More progress on the densely FMQ'd fat quarter featured last week. It's gone from this...
...to this, so far:
Notice that the 'missing' mountain referred to last week (on the left) isn't missing anymore. I went back with a darker thread and stitched between (and sometimes over) the lighter thread.
At some point I realized it's a good idea to stitch wider apart at first, so that you can go back between the lines and add a different color or shade, if needed, for correcting or blending. If no change is needed, you just stitch between the lines with the color you used the first time through. This is a lot easier and looks much nicer than the places where I 'traveled' over a previous line of stitching.
Here's the original fat quarter again--with a few lines of marker ink sketched on it--for anyone who missed it last week (click to enlarge).
And again, at right, what's been quilted so far, for easy comparison with the fat quarter photo.
I've reminded myself several times that this is an experimental piece, something I'll keep instead of selling, so it doesn't have to be perfect or even near-perfect. This and the meandering horizontal stitching has made it more relaxing than most projects.
On to a different, not-so-relaxing, FMQ project. I promised an update on The Overlook landscape quit. Remember that wavy water fabric I was fighting with?
Well, I finally gave up on it. Don't get me wrong--it took two whole afternoons of re-positioning, test-fitting and staring (glaring) at it, for me to finally throw in the towel. I'm nothing if not bullheaded. But the waves didn't look right no matter how the piece was positioned, and after hours and hours of getting nowhere, it was time to move on. Bye-bye, waves.
Despite having decided that nothing else in my stash would suit, I took another look at a too-bright-blue batik. Beggars can't be choosers (old saying).
A layer of white tulle lightened the blue a bit. (A second layer was tested, but it was too much.) This should look more like water after waves are drawn and quilted on it.
Hooking up here with Whoop Whoop Fridays and WIPs Be Gone. Check out their blogs and their readers' blog linkups for plenty of weekend fun!
Okay, on to the linkup! Here are the easy instructions from Free Motion Mavericks:
If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.
Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.
Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:
1. Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.
2. Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
3. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.
4. The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight EDT (not GMT as is usual) for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.
Everyone, please join the party, and have a great week!
Linda
It's marvelous what you are doing with thread - you are a true artist, Linda. Thanks for the progress report! I invite you to link to WIPs Be Gone when it opens tomorrow. Others would love to read about this progress.
ReplyDeleteJust now linked up and got in some great reading with my coffee. Thanks so much, Angie.
DeleteWow!!! Your FQ landscape is amazing. It's unbelievable what just thread can create. Just gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ramona. I would never have tried this if I hadn't seen Muv's recent landscapes at the Free Motion Mavericks blog. They are so pretty.
DeleteYour landscapes are amazing. I think I'd like to be you when I grow up :)
ReplyDeleteWell then, you'll never grow up! LOL I still FEEL like a kid when it comes to creativity. So much fun. Thank you!!
DeleteI love - LOVE- watching your work evolve. :D Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I enjoy sharing it, warts and all, and it keeps me more on task.
DeleteOh my! As usual your talent leaves me aghast! Not many can take piece of fabric and make a whole cloth landscape just with thread. But then that's why they call you "Linda's landscapes"
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol. I honestly had no idea this could be done with any success until I saw Margaret Porwal's landscapes on Lizzie Lenard's Vintage Sewing. They just grabbed me!
DeleteThat is really stunning. I am completely inspired! Sorry I missed the link up. Hopefully I can share something next week.
ReplyDeleteSorry you missed it too! Thanks so much, and thanks for popping in. Looking forward to your next post.
DeleteHello Linda,
ReplyDeleteI love the thready landscape. Working on a dyed background must be so inspiring - the way the streaks in the sky flick up towards the left makes it seem much more airy and spacious than if they were horizontal. It is going to be a beauty!
Love,
Muv
Well thank you; as you know, your own work is what inspired this. However, the already-dyed fabric is a double-edged sword. It suggests the landscape to me at the outset, which is great, but as the project progresses, the fabric also dictates to me a little more than I'd like. Yin and yang!
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