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Lenten forms 1

This is the first of the 16″x16″ lenten forms quilts that I finished. Finally decided it was done and fused the backing and signed it this week. The unfinished top was a favorite with my family, so I was worried I’d mess it up …. but I finally dove in, and love the outcome.

Picking good thread colors is tricky. The gold thread looked like a great color, but I ended up having to seam rip it all out and redo it with a bolder yellow. Well worth it in the end (but could have been even bolder). The low volume white fabric on the edges is very subtle, with light gray crosses, just enough texture to add interest without getting in the way.
subtle thread variations around the droplets makes for interesting close-up viewing

early morning photo shoot for the win!

The matchstick quilting on the white edges allows the subtle gray X marks to show up just a little. In the end, my stitching was fairly conservative, but I like how the piece worked out.It has a rusty, water, minimal infrastructure influence that I enjoy.

“Infrastructure 1”

See all six Lenten Forms 2016 in the Lenten Forms 1-6 post.

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dyeing and printing large and graphic fabric

As I enjoy creating larger quilts, I need larger pieces of fabric.

This year for Lent I chose to create 16×16″ quilts (bigger than the 12×12″ quilts from last year). My goal was to lean into creating and not worry about finishing anything, but to explore printing expansive fabric. (Good thing … I’m just beginning to finish some of the quilt tops!) Interwoven with this I am using collage to create quilt tops, overprinting and discharging the tops at times.

flour resist layers

I used flour resist over existing fabric and to add texture. A challenge was to get bold enough without getting too bold.

Alternatively it is always useful to have low volume fabrics with just enough texture.

Wanting even bolder designs I’ve been using a paint brush for more graphic circles – a theme I’ve been exploring as part of my “infrastructure” thinking. It is amazing how much of what we take for granted runs through pipes and wires.

Many of these fabrics are still waiting for overprinting to create some additional texture and complexity to the designs.

Overprinting and dye removal together can also add interesting texture. This fabric is showing up in a couple of the quilts I’m working on.

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quilt for Jayden

This past spring I made a quilt for my niece’s baby. Jayden is now four months old, so it is time to post this quilt! I used as a centerpiece a hand-printed fabric that my daughter Kelsey (Lovely and enough) printed several years ago when she studied abroad in Florence. The flamingos are so much fun! The simple courthouse steps with bold color blocking was inspired by Hopewell Studio.

I just love stripey bindings

 I was so glad Kelsey brought me this fabric to use! She really enjoyed how the quilt turned out and you can see more about the inspiration and this minty Hortensia at her blog. You can see two more variations that Kelsey tried, a modern courthouse featuring Hortensia and citron Hortensia.

the soft blue whale was also for Jayden, crafted by Taylor

Daughter Taylor wasn’t to be left out of this and sewed a fun, soft whale for Jayden. I think it was nice contrast in the middle a semester of architecture study.

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Forms of Lent

This year for the season of Lent, I’m choosing to fast from the inclination to always be doing something useful (even when sewing), and feasting into moments of being creative just because God created me to create. Last year my daughter Kelsey and I created space for creativity and sewed a new 12″ quilt each week, see Kelsey’s Twelves and my Lenten Twelves.  This year more family members are joining in, with photography and 3D modeling in the mix.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I might do when Lent started on Ash Wednesday. However, I’m really trying to create just for fun. So, I pulled a set of fabrics I liked from my collection of hand dyed and printed fabrics. I needed more low volume fabrics and fabrics with bigger patterns, so I mixed up dye and started in. The fabric on the right with the subtle khaki brush pattern is from the first set of printing.

  
Second layer of flour resist dyeing is on the printing table right now, can’t wait to see them tomorrow!
  
The design wall has seen multiple layouts in progress …..
I’m hoping to play with design scale, layering, and color removal. The yellow circle and subtle circle on the burgundy are from color removal. I’m working on removing more color from the burgundy. 
I decided to work with 16″ squares this time; not sure how many I’ll finish, but I’m having fun with the printing, sewing, and overprinting. I’m thinking that next I might play with layers of resist on pieced squares.

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Cards and remembering

Ran out of cards to send, and decided that 9 degree weather was a great time to do some collaging and sewing. I relaxed while I combined handmade paper, fused plastic bags, and scraps of hand-dyed and hand-painted fabrics left over from other projects. Even though it is snowy outside, these cards remind me of hints of spring and maybe a snowy beautiful beach.
my second favorite of the bunch – I love the purple fabric with the circles
The cards ended up in two colorways, one with neutrals and blue, and one with pops of green.

neutrals with blue – the center one in the bottom row is probably my favorite
greenish neutrals with citron





One of our neighbors passed away last week. The Muellers have lived on our street since we moved in twenty-some years ago. We would take our daughters when they were young and trek up their long driveway to trick-or-treat on Halloween (and pet their dogs). We will miss Neil; remembering and praying for Charlene as I made these cards.

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stuck

Summer has been about being outside, being with family, enjoying Lake Michigan, sailing, camping, and more. Fall has been about new rhythms in my volunteer work. Art quilts – on the back burner!

Partly, this is because I have been enjoying other things. Partly, I’m stuck. I started a series of 15″ quilts using this gorgeous color scheme that I love, but I simply got stuck. Nothing seemed to work right. Here’s where my 15’s are now.

The rhythm of these quilts feels like scratchy static. Love the fabrics. Love the ideas in my head about infrastructure, support, movement, life. Not showing up in my designs.

The fall colors have been beautiful in Michigan and I keep seeing beautiful juxtapositions in my head. With a little more time for sewing, I’ll get back into the swing of it. But, for now, I’m working at getting rid of the static and finding the images.

In the mean time, I planted these fall into winter planters which are working much better than my fiber art.

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fifteens

After finishing the Lenten twelves series of 12″ quilts, I decided I wanted to switch up the palette and work a little bigger, so I’m trying 15″ squares. Going bold, here is the fabric stack!

15s fabric stack
I’ve been printing fabric and these fabrics include the new set of colors I’ve been focussing on, golds, turquoise, steel blues, burgundy, burnt sienna, with pops of purple for fun.
Spring 2015 fabric printing
Moving to the design wall, I began to try out combinations but the process slowed down considerably!

 Here is the first I decided to start quilting, auditioning thread for the free-motion quilting I’m hoping to do. Then the weather got nice, and I have not been doing much sewing (but my beans are 6′ tall and flowering!).

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lenten twelves finished

My lenten twelves quilts are finished! Quilts 5 and 7 were on the design board waiting for quilting. Over the last week I was able to find the creative space to finish the quilting.

Lenten twelves 5 has been hanging on the design wall forever. It ended up a little busy, a little crazy with stitching, but I finally feel as if the composition is working, so I’m stopping!

lenten twelves #5

 Lenten twelves 7 was fun – I went back to stitching patterns I have used before, and I’m loving the golden grass that is emerging from the box. Reminds me of the daffodil shoots that are starting to peek out of the ground.

lenten twelves #7 
lenten twelves #7 and #5

lenten twelves 2015

I have been blessed by this challenge that my daughter Kelsey shared with me (see lenten twelves on lovely and enough). The voices of doubt can get a little loud, but I powered through with a sense of fun and delight.

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lenten twelves #6

The seam ripper is still my friend – I had extensive stitching on the pale border of this quilt, and the shadows it cast just weren’t what I was envisioning. I’m liking this simpler version better. The pop of gold reminds me of the winter aconite blooms that are peeking out right now in Michigan, a sign of hope for growth and warmer weather. The warm colors are emerging from the whites and grays of winter.

Lenten twelves 5 is still on the design board along with 6 and two more. These will finish off the 12″ squares from my base fabric. I’ve been enjoying this challenge, trying samples of stitching and other techniques that I’ve been wanting to try. Not every one is perfect, but I’m working on my art and that is what counts!

Lenten Twelves: My daughter Kelsey and I challenged each other to create 12″ quilts each week in Lent to feast into creativity (and fast from those voices of doubt). My first four quilts are posted as lenten twelves 1, lenten twelves 2, and lenten twelves 3, and lenten twelves 4.You can see Kelsey’s lenten twelves 1, lenten twelves 2, lenten twelves 3, lenten twelves 4, and lenten twelves 5 on her blog at Lovely & Enough or on Instagram with #lententwelves.
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Lenten twelves under construction

The Lenten twelve quilts for the last couple of weeks are in progress. I’ve been amazing myself at how the first four weeks of designs came together, but #5 has been a challenge.  I’ve been reflecting on how growing into a healthy sense of self and purpose takes constant work, and maybe this quilt reflects this back at me. A little messy. A little busy. Slowly emerging towards what it can be.

 

Lenten twelves #6 is also on the design board. The thread colors are going to be fun and I can’t wait to put the quilt sandwich together and get going on it!

Lenten Twelves: My daughter Kelsey and I challenged each other to create 12″ quilts each week in Lent to feast into creativity (and fast from those voices of doubt). My first four quilts are posted as lenten twelves 1, lenten twelves 2, and lenten twelves 3, and lenten twelves 4.You can see Kelsey’s lenten twelves 1, lenten twelves 2, lenten twelves 3, lenten twelves 4, and lenten twelves 5 on her blog at Lovely & Enough or on Instagram with #lententwelves.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.