I Spy a Bison

 

Saturday, November 7, is National Bison Day so I'm sharing my thread painted "Bison Beauty" wall hanging made in 2018. Inspired by a photo: Original American Bison Cow photograph, copyright David J. Drew. Used with permission. The photo was taken at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge near Canton, KS.

 "Bison Beauty" won several ribbons for me and hung in the 2018 International Quilt Festival in Houston.

 This week I finally got all 130 "I Spy" blocks pieced together! Next week, I'll add the inner and outer borders.

Emerald & Scarlet

Sometimes I read instructions, sometimes I just look at the pattern photos to put a project together. This time I read the instructions but didn't check the pattern photos. I thought I knew what I was doing but wrong! I now have 32 blocks to take apart because the Kaffe Fassett Zig Zag and Jupiter stripes are running in the wrong direction. Easy work, just annoying because I didn't pay attention.

Until next time, Mayleen

A few steps and a win!

This is a simple explanation of how I make my wildlife art quilts. Remember that I'm a beginner, telling you how I do it which may or may not be the best way! I realized I have few photos of the beginning of the process so I hope my explanation makes sense.

With the photographer's permission, I make a pattern from an image in the finished size I want. This "pattern" will be used only once by me. You can include as much detail as you want or as little. I'm learning to simplify even though I want to add as much detail as I can.

I like to use batik fabrics because they don't fray as much and you can use both sides. However, I'm mixing quilting cottons and batiks in my new project because I couldn't find the colors I needed in batiks.

These are some of the fabrics I purchased for this project. I'm also using some from my stash. Always trying to use more from my stash but it seems to grow instead of shrink!

Keep value in mind when you choose your fabrics. One easy way to check fabric value is to take a photo and change it to black and white. If the fabrics all melt together, you will need to choose fabrics with more contrast. You can see the three brown fabrics are very close in value which has been a challenge.

Another decision to make is what kind of adhesive to use? On Bison Beauty, I used Steam a Seam Lite 2 and with all the fused layers, it was heavy and difficult to stitch through. The nice thing about Steam a Seam is that its repositionable. On my new project, I'm trying Misty Fuse which is not repositionable. Its thin enough to be a cobweb but adheres well. The best part is no sticky residue on the sewing machine needle when thread painting!

I fuse adhesive to the fabric in amounts needed for the pattern piece, pin the pattern piece or draw around it on the fabric, and then cut it out. Next, I draw a simple version of the image on a thin muslin base and use it as a guideline for placement of the fabric pieces.

Next week I'll start sharing a few photos of the steps to make my current project.

There's more! Bison Beauty won Honorable Mention at MQX Midwest (Machine Quilters Showcase). It also won Best Use of Thread! I'm excited and honored to win both ribbons. Thanks, MQX!

 I wasn't able to go see it in the show but Liz Granberg-Jerome sent me this photo:

Bison Beauty was inspired by Original American Bison Cow photograph, copyright David J. Drew, used with permission.

Until next time, Mayleen

A new quilting direction

 "Bison Beauty" made by Mayleen Vinson 2018, photo credit: Original American Bison Cow photograph, copyright David J. Drew, used with permission.

 I've always wanted to make a pictorial art quilt so when I saw the bison photo online, I knew it was time. The photographer gave me permission to use his photo of the American Bison Cow taken at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge near Canton, Kansas as inspiration for this pictorial art quilt.

Bison Beauty is fusible appliqued (not a panel) using a variety of batik fabrics and densely thread painted. I stitched over wool roving to create the fur on the top of her head and accented the clouds with yarn fibers. I estimate about 180 hours total work from start to finish.

I'm not a machine quilter and had only done walking foot quilting before so this was a challenge. Worth it though because Bison Beauty won a blue ribbon at my local quilt guild's recent quilt show!

Although I agonized over color and stitching, making this pictorial art quilt was so much fun that I've decided to make another wildlife art quilt. I hope to share it with you later this fall. Is anyone interested in seeing step by step progress? I'll still be making bed and wall quilts but maybe Bison Beauty is taking me on a new quilting direction!

Until next time, Mayleen