Judy's Flower Rabbit

22" x 26"

Flour/Flower. I have a funny picture from the beginning of the pandemic that I thought I might make into a quilt. The store shelves were totally empty of flour because everyone started baking, but someone who helped us get a laugh had put some pots of Flowers on those shelves.

I just didn’t get that one going, but I have been working hard to collage a rabbit. It turns out the year of the rabbit just might be my year of a series of rabbit collages. This is one of 3 that I have been working on. When I completed it, I realized that it fit the theme perfectly. It’s spring, it’s floral, and it’s a rabbit which covers this year and this season.

The background fabric is an ombre so it goes from light to dark and there are more dots in the dark area. I used the middle of the fabric, which is the lightest part, as the backing. The fabric is Moda “Ombre confetti metallic” by Vanessa Christenson of V and Co. On the selvage it says, “Spread Kindness Like Confetti”. I believe that wholeheartedly.

Carolyn's Flower -Dancing Flowers

 Of course, being the gardener that I have always been, I just HAD to do flowers for this theme.  I am not a cook or a baker so for me, this was the right and only choice! 

I tried to use just one flower, but it looked lonely blowing in the wind.  I ended up adding a second flower and 5 leaves floating by.  The quilt is fused with scraps of Kaffe Collective fabrics that I have used in previous quilts, as is the binding.  I tried a wavy stitch for the polka dot background.  In my mind, it imitates swirls of wind.  We just had a super windstorm full of West Texas sand, so wind was on my radar.  

I am recuperating from 3 + months of health issues, so this was my first time "back in the saddle".  It feels good!!!

Andrea's Flour/Flower Quilt

 Parisian Tulips

Raw edge fused cotton

11" x 14"

I disparately wanted to combine both themes, but after days and days of trying to design something that I liked, incorporating a reproduction flour sack image printed on cotton from Etsy, I was very close to giving up all together. Then I reminded myself that this was supposed to be a fun process, so I relaxed and gave myself permission to just use the 'flower' theme.

This quilt is based on larger quilt that I made for a guild challenge last fall.  As I was not completely happy with the results of that quilt ( I had to follow specific rules and size requirements ) I thought this was my opportunity to remake it using many of the same elements and fabrics, but 'tweak' it here and there, including the size.  I am much happier with this version and very pleased that I gave myself the permission to have fun! 

Nedra's Flower/Flour-Pillsbury Flour

As soon as I read this joke, I knew what I would do for this challenge !!

On the first day of a marriage retreat the instructor talked about the importance of knowing what matters to each other.  For example he said, pointing to my husband David, "do you know your wife's favorite flower?"  David grinned and answered with confidence, "Pillsbury, All Purpose".  

Here is my sixties homage to the Pillsbury dough boy and some of the goodies enjoyed by a lover of this kind of flour!!!  The flour bag, plate, bread, cookies, and dough boy are hand sketched.  I made a stencil for the word pillsbury and painted the circle and dots with fabric paint. The red banner and wheat are fused.  The bread,  cookies (painted separately and fused onto plate)  and plate are colored in with Inktense pencils.  The dough boy is made with two layers of very thin batting fused and stitched on and then shaded with Inktense pencils.  The chocolate chips and crumbs are embellished with a few beads.  Lovin' From the Oven is written with pencil and filled in with Inktense pencils.  The piece is machined quilted. To complete the look I used a bias stripe and tiny ricrac in complementary colors.  I had sooooo much fun working on this challenge!!

Karen's Flower- Poppies

I pulled this piece out of my class samples and re-worked it for "Flour/Flower".

I've always loved poppies though can't grow them for real!

The background is chenille, 6 layers of rayon and cotton, sliced and fluffed.

I made 2 different squares of chenille, cut an "X" through them and reattached.

The poppies are made with cotton petals and wool centers.

Double-sided with wool felt backing. and stitched onto the background using stem stitching to hold in place.

The edges are not stitched.

The poppy "bud" has a 3D center, the bottom petal is curved off the flower.

Working on this makes me want to try one more time to grow them!

Tricia’s Flower- Wisteria Tree

 A year and a half ago I took a Merrill Comeau mixed media class at Snow Farm in western Mass. I started to work on a piece from a photograph of a Wisteria plant. In our last house we had a 50 year old Wisteria tree which was so beautiful in the spring.  I decided to finish my piece for our flower theme.

I used raw edge appliqué, free motion stitching and French knots.  I loved Merrill’s class.  It helped me to free up my use of fabric.