I’m getting some of the shadowy areas in at the base of the cliff and here I am working in the style that I am most comfortable with. Laying in color across the board, not being locked into doing sections. This is how I usually work, often laying in background color early as it does influence the focus colors. For the purpose of this blog I have been trying to complete sections, but it is resulting in the need to make changes as I go, slowing the process down and becoming rather frustrating. I keep seeing things that need changing. Here I have pinned a more interesting fabric to the piece in front of the front kid’s chest and I think when I take that apart I will add a lighter bit to his chest as well. I’ve decided to just pin the changes for now and attack sewing them later when hopefully they will be the finishing touches.

Not a whole lot of progress to report as I spent the WHOLE morning doing business stuff. Computer work, filling orders, packaging and billing; packing and shipping “Spring Burning” to Houston, which involves paperwork and dealing with UPS online. It all takes way longer than you think it should!  At least my husband took it all to town for me so I got to sew in the afternoon between watching the previously recorded Olympics figure skating. Today I hope to go to town myself and look for some more fabric.

I did get a little more background foliage cut and pinned up.

I’m starting to get a little worried, finishing up the lower rock ledges, because these fabrics I pulled from stash don’t look like there will be sufficient amounts to complete the rock above the foliage line. I’m not even sure how tall this piece will be but it may be dependent on the fabrics available. I laid in a bit of darker rock fabric on those too light foreground rocks on the left and I think that helps. The brush fabric that I cut for the upper border on the right is not working for me

so I folded some fern to try there. I’m not sure I will use either one and they are not sewn at this point.

I’m thinking it might be nice to have that rock ledge extend out to the edge, but that brings me back to the shortage of rock fabric. It’s not so easy as painting, where you can just mix up a bit more color!

The storm didn’t leave us with much snow, but there was ice and lots of accidents so it turned out to be a great day to sew! The dog looked as comfy as if he had good sense, sleeping in the ground cover, but I disturbed him with my
interruption to snap his photo.

The Stonehenge fabric that I had anticipated being perfect for the rock ledges is proving to be rather boring actually, so I have pulled some old fabrics from the stash to mix in. I removed a fern piece and replaced it with one that extends into the border, cut a piece of foliage to complete that corner and added a border to the opposite side.

Don’t really like that lower corner, so I laid the removed piece of fern in on top just to see the effect. I think it lightens that corner – time will tell!

As I worked yesterday, I added some more of the ferns to the right side and sewed that lower piece to the left side.

Comparing to the original photograph, I see that those light rocks on the left are as they should be but are not pleasing to my eye so at some point will probably need to be changed. I say “probably” because some of the things that bothered me earlier seem more OK now with surrounding fabrics in place.

The work yesterday involved some changes in the chosen fabrics and the sewing of some seams. It’s always an iffy decision- when to sew the seams. Everything tightens up and looks better with the seams sewn, but then there is the un-sewing later when it proves to be not the best choice of some fabric. I see places that will need to be changed later.

I like the ferny fabric for the texture and light that it brings even though there are no actual ferns in the original photo. When I started the next section, I laid in a piece of the fern in the border and I think I like the effect. I hope the dark shadows will look better when there are more on the other side and the shadow line above the foliage line is added.

Yesterday went well and there should be an article in the paper in a couple of weeks. It was about the AQS show in PA and the two quilts that will be there, “Burlingame Fire” in the contest and “The Old Homestead” in the SAQA exhibit. I am looking forward to flying out to PA to attend the show next month – thank you Rose!

Between that and watching the men’s short program (Olympics Figure Skating) that I had recorded from the night before, I only put in a couple of hours on the kids.

Most of this is not yet sewn and subject to change.

Yesterday’s work:

Normally I can do a piece like this in a month, but this one is taking longer. Partly, I think because I  do not have a pressing deadline.  This is for an exhibit in the fall, and I probably should not even be doing it right now, but I just couldn’t wait.   What I SHOULD be doing is taxes, but that doesn’t excite me at all!

Today I am expecting a visit from a reporter doing a story about a quilt that is going to some show. Probably AQS, they send out press releases, but I’m not sure as I have three quilts going to three shows right now. Anyway, I had to stop work yesterday to straighten up my mess when all I really wanted to do was sew!!

When I started to sew the leg section, I was not pleased with the fabric choices which blended away into the rock too much.

So I took it apart and replaced it with lighter ones. That’s better, and I know the quilting will help too.  Nature likes camouflage – quilt judges, not so much!

The first thing I did yesterday was to replace the light rock fabric under the belly, and I do think that this batik stripe works a lot better. It allows your eye to see “rock” without any difficulty and is much more visually interesting. Since this rock is in the foreground it does need to have more detail than those further back, and this fabric had been used further back so is a good choice.

I already had some pieces cut for the back leg and I cut some more which are laid out for sewing, but we had visitors so they are still on the cutting table.

I am enjoying watching the Winter Olympics while I work, but it does slow me down somewhat!