by Sandra | February 6th, 2010
I spent all day yesterday quilting the little Wren. The little quilt is not blocked yet and a bit wonky, it wasn’t completely ready for its close-up yet. I was kind of excited to show what a difference the quilting makes, rather than wait and show it after it was completely finished.
This is exactly why I love quilting so much, not only am I able to illustrate with fabric, but I love how the quilting brings those illustrations (applique) to life.
The Wren pre-quilting:
Did I mention how I test my birds with my cat? Clementine wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy with the camera yesterday when I was trying to get a picture of her ready to pounce on the Wren as it was laying on my machine table. Clementine is no fool and if she is thinks the bird is real, I know I did it right. If not, I go back and try again. She is my official bird tester.
Clementine busy inspecting my work
Today I will block this little baby, bind and then put it in the “done” pile and cross it off my long to-do list. That always feels good too.
I love the wren, absolutely gorgeous use of fabrics!
Clementine knows her stuff!
Judy B
Sandra,
.
Guess I need to make a kitty applique and test it on my puppies!
The quilting adds so much depth, like putting on those 3D glasses at the theatre. Now the branch the bird is on looks like it’s beyond him instead of under him. Thanks for sharing. Seeing is believing.
I’m thinking that you are the QUILTING QUEEN as well as the Applique Godess !
I can’t belive what you do . Each step you do just make the project that more wonderful and your finished piece , is just something , I could look at for hours at a time .
GREAT job once again Sandy !!
As usual, a pleasure to see. I like how the quilting pops the objects.
The quilted wren looks absolutely perfect. Clementine is a beauty too!
Thanks Leigh! Yep, fabrics are the key no doubt about it.
Judy she is a smart kitty cat and no nonsense. She also doesn’t know how to meow. A real character.
Melanie, the quilting really is key to bringing the applique to life and making it 3-D rather than 2-D. Also what really matters is that the quilting SUPPORT and RELATE to the applique rather than being random and having no relationship whatsoever.
I like the 3-D movie reference, that’s a good analogy!
Boop you are a sweetie, but there is only ONE quilting queen and I could never come close–say it with me now everyone to….”Diane Gaudynski”. Learn from the best and it makes a huge difference in the quality of your work. I never followed the trendy & popular for instruction, but looked for the best examples of technique in MY opinion to study from. Diane gave me the tools to take my quilting to a higher level and I will always be appreciative of that AND give her credit for the expert instruction I could not get anywhere else.
I know, I practicallly gush, but it really is a fact that bears repeating over and over again.
Isn’t it amazing Sara? I really love the way the hand applique, that has a bit of dimensionality by itself, interacts with the quilting to truly make it pop. I tried machine applique and fused applique, each using the same design once, and there was a HUGE, HUGE difference in the results. The machine techniques remained flat even after the quilting, where the hand applique seemed to come to life. So I stick with the handwork and its only downside so far seems to be time when compared to other applique techniques–a carved dimensional look vs. a flat 2-D painting appearance. It all depends on what you are going for.
Thanks Denise,
Clementine is my baby. She was cat-napped and dropped in a field far away in 90 degree August weather and a good samaritan found her on death’s doorstep with dehydration and had the kind heart to nurse her back to health and then drove her to the local Humane’s Society to see if she had a microchip (she did) and I was reunited. I was distraught until her return. As I said earlier, Clementine can not Meow, I adopted her from a shelter where she had lived the first six months of her life and never seemed to exercise her needs to use her voice. She could not let anyone know she was in trouble with “meows”. It was a miracle she was found by a passing car and someone who cared way out in the country.
That is Clementine’s tale of woe and a lesson to have pets micro-chipped.
Could you in some future post write about how you choose your background fabrics ? I get the impression that besides the value element, the tiny designs on the fabrics merge with your quilting design. What comes first, choosing the quilting design or choosing the fabric ?
I also notice that both you and Diane are cat lovers .
Sandra, did you learn from Diane Gaudynski at an Empty Spools workshop or a shorter one? It would be a dream to learn from her but she only does a few classes. And budgeting is always a factor. (ie how to convince husband this is vitally important and worth the expense and travel…)
PS Clemetine is a darling. Perhaps you should add “Lucky” as a middle name. I was sorry to see Diane’s kitty Arnie died in December. Old pets make the best friends.
Not in my book ! IMO you are right up there with Dianne !
Oh Boop you are sweet, but if you saw our quilting side by side, you would see a huge gulf of a difference. Diane is a genuine artist using a sewing machine as her technique. Her work is so elevated and individual (no matter how many competitors try to “adapt” her designs and style), that she has no equal. No one comes close.
Trust me, I don’t give this kind of praise easily to just anyone.
Melanie, I took a workshop with Diane at the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society in Paducah one summer. That would probably be a good thing for you too. It is closer to your neck of the woods. She teaches two a year there now I think. I was in class with a majority of ladies hailing from the south. And you know that had to be fun!
She teaches the multi-day workshops (the best choice) at Asilomar and the Museum. However, be prepared to log on and sign up immediately as they post their online registrations, because they fill immediately.
Tell your husband it is not enough to do brilliant applique, but you must know how to quilt it properly too. Tell him you will save a lot of money because you won’t have to pay someone else to do it, and it will give you even more “artistic freedom”. Baffle him with pompous artspeak. I do. LOL
The next step is to tell him you just can’t take your work to the next level without the latest and greatest new sewing machine (name your machine here).
It worked for me!
Actually Sara, when I am thinking about my applique design in my head (pre-paper), I am also considering how I want to quilt it too. Do I want some motifs? or just supporting background fill? How I choose will define what choices I have for the background fabrics.
So the answer is……The applique design and the type of quilting I want to do comes first, then I make sure the background fabric I choose will work for both decisions.
Sandra, I think I need to work up to the “brilliant” applique first! LOL. Hopefully I’ll be well on my way after your workshop! Thanks for the Guadynski info.
Whenever I use the “I’m saving you money” position he cries “FOUL, your saving me money is costing me!” LOL. Too bad he’s a financial adviser-he’s way too logical. I’ve always quilted my own quilts (fairly primitively), but to him they’re fine. I’ve spoiled him. But you’re brilliant “maneuvers” may just be the ticket!
PS One of our local quilt shops has a sign by the register that says “Your husband called and said to get whatever you want”. I need that sign!
Melanie,
OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO a Financial advisor? Hmmm, I think we need to put our heads together to come up with something that will pass his radar! LOL
Melananie has the perfect reason for shopping in one of her local quiltshops!
So we just have to convince the financial advisor that he had forgotten about the call he made? And on the day they tell her that Diane is taking bookings!
Judy –LOL, PERFECT!
Sandra, I love love love love your wren! The quilting is breathtaking – I love the texture.
Thank you Ms. Ivory Spring! My mentor calls this my “signature” background fill. It is just automatically how I stipple. My brain never was able to wrap itself around a “jigsaw puzzle pattern” when I was learning and this is what comes out instead.