Zinnia Art Quilt...

Inspiration for a new design can result from just about anywhere.     For me it usually comes from gardens.  Fortunately, I have a lot of models just waiting to pose for my next art quilt....

So I cut a few zinnias & quickly get them into a vase with water. Zinnias make good cutting flowers.  If you change the water daily they will last a long time.

Now for some fabric.....I pull every color of fabric that I see in my flowers & hope I don't have to go out shopping for more fabric.  Once I have the idea of what I want to make, I want to get started & don't want to hunt down fabric in store after store. 

Guess what?  I had to go shopping.  I didn't have enough light golds or oranges.  After I came back from shopping, here is the range of values I worked with.

Then I set up a still life to photograph my models.  My models won't last in a still life until I finish my drawing, cut my fabric, get it into place, etc.  So I work from a photo that then becomes a black & white outlined drawing.  

Oops!  Blue background is wrinkled.  I don't like stopping to iron.....ggrrrrrr.    In spite of this, my models strike a pose in a very "Vogue" sort of way.

Here is the black & white drawing that will be my pattern.  What was I thinking?  As I number the petals in the flowers I discover that one flower has 98 petals & the other has 95 petals.  Do I really want to do this?  The effect will be lost if I don't work with all the petals.....

I've come this far & no turning back.  I must press on & fuse forward.  I simply need to adjust my attitude about finishing this quilt quickly.  So I repeat to myself, "Enjoy the process, enjoy the process."

Let the fusing begin....

I tried to make the fusing simple for myself.  I used an applique pressing sheet & fused all the petals in one flower together as one unit then, the second flower & finally the third flower.  This made the placement of each flower on my background a little easier.  

Thank goodness for this great product by Bear Thread Designs.  If you're interested in an applique pressing sheet go to their website:  www.bearthreaddesigns.com.  Their phone number is 281-462-0661.  

Fast forward to the quilted back side...

This is the flower that sits next to the vase.  The entire backside didn't show up well in the photo so I focused on this one flower.

Twenty days later I finished....whew!  See completed quilt in the floral gallery. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by & visit with me today.   

Have a great day!

Nice Surprise!

Such a fabulous autumn like morning that I had to write about this today.  I actually lingered outdoors this morning, cutting flowers from my garden.    I didn't have any greenery so I cut from the tall dill plant for filler greenery, in the sunflower arrangement below.

I hope the cool temperature lasts.  When my husband & I came back from our walk we sat out on the back patio & actually felt a chill....brrrrrr!

Have a great day!

Let's Take A Stroll...

Two weeks have already zoomed by since my last blog post?  I suppose it's gone by quickly because I'm very focused on a new project that I'm not quite ready to show just yet.   Instead come with me for a little stroll along the inspiration path.  

First, I have to mention that there is a new baby! 

Yes...the large rabbit I've been blogging about must have had this baby.  The rabbit family keep to themselves but, have been eating my zinnias.  Lucky for me the more you cut zinnias, the more they bloom.  Zinnias are blooming very rapidly & they are heat tolerant.  

I can't seem to keep up with cutting the zinnias down.  It's a nice problem to have & I'm happy that we'll be enjoying fresh cut flowers for a good while.  My husband & I are enjoying seeing the fresh blooms outside our windows.  I'm also allowing some of the flowers to dry so that I can save the seeds for the following year. 

This got me thinking......

Only dreaming of having a flower market...(must have a/c so, I guess this would mean a flower shoppe instead of a market).

How about a closeup?

I see a still life in my future...

Stay tuned for the unveiling of my next art quilt...

Thanks for stopping in & taking a stroll with me along the inspiration path!

Have a great day!