Something completed to write about

I have to admire those bloggers who can post something almost every day.  They use simple things happening to them and make them interesting.  I find I cannot be so open about daily happenings. I do enjoy putting up projects as WIP or finished.  But I do have to admit that I am celebrating what could be classed as a daily happening except it stretched on for 11 days.  I lost my plumbing.   In an old house such as I live in there are always surprises.  Old cast iron pipes plus some lousy modern plumbing came together to create a BIG problem.  I am now celebrating every day the modern conveniences that work and will not take anything for granted.  And I am grateful this happened when the ground was not frozen and there was snow on the ground.  But it is getting cooler as this picture will attest to.  When this kitty senses cold he finds a warm spot.

The plumbing problems did not stop quilting except on the days things were being dug up and replaced.  I have great curiosity about how things go together regardless of what they are so watched the men work.  You have to admire people who know what they are doing and doing it well.

This doing well is also true in quilting and I love to see art quilts in magazines and on line.  But they do not just happen.  I am working on one from a photo and although my mind can see a masterpiece, the truth is that you have to work at it to get the masterpiece.  So one might want to do challenges and submit them but it will be a few more attempts before any submission will be good enough.   So this a.m. which is too cold to garden will be devoted to putting more pieces on the current art project.

However I also like to have more than one thing on the go.  When blocked on one or perhaps bored with repetitive blocks there is always something to work on.  I love the look of applique so decided to try it a bit differently.  I posted the unfinished picture a couple of posts ago.  What I love is how when quilted the wools which make up the applique look like trapunto without additional batting; just some stitches.  Here is the finished product.

I also did heavily quilted diamonds in the corner and was surprised by the effect it had on the colour of the fabric.  Something to tuck up in my head for use some other time when I want to achieve an effect both with quilting and colour differences.

I am looking forward to creating a Christmas hanging using the wool for applique.  The drawing is done and now it is just getting the wool pieces cut out and hand appliqued.  This should lend itself to embellishment as well.  So I have spring with tulips and  a fall and Christmas one in the works.  Summer will come along eventually.

I also tried something I have being meaning to do on a much bigger quilt but was uncertain how well it would work.  So this was a trial which I think has worked out pretty well.  This panel celebrates winter which is lurking around the corner.  With the panel came some pieces that could be attached as applique but I decided to make them 3 dimensional with batting and some hand embellishment to give them depth.  This is what I want to do on a much larger scale on a quilt with beautiful poppies. 

Panels can be a lot of fun.  They can very much come alive with some simple quilting although fine details like the legs and feet of the deer and his antlers requires a slow and steady hand as does all the writing. The artist who drew this had a lovely vision of winter which will grace my front door on the inside.

It has been lovely sharing and I hope you enjoy these little projects but that art quilt is calling along the hall.  It won't be a masterpiece but it will be a marker on my journey.