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| My "Celebrate" piece (unfinished) |
I'm working to finish up my "Celebrate"
10 x 16 Challenge quilt for my small Art Quilt group, the Fiber Funsters. I struggled with this theme for some reason... with the holidays, it seemed like it would be a no-brainer. But I finally decided to play with some of my hand-dyed and painted fabrics I had made and came up with an abstract design that I'm satisfied with. Maybe not thrilled, but satisfied.
The feeling that I got from the fabrics in relation to the theme of "Celebrate" was the lights, colors, and excitement of New Years eve. So, I decided to play around tonight with making a new freemotion quilting pattern of fireworks to go along with it. This is particularly appropriate here in Seattle, where New Years is celebrated with an incredible show of fireworks coming out of the Space Needle
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| "Fireworks" Freemotion Quilting design by Christina Fairley Erickson |
The Fireworks design is fairly simple. I started from the bottom, making a long curved line up to the top "firework" and mad a little circle there. I then built outward- a line out with a little circle on the end, then traveling back down the line to the center circle, going around the center circle until there were multiple explosions outwards. When I felt there were enough, I traveled back down the original line and built out one or more additional fireworks.
I don't think you need to be too careful with this design, as fireworks leave additional streaks of light, so travel stitches don't have to be too exact.
This design would also be good as dandelion seeds or a wispy, whimsical flower.
Thanks again for all the inspiration I've received in trying out freemotion quilting from Leah Day and her
Freemotion Quilting Project. By watching her videos and reading her blog regularly, I was able to come up with this design on my own!
Wish me luck... I have my
5 x 7 Challenge piece for the week completely pieced, but need to finish the quilting tonight before I reveal it tomorrow, and this one needs to be done by Wednesday morning, when the
Fiber Funsters come to meet at my house!
For some fun quilting blogs go see:
Quilt Story
Freemotion by the River
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Its beautiful, well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you1
DeleteI love that quilting design. You would need the absolutely right quilt to use it, but in the right place it would be just perfect. I think it would need heavier than normal thread to stand out, but you are right, with a light weight thread it would be dandelions, and very delicate.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm a little nervous about trying it, probably as I'm not 100% confident about this quilt. But I can definitely see using it in one of my pictorial pieces. Thanks for your thoughts!
DeleteChristina -- this is very pretty -- great job!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful fireworks and I can definitely see it as flowers or dandelions! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFreemotion by the River Linky Party Tuesday
Holy guacamole! I love the fireworks quilting!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis pattern set fireworks off in my Brain!!! Just beautiful! I can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteVery nice design and creative design to make quilt..I like all the design very very nice.
ReplyDeleteCosmetic Surgery India
Ohh wow so beautiful design..love this idea making fire show on quilting.. Very nice design beautiful color.
ReplyDeleteOncology & Cancer Surgery India
Love your design. I too have been inspired by Leah and have spent the last couple of days creating designs that spin off from other designs. I no longer feel I must repeat what are believed to be the standards. I cannot wait to try some of the designs on a quilt.
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