I finally got the creative juices flowing a bit yesterday, and finished the first FFFC (Fast Friday Fabric Challenge) quilt I have attempted in a very long time. New challenges are posted on the 4th Friday of each month, with the idea of finishing a small art quilt by the following Saturday. I originally thought that this piece would be done before the next challenge was posted, but while double checking the rules for Challenge 40, I found that the next challenge had already been posted- yesterday was the 4th Friday of January- where has the month gone?
Cocoa Mix Box
For Challenge #40, we were to pay attention to product packaging and how the colors used affect your perception and buying decisions of the products, and then use the colors from a selected package in a quilt. The piece was to be a still life, and be mostly plants or flowers. I drink hot chocolate every morning, and used one of the boxes for my color palette. I immediately thought of my favorite cobalt blue glass bottles, and wanted to include a couple in my composition.
Photos of Blue Bottles Printed on Cotton Fabric
I am not great re-creating glass in fabric, so I decided to take photos of the glass and a spool of thread, and printed them onto fusible backed cotton fabric.
Group of Cobalt Blue Glass Bottles and Eye Wash Cup
Here is one of the photos I used to arrange on the page to print onto the fabric. I placed them on, and backed them white card stock to take the photo. I love the gold design on the perfume bottle- my favorite.
Ist Layout Idea
This was the first version of the layout. I hadn’t remembered that plants or flowers were to be a big part of the composition. The original thought was to use the thread spools and some chunks of chocolate around the bottles… Not too hard to change direction a bit…. the short bottle could be a vase, and I had thought of adding a white flower on the table anyway.
Second Layout Without Thread
OK, to keep with mostly plant theme, chocolate and thread spools are out, bottles and eye wash cup still in. I found some great silk leaves in the perfect shade of coppery brown found on the cocoa box to back the white silk flowers. I added a stem into the open top bottle, ready for flowers. The chocolate colored fabric I had picked out was used for the stems and small leaves needed.
More Progress
Here is what it looks like after flowers have been added, and stitching has been done. Most of the flower petals were stitched only down there centers, leaving them 3-dimensional.
Blue Bottles and Flowers
Here is the “finished” piece…. The more I look at it, I think I need to figure out a way to make the white lace show up better. The bottles look a bit dull to me, and I may add a bit of gloss medium over them….. The flower centers could use some beads. I guess I will have to hang it on the design wall for a while to see what happens.
Update- 1-27-10- Well, after looking at it for a few days, I decided to add some beads in the flowers. Below is the most recent photo.
Newest Version of Blue Bottles with Beads Added
Detail shot of Blue Bottles and Flowers
This last photo shows more detail. I even added a little gold butterfly resting at the base of the lower right flower.
I am a former textile artist and new pattern designer with a degree in horticulture, wishing to share my love of nature, flowers and gardens with everyone through my photos, sunprinted fabrics, and now pattern designs. Chronic Lyme Disease has caused major changes to the direction my life. I have to limit the amount of time spent digging in my gardens, and quilting has become more difficult. I discovered pattern design as a way to get art back into my life. I now use my gardens and photos to inspire designs that can be used on fabrics and print on demand items.
Thanks for the process explaination. Very helpful to see how you did the bottles. Is it possicle to put a darker color under the lace; if not maybe paint on top or white stitching. Very lovely project.
Sue, I haven’t done a challegne in a long while, yet from time to time I like to see what’s being done. When I see something that really captures my attention I have to give credit where credit is do. I absolutely love the “Blue Bottles and Flowers. The quilt looks so realistic. You printer printed your some vibrant photos. Awsome job!
Thanks! I use an Epson printer with Dura Bright inks, and if I get good photos, it prints great on the fabric. It helps me get things into my quilts that I would not have been able to do other ways.