Dad and Jack


I've documented my process here on my blog and it's finally finished!


I used the dark blue from the bottom of the quilt on the back.
I put a rod pocket across the top and I added a couple of other special touches.  I added a pocket to hold the copy of the photograph.  I also added a label for the name of the quilt, my name and date, and that this quilt was a gift for my father's 85th birthday.

I absolutely loved working on this project.  It was like a jigsaw puzzle----I kept thinking "OK, I'll just add this one more detail" before I could get out of my studio.

The fabric pieces were an interesting challenge.  I love using hand-dyed and batiks, with all kinds of variations in color and tone.  Finding just the right piece can be overwhelming, but having my fabrics sorted by shade to start with really helps.  I keep in mind that I will be doing some stitching where needed for extra detail.

And the stitching===it's so meditative. I do free-motion stitching throughout.  Sometimes when I do these quilts I use fine clear thread, but on this piece I used colored thread, changing as I needed to.  I don't worry about matching the fabric exactly---a little contrast adds interest.

I'm looking forward to doing more portraits and landscapes in fabric.  I think this may be a new direction for my business!