That's Not A Snowy Owl!

Worked on my background and quilted it up.  This background will be pretty fully covered so most of what you see will be somewhat hidden.   Since I made my Snowy Owl too big for this background,  I decided rather then redraw him I will add the Barn Owl to my series and use him on this background.  Anyway, the barn owl is my sister, Bonnie's favorite, and she begged me until I had to give in.  ( Just kidding Bonnie if you are reading this!  :P )

Snowy will have to wait to be my Grand Finale in the series.  That should make him happy.  

It has been frigid here.  Not only cold but high winds making the windchill bringing the temp way down below zero.  I keep thinking March is just around the corner and that usually brings some warmer days plus it is the month we reopen our hot tub!   Can not wait for that.

Sketch

I have been really busy the last few days both at our antique shoppe and also here at home.  I have decided to do one more owl to complete my series.  This will be a juvenile Snowy Owl.  The Snowy Owl is pure white except when it is young in which case it has these dark brown and white feathers.  I love their fluffy white feet with their black talons sticking out.  So this will be the subject of my next piece.  Only problem is .... I drew him too big.  So before I begin he needs to be shrunk down a few sizes. 

Penguin Background & Sketch

Here is the background quilted with the penguin sketch on it.  There will be a border added as well.  I am still researching Antartica.  Watched, a short film last night and the scientist said the three colors up in Antartica are Blue, Black and White.  Well it seems I have that covered!

Great Horned Owl Sketch

 The plumber came today to fix some terrible plumbing that we discovered was in our bathroom when our ceiling caved in due to the porch roof leak.  So I took the dogs upstairs to my studio so they would not be in his way following him everywhere while he worked.   So I spent that time making my new background for my Great-Horned Owl piece and then sketched him out.  I found a photograph I especially liked on the website of Ron Austing a wildlife photographer.  I loved one of his photos so I emailed him asking permission to use one of his photos,  I included photos of my other two owl quilts.  He replied that he is giving me permission so I copied that email and put it in my files.  His website with the photo is:  Ron Austing

After finishing the background I sketched the owl from his photograph.  It took quite a long time since this quilt will be a little bit bigger then the other two.

 The plumber left late and now we have new plumbing in the bathroom.  It looks strange amongst the construction up there but we feel so much better that is fixed before the ceiling is closed up again.   Next step...the contractor who is coming in the next few days.

This is one of the only rooms that is feels untouched by this.  The guest room has the closet emptied out so that they can put in an access panel to the tub for any future issues so that is all over the bed.  The dining room has all the kitchen stuff in it that had to be moved out of the way for this work.  However the living room is still comfy and that is where I am now.

Stay tuned!

Whooooooooooo!

 My brother, Jeffrey Strobel is a great wildlife photographer.  He took this photo of a short eared owl he  spotted here in Wisconsin.  He gave me permission (this is when you pull the sister card) to use this photo for my next quilt.

 So I sketched him/her out and now I am ready to begin. 

It will be fun to attempt to capture his facial expression which I love.

Chickens chickens and more chickens

Well....here is my group of chickens which will go on the background shown yesterday.  Do you think this is a big enough challenge?   Now that I have the grouping worked out I will trace each one individually and add in all the details and refine them a bit.  Their faces definitely need that.

The photo I am interpreting from is one of Natalie Rowe's.  Her blog is Knatolee's World.
She gave me permission to use it.  I love her photography and you will see why if you visit.

I fell in love with these chickens of hers clustered on the firewood.  I did choose to edit the one on the far right out.  No matter what I did he just looked awkward in the grouping. I kept looking like he was growing out of the back of one of the ones in the foreground. 

So this may be a long journey but hopefully lots of fun.

Entry and Redrawing

 I have entered "Honorable Mention" into the Quilt Expo this year.  I hope he makes it.  I should know in a few weeks.  Cross your fingers.

 Back to work on "Pears".  I start out by redrawing my sketch on tissue paper so I can flip it over and have the reverse side to trace onto my fusible.   I pay attention to all the shapes of the shadows etc.
I know many fusers do this differently but this works for me and I continue to do it like this.  I think each of us have to choose our own techniques that we are comfortable using and have the most success with. 

Here is what my fusible will look like after tracing shapes all over it.   I number the ones I may not recognize once they are cut out.  I have very little trouble with fraying so once again I choose to
fuse my shapes onto my fabric choices, cut them out and then pull off the fusible later while I am constructing the object.  Sometimes I purposely fuse on a fabric that does fray to get a more earthy natural look.  In the case of Pears you do not want that "usually".    Never say never because you don't know what works from one quilt to another.

So with this rather tedious step finished I will start fusing and constructing my pears and bowl onto my background.

Sketch of "Pears"

Did a sketch of a bowl of Pears I had in the kitchen.  They are green pears..hmmmm is green my favorite color???   So this will be my final 12 by 12 piece.  Time to get started.

Carrots Sketch

I think my next 12X12 in my series will be "Carrots".  Here is my sketch that will be what I start with.  Not sure how I will do those lacy greens yet.  May have to experiment first.    Also have to go through my stash of orange and see if I have enough variations of that fabric to do this or will I have to shop first.  I am pretty sure I have enough. 

Here is where I am now.

A Little of this & that

 Finished quilting and binding "Coneflowers".
 

 Finished quilting and binding "Flight".

Then this morning we went out to lunch with our friends Mel and Heide.  After lunch we drove up to Manitowoc to the Gardens Along the Lake.  It was 48 degrees and drizzling.  Could not believe the change in the weather but we tried to make the best of it.  Had to take a photo of these old trees with branches of strange shapes.

 This one layed on the arbor.  (Notice the parking lot.  We were the only ones there in this awful weather.)

 Most of the flowers were just beginning to bloom.  I loved this varigated leaf yellow iris.  I have to find these somewhere.

 The Koi pond and waterfall was just beginning to have lily pads and blooms in it.

 These dark red velvety iris were stunning.

 Mel and Bob were troopers with collars up and hands in their pockets.

When I got home and headed to the studio, my buddies Ozzie and Watson were waiting at the top of the steps for me.  They almost match!

 I did some sketching of radishes....

and a Kohlrabi.  Then I cleaned up the studio which needed it.    Perhaps my final 3 twelve by twelve's will be one of these.

Sketches of Sunflowers

I have a "thing" for sunflowers but have been focusing on Poppies, my other favorite flower.  So after looking at some of my old photos of sunflowers I sketched out a few old and dying ones.  I have always felt they have some human qualities and when their season is over they become bent and old like elderly men and women standing in the field.  I think this will be my next quilt.
I hope to start soon.

Sketches

After making most of my poppies sort of stylized, I thought I would pull one of my photos I took of the poppies in my garden and sketch them.

I am thinking of attempting a more realistic piece of some of the variety of poppies I have in my own garden.  They are bright oranges and I will have to get some additional fabric to have enough petal variations.    It will be a challenge.

I am on my new laptop.  It is FABULOUS!