Quilted Collage

     OK.  I'm back in MI and getting things organized, AGAIN.  No excuses for not blogging (both my camera and Photoshop were giving me fits), but I'm determined to try AGAIN.

     I love putting together these small 12 x 12s from left-over bits and pieces.  This one contains scraps from my gelatin prints, some older screen printing, one length from a fabric-pen design, and several "new-process" pieces (more about that later!).

 

 

     After fusing the background onto a square of felt, I zigzagged the edges and free-motioned each individual piece.  Then came the fun part--more digging and sorting my pile of trimmings from previously quilted projects.  Selecting several in the "right" colors, I cut them into small squares and rectangles, laid them out across the collage, and stitched them in place.  I'm calling this one "Spring Song."

Twelve Square 1

     OK, so I'm starting another new project. . . . inspired by a blog that I follow (Cynthia St. Charles again).  This time she is planning to create a small (12 x 12 inches) collaged quilt once a week until she reaches 100.  Yikes!  I know better than to even think about matching her goal, but I like the idea of creating something small and abstract, not unlike the prayer flags but less haphazard.  So here goes.





     I started with some leftover scraps from last year's projects (sound familiar?), added fusible to the pieces, arranged them into a "composition" on a square of felt, and ironed them in place. 



     After affixing each piece with free-motion zigzag, I dug out a paper chickadee (also from last year) and found a place for him that seemed to work, but I wasn't satisfied with the center of the background.  Soooo, I sorted through my scraps again, added  five more pieces to the whole, and was much happier with the result.





      Now the chickadee is stamped on fabric and painted with acrylic paints, fused to felt, and cut out to perch on a branch in the tangle of branches and berries.  Really fast and fun.