The road to .......

This is my contribution for Road Maps and I called it 'The road to .....'. Maybe a sign post or a road map would help deciding where this road is :-). My inspiration source for this quiltlet was a detail of a painting by David Hockney. I used some hand dyed fabric in combination with commercial fabric.

Using this same color palet with some additional fabric I also created a giraf quilt. Well actually it is only a top right now, it still needs to be quilted.

This month my husband and I did a whirl-wind trip to Texas.  Driving straight through there (1,100 miles one way) and straight through back (another 1,100 miles). The reason - my dad's memorial service.  All this in 5 days.  So Road Map was an appropriate theme for me this month.  And due to this long road trip to my home state, to my parents land where my dad's ashes are now buried, I've chosen to title this piece:

The Long Road Home

So, I went quite literal this time. White cotton background (just like a real map) The roads, county lines, road numbers,  railroads, rivers, etc are stitched. I then painted in the colors of the different roads and the river with Pigma Brush Pens.

As you might remember...I started this month's challenge with a whole different direction.  But it grew too big (20 X 20). Here is a link to my art blog if you want to see the final outcome of the big piece: http://kellyartist.blogspot.com/2012/09/and-it-grew-and-grew.html

Red, Red, Wine

A new month and a new challenge, this time to use new techniques! 1983 saw UB40 in the charts with Red, Red, Wine, a song written and originally performed by Neil Diamond, one of my all time favorites so how to interpret it onto fabric was the question!.
Yet more hand dyed fabric ( I love it!) but this time with the addition of heat transfer photos, one of the wine and bottle and the second of the mirror frame.  I then made a poly chiffon rose and burnt around the edges to create a curl but having overdone it, I was forced to add some silver paint to cover up the black marks!!!!
Finally I used my machine programmes to add wording ( Sweet love) and a rose pattern to finish off. Most of our machines have these wonderful patterns these days and I am training myself to incorporate them into various pieces of work.
Oh, I forgot to say the central grey piece of fabric is a bamboo/silk mix and is a real find from Whaleys, dyes beautifully and as the reverse takes the dyed differently you get two fabrics for the price of one, always a bonus.
Welcome to our new members, it's good to see a group expanding.

Ann B

New Plan

OK...so I'm working on this Road Map quilt with the maps covered with sheer silk. I'm having so much fun with it that it has WAY outgrown a 12 X 12!! And I like it too much to cut it down....

So....I guess I'm going to have to come up with something else for the Road Map Challenge. (putting my thinking cap back on...)

I'll post a photo of the finished bigger art quilt when it is done just so you can see what my vision WAS.....

Inspiration Locations

OK after chuckling at Irene's comment about mulling over ideas while poking around in her compost, I got to thinking about where I am when I get a lot or most of my inspiration...or when art pieces being mulled over fall into place. Soooooo I was thinking it might be fun to ask all of you where/when you seem to have most of your Eureka! moments. Just click on comment below and let us know about that part of your creative process!!

As for me (guess I should start it since I asked the question....)

I love to take hot morning baths and soak until I actually become an awake and functioning human being. During that time of the morning, somewhere between half-asleep and half-awake, it is like my mind is on auto-pilot. That is when synapses not joined before connect and an idea or concept is either born or clarified.  AND I get all prune-like....lost in the creative process......  OK...TMI??

Now, you CAN'T feel intimidated to share after all can you?

No More PESKY NUMBERS

Thank you Wil for your sorting our site,  not having to cope with the pesky numbers thing is fantastic. Although not colour blind I find it much easier to read all the information on the RHS of the page.

I would also like to comment Wil on how quickly you respond to suggestions and requests.

Irene in a wet, as usual  for this summer, morning!

Not getting it done!

Hi everyone, just to say I am getting there with the Days of Wine and Roses but have been interrupted by the need to garden, we have a chain of allotment and the weeds  wait for no man!  My piece is all laid out on the table ready to start stitching but I am off to Carrefour de Patchwork in Alsace tomorrow morning until Sunday so will try really hard to get it finished early next week - I promise!!!
Is the road one to be finished by the end of September as well?  I appear to have lost the thread just a little.
Love the work you are all doing and keep it coming please.
Ann B