The Painting Technique

Many have asked about my painting technique on the pelicans and want to know how I learned. I was able to spend a week with Sharon Schamber in a small group week-long retreat. During this retreat I created Oliver, my owl quilt. I have used the techniques I learned from Sharon in so many of my quilts over the years - like I have said before, if you ever get the chance to take one of her classes, do so! Her wealth of knowledge is unimaginable - you will learn so much, I am proud to call her my friend!

So, back to the painting technique. If you are unable to take one of her classes, you can order one of her DVDs on her daughter Cristi's website, Purple Daisies Quilting. The DVD is entitled Quilt Fairy (Concept, Design and Construction), and it was based on the techniques covered during the week-long retreat. This is the next best thing to having Sharon there with you in person.

I've taken what I learned from Sharon and added my own style to it. Yes, I do some things differently, but the base technique is still there -- you have to take what you learn and make it work best for you - adjust, adapt, change, but most importantly learn, as much as you can!! Try new techniques and practice - not every piece will be perfect, but I'm sure you will learn something new with each piece.

Hopefully this answers the questions many of you have commented and emailed me - keep creating!

Pelicans - a whole lotta progress!

I've been busy - after traveling to Gammill Headquarters, teaching at Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Fredericksburg, and finishing a much overdue client quilt, I took some time off to work on the pelicans.

I started with Mr. Pelican's feet. I did my usual turned edge foundation applique.

And then used Shiva Paintstiks to make magic happen:

Then on to Mrs. Pelican's feet:

And more Shiva paints:

I absolutely love how the feet turned out!

Then on to the beaks,

And then Mr. Pelican after the paint:

And Mrs. Pelican after some paint:

You might remember in my last pelican post how I wasn't thrilled with the dock. Well, after I placed the pieces onto the master copy to look at the layout and I added the feet on the dock - I love it! Its amazing how adding other elements changes your perspective.

I turned the edges to all of Mrs. Pelican's pieces and placed them on the master copy for reference.

And then the painting of feathers began. I must apologize, sometimes I forget to take before pictures. Here's an after:

And again, another after:

One more after (I'm really bad at taking the picture before I start, guess I'm just too excited to create):

Oh look, here's an almost before:

And here is the after:

Finally, a before:

And an almost finished:

And here she is - Mrs. Pelican:

I still need to glue-baste all the pieces together until its time to stitch her to the background, but I am so pleased with how she turned out. Yes, I can see a couple of areas that I'm going to need to tweak with thread when quilting time comes, but nevertheless, I am thrilled with her!

Tomorrow another rush client quilt arrives, so that'll be it for the pelican work for a little while. I missed my original deadline of 10/1, and its doubtful impossible that I'll make my secondary deadline of 10/16. I really, really, really wanted to enter the pelicans into AQS Daytona, but unfortunately I am unable to perform miracles and have this pieced, painted, appliqued, quilted, faced, and sleeved by Friday - I'm good, but I'm not that good!