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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

What I am Doing!!!!

Happy Animal Wednesday! This NYP is the largest art quilt (other than a traditional bed quilt) I have made. And the traditional quilts I made were long ago (almost three years now) and I had forgotten why I liked working smaller. Much smaller. This piece is 4 feet by 3 feet in size. So today I made the foundation on which all the smaller pieces (26 so far) will rest. The foundation is the "sandwich" which includes a back, a middle of batting, and front. I made them like a pillow case sewing around the edges of the pieces with wrong sides facing each other leaving an opening to use for turning the whole thing right side out. If it sounds confusing it's because it is. LOL Then I pinned colorful silk fabric to the top and sewed that on as further background color for the smaller pieces that go on later. (layer #4). One cool thing about the fabrics I used. This is the back and the material was a linen curtain with loops at the top for hanging. So I left them in place and they can now be used to hang the quilt when it is finished. (no need to sew a hanging sleeve!)
I draped it over the recliner so you could see it's size. Tonight after pinning this whole piece (the silk on the front, which you do not see here, to the top and then pinning all four layers together. I then proceeded to hand quilt it.
I used invisible thread so the stitches would not be seen, especially on the back. I am hoping I can sew the top pieces on in such a way that the back will be left fairly clean. I may be fooling myself that this is even possible. In which case I will have to sew a fifth layer to the back to cover my stitches when I am done to have a "clean back". As there are plans to add some special touches to the back of the quilt.
More hours have gone into the making of this art quilt than any other piece I have done so far, and there is still a lot of work to do. But I can honestly say I am enjoying each phase of the process. Thanks for letting me run this by you.
Oh, and Henry says have a happy Animal Wednesday. (He feels just a little put out at night lately with me sitting and sewing and his dad grading papers!) Poor Henry.

12 comments:

  1. Poor Henry - but what a job you have taken on! wow, handquilting that piece will be alot of work, but gorgeous at the end
    HAW Henry...and Lynn

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  2. Hope Henry is doing much better now!!! Good luck with your BIGGGGG project here! Handquilting will be such an undertaking.......

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  3. what a 'huge' lot of work lynn, but it is going to be simply awesome on completion, i just know it will. poor henry and poor dad grading papers, my hubby is knee deep in his too.
    wordveri: butworn (i bet his is too)lol.

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  4. You are such an ambitious lady!!
    I love how the tabs can be left for hanging. How fortuitous!

    Happy Animal Wednesday to poor, displaced Henry V :)

    (He's so neglected and mistreated!)
    LOL!

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  5. the curtain idea with loops for the back is great. I have many quilts in storage unit, old ones mostly, none with loops good luck as you proceed cant wait to see the final quilt

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  6. Oh my.. this is a big piece and LOTS of work. She should appreciate what she is getting for that price. Its going to be worth triple the price. At least you saved one step by the loops on the top. Poor neglected Henry. But they do find their attention somehow. So beware.. LOL

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  7. What a lot of work!!!!
    Poor Henry.......hope he has enough patience!

    HAW!!!

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  8. Henry is a cutie no matter how you present him. You are being such a tease about this quilt. I can't wait to see the finished quilt. HAW.

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  9. Thanks Mim.

    Julie, Henry has been physically fine for a long time. He is an emotional wreck now due to emotionally neglectful parenting.

    Soul, your WORD is perfect!!!! Love it.
    And thanks for your confidence.

    Lolo, yes a bit of good fortune there.

    Suki, hang in there. It will have it's showing in due time.

    Cris & Marianne, Henry will survive!!! He has no other choice.

    Lisa, I have to finish this then send it off and then after I get her feedback I will post it here!
    Be patient with me please.

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  10. Hey this drawing of Henry wasnt on here this morning. I missed it. I love it. what an adorable drawing.

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  11. You've captured Henry's expression perfectly. So here he is on your blog reaching out for attention from readers. And maybe he thinks the new quilt is for him?

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  12. wow - you're really exploring :) love the curtain tabs idea - i hate making sleeves

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Thanks for leaving your comments as I love hearing from you. Your words of encouragement are why I continue to draw!