Sunday, January 20, 2008

Cottage Portrait, Finished!

Thanks for all your sweet comments on this little project...obviously it was quite a personal one for me. Glad you liked those rocks, too! Of course, that concept of the glued-on, pre-threaded buttons can be used for anything...bottlecaps, shells, coins, etc...that you don't want to drill.

It was just a morning's work to flystitch those little seams on the frame...keeping the stitching unobtrusive and uniform...again, they are not supposed to be the interest here, so I kept them tame. I liked adding that tad of blue with the silk thread I used, though.

I employed the same foam core method as I wrote about here to finish off the piece. It measures 7 1/4" X 7 1/2".

These are a blast to do...you should try it!

This coming Friday I am leaving for my annual week-long quilt retreat at Point Bonita, California. Between now and then I need to figure out what I'm going to be working on for those 6 days in the studio....from 6 a.m. til 9 p.m. that's where I'll be.
Last year I worked on the "H" quilt...this year my focus will be lots of little projects so I had better start getting organized! I'll let you know what I come up with to do before I leave...

16 comments :

DebbyMc said...

So lovely, Allie. Have a blast in Point Bonita...and say hi for me to my friend Shirley G. from Missoula if you see her!

Sandra said...

Beautiful! And the write-up on the history the cabin has in your family was great. I especially like the way you enhanced the photo with embroidery and a bit of paint. But the rocks are the best!

Rian said...

I was surprised at the small size of this piece. I had imagined it to be more like 15x15. Those really are tiny rocks. Have fun thinking up things to take to Point Bonita! Getting ready is part of the fun.

indiaartist said...

How wonderful! All the best for the retreat. Come back refreshed and with more woderful pieces.

Julie said...

Allie: I think the idea of the rocks is genius - I love how you decided to attach them. I took a class with Judith Baker Montano on doing a little landscape cottage scene, but we had to sketch and watercolor our scene....I like this idea much better. It means so much more - what a lovely remembrance of a special place! I envy your Point Bonita trip after hearing your wonderful stories. I know you will have a great time - take your laptop and keep us informed!

QuiltingFitzy said...

Michigander by heart, you've captured the feel of the cabin and it's lush surroundings. Thanks for sharing.

Cat said...

Awesome! I love this. I love all the embroidery - the leaves and the nature work... very cool!

Enjoy your quilting retreat!

Pamela Kellogg said...

How visually interesting and such a unique piece! I'm adding this technique my very long list of things to try.

Have a wonderful time at your quilt retreat!

Kay said...

What a wonderful gift this is. Do you have one for yourself? Enjoy the retreat!

Shelina said...

What a wonderful project! It looks very different from the other projects you have done, and the rocks are an awesome touch!

verobirdie said...

So lovely and personal. Your cousin will be delighted!

atet said...

It's perfect. Your cousin will absolutely love it! Have a great time at your retreat.

Micki said...

I love how you did this piece. Thanks for sharing your techniques with us. Your cousin will love it. Have fun at your retreat.

Susan said...

Love the rock border - hate the amount of work involved. Guess that shows who the real artist is. =) I almost bought some of the River Silk in a little jam-packed store in CA last Oct. I got distracted by antique laces though, and forgot to go back. =) Do you like working with them? I know that all silk ribbon is not created equal!

corina said...

This is so beautiful!

Deb Hardman said...

It turned out amazing Allie. I love the stones on it. Very clever.