March was a month for trying new things.  I made two cameo quilts...  I saw a pretty cameo and thought it might be possible to do a whole cloth cameo with my longarm.  So I used a picture of a cameo that might not be so hard to try out the whole idea.  I used two layers of wool batting, hoping the open spaces would show dimension.  I like how it turned out, the piece is 8 inches wide and 15 inches high.  I used neocolor II crayons to paint the background.
This was quilted on my sitdown longarm.

This was all a test before I quilted the larger piece.  This piece is 40 inches tall x 30 wide approximately.  The cameo depicts the goddesses Selene of the dawn and Eos of the dusk.   I used my  Innova longarm to quilt the images (I know, I know - two longarms???).  And I am so happy that I could do that.  I turned off the stitch regulator to do the quilting, it makes the machine run so much smoother - no jerking me around.  I even used the longarm to couch that braid around the circle.  The inner circle is made with a creamy radiance fabric and it is inset into slipper (the pink color) radiance fabric. I still needed to paint in some shadows in this photo.

Here is the cameo that I used to make this quilt.  

I may need to add more wool batting to the chest of Selene... I tried steam and starch to get rid of her chest wrinkles.    I will figure it out.  That's what's fun about trying new stuff, it takes a little finagling to get the kinks worked out - then either it does or it doesn't.  Here is the bound and finished piece.  I am thinking about making a slit in the back and stuffing that wrinkled chest with more batting, then sewing it closed like the trapunto of yesteryear.  

I dunno, it was a fun project, but I think I'll move on to something else.  I have an idea for a new art challenge: Threads of resistance challenge    I don't get too worked up about politics in general, but I am concerned about some environmental issues.  If you want to talk politics with someone, look elsewhere, I just hate that sort of thing.  So I will have my little say with art in this challenge.  I will keep you updated.  

“I realized something on the ride. I realized if I wait until I'm not scared to try new things, then I'll never get to try them at all.” 
― Marie Sexton, Between Sinners and Saints

Have a great day, karen Lambdin, proud to be a quilter

feathered star finish

I finished my faux feathered star.  I found this pattern at the Houston Festival last November and just loved it.  It is raw-edge appliqued.  And then you have lots of space for quilting!

I did tiny pebbles in the first white space...  Then a basket weave around the feather vine.

The border has a free-hand drawn feather vine and a quilted feathered star. This quilt is 30" x 30"

And if you cut carefully, you will have extra pieces to make little wallhangings, potholders, whatevers.... Yes, it took a while to cut this, but doesn't everything worthwhile take some time and effort?

Here's the pattern:Linda Everhart patterns

I missed one beautiful quilt from the Dallas Quilt show yesterday.  

This is "Red Roses for Roberta" by Bobbie Ashley of Pittsburg, TX (formerly of San Antonio)

 There are beautiful little cameos in those circles in the border and on the vase.

Look at the innovative edging and binding...  

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."  Vince Lombardi

Hope you get some time to create today, Karen