Winter Woods Finished

Finally finished Winter Woods:

Winter Woods WIP

This winter scene is still heavily in progress, shifting and expanding and taking on new shapes.  It's quite a stretch on the learning curve for me but it feels more like an extension of previously, though fairly recent, developed skills rather than something completely new. The heavy thread painting is something I've never done to this extent but it does feel like I'm "painting" with thread. 

The foreground shapes are not in their permanent positions yet and a border around it is in progress. 



A Series Evolved: Let Them Be Left

It's been awhile since I've posted, but I 'm pleased with the work I've been doing.  I'm finally at a point in my fiber art where I'm ready to take myself seriously, not too seriously, mind you, but enough to buckle down, join Studio Arts Quilt Associates and submit my very first quilts for a curated exhibit.  Although this isn't quite a juried exhibit, which I have never yet submitted anything to, this is a big accomplishment for me.  My quilts may or may not be selected but at least I brought three of them to a point of completion, on time, and what I believe to be worthy of consideration

I took full advantage of a critique group, which I found to be extremely helpful.  I tore apart one of my quilts, the original "Let Them Be Left," and made a couple of quilts from the one (one of which I didn't like at all and is not shown here or included in this series.) Then I went on to make 2 more in a series focusing on my own personal voice and responding to critiques from some other fresh and knowledgeable eyes, besides my own.



Let Them Be Left, machine pieced, quilted and appliqued. Included are digital images as well as
 hand carved and printed images.
 

Detail, Let Them Be Left, also shows some tiny fish at the top that are hand painted and transferred onto this piece.
The digital photo, actually taken by Andy Sexton in Woods Hole Harbor sewn onto a piece of eco dyed and
rusted muslin.
 



"In The Weeds" also uses some rusted fabric along with commercial fabrics and some recycled silks.  It's also machine pieced, although there are only 3 pieces, and machine quilted and appliqued with free motion thread painted details.
 

Detail of "In The Weeds."



"Sea Anemone Dream," third in this series uses all commercial fabrics and is also machine quilted and appliqued, but it is  primarily a whole cloth quilt, except for the narrow borders. It also includes quite a bit of free motion thread painting and some lightly hand painted areas.

Detail, "Sea Anemone Dreams."