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I'm making this quilt…well, for show. Ill enter it in the
$100,000 quilt challenge (of course), but first want to enter it in
the local guild show.
I use 14”X16” blocks. I sew the backing together and then piece
and embellish over the seam. This eliminates the block seams and
makes it look like all one piece.
“The Girls” started out as a bunch of purchased CDs about 5
years ago. I bought a couple of CDs of vintage nudes in with several
CDs of Victorian Postcards.
About eighteen months ago I popped one of the CDs in the
computer and started looking…..and immediately saw one that I felt
should have had a fish tale. She just stood out. I was hooked….
Meet “The Girls”: I choose pictures taken from about 1900 to
about 1935. Earlier ones tend to be faded and not print well. Those
that are taken later tend to be more “harsh” looking. Look for
pictures that have retained some crispness….faded pictures may
look old and have “the feel”, but they just don't print well. I
try to choose a pose that can be made to look graceful. Sometimes
you have to weed through quite a number of pictures before you
find “the one”. Every one I look at, I think “this is someone
real”…“what was she like?”…”Did she have children?”…”Why is she in
this picture?”
Now that we have picked our girl, we can print her on treated
fabric. This would be fabric that you have treated with a chemical
like Bubble Jet Set 2000. Pretreated fabric is also available
in your local fabric/craft store. I try to make her about 2” X
3” or so.
| Place her in your block like you would any other reproduction
silk picture. I start with the wings. I draw wings freehand (after
doodling the design on scratch paper for awhile). Here “Press &
Seal” can be your best friend. |
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| I outlined the butterfly wings in black. You can do it
freehand….or use press & seal. |
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Fill it and then add the details.
The hair and clothes are done with a single strand of
scalamandre silk thread, single strand silk floss, or antique filo floss.
The wings are only limited by imagination. I'm always seeing new
ways to create wings and can't work fast enough to keep up with
my imagination.
My dragonfly wings are very simple. They are done with an
outline stitch and filled with buttonhole stitches. The appliquéd
wings are given an outline stitch to define the wings and then cut
1/16” from the outside. I then do a buttonhole stitch over the
outline stitch while folding the excess fabric into the stitch for
strength…..I then add details inside the wings that also add
strength to the stitch.
Lisa lives in Carson City, Nevada and has been crazy quilting
since 1986. More fairies can be found on her Flickr site
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