Creative Cue: East

Last spring, I took a fabric painting and dyeing class with Sue Bleiweiss at the Danforth Museum. I really enjoyed it, learned alot, and continue to learn from her blog. Sue has another website with two other artists called Three Creative Studios. Recently they started a program where they give weekly topics to be used as drawing exercises (or painting, photography, etc.) They call it Creative Cues, and you can read about it here.

I didn't think that I would have time to participate in this, but when I saw that this week's cue is "East", I couldn't stop thinking about a photo I snapped last fall. It was of my parents and their friends, watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. I would show you the photo, but maybe they don't want their PJ's on the internet.

I decided to make a free-motion stitched version of that photo. I put my drawing on tracing paper, which I layered over fabric and stabilizer. Then I stitched through all the layers. This is the result.

"East", 6" by 8", black thread on batiked cotton

Sorry about the darkness of the photo. I need to get better at that.  I like how this picture turned out, although I would probably simpify the ocean and sky if I were to do this again. Some other things I learned are:

1. My free-motion quilting needs to get smoother.

2. Not having a batting underneath, and having paper on top, really affects the tension of my machine. If I do more of this, I will have to do some testing to get this right.

3. Take a couple of vision restoring breaks on a complicated drawing.

4. Look for a disolvable stabilizer that can be drawn on to replace the tracing paper, as removing the paper tended to pull the stitches, especially on lines that were only stitched one time.

5. If using the tracing paper, put a tarp under the chair for catching all the paper bits during removal. Or sit in the bathtub (empty), and collect the paper bits that way. Of course, your family might think you are weird if you do this, but since mine needs no convincing....

This was alot of fun to do, and I will definitely be doing more free motion pictures.

You may have noticed that I added a profile picture. That is Ginny, who ordered me to gave permission for me to use this photo.

                              

 Weasley was sleeping, as usual.