Abstract Modern Textile Art

An improv pieced textile art piece featuring a couple of gorgeous hand screen printed linen scraps from Umbrella Prints, an Australian company, now defunct. I'm using my remaining bits sparingly. They're just so good.

I love how warm this piece feels with the neutrals and the subtle pop of orange.

The art itself is 8 x 10, matted to 11 x 14. It is available in my etsy shop.

Textile Art

It's been a while. Good to be back to my creative space. I've got a bunch of textile art pieces floating around in my head. They are small and perfect for experimenting with new ideas - nearly instant gratification. And I love how graphic these small ideas in fabric can be when framed simply.

Here's the first brought to life - inspired by the fluid, organic shape of kelp. The negative space is just as engaging as the kelp itself.

It's just as I imagined it. That's what I love most about creating original designs in fabric. 

I made this piece using the same improv applique method I have been using for the past couple of years. I really enjoy the process of cutting and sewing by eye, rather than using a template. The variations of shape and serendipity of design that result are so interesting.

More to come. This one is in my etsy shop. 

As an aside - sadly etsy has been overrun with mass produced items under the guise of "production partnerships" and "vintage" items. There are still lovely handmade items to be found, but you have to dig around to get to them. Let me know of any better platforms for handmade items, please. Back soon, I hope.

Solids Chevron Quilt

The colors in this throw-sized (54 x 65) quilt make me happy, and we all need some of that feeling right now. I also love how a quilt, made entirely of solids, turns into a quilt that reads like a print. To make the chevrons I used a paper template created by Molly of applecydermill for each block. Removing the papers was a pain, but the crisp neatness of the design is worth it, I think.

The Carolyn Friedlander black and white text backing is a nice contrast to the bold, colorful top. I chose my favorite turquoise solid for the binding. It is just the best color.

I used straight-line, horizontal quilting, spaced about every 1/2" in a pale aqua  50W Aurifil thread. It was a spool I happened to have on hand, and I was surprised at how nicely the color blended with the fabrics on the top. It even harmonizes with the back. Quilting this densely makes the quilt more durable, and I think the texture it adds is a huge pay off. This bright, modern quilt is in my etsy shop. 

Amazing to think this beauty started its life as a pile of scraps I just wanted to use up!

Midmod Improv Appliqué Pillow

Okay, so I'm just going to say up front that I am so excited about this pillow. I think it is the coolest thing I have made in a long time, and the technique has so many possibilities, my mind is whirring with what to make next.

Like the pillow I made recently, this is improv appliqué, meaning I cut all the shapes by eye, without templates. I riffed off the square in a square design but added a mid century modern twist with the rounded edges. It turned out just as I intended.

The pillow gave me a chance to try matchstick quilting over appliqué, and I'm happy with the result. The texture is great, and it doesn't overwhelm the design underneath, possibly because I used bold colors. I finally used Living Coral, the Pantone color of the year. Nice.

I will say this 16 x 24 piece took forever, as it is all hand appliquéd, needle turn, using my favorite Aurifil 80 weight thread. The matchstick quilting isn't quick either. But it was all worth it to me. I really love this. Having said that, the bit I enjoy is the making, rather than the owning. If you'd like a chance to add this functional art to your home, it is available for sale in my etsy shop. I doubt I'll make another, so this is a one of a kind piece!

Scrappy Triangle Quilt Top

I've finished assembling my scrappy triangle quilt top. I mentioned earlier how I started this quilt to use up some of my favorite Anna Maria Horner scraps, but I thought the triangles were so lovely I broke into my stash make the quilt larger. I'm so glad I did. It is 55 x 73, which makes a nice lap quilt. For those who have asked, I used a Tri Recs ruler to cut the triangles to just over 6" high (affiliate link).

My kitchen floor got a good cleaning, so I could baste the quilt layers. Never bad thing. The backing you can't see here is a white flannel. This is going to be such a bright, cozy quilt. I'm going to give it to someone who needs comfort this winter.

Quilted Logo Pillow

I created this quilted pillow cover as a gift for my taekwondo instructor. I drafted a foundation pattern to replicate the studio logo, and I'm really pleased with the accuracy I was able to achieve. And even though it looks really good with my Candy Coated quilt, I'm still going to part with it.

The quilting on this 20" pillow took longer than I thought it would, but I'm happy with the results. I used my walking foot and red thread to quilt the logo and filled the negative space with a simple square meander using a free motion foot.

My favorite finish for quilted pillows is an interfaced backing with a lapped zipper and hand finished binding. The pillow feels appropriately substantial and sturdy. I love the peek of red from the zipper.