Now What?

I've said it before...and I'll say it again...2017's monthly Folt Bolt color scheme project was good for me. I liked the challenge of a new scheme each month....even then single color ones.  I enjoyed the mixed media aspect and seeing what new twist I could come up with. And that I stuck with something for a full year kind of surprised me...it's not my usual pattern.



I do think it helped that I submitted to Folt Bolt each month...I often need external accountability and a deadline. I had some busy stretches....but I know there's alway room in our lives for things we really want to do....especially things we enjoy.  We should MAKE time for them.

I knew I wasn't going to do anything with them until I finished the whole year...and here they all are. I like some better than others and I don't think they look good all together as a group.  And...just for the record I do think they look better in person if anyone is interested.  But I am proud of them...if not just the shear accomplishment of the project. But now what?  I've got a couple thoughts about what to do with them....but like most things I'm going to mull it over.  And what about 2018?  Stay tuned.

December Project

The 12th and final art quilt in my year long Folt Bolt color scheme project is done. I'll be reflecting on this project in the next few weeks....it's been good for me on so many levels.



Once I saw the December scheme....I was immediately inspired by these aqua bottles of pine snippets in my window sill.



You can read how I created
the bottle image  here.

I'm quite fond of this little stack of aqua blocks...and the little chunks of beads.  I think this piece has a nice wintery feel...and also a nod to sea glass.                                                                                                                                                                            

Staying Warm

It's 22 degrees in Portland, ME....winter has most definitely arrived.  It was a good day be stay inside doing a little handwork.



Every few days images and articles from "Birds and Blooms" come across my Facebook page.  This image came today with a link to an article on how birds stay warm in the winter.  I was drawn in because I love birds and it matched the December Folt Bolt color scheme...and I have always wondered the same thing.  How DO birds stay warm in the winter?  You can find a few answers here in this article.

Outlines

I finished the machine stitching on my December project today....now it's time for handwork.

There's something about a little outline that makes things just pop.

As you can see I'm going with the image of the bottle....I like how the machine stitching emphasizes the dimension. I used the release paper I peeled off the fusible webbing as an overlay to help me get a basic idea for placement of the branch. I'll settle in this evening and get started on the hand stitching.                                                                           

Do it!

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."  Amelia Earhart

It was a good "do it" kind of day. One of the things I did was play around a little bit with the base fabrics for my December Folt Bolt project.

I had done this rough little sketch several days ago....and I'm going with it more or less.

I built up layers of solids and batiks along the bottom. As of now I think I'm going to wrap the whole thing around the paint panel so that's why there's the wide solid at the bottom. I will make that decision a little later. I am wondering if it will be better with some sort of a border.  As I write this I'm thinking I might add a border just around the gray at the top....hmmmm

If I tighten up the photo....this is the view that will be on top of the panel...with the bottle of pine sprigs on the right.  Tomorrow I'll add the batting and top-stitch. I've said it before....and I'll say it again..."stitching makes all the difference!"

I wanted to keep the top very simple so the hand stitched pine branches will really stand out.

Experiment

Inspired by the pine sprigs in my window sill I did little experiment for my December project. I printed an image of a bottle in different sizes on fusible fabric. It may end up be too literal....I need to get a little further along before I decide. 

This is a screenshot of the page I printed on white muslin. When the fusible webbing is ironed on the fabric it has a paper backing. I cut it to 8 1/2 x 11 and fed it right through the printer. Then I peeled the paper off and it was ready to cut and fuse again.  I made the background of the text box for a couple of the "joys" a gradated aqua. 

We'll see....

December Scheme

I love Folt Bolt's December scheme!  It's so wintery and fresh. A couple of ideas are going through my head....this one should be fun! 

When I sent in my November project a few days ago I got an immediate reply from Kriszta....all the way from Australia....she had just been thinking about me. Probably because I'm generally submitting something right at the end of the month...but it did kind of make my day.

November Project

I  can't believe it's almost December...where does the time go???  I took a few minutes this morning to finish my November Folt Bolt project.....once again just in time.



My main disappointment is that the green in the variegated floss is a little lighter than I would have chosen and comes across a little florescent in the photographs. But I do love the effect of the variegated stitching for the background. And it does look better in person....they all do.

The line I've used before stands...."done is better than perfect!"

I think this one honors the color scheme nicely and I'm looking forward to December....the scheme hasn't been revealed yet.

 

Paint Panel

The paint panel is ready for my November project. I'm still amazed how easy it is to fuse fabric onto wood.....slick as a whistle...is that an actual phrase?  I've been known to mix those up.

I think the stripe mades a nice border from the front of the piece...and the polka dot is a little surprise on the edge. Now I just need to finish the embellishments and glue the piece on the panel and it's done!  One more to go!  I'm always curious at this point in the month what the next scheme will be.  November surprised me....what will December bring?

French Knots

What a difference a few french knots make.

Getting There

I worked on my Folt Bolt November project today...it's getting there. I chose a different fabric from my stash for the foreground....I liked the geometric pattern and it pulled in that minty green and purple. I also thought it complimented the feel of the medallions. I edged the piece with the striped fabric and will use the dark polka-dot to wrap the paint panel.

But now it's time for hand stitching and embellishment....I'm going to hand stitch around all the medallion flowers and add some beads and buttons. Sounds like a little TV time is in mu future.

A Little Progress

I brought my November project with me to Maine....but had too many fun distractions so I didn't get a lot done.  I am relieved to know that it's going to work out just fine. 

I've gotten a lot of milage out of this fabric on a variety of projects....mostly cutting out the medallions. 

I think they make whimsical flowers and a long as I avoid the yellow they match the November scheme perfectly. The striped fabric will be a thin border that will wrap around the paint panel...and the dots will be the foreground.  I may audition a few other fabrics when I get back home....but I do like this combo.



I will also do something more interesting for the vase....this is just a place holder.  I think I will stitch the little "joy" in the corner with floss on this one rather than fusing it. I also need just a little bit more of the background stitched then it's the home stretch on this one.

Background Stitches

Several years ago I stitched this blackwork sampler (actually did it in navy blue).  I was intrigued with the repetitive patterns and variety of stitches. I wrote about here in this post.

When I was thinking about my November project I wanted to have a part I could do while I was here with Margie in Colorado since the month would be 1/2 over when I got home. Blackwork stitching came to mind...very portable so the perfect travel project.  I thought a sampler background would have a collage feel....and be very different from anything else I've done. 

This is the basic idea....a stitched sampler background with fabric for the foreground and a small vase of fused posies in the color scheme. And of course it will include a button or two and maybe a few beads. I'm going back to the 6x6 size...so it's a tiny little piece.                                            

This is where I was yesterday....it moves along pretty fast and I'm getting more done this evening. I will admit that I'm not 100% sure how it's going to work when I add in fabric elements....but I'm enjoying the stitching. We'll see.