"Metamorphosis"

I'm finally going to begin work on "Metamorphasis." It's been a long time coming. I'm still going to start on the T-Shirt quilt but I figured while I have the momentum, I better get this thing rolling as well. So here are my humble beginnings:

Tried making a butterfly. Didn't like it much.

Found this stuff at my local quilting shop.

And this pretty fabric was at Walmart.

Found this illustration online. 

Traced it and added a seam allowance.

This is the end result. I used a satin stitch on the three layers (top fabric, inn-spire plus, bottom fabric). I like it but I think I won't use such a dark color thread and I think I will try it with a straight stitch instead. The thread is taking away from the pretty fabric. I thought it would look kind of like stained glass but it's not what I'm looking for. 

Based on a tutorial I saw on making a doll's fingers, I attempted to make the arm and hand for my life-sized doll.  It came out too skinny but I love the idea of using the pipe cleaners to make the fingers bendable without having to use stitching. Now I'm ready to go all the way and make the entire body.

These are definitely in the early stages and I have a long ways to go but I cannot wait to see the end result. I'm excited!

Just a Few Things I Did/Finished in the Past Month or So - Signature Wedding Quilt, Patient Quilt

Above and below is a project I started with patients at the hospital. I cut out square muslin for patients to decorate as they saw fit, then I stitched them together. This is from over a year ago. Recently, I quilted the layers together (stitch in the ditch) and added a binding. One will go on display in one of the units at the hospital.

I saw this adorable pattern and thought I just had to try it. I made them flat instead of a pillow and I painted on the face instead of stitching. I thought that would make the project easier for patients to do. I gave the red one to my son for Valentine's Day. It was stuffed with some money.

This quilt and I have been through some tough times. I started this in March (I think) of 2013 for a wedding in May. Making the quilt top with the pinwheel design was interesting - all those points - ahhh! I gave the quilt top to the then-bride for people to sign at her wedding. She then returned it to me and sent me a photo to add in the center at a later date. I wanted to learn how to free-motion quilt, so I took a workshop (sometime in October I think). After much practice, I did free-motion quilting in the black areas, using black thread. Of course, I did this after I stitched in the ditch the three layers together. I added the binding on the edges and wa la! She's done and her owner is pleased. It was a lot of fun and it was my first traditional quilt (using a pattern, making blocks, etc.). But I think I'm going back to my art quilt world. 

I have to say, I'm on a roll with my New Year's Resolution. I've finished three old projects thus far. Next up: a T-shirt quilt for my girl Mel.

Update on "Woolly Afro II" by Unicia Buster

"Wolly Afro II" by Unicia Buster 2014

Textile art, Hand and machine stitched 100% cotton, SOLD

"Wolly Afro" by Unicia Buster 2011
Textile art, Hand and machine stitched 100% cotton, SOLD

This is "Woolly Afro II" from start to finish:

I looked for my models (from the internet of course).

Another fabulous Google find.

This model was from real life - my good friend Shanaye willingly posed for me :).

I selected my color palette.

I made the pattern and cut it out of the fabric.

Pinned to background fabric to prepare for hand applique.

Stitched the face prematurely but I couldn't wait to see how it would look.

Let the stitching begin!

Trying out the circles for hair. Didn't particularly care for the colors chosen so I auditioned other colors and also made the hair fuller (below).

Much better hair.

Cut out all the hair for the lamb.

A lot of stitching to do.

You can see my handy-work close-up.

Still a long ways to go but progress is made.

It's coming along, thankfully.

Lot was done. Border is on, sheep was added on. I added painted details to faces with fabric paint and a few abstract flowers. All of the applique is done and the quilt sandwich was put together using free-motion quilting on the sewing machine.

Close-up of lamb.

Detail of some of the free-motion quilting on background.

Some pictures taken in direct sunlight. You can see the free-motion quilting better. The binding is on at this point.

Detail of quilting.

Detail of quilting.

Detail of quilting.

Detail of quilting.

I thought I was done until I showed it to my mom and a friend. They offered some suggestions to make the sheep look better, especially the pointed hump she got going on.

I fixed the hump and added detail to her face.

Added my signature to lady's arm and a bit more stitches to the wool on the lamb.

"Woolly Afro II" by Unicia Buster
Finally, all finished. Started in July 2013. Finished in January 2014. This was a really fun project and I plan to do more. None of my quilts before this used free-motion quilting (a technique I learned at a workshop back in November). I also learned how to properly bind a quilt using YouTube. This one is definitely far better than "Woolly Afro" which I did January 2011. Expecting even greater things in the year ahead.

I made this from a pattern I saw on http://www.makeit-loveit.com/pattern-pieces

I gave her to my little cousin (who's not so little anymore - she and her husband just had her first child). She saw it and loved it so much, I knew my first hand made doll (yes, I did it all by hand, no machine) would be in a very happy home. In my version, I stitched the entire face and I braided the hair and stitched it down.