Contemplation

Contemplation ---- The action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time.

It seems that is what my husband is doing in this photo. 

When we visited my daughter and her family this year, we had some photos taken by a photographer (Joeri Cochuyt) while we were having lunch and playing games with our grandchildren. The photographer captured a great one of my husband and several of all of us, but this one was exceptional.

I decided to create a silhouette quilt of my husband for the last Project Quilting challenge for Season 8.

I combined Dye Candy Fabrics and Cherrywood Fabrics to construct the quilt. 

I used my Textures Quilt Pattern to create the texture background.

I also created this quilt as a "practice quilt" for the Vincent Van Gogh Cherrywood Quilt Challenge for 2017. I will be making that in April. I plan to make a very similar quilt for that challenge, but it needs to be 20" by 20".

My Contemplation Quilt measures 17" by 17".

I took photos of all the steps - of course.

Photo credit:  Joeri Cochuyt 

I printed out the photo in draft and black and white to make a template for the silhouette. I used Lite Heat and Bond to adhere it to the black fabric for the silhouette. 

My Textures Quilt Pattern was the perfect choice for creating texture with the blue fabrics for the background of my quilt. I made my pieces smaller in scale than the pattern instructions. 

I used two layers of black 80/20 batting.

I quilted with overlapping tiny circles for the silhouette to give it a solid texture quilting using black thread on the black fabric.

And wavy lines that intersect at the corners for the outside borders.

I quilted wavy and swirly lines with a blue quilting thread on the background to give it a Van Gogh look like in the painting Starry Night.

Yes, I always stitch my name into my quilts with the year.

Here's a photo of the backside.

Through Project Quilting, I tend to challenge myself beyond the challenge.  Each time, I have tried a new technique or new way to do something. This year, I made a quilt using my daughter's very basic Ikea sewing machine with no sewing supplies to speak of! 

I found this quote by Vincent Van Gogh. I think it fits perfectly!

I am linking up to Project Quilting at Persimon Dreams.

See the previous post about an extra prize, if you create a quilt for this challenge and you are NEW to Project Quilting.

Thanks for following along.

Marcia

Amazing Photographer:  Joeri Cochuyt

Quilt Pattern for the background: Textures Quilt Pattern

Please Join in the Fun of Project Quilting - Next Week!

This email came from Kim at Persimmon Dreams who hosts Project Quilting. 
And after her email, I posted my encouraging words for you to try Project Quilting and a special prize if your are participating for the first time with Project Quilting!

"Hello!" 

I hope this message finds you well.  The final challenge of Project QUILTING Season 8 will be posted this Sunday, March 12^th and Noon CST.  It has been an incredible, record breaking season so far!  We’ve had five challenges and 585 quilts have been completed!  201 quilters from around the globe have completed at least one challenge piece and 54 folks have completed all of the challenges thus far.  

Quilts as small as 3” x 2”  have been made (http://politicalthread.blogspot.com/2017/02/step-away.html)  and

even intricately paper pieced quilts (http://quilteddelights.blogspot.com/2017/02/project-quilting-week-4-brighter-better.html) have been created during this weekly challenge.

One of the participants has put on a second, personal challenge – all of the quilts she makes must not only relate to the theme of Project QUILTING but also have a Star Wars spin to them.

Just check out how creative these are!  https://www.instagram.com/husky_nut_buster_creates/

And 

This participant made her first quilt EVER for the Project QUILTING challenge “Well-Dressed Man.” https://www.instagram.com/p/BRO2pi3B83ESFFYb7kpOggb2e0fApN8OpyGLcI0/?taken-by=stapley1hc

Since this is the 8^th Season and things are going so well, I would love to somehow encourage at least 215 quilters to participate in the final challenge – which would bring the overall total of the season to 800!  (the most ever in a previous season being 355). 

If you feel like your audience would be interested, I would love if you could post to your blog and/or social media once the challenge is up to help promote the final week.  Feel free to use the message above or let me know if you want more from me.  I have also attached an image you can use to promote the final challenge on Instagram.

Thank you again for all your support this season … the prizes have been so appreciated and has definitely encouraged more folks to join in.

Take care,
Kim Lapacek

PS - The challenge goes up on the 12th and folks will have until the 19th to finish it.  If you post anywhere now through the 14th would be ideal.

     ---------End of the email---------

I want Project Quilting to break the record of 800 quilts in a season! 

That is why I am asking you to create a quilt with me this next week, starting at noon on March 12th through noon on March 19th.

Please consider joining in on the fun of making a quilt 

small or large, 

easy or difficult in one week.

I am going to suggest small and easy!

Keeping in mind that you create at your own level -- a beginner or an expert.

The Project Quilting Challenge will be posted on Sunday, March 12th at noon and you have til March 19th at noon to finish it and take a photo and email it a photo to Kim at lapaceksorchard@gmail.com

Check out all the details at Persimon Dreams.

I have sponsored Project Quilting with prizes since Season 2 and I have participated in all of the challenges from Season 2 to Season 8! Sometimes, I made small or easy quilts and sometimes, I challenged myself and made difficult ones.

You can click here and all of my posts starting with the newest post ---  My Project Quilting Quilt Posts. It starts with the most current post and keep hitting "older post" to see all of them. 

The easiest one I made was My Stick Family Quilt.

This one was made with limited time....

Just in the Brick of Time! I started it on a Thursday night at a quilt retreat and between returning home and setting up to sew at home and quilting and binding on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning!

I made this one for my daughter for a special gift for her PhD ceremony. See the star in the top corner -- I quilted the words: "You are one of the stars in our family tree!"

I am Happy Happy Happy --- Like a Song!

The Spinning Spiral Flower Bag was a fun challenge!

This was the most difficult quilt I created in one week!

My Connectivity Quilt for Project Quilting!

Here's the link to the series of posts on how I made it: Connectivity Quilt.

This is the first quilt, I created for a Project Quilting Challenge back in 2011 (Season 2) A baby quilt made with Primary Colors - plus!

This is a link to all the posts so far this year:  My Quilts for Season 8 2017 ---- It starts with the most current one and keep hitting "older post" to see all of them.

This season, I started with a very easy Yoga Mat this season using my daughters very basic IKEA sewing machine with very limited supplies at her home. Eight is Great!

I told my Mom if she lived closer to me I would make her do a quilt for the challenge! My Mom doesn't sew, but she has helped me make a donation quilt every year, for the past 19 years. She selects the colors and helps with the pressing. The past couple years, she helps by purchasing the fabrics.

Here is a post about us working together to make our donation quilt back in 2012. Click here to see that post: Mom and Me.

This is our 2017 Donation Quilt.

I hope this post encourages you to try a Project Quilting Challenge.  This is the last one for the Season 8.

Create a small and easy quilt and join in on the fun!

Please help Project Quilting break a record!

The Project Quilting Challenge will be posted on Sunday, March 12th at noon and you have til March 19th at noon to finish it and take a photo and email it a photo to Kim at lapaceksorchard@gmail.com

Check out all the details at Persimon Dreams.

Thanks for reading this all the way to the end!

I will be sharing an extra prize for ALL of the NEW participants of Project Quilting for this last Quilt Challenge!

I will be sponsoring with one of my 31 PDF Downloadable Patterns from my Craftsy Store. You can check them out here!

Enjoy your day!

Marcia

Project Quilting Challenge Number 5 - Well Dressed Man

My idea of a "Well Dressed Man" is a Leather Jacket, Black Jeans and a Harley Shirt! 
Of course that's my husband.
I named it "Born to Quilt". My husband was born to ride and I was definitely born to quilt.

I selected black denim for the appliqued motorcycle and black, grey, and white fabrics to create a texture background and of course skull fabric for the border.  The binding had to black!

I used my "Textures Quilt Pattern" to create the background for my quilt. You can find it in My Craftsy Store. It is a 

This is the way I create my background fabric. You just follow the steps and you can make it too! This construction method teaches you a simple orderly way to create texture. Learn how to create textures with your fabric for a quilt top or a texture background for a wall hanging. You will love it!

Textures Quilt Pattern

I cut my strips and pieces a little smaller to make the texture pieces smaller in scale for my wall hanging.

I did a Google search for line drawings of motorcycles. I found several free coloring pages of all kinds of motorcycles!

 I roughly traced around it using lite heat and bond, so I could make a raw edge applique' piece from the black denim.

I cut away some of the paper before adhering it to the denim.

Pressed it on.

A good start on my texture background. If you have read my posts before you know I create my challenge quilts in 15 minute intervals. I take a break from my work (longarm quilting) and work a little on my challenge quilt.  Most evenings I sew for at least an hour, up to 3 hours or more! it was definitely more for this quilt.

It's ready for a skull border.

I added a few details with sharpie markers. It helps when I am quilting to have the lines to follow.

It's ready to adhere to the texture background. 

I rolled it on the rollers to longarm quilt and thread paint it.

I started by outlining the whole applique' and details with the black thread.

Next I thread painted all the black parts of the motorcycle.

And then a lite grey/silver thread for motor parts and the muffler and the wheel rims and more.

I decided to quilt little Loopy Loop Quilting on the background. I love this quilt as it fills in the background and even adds more texture to it with softer lines.

I stitched my name and 2017 in the corner.

Next it was ready for the black binding.

 I love how the black binding really frames the quilt!
My quilted wall hanging measures 20" X 25"

I flipped it over. You can really see all the thread painting here too.

Before I quilted on the denim motorcycle I decided to do a test quilting to make sure I was going to be able to quilt through the denim and to see how much it would fray. I made a featherweight sewing machine and quilted it.

I took the photo at night, so the denim doesn't look black! I finished that quilted wall hanging this week too.

I am linking up over at Persimon Dreams for the Project Quilting Challenge Number 5.

Hop over and check out all the quilts that were made in only one week or less inspired by a "Well Dressed Man"!

Thanks for following along!

Marcia