Auditions Today

I am auditioning quilt blocks, ribbons, scraps and pieces of brocade material for touch quilts today.

 

One of the late Rachel Johnson's hand appliqued butterflies.

 Earlier this morning it was shocking to read that Fidget Quilts should not be pretty --I'd noticed that they often are not-- because it makes them tempting to theft from facilities where they're donated.

To make my quilts less attractive for larceny, I started machine embroidering the initials of the facility in 2" letters along the front edge through all layers. One would have to be really adept with a seam ripper to take out 3 layers of close zigzag without destroying the quilt. So sad it's necessary.

 

I think of my Touch Quilts as art. Maybe it isn't fine art, but I want them to look pleasing to the eye, so I have try-outs for fabric combos, complimentary colors, and ribbon trims.

 

Cabbage roses from this strip of upholstery

fabric can be turned in trapunto-style roses

with great touchable texture.

 

The orange color in the upper wing of this 

butterfly compliments some other pieces I may use.

 

A closer look. Note the fine hand stitching.  

I may zigzag over the stitching with monofilament 

thread to insure the vintage stitches stay in place.

While I'm auditioning colors and textures, I am also reviewing which trinkets and trims were successful in previous quilts. From left: 1) couched heavy knitting yarn, 2) crochet thread wound on a bobbin and machine stitched using a fancy stitch from the reverse side, and 3)lighter weight yarn, couched.  At the top are reverse applique 'fish' in different textures with ribbon trims.

The machine bobbin work is pleasing to the eye, but the touch factor is not nearly as good as the softness of couched yarn. 

New Dog Metamorphosis

One thing that makes my quilts evolve so slowly is the process of auditioning and matching/contrasting fabrics and colors.

This dog started out as a caterpillar from the dollar store, with a gaudy body in neon colors and green felt antennae.

Deconstructed, his head got new faux fur ears and a strip of felt to stabilize his neck so there was something to sew to the background. He's stuffed with knobby poly-fil that gives a great squeezable quality.

The quilt where he's going has waited for weeks for him to appear. Art Touch quilts have no pattern nor instructions beyond the basics of sturdy and safe.

It is a thrill to open up a rolled-up quilt in progress and find forgotten details which now can evolve into something more exciting.

Pony Paradise Project Completed

Starting with a yard of Pony Paradise fleece and various scrap fabric and found goods, two Touch Quilts emerged.

Each features a sunrise or sunset, a pocket or two, ribbon touch tags and prairie points to explore. The one above has a felt hat with ribbon band and a padded silk square for rubbing or patting.

 This quilt has two pockets to explore and a vintage bear claw quilt block, stoutly reinforced.

Both quilts are backed with blue flannel. Quilting is random.

Some cowboy lost his hat.

Ruching

Despite all the ribbons I have for trim, there are few that are wide enough for wide ruching. I experimented with fabric strips. I am delighted with the results.

 This first strip of ruffling is a happy accident. I used a strip from a print that looks like pieces of seamed material, some print, some plaid, some plain. I seamed a folded piece that had a green print next to a solid blue. I meant to use the print below. When I turned it over, it is a solid with a print edge.

 The solid dark blue on the reverse was narrower than the print and does not show.

This is a wide piece, too wide for the project with the yellow umbrella applique but a nice ruffle. 

The same fabric as above but a narrower piece, which I liked better.

 This ruching strip is a piece of wired ribbon that I removed the thin wire. Without the wire it's still stiff ribbon and did not turn out as pretty as I'd hoped. Ruching works best with ribbon or fabric that is soft.

There's nothing difficult in making ruching. a gathering thread that goes from one edge to the other like this: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ is pulled up until scallops form. Tie off the gathering thread. Pretty ribbons ruch well. Fabric strips with the raw edges turned in or seamed into a tube and turned make great ribbon-like pieces.

There are ruching videos and tutorials on the internet made by professional art quilters and fiber artists.