Monday, November 23, 2009

Meadow Flowers




I cut flower shapes from purple fabric.  I cut centers from redish-brown fabric.  I followed the shapes of the petals and with straight stitches sewed back and forth starting with the darkest color of thread then medium color and then the lightest thread.  I embroidered around the petals for a more finished look.  I zigzagged the redish-brown shapes in place on the machine.  I cut out the 3 purple flowers and appliqued them to a 16 x 26 inch hand-dyed fabric.  I cut out the red shapes and fused them in place... also the green leaves.

 


I then added leaves to the red flowers.
 


Looking at the piece, I decided the background was to light -- needed some dark and medium tones, so I got out my fabric paints and added 2 more leaves.

 


Started sewing down the red flowers and all the leaves following their shapes with a stabilizing fabric pinned in place to the back of the piece.  All red flowers have been sewn down... will add more stitches in a lighter shade of red or real light lavender.  Green leaves -- I put a little piece of batten under and turned-over parts of 4 leaves.  I also darken the background in a couple of places.
  


I'm making the stems by wrapping fabric around yarn and stitching it... then I will stitch it to the background making it curve like a vine.  I add lavender threads to the red flowers and embroidery the stems from leaves to the stems of purple flowers.



I removed the dark green leaves from the red flowers -- I wanted the flowers to look taller.

Looks muddy; needs change.  Needs lots of little flowers.



I painted more.  I added printed flowers.



Quilted.  Binding is done with yarn zigzagged on.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Iris


I painted the iris with oil pastels (this was later pressed to set) then outlined the flowers, leaves, and buds with a dark purple thread.

I wrote "The beauty of a flower lingers in our hearts" with a Pigma pen and ironed to set it.



Here are the fabrics I decided to use for borders around the painted iris. These fabrics enhance the colors in the iris and the background.

All sewn together.

I made corrections. I wanted just the tip of the 3rd petal to show, so I painted it and stitched around it.




Quilted and used yarn for the binding.