Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Making the Hourglass Quilt

Beginning the process... and bringing out fabrics to choose between for the darks and lights

some of the darks

on to the lights... I use the same triangle template to mark both lights and darks. 

 every light has been matched to a dark
...pictorial sequence follows...



 I love using the treadle sewing machine... she is a 1936 Singer and uses a class 15 bobbin .



2 lights and 2 darks combine to make a 5" block. if you were doing one for yourself, you can make them any size you want, depending on the design of the quilt you wish to create.

always pressing the seams to the dark side... pressing the seams at each stage of the process makes it very pleasant to work with the blocks and keeps everything lying flat.

arranging the blocks so there is always a dark touching a light

seamed several lengths of wild bright cotton print for the back, pinned it into the frames, added a layer of batting and then the top was smoothed over and pinned in place

after the blocks were sewn together I felt a dark colour border  all around the outside would frame it in nicely... now it's in the frames and a couple rolls have been done.  it's so pretty, if I do say so myself... the colours just danced in the sunshine

 this quilt is being tied with embroidery floss at each corner ... I make 2 passes thru the fabric and then make a double knot and trim the thread to 3/4"

 my funky quilt stands.. they come apart for easy storage

 almost done tying 

measured and cut out 4" wide fabric strips for the binding... then sewn together, seams pressed and the entire length pressed in half lengthwise

 sewing the binding all around the edge of the quilt. 

 after this I trimmed the excess fabric away and folded the binding to the back and hand hemmed it 


Hourglass Quilt   all Finished... soft, cozy, cheery and bright....  and I love it!!


Saturday, October 11, 2014

Pen and Ink Drawings of Heads and Faces

  Inspired by Leonardo





 


 



 
 Even though I really, really Love sewing,  quilting,  jewelry making, house building,  dog tending, homestead planning and all else...
... it feels very nice to just sit at my desk every now and then and just play with ink and paper...

... and then I read this  quote by Walt Stanchfield,
“We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out the better.”
Funny..   well for better or for worse, I had fun doing them.


Crosshatching and line drawings in my sketchbook, a few hands and feet thrown in for good measure, crow quill dip pen, India Ink, and Acrylic Artist Ink.

by Gwen Buchanan at Desideratum Art and Jewelry Studio, New Brunswick, Canada

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Early Fall Morning on the Bluff in St. Martins, NB






Natures layers of texture and soft color

We let the surrounding field grow this year for a change and now it has turned golden... it makes a beautiful contrast against the treeline.






 

The Mountain Ash along the driveway and the surrounding hedgerow borders,
 are laden with berries...We have always tried to encourage native plants and shrubs that feed the birds and wildlife...  and I love how the color brightens everything up.... soon the birds will find them. The Robins and Cedar Waxwings love them.

As I was wandering around in the warmth and calmness of the morning, taking pictures, Church bells began ringing. 
 It was Sunday... It was pretty special. 
I can see 3 Church steeples from up here, this is the closest one down on Main St.






 ...there are even a few bright red berries on the Holly bush this year.

Love these 3 Sisters...  They are Spruce Trees.
....might be almost time to carefully prune a couple of the trees in front of them so the view is better exposed.
 Blueberries and cranberries, in season, grow just below them to the right on the sandstone bluff... intermixed with low growing juniper.


If it seems I am obsessed with the view of Quaco Head jutting out into the bay... I am. 
In all weather conditions it is the highlight of my view... It never disappoints... 
 it shows what is happening with the mighty tides.... coming in, heading out, high tide, low tide..
 and the way the light changes on its surface as it moves from east to west.

I love the way the morning sun highlights the eastern exposure of the houses in the distance.

It feels cozy here in the hidden firepit when a fire is snap, crackle and popping.




White Flocks at the corner of the greenhouse.
The children's camp tucked into the trees.






 The Virginia Creeper changed from green to crimson without me even noticing.. 
How time sneaks up on a person.






The natural world  is taking a well deserved rest... a new season has settled in

 ... a lovely place to have our coffee and tea this morning. Fresh air, beautiful view and birds flitting back and forth, church bells ringing...
 we sat in wondrous contemplation...

The Rosa Rugosa is still treating us with blooms scattered here and there. such a hardy shrub... rarely needs tending.



 Fall has arrived and its only just begun.



Photographs taken by me, Gwen Buchanan, early Sunday morning, Sept. 28
from up on the Big Red Rock, St. Martins, New Brunswick.
Desideratum Art Studio.