So Close
I’m so close to finishing Pretty in Pink it is tempting to just keep going. Who needs sleep, food or time with family, right? Love that energy that comes as the current project is drawing to a close. Remember the bumper stickers that read “I’d rather be…”? Pastimes such as fishing or as many of you reading this might say, quilting, are used to complete this phrase. That is how I feel when an artwork, such as Pretty in Pink is so close to being realized I would rather work on it.
It all started with Ariana’s eyes. Aren’t they stunning? OK, I’m prejudice, but I think she’s gorgeous. And those eyes! It is as if she is looking right at you, which is of course what she was doing when this picture was taken. It is a close-up of her “sneaking” a pair of my shoes.
Teen Rebellion
Remember the teen rebellion of last week? I was ready to give up. The face was not coming together. It wasn’t even close to coming together. Ouch!
Sometimes I just have to take a deeper breath, continue and hope for the best. I worked on blending/softening areas by layering more threads. By the time I started thread painting Ariana’s arm my confidence grew.
Nearly Done
Shocker! I’m nearly done. All that is left to do is add Ariana’s sunbonnet. After that there is some finish work, such as cutting away the Whisperlite. I traced the position of various elements of the image on the Whisperlite to aid with assembly. One finicky part of thread painting is it finishes close to, but not to size. Ditto for pillowcase turned appliqué. The good news is that the slight difference in size doesn’t affect the final quilt.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
My 2023 Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt is finished. So now what? Between now and next January I should have quite a collection of possible RSCQs to choose from. I have five images saved in my 2024 RSCQ album. This is a pattern for tessellated cats that I stumbled on. I had fun drafting it in EQ8. Now I can print out foundations for piecing if I opt to make this one.
I’m linking up to the following posts:
Well I was going to mention the painting first but then you blew my mind with the “2023 finish”😂 congrats on an early finish,toward the end Angela usually pulls in the option to add neutrals or finish so I was thinking the same as you just get her done lol the painting is coming along beautifully ,I’ve only been painting for 4 yrs & still learning soni know about layers & layers & more layers,one always. Says don’t panic going through the ugly stage there’s a layer for that 😂
To be honest, Helen, I still need to add the sleeve and label to my 2023 RSC quilt. Close enough, right? You are so right, the key isn’t to panic when thread painting, but trust there is always a fix. It does surprise me how stiff thread paintings become due to all that thread.
I have the Tessellated Cats saved in my RSC folder as well. I purchased the pattern on Etsy a while back. I realized that it was too complicated to make it the way the pattern was written and figured the sizes of pieces that would work with my Accuquilt Snail Trail die to speed the process.
I made a table topper to test the modified block:
https://new2quilting.blogspot.com/2022/11/tessilating-cat-table-topper-complete.html
It turned out pretty cute.
I LOVE the colors in the quilt. Can’t wait to see which quilt you pick for your next RSC.
Your table topper is … well, I’m speechless. I just can’t choose a single superlative. It’s adorable, fun, glamorous and purrfectly executed. Thank you for bring it to my attention. One thing I am pondering is making each cat’s ears from prairie points.
Pretty in Pink is looking spectacular! Your cats seems like a fun RSC2024 project.
Thank you, Patricia. The truth is I will make whatever strikes my fancy come January 2024. Could be something in my possibles collection or something brand new that has captured my attention.
Wow! “Pretty in Pink” is indeed coming along. The little sunbonnet will really complete the picture. Pretty, indeed! 🙂
That’s the hope, Margaret. Thank you!
Ooooh, Pretty in Pink is coming along beautifully! I love how you soften her cheeks, and what a look! I can understand why you couldn’t stop stitching!
Those tessellated cats look great, and fun for the next RSC 😉
Thank you so much for sharing, and linking up!
Thank you, Frédérique. I finished Pretty in Pink yesterday and will share in the next Friday’s post.
What a beautiful piece. <3 I'd love to have you join my Sew & Tell party. Blessings!
So kind of you to say, Melva. Thank you!
Sorry to hear your thread painting has been giving you grief, but all I see is a fabulous piece of work! You are on a bit of a treasure hunt, aren’t you? Happy hunting for next year’s RSC project!
Thank you for commiseration. Seems I have resolved the thread painting issue. In fact, I’m actually contemplating trying my hand at another thread painted portrait to be shared at the next open studios.