"AFTER THE STORM", my latest quilt, story behind the frog ...

25,5 "x 23"

This is my latest quilt, kind of created because I didn't know where to put my frog on !

Frogs have a special meaning for me... that's how the British call  French people and a dear friend of mine keeps on reminding me about this fact, buying me all kind of different objects related to this charming animal...

In my native language, frogs make a weird sound : "croa-croa",  but I like the sound of the English speaking frog much better : "rippit-rippit" because I  know what this sound means !! I use my seam ripper a lot to undo those mistakes...

Another dear and famous friend of mine is also making fun of the French people and our accent ....He just sent me that ...

Maybe I should make a quilt featuring Pepe le Putois...

Anyway, a couple of month ago, I made Froggy using the "Thread Painting" technique, learned many years ago in a class with Nancy Prince and more recently with B.J Adams.

I love the 3D effect achieved with variegated threads.

You trace your design on a water soluble stabilizer and make a "sandwich"  using  2 layers of tulle and another layer of water soluble. You then use a hoop and start free motion "painting"with both, a straight and a zig-zag stitch.

Once finished, cut away the excess tulle and stabilizer and soak the piece into soapy hot water to dissolve the stabilizer. When dry, use a stencil cutter to burn the tulle around your design. You can now applique your creation with invisible thread onto the background. Et voila !

I have used this thread painting in my "Gray Dream" quilt a few years ago (the palm tree)

and also to create this door

or to make my fire tree

The cactus is made out of 3 layers of fabric, light to dark, and stitch at different places from top to bottom, then cut out open in between the stitches to let the underlayers of fabric show and fray (technique learned with Grace Errera)

Coming back to Froggy, she,  (because in French, it's a female ...) was jumping from one background to another and couldn't really find a cosy  place to rest,  until she landed next to my cactus...

My hubby kept on telling me that one can't find a frog next to a cactus next to water ...but in my fantasy world, you can !

I then added some silk flowers (torn from a bunch bought at Michael's years ago) with a bead in the center of each one.

I chose to make a facing instead of the traditional binding to give the quilt a more contemporary look.

First, you have to steam block the finished quilt and square it up evenly.

Cut 4 strips 2 1/2" wide, longer than the sides of the quilt.

Press under 1/4" on each strip.

Sew one strip on top and bottom and cut ends even with the quilt.

Press facing strips away from the quilt.

Sew an understitch on the front of the facing, including the seam allowance in the understitching

Add facing strips to the 4 sides, starting only at point of intersection, backstitching.

Press all the strips to the back of the quilt

It's now time to "fiddle" with your fabric on the back of your quilt and "press it to submission" as my friend would say ...

Hand stitch the facing to the back of your quilt and that's what I am going to do right now...