Come and Dine Banner - part 2

In my previous post, Come and Dine Banner, I was talking about the designing part of the banner project.  I finished that post at the point where it was time to break out the fabric.

First I trimmed each piece of paper roughly around the designs.  At this point I only trimmed around each word as a whole.  On the left I picked a purple tonal print, and green tonal print for the leaves.  Under each word is a rough cut piece of brown tonal print fabric.  On the far right I put a different brown that reminded me of home baked bread, and a grayish stone looking print.

 Then I laid it out and snapped a picture with my phone to get a more disconnected view of it.  Once I saw the picture, I decided that the gray just didn't work.  So I switched it out for a reddish brown print.  I liked the reddish fabric much better, it shows up nicely on the pieced yellow mosaic background.  Here is a close-up of the gray fabric, it just blends into the background.

 Once I switched the reddish brown fabric for the gray fabric, I snapped another picture and decided that I was satisfied with how it looked.

This shows how I cut the brown fabric originally the rough shape of the entire word.

At this point the background is complete, the designwork is done, and the fabric has been auditioned and chosen.

Next time I will tell my method of applying the appliques for grapes, leaves, words, bread, and oil jug.

Let me know what you think.

Come and Dine Banner

One of my projects that I have been working on lately is a quilted wallhanging banner for over the serving window in our church's kitchen.

It is going to be 12x72 inches.  The background is various yellows and light tan 1 inch square pieces.  So I constructed the background by piecing 6 blocks that were 12 inches squares.  So for each block there are 144 separate pieces.  The background will look like a very old mosaic with the many small pieces.

Then on the left end there will be a cluster of purple grapes hanging from the grapevine with a couple of grape leaves and tendrils curling around.  This is the mock-up drawing of the grape cluster.  This will be in the furthest left block.

In the middle four blocks will be the words "Come and Dine" centered.

Finally, in the last block, the one to the furthest right will be a loaf of bread and an earthen jug of olive oil.  This is the mock-up of the bread and oil.  I wanted the bread to look handmade and in a basic oval shape rather than the modern bread shape formed from using a loaf pan.

These are both Zig and Copic markers and and good ole Crayola colored pencil drawings.  Although I cut the background paper to the size that I wanted them to fit; so I could draw them the right size.

Here is the drawings shown in the positions that they will be.

Sorry if it is hard to see.

Next time I will show you how I use these drawings to mock-up and try fabrics.

Let me know what you think.

I'm Back!

I haven't been around for a while on this blog, I moved six hours from Kentucky to Ohio.  The move was long and very complicated; and have many glitches.  I am just thankful that it is finally over.  I have started getting some crafting done.  I made a bunch of cards; and I finished the Army Cathedral Windows quilt I have been working on for my retired Army son-in-law.

A Peaceful Thursday in Portsmouth

Well I am still in Ohio; will be heading home on Saturday.  I was able to have dinner with my dad tonight at Bob Evans ... one of his favorites.  We had their farmhouse burgers (really good) and vanilla ice cream.

Worked on my crazy quilt project yesterday.  Will post pics of the new stuff this weekend.  For some odd reason, my iphone won't load my pics the last few days.

Stopped by Big Lots and got a letter P monogram rubber stamp ... the only one in the store, so it was meant for me, lol.  Got a scrapbook techniques book and a watercolor technique book.  Since art school isn't in the cards; I'm gonna try to learn something to improve my drawing this way.

Used the watercolor technique book and did a page in my art journal; except I used colored pencils instead of watercolors.  My sketchbook won't do watercolors and I only brought colored pencils and markers not the watercolors.  Again I will post a pic of the art journal page this weekend.

Helping my son's girlfriend to learn to quilt; so far we have finished two baby quilts this week; and are going shopping for the supplies for a third tomorrow.