Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Musings on a Perfect Day and a WIP

Saturday was my birthday. On Friday, I had the perfect day: it was beautiful and sunshiny, and the temperature was perfect. I went to Michael's for beads, then to Barnes & Noble for a magazine. I sat outside and ate a cinnamon scone and drank coffee with cream (a rarity these days; I used to be a coffee fiend, but since getting sick I mostly stick to tea). I came home and created an art journal page with watercolors and inks (still outside in the beautiful weather, of course). My sweetie took me to Truluck's for dinner and it was wonderful. The kids brought me a cake this weekend and we celebrated more. I had a wonderful birthday weekend, but it really wore me out and I'm still recovering.

Here's a WIP I've been working on for days that's both easier and harder than I thought it would be. Easier because once I figured out what the heck I was doing, it came together pretty easily. Harder because . . . well, I couldn't figure out what the heck I was doing.

This is from a pattern and project instructions in the Viewpoints class at Quilt University. I'm really enjoying the class, because I'm finally understanding how to create scenes in one-point perspective.

Anyway, here's the process to this point:

Pick out a landscape fabric. I could have used a small landscape quilt I had already made, but I didn't want to mess one up. I thought about copying a premade landscape piece onto fabric and using that, but then I saw this interesting fabric at JoAnn's and, well, it gave me an excuse to buy it!







Add a "sky" to the landscape fabric. I cut along the top edge of the landscape motif and fused it to a background sky of hand-dyed fabric.










Copy the column and arch patterns onto fusible-backed fabric and cut out. Attach to landscape piece and fuse in place.









Select "wall" fabric (the premise is that this piece looks out from a room onto a landscape). Find the perfect fabric, then realize I don't have enough of it. Dye more fabric.








Attach walls & landscape unit to a background of plain muslin.


Wait for next week's lesson to learn how to do the floor . . . patience is NOT my strong suit!

5 comments:

Cathy Spivey Mendola said...

this is going to be fabulous! I cant' wait to see the end result. I love the colors you've chosen. Great selection.

Terri Stegmiller said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! This is a great looking project.

Michele/TextileTraveler said...

Thank you Cathy and Terri. I'm looking forward to being able to finish it.

Judy Alexander said...

I took this class a couple of years ago and it was really fun. Love your landscape. Happy belated B-day!

Alis Clair said...

This great! No wonder you can't wait for next week ;0)

Sounds like you had a lovely birthday too.