Fast Friday January challenge

Justa Cuppa

The challenge this month was to do a "cropped still life" and use the element of form to give the piece dimension. I've been wanting to do a framed piece and when I saw the challenge and instantly had an idea of what to do, it seemed the perfect fit for the two ideas. I wanted to use a piece of batik-y looking stuff for the shadows and the coffee cup and saucer but it would have to be fussy cut to get the shadings like I envisioned them, so I was obviously limited in the overall size of it doing it that way. I was also determined to revisit the fabric collage technique, which I L*O*V*E and haven't done anything with in a while. The fates conspired to make all of that work out so I could do my challenge, use the fabric I wanted, play with a collage AND make a framed piece. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I've posted it to the challenge blog so we'll see what the REAL artists have to say about it soon enough. Or even worse, it might not get any comments.

The quilt itself is 5.5x8 and the green backing (not part of the quilt) and the frame are 8.5x11. Fabric collage using 25+ individual pieces of fabric, a layer of purple tulle, and outline quilting around the cup and saucer. The little quiltlet is stitched directly onto the fabric covered cardboard backing and then inserted into the frame with no glass.

"Big Eyed Fish"

So here is the finished quilt for the Draw Down. Total size is 62x76. Not a standard size but it works for me anyway. Cotton background fabrics and backing, appliqued fish and raw edge seaweed. The eyes are 2 buttons. A horizontal wavy quilting pattern in the center tie-dyed area and a vertical seaweed-y quilting pattern in the darker border. I pulled out all my cool variegated Mettler and King Tut to use on this one. They are a dream to work with and give more of an effect than you expect them to just looking at it on the spool. All free-motion quilting with some small detail quilting on the rocks and leaves at the bottom. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE free-motion? And my new discovery for getting the sandwich flat and stable makes it that much better since I don't get the pleats and tucks in the back and I can work on a smaller section at the time without worrying about messing it up by leaving it in the machine for a day or two, and it seems to wash better.