Chessman & Starlight Girl

"CHESSMAN & STARLIGHT GIRL"

27" X 22"

Raw-edged fused applique

Machine Quilted

Original Design by 

Barbara Strobel Lardon

The journey I took with this quilt was a fun one and the inspiration came to me in an odd way.  I was cleaning up my studio after making a quilt titled "Heart to Heart" exactly one year ago.  It had these two horses in a field of sunflowers.  When I finished folding it to put it away I was left with this and I immediately thought that this would stand alone as another art quilt.  Now, one year later it seems appropriate that I create it.

It is all raw-edged fused applique, and machine quilted by me.  The design is my original one.
My work is always one-if-a-kind.

I have listed it in my Etsy Shoppe and you can go there to purchase it if you are moved to do so.
Here is the journey I took.

NOTE:  Since posting this, "Chessman & Starlight Girl" has sold.

THE JOURNEY

 

PORTRAIT OF A ROOSTER

PORTRAIT OF A ROOSTER

Original design

Rawedged fused applique

Machine quilted

Measures 22" X 18"

Is available for sale in my Etsy shoppe.

I must apologize for not showing you a step by step posting of this piece as I made it. 

I guess things just got away from me this time.  However, if you go below you will see the journey and be able to take it with me now.

THE JOURNEY

CONEFLOWERS

 "CONEFLOWERS"

21 1/2" X 10 1/2"

Original Design

Rawedged fused applique

Machine quilted

 Details of quilting

I like to make small quilts for two reasons.  The first being that they will be great for gifts or in my Etsy Shoppe for someone who can not afford the larger pieces but still would like a fiber art piece.  The second reason is it spans the gap between quilts when you have nothing in mind to start yet.  I have though about a few ideas but am distracted with everyday life right now.  Summer likes to do that because it is the time you can find many fun things to do all around you.  So this....does not take a lot of thought....and makes you feel good all at the same time.

HUMMERS

 "Hummers"

35" X 27 1/2"

An original design art quilt 

Raw edged fused applique

Machine Quilted

Bound in the traditional manner.

Finished "Hummers" last night.   I am happy with the outcome.  It was fun to work on….took my out of my comfort colors a bit but it was fun to work with a different palette.
I love the Hummingbird….it is mysterious in ways since it moves about so quickly  and you sometimes just catch it with the corner of your eye.   So what better subject matter to capture in flight forever.

Hope you enjoy this piece as much as I did creating it.   It is available for purchase in my
Etsy Shoppe:    https://www.etsy.com/shop/BSLArtQuilts

NOTE:  This quilt has sold and is going into a private collection.

"The Boat"

 "The Boat"

33" X 16"

Original Design

Rawedged Fused Applique

Machine Quilted

 

Here are the three of my water scene quilts.  Starting at the top is "The Boat"  then "Lily Pads & Cattails" and finally "Reflectons".   I am happy with all three as a series.  It was fun working on each one of them individually and then helped me get through the difficult time of closing our Antique Shop and liquidating .  The calmness portrayed in each one helped when things were in chaos.  

This will complete this small series and now I will move on to something new and fresh.  Thank you for visiting. 

"The Emperor"

"The Emperor"

17" X 17"

Designed, Rawedged fused

and Machine Quilted

February 2013

Barred Owl

 "Barred Owl"

21 inches by 15 inches

Rawedged fused applique

Couched Yarn binding

Machine Quilted

First Quilt of 2013

 I finished the binding this morning and the quilting yesterday.  Woo Hoo!   I am very happy with this owl and the piece overall.  Since I do not physically plan out my quilts other then the main character, I always hope that what is in my head transforms successfully into the piece.

 I added more quilting to the downy type white feathers and left that darker ones more simple.

 I couched yard on as my binding.  I learned this technique from my good friend, Nellie Durand.  If you are interested in learning this you can go here:  Couching Yarn
I do not use it on every quilt but on this one I like how ti added to the naturalness and texture in the piece.

Here is the back.  I am showing this just to show the amount of quilting on this one.  I am a firm believer that the art is on the front!  I am always mystified at the judging that is done on the backs of art quilts.  I get it on a bed quilt and yes I do think that your back should be neatly done without anything horrible going on with tension, loose threads, birdnests and things like that but
that is it.  I think my backs are nicely done over all .  I refuse to bury my threads and instead choose to take several very small stitches to end a line of stitching. This results in a perfect top and maybe if quilting in a thick or dense area, a tiny knot will appear, at times, on the back.   I do not think it matters.  

"Hootlet"

 "Hootlet"

17 inches X 26 inches

Rawedged fused applique

Machine Quilted

 This was quite the journey making this short eared owl known as a short eared Hootlet in Scotland.

 They like to make their nests low to the ground in grasses so my guess is he was guarding his territory.  I wanted to be sure his stare translated into that intense warning he was giving my brother, the photographer.

I am particularly happy with my bark on this stump.  It took lots of different scraps of greys and browns but I was happy with the results.

Hope you enjoyed this journery constructing this piece with me and watching "Hootlet" come alive.

"On The Farm With Natalie"

       "On The Farm With Natalie"

34" X 20"

Rawedged Fused Applique, Machine Quilted

An Original Design by Barbara Strobel Lardon Interpreted

From Photograph by Natalie Rowe

This quilt was a pleasure to work on.  I enjoyed all of it and it is going home to Natalie, the woman who owns and raises these chckens.  Thank you Natalie for sharing your photo with me and permitting me to create this art quilt for you.

Cockadoodle

 "Cockadoodle"

25 inches X 29 inches

Designed, Raw-edged Fused Appliqued

and Machine Quilted by

Barbara Strobel Lardon

Copyright 2012
Sold to Private Collector

I have been working on this off and on for the past week finishing all the quilting and then fusing on the binding, labeling and adding the sleeve.  

I added the barn and a few fir trees to add depth to the piece.

 I love doing birds feet.  Not sure why, but I do.

Each feather is individually quilted with the exception of the breast which is a solid piece quilted with feathers.

I added barbed wire to the post since that is seen on most farms around here.

 Tail feathers were also individually quilted and are in shades of blue green and black.

I had lots of fun working on this piece.  When you are enjoying the journey it is very hard not to be in the studio everyday working on it.  I had to continually break away from this piece due to my schedule and also the Quilt Expo but ....it was all worth it in the end.  At the end of the month this one will be entered along with my frog into my guilds show.  I hope everyone enjoys seeing them there.

I did attend the Madison Quilt Expo which had my quilt "Honorable Mention?" in it.

Not a winner but I was filmed by the committee explaining my inspiration and technique in making this piece so that was unexpected and thrilling!   I will share it when they publish it.

Tomorrow I will post some to the great quilts that were at the Expo.