"AngelRose” Black & White Mini Art Quilt

So, here’s one more”AngelRose” or “RoseAngel” mini art quilt. This one didn’t take very long to do. It is approximately 8” x 10 ½”. I came  up with the decorating ideas as I was making this little mini art quilt. 

Again, I used a transparent overhead projection sheet printed in black and white using my laser printer. The “AngelRose” picture is actually on top of a piece of white with black swirls cotton home dec fabric. I then made a window using black and white toile home dec fabric. I sewed crystal seed beads and glass beads to attach the toile fabric to the outer black with white swirls cotton fabric. I added glass beads inside the center of the black ribbon rosette—I made—continuing down along the ribbon. In the center of the bottom of the quilt, where the two ribbons meet, I added more glass beads. Also, I sewed very tiny seed crystal beads about ½” apart along the outer edge of the toile fabric. I took four black buttons and placed them on four corners of the quilt, and sewed little “pearls” into them. 

Finally, I put the front piece and the back piece, (black cotton fabric) of the quilt with the fronts facing each other, (with cotton batting attached to back of front piece), then sewed all around, leaving about a four inch space at the bottom to turn it right sides out. I added ¼” ribbon in the back for hanging.

I might add more things later on. This one I am keeping!

Below, are some closeup pics of this mini art quilt to be able to see the little tiny crystal seed beads.

Enjoy!

Small Transfer Art Quilt for a Wonderful Hand Doctor

The day after Christmas last year, I was sewing a gift. I was in a hurry, so I was not careful, and the rotary cutter jumped a very skinny ruler, and sliced right through my right index finger, from the nail bed through the padding on the other side—OUCH!

I’ve been going to a hand doctor since then. I always give him a hard time, in that I—up until now—refused to look at my finger. YUK. Well, I thought I would make it up to him for not being a very good patient. I made him this small 9” x 11” art quilt. His office walls are covered with pictures of hands, wrists, and fingers, but none made from fabric.

Here is how I did the transfer. First, I downloaded this free vintage advertisement palmistry hand from The Graphics Fairy.

I then printed it out on plain paper, using my Brother HL-4570CDW Color Laser Printer. For this to work, you must use a toner laser printer or a copier, not a inkjet printer.

I also owned a inkjet printer, but it just broke, and I haven’t yet bought another one. Otherwise, I probably would have used the many fabric sheets I purchased. I always buy way more then I need!

Next, and this is very important, I printed the image using a mirror method. Meaning, I used MS Word, imported the image, then flipped the image. I do this only if the image has words in it. Then I used a blender transfer pen. I used Chartpak AD Marker Colorless Blender Pen that I bought online from Art Supply Warehouse. They were on sale for $2.00 each, so I purchased a lot of them. I also tried using acetone; the one that takes off nail polish, and one purchased from the art supply store, but they didn’t work for me. Anyway,  I taped my printed image face down onto 100% cotton muslin. Then in a well ventilated area—outside, I rubbed the transfer pen onto the fabric. It came out beautifully! Yea!!! Can’t wait to do more of these transfers onto fabric.

Small Art Quilt II

I love reading both Cloth, Paper, Scissors and Quilting Arts Magazines. I’m not as talented as a lot of the artists in those magazines, but I thought I’d try something that wasn’t symmetrical. I’m used to having everything balanced and even—See my October 14, 2013 blog: 60th Wedding Anniversary Small Art Quilt—so this was very new to me.

This small art quilt measures about 11” x 6 ½.”  Again, I used a transparency sheet for the “Angel Rose,” attached to a cotton fabric with rose buds. Then I sewed it on the muslin, with buttons, rickrack, and handmade roses. The back also is cotton fabric slightly larger than the front, so I can wrap it to the front to make it look like binding. In between is a thin cotton batting. I tried sewing a design with free motion, but I’m not very good at it—yet.

My Very First Free Motion Quilting Project

After a few years at sewing (easy, crafty stuff), I thought I would try my hand at free motion quilting. I used to think it was intimidating, but I have to say, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, although I'm pretty sure I over did it on the free motion because it is a lot flatter than before I free motion quilted it. 

There are three layers to my 25" x 16" small quilt: Main cotton, flannel backing, and cotton batting sandwiched in between. Easy Peasy! Originally, it was supposed to be a yoga accessory for my knees, but for now, I'll just use it as a....hmmmm, I'm not sure. Oh well.

P.S. I love the fabric!

Here are a few great tutorials with pictures: 

Free-Motion Quilting Basics from: Oh, Fransson!

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial & VIDEO! from: Prudent Baby

Free Motion Machine Quilting Tutorial from: Sew Inspired

Beginner Free Motion Quilting (Machine Quilting) (Video) from: Quilting Tutorials: