I teach fiber art quilting classes.
Have you ever looked out the window and thought, “I would love to capture this scene in a quilt”? Now you can!
The technique taught in this class will enable you to capture your favorite scene in a photograph and create it in a beautiful quilt. Your palate will be fabric and your paint will be thread. You will be able to achieve depth and three-dimensional qualities, almost as if you can walk into the scene yourself.
Level of class: Intermediate
The staff of Quilting Arts Magazine decided to include many of the quilts they received for the “Greatest Pet Peeve” Reader Challenge” in the Dec/Jan 2011 issue. So, I am happily mailing my quilt off to the magazine. I’ll keep you posted. I’m very excited at the prospect of seeing my work in print. Friskers, the main character of my cat-scape was thrilled as well. She was rewarded with some tuna. She didn’t ask why, she just ate it all…
It’s done! Bound, sewn and delivered. I hope it’s a finalist. It was really fun to do.
I tried to bring out the three-dimensional quality of the scene. I wanted you, the viewer, to understand that you and a cat are looking at a fridge with lots of stuff on the shelves.
The closeup view shows the cat and her long white whiskers peering and sniffing at the contents of the fridge. 
I used cotton fabric, cotton thread, some synthetic fabric, some stabilizer and tulle. (The door is meant to be a little fuzzy because of the plastic shelving, which I made with tulle.)
The batting is Warm and Natural, cotton batting. The final size is 8.5″ x 11″.
Did I mention I plan to enter this miniature quilt into a challenge? It’s due next week. Quilting Arts Magazine is running the “Greatest Pet Peeve” Reader Challenge”. I thought it would be fun, since I live in a “cat house” and there are more than a few feline antics to choose from. I debated whether a cat in the fridge would be more amusing than a cat drinking from a coffee mug. My faithful audience, aka my family, told me that the cat in the fridge was clearly the choice!
So, here are the next stages I’ve worked up of my cat-scape. The first is before quilting. I’ve made real strides to show the depth into the fridge.
The second shot is after quilting. I chose not to do an enormous amount of thread painting, because I wanted the items in the fridge to be recognizable. They are not artistic images; they are bottles of juice, containers of milk and pots.
I’d be glad to hear what you think! Do you see the three-dimensional quality of this work? Our fridge really looks this way. You can’t see the back!
Here is the next step in my fridge landscape. I’ve traced the scene and I’m filling in the blanks under the tracing.
It’s starting to shape up. More to come.
I can’t resist doing this new landscape quilt. Who says a landscape has to be trees and grass? Why not an everyday view, like inside your fridge? Well some in our family think that is better than the outdoors. Here is proof. So, this is the inspiration. More to come as I progress. Since we are known as a “cat house” it seems just right. More to come…
Finally, here is your chance to make the ultimate weekend bag yourself in the exact colors you want, at your own leisure. This guide contains actual photos, clear descriptions and simple steps to enable you to create this bag with your own signature.
This lovely, handmade, multi-purpose small tote is a great gift idea. It’s handy for taking a few items and still looking fashionable without being loaded down. Tissues, keys, sunglasses and a book. What more do you need?
The dimensions of the finished bag are: 9″ back/front x 2.75″ side panel x 10″ long; 9.5″ handle drop (can be a short shoulder bag or hand-held)
23.5cm back/front x 7cm side panel x 25cm long; 24cm handle drop
The design includes straps that are filled with batting for added comfort. The bag has a cute flower that adds to its beauty.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/78173639/pdf-tutorial-how-to-make-a-quilted
I will email a PDF file of this tutorial upon receipt of your email address and payment. No shipment costs; no waiting!
*** Update***
I have also decided to provide this bag as a combination tutorial / fabric kit in case you don’t have time to shop for fabric. So, visit this second shop item if you prefer having the fabric provided!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/78660521/fabric-kit-tutorial-to-make-a-quilted
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Required materials for this Tote Bag
Body of bag: ½ yard pre-quilted fabric or a pieced or plain top fabric with cotton batting and a back that you have quilted together measuring ½ yard
Coordinating cotton thread
Binding and Straps: ¼ yard coordinating cotton fabric
Straps: 1” strip of batting cut into two pieces measuring 1” x 22”
1 fat quarter lightweight cotton or rayon fabric for the flower
Strong thread, such as a coated cotton or a polyester for hand sewing the flower
1 button
Sewing machine
Walking foot (optional but recommended)
Overlock foot (optional but recommended)
Scissors
Rotary board, ruler and cutter (optional)
Iron
Pins
Hand sewing needle
Note to my fellow Etsy sellers: You are welcome to sell your finished bag but please limit the numbers so we can all benefit…
Please protect artistic works from misuse and illegal infringement by respecting the copyright laws connected with this original tutorial. All the images and instructional information contained in this tutorial belong solely to CindyRQuilts.
Thanks for visiting.
Enjoy!
The opening of a unique art exhibit featuring the theme “Couples” took place a week ago, Thursday night. The exhibit is housed in the art gallery on Moshav Givat Yishayahu, home to quite a few artists in the HaElla area.
The theme was presented in paint, photo, steel, chicken wire and wood. Attendees wandered around the art exhibit with a glass of wine and high spirit. One of the renowned artists featured was Moshe Katz, blacksmith. Katz has been exhibited widely internationally.
Katz’s sculptures are available for purchase on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/KatzStudio
The art portion of the event was followed by a lively concert nearby. The HaElla Artists are a cooperative that run events such as this one several times a year. They also host visitors in their homes at open house weekends before Sukkot and Pesach.
Here are some photos from the evening taken by Vered Terry https://picasaweb.google.com/veredterry/6?authkey=Gv1sRgCInXyqTxx-C8rwE.
For more information about HaElla events and viewing this exhibit, contact Barak Katz, Administrator of HaElla Artists: [email protected]
I had not dyed fabric before yesterday. My friend Riki mentioned that she had some experience with it and she came over to share her knowledge. My daughter Danielle got up early to join in the fun.
Everything was ready… The table was covered and the pans for the dye were out and scraps of cotton fabric were piled high. So we went at it. We used rubber bands and pipe cleaners to make swirls and circles. We wrapped fabric around rice and lentils using rubber bands. This came out a little different than just winding bands around the fabric. Riki made an accordion out of one piece of fabric, which resulted in stripes after she soaked up dye on each side of the accordion. Danielle and Riki decorated a tee shirt from Danielle’s closet.
We read about different methods and dyes from dyeing expert, Paula Burch. Her site is really helpful and informative: http://www.pburch.net/. By the way, we used dye that works on cottons, called Rit dye (www.ritdye.com).
We poured a little bit of dye and some boiling water into aluminum pans and started dunking and swishing the fabrics in them. Although we wore gloves, we all ended up with teal colored fingers. Oh well, that’s the price for fun.
Here are some photos of our morning. I’m ready to do it again! Who wants to join us?
The 2011 summer quilters event occurred in Jerusalem last week. Quilters from the Israel Quilters Organization (www.israeli-quilt.com) gathered to learn and share ideas during a three-day get away held in Beit v’Gan, Israel. The events were well attended and included two days of inspiring workshops.
I attended a class led by Carmela Zak (http://www.thimblecollectors.com/reg_-_intl_groups.htm), which included singeing synthetic fabrics with a solder iron. The textures created by the layers of singed fabrics resulted in a very unusual effect. 
The second half of the class was devoted to embroidery. Carmella took us through the world of embroidery and showed us a number of stitches that we will be able to use on these projects and any future quilts.
In addition, other workshops offered during the get-away included Crazy Quilting, Collage, Baltimore Design, and more. The evening events were punctuated by a concert of two harpists and a flutist. The head of the Israel Quilters Organization, Clara Kichel (www.clarakichel.co.il), together with the other members of the committee who arranged the events, did an amazing job. It was a great experience.