The Commission

The Commission

         I was commissioned by my professor.  To do a quilt art for her. Through my quilting and I waited to see if I found something that would inspire me to do something for her.  I wanted it to be personal.  

She had this beautiful picture of her son.  Learning how to swim and I was touched and wanted to do this for her.

I went to a print store and had the picture re sized as large as they could.  Like I said,  "I'M not a Pencil ARTIST."  I don't want to copy the picture I want to get a true outline of the body so I can add my vision of what the quilting could do. 


Well since I'm an Embroidery I use water soluble stabilizer. 

They are two types. 
-One that is water soluble stabilizer which dissolves with water.  It has more texture on the stabilizer.  
-The other is Heat dissolving stabilizer put iron on it and it will dissolve.  The heat stabilizer is clear like cooking wrap.

Time to trace

Time to trace and copy not the details of the picture but the outline of the body and where the eyes are and hands so that when I quilt I know where the body and placement  should be.       
 

Isn't he cute.  

Painting the fabric.

Of course I used white satin, I love the shininess of the fabric.  I did the painting in several layers. 
-One layer had aqua,
-second layer had blues,
-third layer had purples with running water on it,
-forth layer had gold and pearl white to lighten the richness of the fabric.

Paint

This is Airbrush paint for fabric, metal, and plastic.  I heat set it and washed the fabric and it is their for life. 




Now the QUILTING

Here is the start of the quilting.  I am using two layers of batting I want to  have a lot of quilting to create movement but where I have less quilting I want it to rise some.

 

 

A video on how I did some areas of the quilting.

 

 

I have just started to go around the body of the little boy.  I can't wait till you see the finished product.  I quilted the stabilizer and now it will not move as it is tacked to the fabric.  It looks messy but you can see the out line tracing of the picture. 

  I did this in steps. 
-One day I painted the fabric. 
-Another day I went and got the picture enlarged.  
-It took time to research on the paint and also finding a coupon to get a good airbrush. 
(You don't have to buy an airbrush at hobby lobby they have the paint and a spray that works like an airbrush.)
-It also took time to make time to start the quilting.  Life can be busy.
-Now to the fun part. 

The Process.

 

 

The process

The process

      I'm doing a dedication quilt for one of my Professors who was so inspiring to  me.  I really don't consider myself an artist, not in ARTIST sense.  My brother is an artist and he does oil paints, pastels, and pencil art work.  You know in families their is titles and my wasn't "ARTIST." 

I did this when I was in my Design class.  She allowed me to use my quilting back ground to do my assignment... LOVE her.  I layered several colors on the satin fabric.  Love satin.  

I don't know if you see it but its a Little girl with curly hair looking up at a tree.   The head is on the right side and her chest goes across the bottom of the quilt.

I think confidence is a process that needs maturing.  I procrastinated for three weeks before I started to do this, because I didn't know if I could do it.  I'm not the ARTIST.!!!   I painted the fabric with the spray paint from hobby lobby you use to paint model airplane or model cars.  I never intended to wash the fabric any way if it was for a grade.   

I did the tree first and kind of did an  outline and winged it.  It took me three hours to finish and I am awestruck that I came out with something so beautiful. 

The process truly reveals ability that never would of been journey if not traveled. 

I didn't bind it I barely had enough time to finish I turned it in with just the quilting and trimmed off the back and batting to clean up the edges

In class all these real artist in my class were in awe of the quilt.  REAL ARTIST were looking at my work.  People who are getting a degree in this field were complimenting my type of textile art.

   I found artist are competitive and they really work hard to grab the attention of their peers and if you got their attention YOU did something special.

I'm sharing this because in the process of my creativity.  I have started to see myself as an ARTIST but of a different kind.  TEXTILE, THREAD, METAL, LEATHER, AND FABRIC.   Not anything involving a pencil, paint brush, or  pastels. 

On my next blog I am doing a tutorial of how to do this kind of work.

My Professor Loved my work, HEHEEEE she commissioned me to do one for her. 

I feel honored.!!!