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Friday, October 14, 2011

“Psychedelic Peacock” is done!

It is done! I don’t know when I’ve been happier to say that about a piece. This one was a bear. Partly because I ran out of my favorite fusible adhesive – Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 – and had to use a heavier one, and partly because I underestimated how much threadwork I’d need to do to achieve the proper look for the feathers, and partly because of the size. It is 48" square, and has my favorite stabilizer — Pellon 910 interfacing — under the whole surface. I have stitched king-sized bed quilts on my home sewing machine that have been easier to wrangle under the needle than this one was!

I estimate that I spent at least 100 hours working on this piece!

I made it to showcase collections of fabric by StudioeFabrics, a wholesale division of Fabric Editions, a company in Greenville, SC, for whom I have done design work. It will hang in their booth – with other art quilts by some fabulous fiber artists I know! — at International Quilt Market in Houston, Oct. 28-31. Fabric Editions has been in business since 1996, specializing in packaged fabrics known as “pre-cuts” and “kits” which are sold into the mass specialty markets. They offer fabric collections, pre-cuts, patterns and kits to independent fabric retailers only.

Here are some detail photos:


This piece is based on a photo I took this summer of a peacock of a zoo in Colorado. (See earlier posts for more information on how I started this project.) I changed the colors of the tail feathers to showcase the fabric line. After tracing my photo, and blowing up the line drawing, I created pattern pieces for each element using paper-backed fusible adhesive. 

After fusing down the fabrics, I backed the quilt top with Pellon 910, and then thread-sketched the lines in the feathers using 50-weight Aurifil Cotton Mako thread. Once I added the batting and backing, I quilted the piece, going back over some of the lines in the feathers with quilting thread (mostly 40-weight Aurifil Cotton Mako) to make them stand out more.


I wish I had kept track of how much thread I used in this piece! I do know that I emptied more than 10 small spools of 50-weight thread I used in the bobbins alone.



21 comments:

  1. Wow, this looks great. It's a pity that we don't have these wonderful stuff back home! Luckely we all share the WWWeb...
    Christel - the Netherlands

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  2. Spectacular Susan! I love it!
    D~~~~

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  3. This looks amazing, Susan! I'd love to see it in person -- especially all those individual feathery lines that overlap. This is a "wow" piece in photos and I'm sure in person it's dazzling! Congrats on getting it done!

    Will you be at the Houston festival? I will be and I'd love to meet you!

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  4. It turned out stunningly. You should be proud. The thread work is just beautiful and really makes the piece stand out.

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  5. Que maravilla, me encanta como acolchas.
    Un beso.

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  6. Susan, you only spent 100 hours? It looks like you could have doubled that. this is gorgeous!

    However it was kind of good to hear that you were happy to be done. I feel that way alot with my work. So even the pro's (you) have the same feeling too. LOL

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  7. I love your tail threadwork and how you make those colours work beautifully. You inspire me to get on with my quilting picture thank you

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  8. You did a lot of amazing stitch work in this piece and I love how you showed off the colors in the fabric line, with this subject, just beautiful.

    Debbie

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  9. This has to be one of the neatest pieces of needlework I have seen! Fabulous job and I know all who get to see this in person will be delighted!

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  10. Beautiful. Just amazing!

    Darlis

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  11. Congratulations on another great finish, Susan! Your peacock is absolutely gorgeous!!! Wow ~ that's a LOT of thread!

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  12. I've so enjoyed following your progress on this piece - it's been so much fun watching it unfold, and your finished result is absolutely stunning!!

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  13. Wow, that is absolutely stunning! Will you be entering it in shows so we can see it in person?

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  14. Absolutely amazing. You are so gifted - from the colors you choose, to design, to the truly awesome thread painting. It is a beautiful work of art.

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  15. Absolut fantastic. The colours are great and the feathers are wonderful threadwork.
    Claudia

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  16. Wow, I love this peacock! I hope you show us some of your Pellon and other interfacing stuff when you visit us in th Netherlands for the workshops! I really want to see that stuff up close!

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  17. I just happened upon your peacock quilt. Amazing work! Amazing colour! You are So very talented! I just ❤❤❤ it!

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