My quilt donations for Karey's museum

Fast Friday Fabric Challenges to the rescue of Karey's museum.  Since it takes me much longer than most to create even a little quilt, I looked in my 'saved quilt' stash and came up with three I hope are good enough for this venue.

Catch a Falling Star

This was a no brain-er.  I started with a gorgeous piece of Lois Jarvis' 'Rust Tex' fabric. [Check it out, it will make the quilt.]  Basically I framed it in this wonderful hand dyed velveteen, stitched it in gold, and then added some gold colored metal beads.  This is actually one of my favorite pieces.  Hope it finds a home that loves it.

Mermaid Study

I believe mermaids are related to dolphins and whales. They do not have scales, but thick skin. If you look closely, this mermaid is working hard to get off the beach. She was visiting land for the night, but obviously didn't make it back before she changed, once again, from a human to a sea mammal. As the sun is only a thread on the horizon, no shadows exist. It is that special time between moon glow and sun shine. Although the mermaid seems in peril, the tide is rising. Do not fear, she will be OK.

Geode

I discharged some fabric, stitched it to within an inch of it's life with many types of thread, including metallic.  Then I added glass beads to reflect the glow of the inner space.  I mounted it between a small wooden frame which I covered with jute string to reflect the tough, dull outside of a geode.

Art Deco?

Done

I usually title my designs.  This one took me soo long, I call it 'Done'.

I started this little piece last spring.  Then I had a series of medical interruptions.  It was started for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge titled, Art Deco.  I think my original design hit the mark.  All I intended to do was stitch in the ditch so the design popped. 

Pieced Design

However, I could NOT get the tension adjusted on my machine. The more I stitched, the more out of whack it got. I had lost a LOT of my incentive for finishing this. Yet, it was something practical I really wanted to use.

After marking a bunch of circles flowing across the design, I stitched those several times around using white thread until I felt they stood out enough to make the design show.  It was rather subtle.  Next, I picked out a thread color that is in my wall.  Then I really stitched it within an inch of its' life.  Now the real FUN began.  I took out my buttons.  No real whites, so I used these small off white ones.  I really wanted gray and purple.  I had bought a set of purple buttons and also some tiny gray ones.  I needed something that would POP.  Like any good Artist, I looked in my closet for buttons that would work for this quilt.  I absolutely love the steel gray ones.  I rarely wore the wool jacket.  Now I have more wool for wool stash.  I found a few more purple ones on a sweater I never wear.  That will be re-purposed later. 

I laid my buttons out on my design; then I fiddled for hours.  I held them in place with the yellow headed pins.  I liked the accent, so decided to use white embroidery floss on all of the buttons.  I actually only had to take off one button that didn't work out.  That amazed me.  This is my first time using buttons as a design element.  Attaching them took 2 days because I had to pull the large needle through with pliers.  The tiny gray ones required a small needle, so I just went through several times. 

Am I hooked on buttons?  Not sure.  I think each quilt will have to speak to me and tell me what to do, just as this one did.

Finished Art Quilt in Situ