Category: Work in progress
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Painting clothing and something new
I worked on painting the dresses yesterday. Overall, I like how they turned out, even if I still didn’t get that watercolor feeling I was envisioning. I think that effect is going to need a lot more practice when I don’t have a deadline. (The rippling you see in the photo is really the dropcloth…
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Back to Step 2
I finally finished cutting out all the GFG blocks (I never imagined it would take so long!), and I started painting, just like I promised. I thought the hair would be a safe place to start. While I like how it turned out, it doesn’t look anything like the real hair colors. Oh, well. That…
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On to Step 3
You may have noticed that I am actively avoiding Step 2 of Plan B. You know, the part where I actually paint something. Instead, I was kind of enjoying the simple black and white outline. While I was looking at the image, it made me think of my mother-in-law, “Grandma Ellie” to our daughters. This…
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First step, Plan B
I took the first step of Plan B today. I really wanted a different look for this quilt, and I’m not exactly sure if I’ll be able to pull it off, but that’s not going to stop me from trying. I’m hoping to create some beautiful, but controlled, watercolor washes. My initial attempt was dismal,…
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Not quite what I imagined
I started painting yesterday. Let’s just say, it didn’t go as planned! This is not quite what I imagined. I wanted a watercolor look, but I haven’t been able to control the bleeding. Hmph! I suppose I could cut it out and fuse it to a background fabric. I’m not ready to quit yet, though.…
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Fear, my old foe
Fear is rearing its ugly head again. Isn’t that how the saying goes? I grapple with fear every time I think of making a new quilt. I think many people do. That’s why it is comfortable getting a kit and simply following the instructions. Kits are low risk. Everything is worked out for you. But…
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Drafting a portrait quilt
Yesterday I started drafting a new quilt. I use the term “drafting” because this grid method is a systematic way of enlarging a photo to the size that my quilt will be. This is a pretty low-tech approach that anyone can use. It doesn’t require any special equipment. Just a ruler and pen and a…
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Using a palette knife on cotton
For several months now, I’ve been wanting to do a quilt featuring my father. That made me wonder if I could use a palette knife to apply the paint instead of a brush. When I took an oil painting class in college, I spent the whole semester just using a palette knife. I liked that…
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Product Review: Mountain Mist White Gold
Do you ever find things in your studio that you don’t remember purchasing? This week I went to my stash of batting and found a crib size roll of Mountain Mist White Gold batting. Since I am in “use it up” mode, I decided that my latest quilt would be the perfect opportunity to give…
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Thread color decisions
Decisions, decisions. Today I need to decide if I will quilt this with just one color thread, or if I will use multiple colors. For most of the quilts I make, thread color is an easy choice. Since I am usually depicting realistic objects, I usually pick a thread that blends in, and I change…