


Are you nearly done or still pondering?

If anyone is stuck for ideas, let me know and I will offer some suggestions but the most important thing is the old adage "Finished is better than Perfect"!

Otherwise, Good Luck!

I can't wait to see wait to see what you are all making and, of course, feel free to post sneak peeks for us here anytime because we'd love to see them :)

Janine