Monday, March 10, 2008

Embellisher Experiment #6, Felted Landscape

I wanted to see what it would be like to create a miniature landscape using the Embellisher. My plan was to use it as the center patch of a crazy quilt block, in place of the photo-transferred images that are often featured there.
Carolyn Cibik, of Evening Star Designs, calls those central patches "silkies". I used one of the block designs from her CD for my project. (She has incredibly beautiful silkies for sale on her site...but I didn't use one of those this time around.)

This CD would be absolutely fantastic for beginning crazy quilters. Her block designs are interesting and her instructions make sewing them easy. You can order it here.

First I marked out the shape of the central patch from Carolyn's block design...

I've used a heavy cotton duck for my foundation this time. It worked great.
I fused some sky to the foundation fabric, and then started building my landscape with the embellisher.

Doesn't this look like fun?

Here it is pieced into Carolyn's block, but something was missing...

Mt. Hood, of course! How could I have forgotten that?
Then I began just covering the whole block with embroidery. The suggestion is of looking through a window at the mountain, but I wanted to get some foresty-type growth in there, too.

These little leaves were cut out of some vintage velvet ribbon, then fly-stitched into place with some cotton perle from Weeks Dye Works.

Here is the finished block. The blue flowers are my ode to the rare Himalayan poppies that I can imagine growing on the slopes of Mt. Hood. You can see I have touched up the mountain and also added a bit more blue to the sky with soft pastel pencil, in order to provide more contrast.
This 8" block is part of my attempt to figure out how to integrate my little landscapes with crazy quilting....

I am awaiting some silk and merino fibers to arrive in the mail for my next Embellisher experiment, but in the meantime the Take It Further challenge for March beckons....again like last month, the color palette doesn't thrill me although it would be good to work with something like that, that one is not naturally drawn to (and I could use another of Carolyn's block designs), but the concept, "pay attention to the tiny details" is wonderful. Not sure which way I will jump....

28 comments :

Vicki W said...

It's very nice! I love the pink vines on the sides as well.

Momo said...

Really wonderful work! A beautiful look out of the window.

Karrin Hurd said...

Wow, this piece is beautiful. I really want to get one of these embellishers!

Kathy Raker said...

Job well done, it is beautiful!

Judy S. said...

Hi Allie,

I'd say you captured Mt. Hood very well! At this time of year, those mountains remind me of gigantic ice cream cones.

You're doing stuff with your embellisher that wasn't touched on in the demo I saw!

Thanks for visiting my blog....all that snow wasn't here in Bellevue, but rather north and west of Chicago. Our daughter is really looking forward to spring!

Threadspider said...

The creative muse is really with you Allie. It must be the energy we were talking about-the air is so full of it you can almost touch it.

Marty52 said...

So very nice... it's like looking out of the bedroom window with the curtains blowing in the wind. Yummy!

Maureen said...

The embellished area looks really effective, a really lovely piece - maureen x

Jane said...

You sure are taking this embellisher up a notch Allie.. This is really an awesome piece. You have the best eye for doing landscape pieces!

Wendy said...

Gasp!!! Gasp!!! GASP!!!! Wow! It was like each picture took more of my breath away. So beautiful!!! It makes me want to have one just like it. Really beautiful and stunning work!
Wendy

Possibilities, Etc. said...

This is breathtaking!! Gorgeous! Springtime is in the air on that block.

Pat said...

Ditto what everyone else has said, great use of the embellisher and the ferns are just beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Such a great piece! I love it!

Barbara C said...

What a magical landscape. Mt Hood really completes the picture.

Kim said...

So beautiful - what do you do with all your finished pcs?

verobirdie said...

I love that one! This landscape has got a real depth.

Susanne said...

Wow, that looks really beautiful. Great!
Greatings from Germany

Judy Merrill-Smith said...

You have outdone yourself -- what a great piece!

Christine said...

Allison, you really make the embellisher machine look so versatile. I bought a little hand held punch one to try out before committing to the large machine, but now I'm having a rethink on that. Wonder if hubby would notice it on the credit card? They're pretty expensive here in Australia, not under $400 AUD. Hmm, thinking, thinking....
Hooroo,
Christine in sunny Sydney
http://missmuffettwo.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

i'magonnadie seester

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info on the CD. I am going to buy it. The Mt. Hood block reminds me of visits to my sister's home in Portland. You can see it from her back porch.

Stephanie said...

LOVE this Allie. Your SRE is beautiful.

Mary Corbet said...

I LOVE THE LANDSCAPES!! Wow, Allie - really, really pretty!

Susan said...

You are having such a great time using your embellisher. I love the silkie you made for the center of this, and the embellishing you did by hand, too. What a lovely piece! It looks like you - all the flowers in the garden. =)

Cat said...

You won my heart with Mount Hood in the center! We have a motorcycle trip planned to the mountain in September - I'm so excited.

WIPPYSPLACE said...

This is an incredibly beautiful piece of ART!! I can feel it's beauty as if I was there, daydreaming, while staring at the beauty out the window!! Carolyn referred me to your site today, as I had just purchased her cd and am really looking forward to playing now. Gee, I am so inspired by your work! Thank you so much for sharing your work. *~*CAROLE*~*

Thelma said...

Oh my Allison, this is a beauty. Your work always inspires me, so much you have been tagged with an honorable mention award on my blog.

Aileen Clarke Crafts said...

This is so beautiful. So full of interest and enchantment. I recently bought an embellisher and love experimenting with it. I'd love a weeks holiday just to play with it! I'm adding a link to your blog from mine so I can visit often.
Best regards, Aileen.