The past week I’ve dabbled in quite a mix of projects and techniques, probably revealing I’m a Jill of all work but mistress of none. (I don’t get the they/them thing, so I went the old fashioned route. Though I could say I contain multitudes and use they/them.) Since I often work on more than one project at a time, sometimes they all mature at once.
My Spoonflower printed trees and wall fabric has been sewn together and I’m now experimenting with different embroidery stitches and threads to enhance the tree area. The printed fabric is less intensely colored than the hand painted and dyed fabrics, so I want to bring it out more. Right now it’s called “Along Portage Path.”
I pulled out an unquilted top and finished it through the hanging sleeve stage. Put on your sunglasses at it’s bright.
I returned to “The Memory Jar,” an old project I was never satisfied with and added paint and oil pastels. Now it better expresses my intention to show the breakdown of memories with age, but I’m still not wild about it.
Not to ignore my paper projects, I sewed several small collages onto a large printed piece of sewing stabilizer, and tried to mesh them into a coherent whole. I ended up changing the look of most of the original collages. This was a great way to reinforce the lesson that nothing should be viewed as too precious to change.
Finally, I finished up a magazine image collage that emphasizes a subdued color palette. I will most likely make a few more changes in a week or so, as a distraction from any other project I’m stuck on.
I’m linking to Off The Wall Fridays.
The Snarky Quilter 
I love this view, cannot wait to see how you quilt it!!
First I have to get it embroidered.
Your Teetering quilt is very appealing!
Thanks.
Hi, my comment couldn’t’ be posted —
Hi, what do you mean by “spray basted?” Sounds interesting but I’m not sure what you do? Secondly to me the original one of the memory jar has more contrast and interest with the white streak jutting downwards. Can you maybe add more white to the new one? Just a suggestion. Love the magazine image collage. Is it paper cut out directly from a magazine and collaged/ stitched? Great blog post!
Martha
Martha Ressler http://www.martharessler.com 15 Rocktown Rd, Hamburg, PA 19526 Instagram: stitcher_martha
Artist at Art Plus Gallery, Hamburg Art and Craft Gallery and Studio B
http://www.artplusgallerypa.com
On Fri, Apr 1, 2022 at 5:55 AM The Snarky Quilter wrote:
> snarkyquilter posted: ” The past week I’ve dabbled in quite a mix of > projects and techniques, probably revealing I’m a Jill of all work but > mistress of none. (I don’t get the they/them thing, so I went the old > fashioned route. Though I could say I contain multitudes and use the” >
Your comments seem to have come through so I hope it was a transient glitch. By spray basted I mean I sprayed 505 temporary adhesive on the batting and then laid the top over it. I want to hold the pieces together for hand stitching even though I plan to use a hoop. I added more paint to Memory Jar this morning and really killed it dead. I think the next step is to cut out any parts worth saving for reuse and pitch the rest. It’s what happens when you’re intent on using certain fabrics even if they aren’t right for the piece. Glad you like the collage from magazine images. They are glue sticked to a wallpaper sample. I find such substrates hold up well to glue. Of course that’s what they are meant to do.
I’m curious to see how you quilt your path piece. It’s nice to see the close-ups of your hand stitches and the fabric. I like the two lighter fabric patches in the sky (?), above the hills; it’s like another layer of interest. I really like your paper collage pieces. So much movement in the first one, a lot to look at and really fun. The building in the magazine piece feels weighty, strong, and industrial. I like how you’ve (off) centered it amongst the more natural environments. All nice examples of some of the many techniques you’ve explored. Thanks for sharing.
Well, there’s certainly no reality to the scene with the trees – yellow sky and all that. My ideas for quilting are hazy to say the least. I know I want to emphasize the horizontals to further the impression of driving by the wall. I am sure some would quilt around all the stones, but I don’t have patience or skill for that. Yeah, I just don’t seem to be able to do minimalism, so my collages can become busy.