Folklore: 10,000 Lakes

The theme for Art Quilts Around the World this round was Folklore.  I chose one close to home.  In Minnesota you can find Babe and Paul Bunyan in a number of places.  Their large statues make great photo opps.  I know my family has taken photos by at least one set of statues.

The story goes (depending on which set of tales you read)  Paul was traveling west because he had cut all the trees down on the East Coast.  He found Babe, cold and blue,  in the middle of a snow storm and nursed him back to health.  They both became lost in the storm of the century in Minnesota thus crossing and recrossing the state several times.  In the spring when the snow melted their foot prints filled with the melted snow and that is how we came to be known as the land of 10,000 Lakes.  Here is a link to a Disney story of Paul Bunyan, at the very end they talk about forming the lakes.

I bought the background fabric a number of years ago, I think while I was doing a Minnesota shop hop.  I cut out an outline of the state of Minnesota and fused that to the background.  I created Babe and Paul from bits of fabric and fused them off to the side.  Next I made foot and hoof prints which are also fused. I created a trail with the thread to show their travels.  Finally I made the numbers and letters.  It almost looks like an old fashioned postcard to me.  I had a hard time getting motivated to make this one for some reason but glad I did, I like how it turned out.  

The Art Quilts are approximately 11.5" x 16.5".  Be sure and visit the Art Quilts around the World blog to see what others have created for this challenge.

Have a creative day
Janet

Project Quilting 7 A Goose in the Monkey Wrench

The final challenge!
You still have time to enter the final challenge for this years Project Quilting.  It is due at noon on Sunday, check out the instructions here.

This was my first year entering this challenge and I have enjoyed it.  Some of my pieces were so-so and some I really liked.  The important part for me was trying new techniques, and the challenge of creating within a certain time frame.  It was fun to see how many different interpretations there were of the same theme. Here are all my entries for this season.

1.  Confetti
2.  Bird Watching Season
3.  All About That Thread
4.  Vacation
5.  Through the eyes of a child
6.  A Goose in a Monkey Wrench


I am inspired by the creativity of these wonderful participants and look forward to watching what they create in the future.

I have never made a mug rug (If you don't know what a mug rug is check here) and since I have a number of other projects I am trying to finish right now I decided to go small this week.  Literally.  We needed to include a flying geese block and a monkey wrench block in our piece.  I shrunk my patterns by 50% to include in my mug rug.

Covering all the Bases

I am starting to like paper piecing more and more.  I paper pieced the monkey wrench and the flying geese but the rest of the block, I just sort of added on here and there.  It shows doesn't it.  I should have taken more time to plan it out.  Not my best work but it was fun to collage together.  It is approximately 8" x 10".  But actually since it is meant to sit my coffee and a treat on, I'm kind of glad it isn't a spectacular piece.

I am calling it "Covering all the Bases" because I also included some literal geese and a monkey.

Don't forget to stop at the Persimon Dreams blog after Sunday noon to see all the entries and vote for your favorite.  Or challenge yourself and add your own piece before the deadline.  It is International Quilting weekend after all so what better way to spend the weekend than creating a new quilt.

Have a Creative Day
Janet

Yeah for Project Quilting!

Just had to share what arrived in the mail today!  So excited.  I won these through Project Quilting.  The aurifil thread colors are so luscious. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Aurifil thread.  I use a lot of your thread in my quilting and can't wait to find a project for these.

I won these prizes for the I need a vacation challenge.

I love the buttons.  I have always been a button collector.  

There is one more challenge left for this year, beginning Sunday afternoon.  I will have to wear this button until I get it done.  This has really been a fun thing to do and I am glad I joined in the fun this year.  Thank you Kim Lapacek at Persimmon Dreams.

Have a Creative Day

Janet

Quilting time!

In between the Project Quilting challenges I made the time to finish a quilt.  I pieced this one a number of years ago.  The pattern is by Nancy Rink.  

I pieced the back as well and am really pleased with the look.

Yeah!  Another UFO bites the dust!  Next up is my Irish quilt, it is almost St Patrick's Day.

 Have a Creative Day

Janet

Project Quilting 7 Through the eyes of a Child

                     

This is the fifth piece for Project Quilting 7.  The theme this week is Through the eyes of a Child.  Children's artwork was a recommended source.  I love this theme!  I know when my kids were little I often thought about turning pieces of their art into pieces of my art.  I always said 'someday' when I have time.  Well I guess someday is here!  I'm going to look around the house for more.

I wanted to finish early this week because my husband's birthday is this weekend and we want to go do something fun to celebrate.  I did it!  Done on Thursday, definitely a record for me.  Be sure to check back sometime next week to see all the entries and vote for your favorite at Persimmon Dreams.  There are some amazingly talented people creating these quilts.

I used a charcoal sketch made by my son in I think 5th or 6th grade.  It was easy to find and one I always liked.  I framed this one a long time ago and had it hanging on the wall.

I like these two fabrics, I found them at JoAnn fabrics, I really did not have anything in these colors.  They are both designed by Tim Holtz ECLECTIC ELEMENTS.  The lighter one is called Symphony and the darker one is called Ledger.  I liked the musical connection in the background fabric.

This was very fun to make.  It was completed on my Bernina as were all the quilts I have made for Project Quilting.  I can't wait to make a few more.  It might be fun to make a whole quilt with a dozen individual pieces of art, I'd better start looking for my saved box of art work.  I knew there was a reason I kept all those treasures.  This one I kept true to size, it is about 19" x 12".

Have a creative day!

Janet