Prismata is Bejeweled and FINISHED!!

 I realize you all saw Prismata after I finished coloring him in with the pencils.

I wanted to mimic the bubbles from the original drawing using crystals.

I finally got brave enough to give it a try a few days ago.

HE  IS  AWESOME!!!

I have him pinned on my design wall.

It is covering some pictures so that's why he looks a little wavy.

You can see how I placed the crystals.

I put a few in the outer white waves.

These are Aurora crystals.

Then I decided to put one in the center of his eye too!

You can see the white crystals here a bit better.

I am so thrilled to finally have this one really finished!!

I have shown my daughter in photos and she is super excited to finally have it also.

I have not told her yet but I would like to try to enter him into an AQS quilt show.

It's probably not good enough to win anything but it would be neat to be accepted into a show.

Sorry I have been MIA.

We have been busy getting ready to go see Avery for a month.

I'll be bringing my computer and I'll try to remember to post.

If not be prepared for a photo dump upon my return!!

~XOP~

Using Inktense Pencils

 Remember Prismata?

The adorable dragon quilt I made from a drawing my daughter did when she was in high school.

In the original drawing the dragon had rainbows coming through the water.

I wasn't sure how to mimic that on the quilt.

I decided to try using Inktense colored pencils.

I had read about a technique where someone used these pencils and then used water to blend the colors.

Once they are dry they are supposed to be colorfast.

Here is what I tried on the dragon quilt.

My daughter said she loves it!

Next up is using some heat fix crystals to mimic the bubbles on the original drawing too.

That will have to wait for a bit though.

What do you think about using these colored pencils?

Would you try it on a quilt?

~XOP~

Prismata

 My eldest daughter drew an incredible water dragon when she was in high school.  

At the time I told her that someday I would make him into a quilt for her. 

My skill level was not where I felt comfortable at that time.

I had just started quilting.

This is the original I was working from.

Over time I picked away at the project.

Always in between other things and with zero regularity.

I took it to a retreat a LONG time ago and the people there sort of made fun of the project.

I shoved it in a bag and it was literally YEARS before I took it out again.

I had taken the drawing and enlarged it.

(bite marks are from Finny)

I numbered all the areas on the drawing.

I traced all the pieced on to fusible.

I had chosen the fabrics and fused the pieces.

I brought everything with me to the Reject's Retreat.

I worked really hard on getting started on him.

His name is Prismata.

He is a rainbow, water dragon.

I managed to get him all fused to the background. 

Then I brought him home.

Afraid once again to go any further.

I finally took him out and brought him to my local LQS to ask about interfacing and thread.

They had excellent suggestions.

I bought the sharps sewing machine needles.

I bought 100 weight thread to stitch around him.

I used tear away fusible on the back of the piece.

I stitched all around him and he was amazing.

BUT, he needed amazing quilting.

So he flew on a plane to Washington to Quilting is My Bliss.

Let me tell you, he turned out better than I could have imagined!!!

This is the backing I chose.  I even put a hanging sleeve on it!

Let me tell you, my daughter was so excited to finally have him in her hands!

I gifted it to her on her birthday too.

So now you think this is the end, right?

Well you would be wrong.

If you noticed in the original drawing, he has rainbow colors and bubbles coming off him.

I was nervous to do this on the quilt.

My idea was to possibly use Intense pencils to create the rainbow in the water.

I also considered using hot fix crystals for the bubbles.

Since BOTH are things I couldn't remove, I wanted to see what she thought.

Of course she loved BOTH of those things.

YIKES!

I have not picked him back up to finish, yet.

I need to quilt up a sample to practice with the pencils.

You can color with them and then use water over the top to blend them into the fabric.

I had placed some crystals over the quilted bubbles just to see what how it looked before I even made this as a suggestion.

I remembered to take a picture of those so here is what I put in place, it was not all, as I would fill all the bubbles but I just wanted to see if I even liked it.

She assured me I could not make it too "rainbowy".

I sure hope she's right!

She seems to be the child I make the most complex quilts for.

(Remember her Hallowedding quilt??)

So Prismata is with me for just a little bit longer.

Until I become brave enough to use the colored pencils and put in his bubbles.

He is already an very handsome boy.

I'd love to hear what you think of him.

I think he is gorgeous!

More to come.

~XOP~

More of the Reject's Retreat

 So...where did we leave off?  

Oh yes, the rest of the retreat! 

 First up was our trip to Sarah's in Lawrence.  

This is Traci modeling in front of the shop. 

This is inside the shop.

It was a great shop and one everyone should visit!

Paula found the cutest pineapple pin cushion!

After some shopping we went back to sew. 

 I managed to snap a quick selfie with Mel. 

 I may not have said it, but I missed these ladies so much!

Traci made the cutest pink elephant bag!

Just look at that flap! 

 I think it was my favorite part of the bag, but the peanut lining was pretty sweet.

We headed to Liberty and Angela Walter's shop, Quilting is my Therapy.

It was cool to say I have gone there but it really was not anything special. 

I enjoyed the other shops more, actually.

I did get this terrible photo of me and better one of my friends though, LOL.

The coolest thing, to me, were these angel wings!  

I have seen other people use them but never saw any myself.

There was the big pair you see me in above, and there was a little pair for kids next to it.
  OF COURSE, I had to sit down and take a selfie with the children's wings!  LOL.

Now on to talking about the things I was working on.  

My daughter, Shelby, drew a dragon in 2006. 

 This is the modified version of the dragon. 

 I wanted to make him into a quilt, BUT, did not have what I needed with me to actually do anything other than make the binding, SMH.

I made binding for another top that I finished while at retreat. 

 It is a Christmas gift, so I can't show the actual quilt top though.

This is a pic of the quilt top AND back and binding!!  
WOOT WOOT!!  
I sent this one to Liz to quilt for me as soon as I got back.

I bought these Kitty Corn fabrics to make a buffalo plaid quilt top at the KC Maker shop.  

This one is the Buffalo Plaid free pattern by the Empty Bobbin. 

 I can NOT believe how quickly it went together. 

 This will be for me.  

I am thinking that I will be adding the cat in the jack-o-lantern from the panel to the front of this one.

  I just ordered a back today, the same green kitties that are on the front.

The Knotted Thread has a bunch of this line packaged for backs (5 yard cuts).

If you are looking go check her out!

I finished a little bag also, but again, it's a gift so I can't share it right now.

No trip to KC is complete without having some BBQ.

We went to Jack Stack on the first night.

I had the brisket and turkey.  

Honestly, the beans were the best part of that meal!

I know, I know, turkey?

 But when it is done right it is the BEST!

This was more like lunchmeat.

I was pretty disappointed

Not everyone in our group loves BBQ 

(Who are you people?)

We went to another place called Q39.

It's a newer place but I have to say the brisket was the best I have ever had!

It melted in my mouth!

So for now, this concludes my trip with my buddies.

Never fear though, we are getting together again in November!

Traci owns a quilt shop in WI called Something Quilty.

She is having a retreat from the 3-7 of November.

Want to join us?

Give her a call!

I would love to meet you!

~XOP~