Digital Poppies for Houston ATC Swap

I took time out from stitching to work on a few Artist Trading Card designs for the ATC swap at the Houston quilt show in November. I plan to print this on fabric, probably draining every drop of ink from my printer's color cartridge, iron it on to peltex, and embellish with beads and embroidery. I'll iron a fabric back on it, and finish the edge with a machine zig zag stitch or a hand embroidered buttonhole stitch. I love the colors, and I hope my printer will duplicate them as vividly as they show up in PhotoShop.

I started with a layer of solid fuschia, then added layers of brushstrokes in various colors. I added the flower photo (taken in my front garden in the spring), and placed it between layers until I got the effect I wanted. The green floral design across the bottom is a brushstroke, and I even tried some embroidery stitch brushes (didn't like the effect). PhotoShop brushes are fabulous, and with so many free ones out there it's easy to build up a large library. Some of my favorites are French handwritten script, kanji symbols, floral designs, and abstract designs.

Big CQ Countdown

I do believe that I see a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. I am working through my stack of "Big CQ by 2-0-1-2" blocks for the final time. I've finished a few blocks, and will be posting them here until they are all completed. I don't remember the exact count, but I think I have approximately 45 blocks in this project. Block #1 (below) has not been blocked, and intend to use Gerry Krueger's olderrose's blocking technique to straighten it out.

The working title of this quilt is "Hats' Desire".  As always, I look at my work and I see so many of my friends represented there. The little butterfly in the bottom right corner is one of Cathy Kizerian's Crazy by Design "golden lace" pieces. The hand dyed cotton lace across the center and the yellow sequins are gifts from KG. I purchased the purple crushed velvet while in Arkansas attending a cq class with Martha Green. I learned to make the yellow fargo roses in one of Judith Baker Montano's classes. Every block in this quilt is a reminder of happy times.