A blog about making art and other things using cloth, paper, paint, colour, stitch, and all sorts of exciting techniques, some of which I'm sure I still have to discover! I hope that the joy all this gives me is visible in what you can see here.

Thursday 29 January 2015

Swans, snow and Spring!


This year, our (Contemporary Quilters' Guild of The British Isles) journal quilts are 12" x 6" and we have to decide whether we are going to make them portrait or landscape, Our decision needs to be followed through for the year. As you can see from above, mine are going to be portrait.

I'm considering continuing my bird theme for the whole set of twelve, and for January, decided to choose the swan as my first choice of the year. I have used rag paper coloured with acrylic paint by printing onto the surface from my gelli plate. I have then embossed for texture, adding highlights of gold paint onto the raised areas. The swan is reversed appliqué using lace, and I have quilted the swan and the rag paper with free machine stitch. 

We had our first snow of the year here in Surrey today, always lovely for the first few hours, but once the novelty wears off, I find my thoughts are turning towards Spring and a longing for warmer days.

Hurry spring, hurry!

10 comments:

  1. That is just so beautiful Cath, What a great idea this is. I look forward to seeing your others throughout the year. This is my third attempt at posting reply here.

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    1. Thanks Jan, I started a bird project last year with a small group of friends, and I'm going to continue with it this year too, it's so enjoyable!

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  2. A beautiful swan Cath......nice that you are staying with the bird theme. There is a lot mileage in it.

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    1. Thanks Karen, I agree, so much more to do with it still.

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  3. Love this. I can also see it swimming serenely across in landscape orientation!

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  4. Thanks Maggi, I have to confess that I had a special reason for choosing portrait orientation, and after having let them know, and trying to do what I had planned, I realised it wasn't going to work! Anyway, my theme is going to continue to be birds, so this way will make it more of a challenge I suppose. Glutton for punishment eh!

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  5. Hello Cath, lovely to scroll through your blog! So many facinating things. I love your use of bright colour and texture. Happy to be following ;)

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  6. Thank you Morag, I discovered your wonderful blog recently, and have been so inspired by all your beautiful work, so I am also very happy to be following you.

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  7. Thank you Morag, I discovered your wonderful blog recently, and have been so inspired by all your beautiful work, so I am also very happy to be following you.

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