Scrappy Cross... Quilted

 Here are some pictures of my scrappy cross quilt... quilted.

The background is a bright yellow linen that I cannot get to translate well in photos.  My specialty is quilts and as much I think I can do everything, clearly I have much to learn when it comes to successfully using a camera.  Flash shows the colour, no flash shows the quilting... you can see what I opted for.

playing with linear pattern 

the texture of linen is delicious

thread is variegated

I heard modern quilts did not allow for variegated thread... no need to remind everyone what happens when I hear a quilt "rule"

backing fabric and binding done with yellow gingham

The quote is: "I am not afraid.  I was meant to do this." Joan of Arc (apparently, though who can know for sure - being a history major causes all sorts of untold mental grief).

My Pinecone...

I wanted the view of a pinecone from the top...
how it would look if you were walking in the woods and bent down to pick it up...

I love pinecones... their design is infinitely pleasing.  I collect them, in the pockets of my winter coat, in bowls, in glasses, even in my car.

Last week I attended a meeting of the Burlington Fibre Arts group.  I want to expand what I can do, once I get out of the way.  I left the meeting filled with inspiration... any place where people think it is perfectly normal to wrap and cook silk fabric with say, goldenrod, simply to see what happens... is a place I want to spend more time :)

I had some vague idea of what I wanted to try, and the pinecone came to mind... my creative emblem, totem, badge?  It is a shape I have spent a lot of time looking at.

I began with brown fabrics and black wool felt, which I quilted... then I cut out pine cone pieces.  Next a background of green needles... then to composing the pinecone itself and later adding some edging.  There was no plan, I let it evolve and this is the result.  I am not sure what else it needs... or where it is going to lead me.  I will hang it from a small pine stick, and maybe adding another vertically...

That is the beauty of not following rules, nothing is wrong... and everything is right.

The piece is small... about 7 1/2 x 9 inches