Nuages 2

Here's my second Nuages quilt.

It's name is "Eclaircie".
Here are two details.

My sewing machine is having some trouble with quilting again. I begin to wonder if my walking foot isn't worn out, because the machine works perfectly with regular stitching.
I might need to bring it to the doctor again.

It's been really hot here recently. Too hot for sewing, even too hot for drawing, except in the (very) early morning.
Tomorrow should be cooler fortunately.

Nuages 1

My new quilt is finished, I think.

I'm not sure it needs another layer of clouds finally.
I will let it live on the wall while I'm working on the second quilt, and we'll see how they both talk to each other.
Here's a detail...

And another one...

It's title might me "Incertitude", although I'm not sure of it (Ha, ha!)

I also did some fabric printing with a new thermal screen. I'm enjoying using my drawings for making screens.

February

It is still cold here. Not freezing anymore, but still too cold for me.
(Those icy pictures were taken at the end of January I think.)

I'm so ready for spring!
There are some little crocus and daffodil shoots in the garden, but not many yet.
In the meantime, I am still playing in my sketchbooks, drawing faces. Trying to simplify as much as possible.

I also started to print fabric for my new quilts. I made three new thermal screens and a couple of freezer paper stencils. I plan to experiment more with these next week.
Hopefully, I'll be able to dye some fabric too.

Empreintes

Here are my two "Empreinte" quilts.

I haven't given them a proper name yet, so let's call them "Empreinte 1" and "Empreinte 2" for now.

Next are two detail shots...

I made several stencils using prints of my right foot. I mean real prints... You know, like you do with kids' hands. I did the same with my foot. I painted it with watercolour, and then stepped on cartridge paper. That was great!
Some of the background fabrics were printed using a thermal screen inspired by pictures of footpaths I took in Japan. Hence the sakura flower on the second quilt and the ginkgo leaves on the first one.

In other news, I've finally put a new warp on my Louet loom, and then, of course, my GD discovered that she's now big enough to reach the treadles and that it's much more interesting to weave on a big loom than on a kid's one...

Alsace

I only spent one day at the Carrefour Européen du Patchwork this year, but look what I found on the racks of the Kaleidoscope bookstore... :-)

Yes, our book! Isn't it nice, my fellow Twelves?
I also found Deborah's new book, which must have sold really well as I was just able to grab their last copy on the Friday afternoon.
I didn't take many pictures at the show, but I think my absolute favourite was Ann Johnston with her exhibit "Contact: Quilts of the Sierra Nevada". And then Denise Labadie with "Sacred Stonescapes", Lager Malin , the Hungarian Modern Movement and the group QuiltArt.

I took more pictures of nature and architecture...

The next one was taken from the top of the Hahnenberg, above Châtenois...

It was going to be a nice little walk. It was indeed very nice, but we ended up walking more than 13 km, up and down the mountain. A great way to take care of the extra calories from the (too) rich Alsatian cuisine.
Next is a picture of the Tour des Sorcières (Witches Tower) in Châtenois, with a a very photogenic stork nest on top of it...

In the studio, I've been printing more "Empreinte" fabrics.
This the state of my design board today...

On the right, my first top which is almost done. On the left, the second one. I think I can start cutting up the fabrics, although I still want to rearrange some patches.

September

Better late than never... here's my little mosaic for September...

I spent a lot a time drawing, trying to finish the sketchbook I started during my travel in Japan. It's almost done now.
Then, I began working on two new quilts for my small quilt group. The new theme is "Empreinte", which means print, mark, imprint, etc...
I decided to work with my own footprints. One of the tops is now almost ready to be quilted. For the second one, I definitely need to print more fabric.
I'm getting too many ideas while working on this theme... This could be the beginning of a new series.

Kabuki quilts

Here are my two Kabuki quilts...

They are both 60cm high. The theme of the challenge was "Opera". When I started working on this theme, I was actively prepared my trip to Japan. So naturally, I wanted to make quilts related to it, and I started researching on Kabuki.
After reading some books, I decided to focus on scenery and found out that stylized pine trees are often used in the background.
I remembered I had taken some great pictures of pine trees three years ago in Kyoto and I used some of them to design new thermal screens and print my Kabuki fabrics.
Here are two detail shots of the quilts...

The next theme will be "Desert".
I have started selecting the fabrics and researching my photographs folders.

I couldn't find anything really great in my digital pictures, so I went back to my good old paper photo albums and I found something...  Pictures taken about 35 years ago in the Sahara!

A new quilt top

The quilt top is ready. Finally, it turned out more pink than turquoise, as I first intended to do it.
Here's a close-up...

I took the next shot when I was putting the strips together.

Next is a picture of the pretty little scraps...

Now, I must quilt it. And I still have to quilt this one too.
The quilts will be called "Kabuki 1" and "Kabuki 2". (I should explain why in another post!)

Strange weather

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the garden. It felt almost like summer.
"En avril, ne te découvre pas d'un fil"... I know the adage, but really, it was great.

Today, it's another story... We lost at least 10 degrees during the night, and now it's raining cats and dogs.

This morning, I finished cleaning the studio. It's not perfect, but it's much better.
Then, I worked on my new quilt.
I pinned some fabrics on the design wall. I have to overprint a few of the screen-printed pieces, but I'm rather pleased with this palette of colours.

Springtime, almost...

Here's a mosaic of some prints I did last week...

The weather has been cold and grey here, but there are some lovely hints of springtime in the garden...

The prints in the mosaic were all made on decorated paper, but today I also spent some time printing on fabric...

A new quilt

I made a first quilt top with the fabrics I screen-printed last month. It's about 40 cm by 60 cm.
Here are some close-up shots.

I haven't decided yet how to quilt it. I plan to do another quilt, but first I must print more fabric.

In the meantime, I've been playing with Provence fabric scraps.

More fabric prints

I had a good printing session yesterday.
Here are some of the results...

There are at least four layers of printing in each piece.
Today, I'm going to iron them, and then off to the cutting table and the design wall, and maybe also the sketching pad.

Back in the studio

Last week, I printed some fabric samples. I tried a couple of new thermal screens and also used a few other printing techniques. I'm pleased with the results.
I'm working on two new quilts. A new series maybe.
And I think I'll need to dye more blue-green fabric soon.

From the studio

I started quilting the little scrap quilts that I did last winter. (Or was it in autumn?)

The larger quilt is going well.
I printed the last pieces of fabric. And today I finished piecing the top. Saturday, I dyed a large piece of blue fabric for the backing.
I'll try and prepare the sandwich tomorrow.

I also did some cross stitch embroidery that will be used for a surprise gift. (No picture, it's a surprise!)

And then, a collaged postcard made with some of my gelli prints.

Last week, I spent a lot of time in the garden, cleaning pots and planting new flowers. I forgot to take pictures, but it's great to be able to work outside again.

A small quilt and more prints

Here's the small quilt that I made using four of my tree prints.

Last week, I did a demo about gelli printing at my guild meeting. I really enjoyed it and made of course lots of new prints while demonstrating. When I came back home, I had to put all the prints on my studio floor to let them dry. Here are some of them, waiting to be ironed.

I've been thinking a lot about Kyoto and its beautiful cherry blossoms these days.

I spent some time practicing my hiragana,

trying to write さくらのき (sakura no ki), which means cherry tree, as nicely as possible.

I burnt a few thermal screens from the best ones and started printing on fabric.

I'm working on a larger quilt using more gelli prints as the starting point. I'm almost finished with the top. I'm thinking of entering it in a show, so I'm not sure I can show it here yet.
It looks like the weather will be gorgeous this weekend. It's good news because the garden is in great need of attention after this very wet winter.