Piecing a fern runner

I was really intrigued with the colors and patterns in the ferns that I spray painted last Thursday onto the white cotton, so I decided to start adding strips to make it into a table runner.
I'm using blue and green batiks. Love these colors! After doing a few strips, I decided to stop for a couple of reasons. I'm lacking a nice mossy green. On Monday, I'm going to Moncton and will visit a quilt shop; I will wait and see what they might have. Here is the tutoriol for the runner. I made it with the Halloween fabrics in the fall and really liked how it went together. The fern center section is a little bigger than the pattern, so I adjusted the strip lengths to suit.
I will add free motion stitching to it once it is all pieced and sandwiched.

Also, my back was bothering me a bit so I've grabbed my favorite snack to eat while writing this post and sitting back in my comfortable computer chair--pomegranate with cottage cheese--does that sound weird?
The other thing I need to do since bringing my art quilts home from our local shop which closes until late spring, is to add a few items to my Etsy shop. Since it takes time to do, I've decided to break it down into bits, adding an item here and there.

Giveaway winner

I've just made the draw for one of my small art quilts.I haven't yet figured out the on line random number thingy, so I threw the names in a bag and my husband chose for me.
The winner is Annie S and she chose Cosmos! Congratulations!
Thanks to everyone for the nice words about my work.

Printing fabric

Yesterday, I went back to my Wednesday lap swim after missing it over the holidays. Since I don't have landscapes to ponder like when I'm out walking, I spend my time while I'm swimming thinking about future fiber art. I had lots of ideas and images going through my mind.
Because I didn't do any fiber work over the holidays and also because I'm taking the painting class, my fingers are getting itchy for some fiber. So after my morning chores--I actually hung the clothes out--it was a balmy -10 with a good wind, I got out some PFD fabric, ironed it and cut it up into pieces.
These 2 pieces I did using pressed flowers saved in old phone books and fabric sprays. I envision them in table runners. I've already trimmed one up and chosen some batiks to go with.

I did a second one just in case.

Next, I wanted to do some plain screen prints on white fabric. I will add a transparent background color later so they're only half done at this point.

I don't use these as background for my fiber art, but rather as bits of color and texture in my borders usually.

Don't forget if you want in on my giveaway, go back to my last post and leave a comment.

My Pay it Forward Giveaway

Earlier in December, some of you may have read about the art quilt that was anonymously commissioned for me by one of my very kind and generous readers. I received this sweet little art quilt made by Melody at Fibermania on Christmas Eve. How's that for timing?

Isn't it sweet? This blogging world is wonderful!
I've taken this long to get around to writing about it because I had something in mind. I want to pay my lovely surprise forward and I needed to bring home my work from the local shop and I needed to take some photos.
I have decided that I'd like to give away one of my small art quilts to a commenter. You may choose from one of the following:

This one measures about 9 1/2" by 16".
The next one called Joy measures about 13" by 15".

"

This last one, Cosmos, measures about 11 1/2" by 13 1/2".

Leave me a comment with your choice and I'll draw the winner on Friday night January 10th, DST.
I'm linking to The Needle and Thread Network.

The giveaway draw is now closed. Congrats to Annie S!

A stay inside and paint kind of day

We started out with snow this morning, then rain, and now freezing rain. It's supposed to get very cold again later and I'm trying not to be too worried about the possibility of power outages. They've been happening with more frequency. Gord and I were just discussing it yesterday. We have only electric heat with no back up. Fingers crossed.
I've stayed on all day, having a very domestic type of day, a bit of cleaning, washing the bed sheets, and baking.
I made Banana Raisin muffins And had one to go with my salad at lunch.

I've also got another knitting project on the needles. Last year, I got a book with traditional wool mitten patterns. I bought the yarn and finally got around to starting a pair last night. I have a pair that I bought at a craft sale about 30 years ago that I still wear snow shoeing and they're plenty warm. I'm hoping these will be too.

The dark color looks black but it is actually a charcoal grey.
After lunch, I sat and watched a few more videos from my painting course with Alicia Burke.
Then I went down to work on adding more layers to my large piece. This is the centre part of the door with some paint and doodling added.

I know the pictures here are not great. I used the I pad and it is in the basement. I'm not sure what to think about the piece. It is a really fun process though and that's what it's all about isn't it?
I continued, adding some black pen and some more color.

Next up is the lesson on adding a focal point. I'm planning tree branches and hopefully a bird.
I know the style may not be to everyone's liking and I'm not sure if I'll want to hang them. It is a fun learning experience though and I will probably try more before I'm done.

And I will take a better final photo with my camera once it's done.

UFO Saturday

A handful of us showed up for our UFO day at the civic center Today. It was so lovely to sit and chat and sew with friends again. Better than therapy! I made a few scrappy Trip Around the World blocks but didn't take a picture.
Yesterday when we snowshoes it was late in the day, so I didn't take a camera. The sky just before sunset was so pretty on our way back that I tried to commit it to memory. I did this quick sketch with colored pencils right after my supper went into the oven.

That was my bit of creativity for yesterday.

A painting class

Gord and I ventured out for an errand into -23C temps this morning and when we returned to our car, it wouldn't start. My husband suspected a frozen gas line. The battery wasn't dead although it was heading there while trying to start the car. We were near a department store so he headed over to buy some gas line anti freeze while I went to talk to someone we knew who had pulled in to the lot.
It still wouldn't start so we left it and went with our friend on a couple of errands. When we returned and tried it with the help of booster cables it started. Whew.
After lunch I went to my drawing table set up downstairs and got set up to paint a background on an old door that my husband sanded and primed for me last summer.
Yesterday, I noticed that one of my favourite artists, Alicia Burke, had a sale on all her classes and there was one in particular that caught my eye. Sorry, the sale ended yesterday!
I've had that door on my to do list for some time and when I saw her Larger than Life class, I thought it would be perfect.
After watching the first couple of lessons, here's what I did today. This is the left side.

And the right side.

The whole door or most of it. It's too wide to get it all in.

Here's a closer view of one section.

That's as far as I've watched for now. I know I will have to think about what kinds of things I would like to depict, perhaps birds and flowers which are usually my favourite subject.
So those of you who follow me for my quilt art will have to bear with me for a bit while I get the most from the course that I can. I'm sure you'll see some of the techniques and drawings or doodles cross over into my fabric art eventually.